2nd Avenue, Pierson, FL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 6-22-25*

Signal on the left: 3 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, 2 pairs of RACO 12x20 inch lights, an NEG electronic bell, a WCH gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights, 2 pairs of RACO 12x20 inch lights, an NEG electronic bell, a WCH gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

On the morning of June 22nd, I got on up and headed back up north to the CSX Sanford Subdivision to try and get as much Amtrak as possible, as it was the weekend and SunRail wasn't running as a result. Thankfully, I was able to beat the southbound Auto Train to this crossing with a fair bit of time to spare. After a little while of waiting, here we see my first train of the day: Amtrak 53 with an ALC-42 leading a P42DC for power.

This crossing is honestly a rather nice one, and I'm glad I was able to get the Auto Train here with it. These signals appear to have originally been installed in the late-60s or early-70s by the SCL when this part of the A Line appears to have still been double-tracked. In the late-70s, however, it appears that this part of the A Line had the second track ripped-out. As a result, the SCL replaced both of the original gate masts with the current ones closer to the remaining line, though the cantilevers were left in place. Then, in the latter-half of the 80s or possibly the early-90s, CSX replaced all of the mast lights here with the current MI 12x24s. It also appears that about the same time, or possibly shortly after in the mid-90s, the bell on the far signal was replaced with a newer WCH mechanical bell. Finally, sometime between the early-2010s and 2021, both bells here were replaced with the current NEG e-bells.
Thankfully, despite these various upgrades, both of the old SCL-era RACO cantilevers here still remain in service with their original RACO 12x20 inch overhead lights. Even better, those old RACO 12x20s are even still incandescent, which is great to see. Hopefully this crossing continues to remain fairly unchanged for many more years to come, but, either way, I'm quite glad I got to record this crossing when I did.