Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

*originally recorded on 2-12-19*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran Type 3 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Eastport Street signal: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights.

This crossing was one I had been wanting to record, as it is easily the most interesting crossing on the NS Memphis District West End between the Alabama state line and Corinth, MS. The crossing is a pretty standard mid to late-2000s NS install (meaning it has one of three Safetran Type 3s on the NS in NE Mississippi), but, due to its location next to an intersection, features a third gateless signal for visibility. While not seen in this video, the third signal also features a backwards crossbuck on it, which can be seen in this video from my friend, FanFan61618, below:

Another unique thing about this crossing, though not really noticeable in this video, is that the crossing features a mixture of older and newer RECO gate lights, with the older ones being from before RECO updated their molds to feature a more stylized logo. The reason I mention this is because I had typically only ever seen these before on older CSX crossings, and hadn't ever seen them before on an NS install, making this the only NS crossing I've ever seen with them. However, that does tell me that there had once been older gated signals here that the current ones replaced, likely from the SOU.

*originally recorded on 7-30-25*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Signal on the far right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Signal on the near right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights.

After catching 284 just west of Burnsville, vtgrxrman and I decided to chase it east some. We were originally going to chase it into Alabama, but, after catching-up to the rear end of it going across the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, I decided to see if I could beat it to this crossing in Iuka. Thankfully, I was able to do so with maybe a minute or so to spare, and we were able to catch NS 284 for the second time on this day, slowing down to meet a westbound intermodal at CP Gravel. I must say, I'm quite glad I got to film an eastbound here at this angle, NGL.
Also, don't mind the person hollering at me at the start, he was just trying to tell me to put my car's hazards on so people wouldn't be as likely to hit it, even though I didn't think it was necessary for where I'd parked here.

Sometime between when I last recorded this crossing in 2019 and 2023, NS replaced the original Safetran Type 3 e-bell here with the current GS Type 3 e-bell. Thankfully, nothing else has changed to this crossing since my previous video here back in 2019, and it even still remains fully incandescent, complete with a few older RECO gate lights too! Definitely nice to see those are still around, they definitely aren't too common to find in use these days. Also quite nice to see that the extra signal for the intersecting road on the north side of the crossing is still here. It also still has its backwards crossbuck, amusingly.

https://www.rxrsignals.com/Mississippi/G-Q/Iuka/Spring/