Oakwood Avenue, Huntsville, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 12-6-25*

Signal on the left: 5 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 5 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, a WCH mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

After catching M513, CentralALSirens and I continued on up to Paducah to unsuccessfully try for their monthly siren test. After the time the test was supposed to happen, we went and snagged ourselves lunch before making the 4 hour drive back down to Huntsville. On our way down, we found a 362 heading east through Irvington as we approached I-565 on I-65, so we decided to chase it east over to this crossing in Huntsville. After a little bit of waiting here, we were able to catch our second, and final, train of the day: NS 362 with an AC44C6M leading an SD70ACe, an ES44DC, and another SD70ACe for power. You can also see a cyclist with a death wish flying around the lowered gates on the crossing after the signals activate as well.
And as always, you can hear the local defect detector next to this crossing reading-out for the train after it's passed.

Apparently sometime within the past few months, NS went through and replaced the gate mast on the far signal entirely. Interestingly, the new gate mast isn't a brand new one, but appears to be a reused 2000s gated mast signal, complete with a reused 2000s Safetran gate mech on it. No idea where this gate mast would've come from, as I ain't exactly aware of any 2000s NS installs in the area (or at least on the Memphis East) being replaced, though I suppose it could've come from another nearby line. Either way, as a result of that replacement, the bell here now shuts-off again when the gates lower, though thankfully it still rings when the gates rise. I'm guessing the far gate mech's relay must've been the one the bell was wired through, and that relay wearing-out is why the bell here would ring when the gates had lowered as a result. Either way, hopefully this means that the WCH mechanical bell here will be around for a good while longer since it (hopefully) won't be getting worn-out as fast. Nice to see that the mechanical bell here was retained when the gate mast was replaced though, and that nothing else appears to have changed to the crossing since I last filmed it.

https://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/ ... e/Oakwood/

[freebrickproductions]

No changes here as of 1-21-26:


I was able to confirm that the "new" gate mast and gate mech on the closer signal here were reused from the Sullivan Street crossing in downtown Madison, as the mast still retains its original DOT tag stuck on it.

[freebrickproductions]

No changes here as of 2-9-26: