Spring Street, Henderson, NC

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 8-1-24*

Signal on the left: 3 pairs of WABCO 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, a dying WABCO mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, RECO LED gate lights, and an NEG LED gate light.
Signal on the right: 1.5 pairs of WABCO 12x20 inch lights, 1 Federal Signal 12x24 inch light, a WABCO mechanical bell, a US&S Model 75 gate mechanism, RECO gate lights, and a RECO LED gate light.

After I shot L617 in Kittrell, I went on up into Henderson while they stopped and worked in South Henderson for a bit. Once they finished their work, they got a crew change there and became L606 before going up to the small yard in Henderson for some work (both in the yard I believe, and to also work a lumberyard off of it). While they were working in the yard, although they never entered this crossing, they did get close enough to cause it to time-out a few times. I filmed a couple of the time-outs, but I'm only uploading this one as I feel it came-out better of the two.

This crossing is a rather nice one, featuring the northernmost WABCO mechanical bells on the CSX Norlina Subdivision. Originally, there was an old SAL install here, I assume from about the 1950s or 1960s or so. In the early-1980s, the early-SBD installed the current gated signals here, though they retained the old offside US&S cantilever from the SAL here, which was located on the left side of the road. At some point later on in the 80s, it seems, either the SBD or CSX replaced the left-rear light on the closer signal with the current Federal Signal 12x24 inch light, definitely reused from somewhere though I'm not entirely sure where. Then, in the 2000s, the far signal had its gate mech replaced by the current Safetran one. After that, sometime between 2015 and 2016, the cantilever here had its original pair of US&S 8 inch mast lights replaced with a pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, though the other US&S 8 inch lights on the cantilever's overhead arm, and the rest of the lights here, remained incandescent. Finally, sometime between 2018 and 2019, CSX upgraded this crossing to LED, and sadly removed the old SAL cantilever here at about the same time. Admittedly, the cantilever probably wasn't entirely needed anymore, and street view from 2018 shows it was a bit ratty-looking and even a bit damaged, so I suppose it makes sense it was removed.
Thankfully, since then, nothing else too major appears to have occurred to this crossing. The closer signal still retains not only its original US&S Model 75 gate mech, but also a nice older diagonally-striped gate arm with a pair of incandescent RECO gate lights on it! I'm glad to see both WABCO mechanical bells are still here as well, though, sadly, the far one sounds like it's starting to be on its way out due to how it skips a few beats while ringing. Hopefully, CSX is able to fix it, but, either way, I'm glad I was able to record this crossing when I did. And with this video, I have recorded all of the remaining WABCO mechanical bells on the CSX Norlina Sub!
It appears there was also once a second track here given how far back the closer signal is from the remaining track, along with the empty X Track sign mounts on both signals. No doubt this track would've been removed when this part of the S Line was rationalized in the 1980s.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/North_Carolin ... on/Spring/