Rich Pond Road (KY 242), Bowling Green, KY

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 11-25-25*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, a GRS gate mechanism, a RECO LED gate light, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x20 inch lights with Leotek EV Series LEDs, 1 pair of Modern Industries 12x20 inch lights, an NEG electronic bell, a GRS gate mechanism, RECO gate lights, and an NEG LED gate light.

After catching M574 in Salmons, I was gonna head on up to Smiths Grove to wait for my next crossing there. However, thanks to the slow order, I was quickly able to get back ahead of them, so I decided to quickly hop over to this crossing and see if I could get them. Thankfully, I was able to beat them here with a good few minutes to spare, and here we see CSX M574 for the second time on this day.

This crossing is another rather nice one, featuring another 1970s or early-1980s L&N install at it that's still pretty decently original. It appears that this crossing was largely unchanged up through the 2000s, but then, sometime between 2009 and when EthantheRailfanner first visited this crossing back in 2018 (and almost certainly in the mid-2010s), CSX replaced the original MI mechanical bell here with the current NEG e-bell. In the same timeframe, CSX put some new foundations in at this crossing, located just behind the existing signals on their original L&N-era foundations, presumably for some kind of upgrade here that seemingly never happened, as the newer foundations here would remain completely unused for several more years. Finally, sometime after 2023, however, the newer foundation would finally get used at long last, though the new foundation for the other signal has still remained empty. It appears that CSX wanted to move the closer signal to be closer to the tracks, as it seemingly had originally been placed when there was a second track through here still. However, as the new foundation was placed right behind the existing signal, CSX had to move the new foundation closer to the tracks as well. Either way, at about the same time, it appears CSX upgraded the main lights here to LED as well, though thankfully the one pair of side lights on the closer signal were left incandescent, likely due to the fact that all they face is a gravel driveway CSX has to allow the signal maintainers to access the relay cases for both this crossing and the wayside signals just down the track from it. It's nice to see that both of the old L&N signals here still remain as well, complete with all of their original MI 12x20 inch light heads and especially with their GRS Type D gate mechs still, nice to get some more of those filmed. The closer signal also still retains a pair of older RECO incandescent gate lights, which are rather nice to see. Amusingly, despite having been installed sometime within the past two or so years, the Leotek EV Series LED in the front-right light on the closer signal has already come-out of the lens tabs holding it in place.
I did notice a bit of new orange conduit sticking out of the ground on the near-right corner of this crossing, so I have no idea if CSX is finally planning on replacing the signals here (or at least the far signal) or not, though I didn't see where the other ends were sticking out from, admittedly. Hopefully they're just going to relocate the other signal onto the newer foundation, but, either way, I'm definitely glad I finally got this crossing recorded.

https://www.rxrsignals.com/Kentucky/A-K ... Rich_Pond/