Main Drive #2, Parrish, AL

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*originally recorded on 11-11-20*

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

After catching 329 in Cordova, I continued on west to this crossing, where we see it getting onto the NS NA District from the NS West End District. Unfortunately, it was still raining quite well when I got here, but thankfully, I had brought an umbrella along with me and found a way to prop it up on my tripod, so this video was able to turn out quite well.

The crossing itself is also pretty nice, featuring a pair of signals installed in the 1990s by NS. The only major change here so far appears to be that the original Safetran mechanical bell on the far signal was replaced with the current GS Type 2 e-bell between 2008 and 2014. Sadly, the remaining Safetran mechanical bell on the closer signal seems to be on its way out as well, given how much it struggles when the gates begin to lower.
Thankfully though, it is still here and still does work, so hopefully it hangs on for a while longer.
Originally, this was the junction between the NS West End District and the NS NA District, as the NS West End District originally continued all the way to Columbus, MS. However, at some point, the section of the line between Berry and Belk, AL, was abandoned and removed, with the isolated section west of Belk becoming a shortline. After that happened, the portion of the NS West End District between Parrish and Berry became known as the NS Berry Branch, and is the line that can actually be seen in the background of this video. Sadly, most of the line's long since been out of service with the coal mine at the end of it having closed years ago, except for the very northern end which sometimes gets used for car storage or to hold NS 329 when it's too long to fit in many of the passing sidings along this line.
With the West End no longer reaching Columbus, NS has also since officially combined the two lines into one, called the NS NA/West End District, but I still consider them two separate lines, especially since they're mileposted differently (for example, this crossing is at milepost NA95.460, while the next crossing south, Standfield Road, is at milepost 839.160).

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/Parrish/Main2/

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Filmed this crossing on the other side on 12-21-20, with no major changes to report as of yet. Also got a tail-ring malfunction that this crossing apparently typically does when NS 320 passes.

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No major changes here as of 7-27-23, though the Safetran bell on the closer signal is sounding much worse than it was when I last heard it now:


NS did rip-out the second track here since I was last here, and the 2 Tracks signs were removed as a result.

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No major changes here as of 9-7-24:

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*originally recorded on 2-28-26*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, RECO gate lights, and a RECO LED gate light.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a dying Safetran mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.

After catching 320 in Jasper, I'd thought about just letting it go there, but then I thought there might be enough light in Parrish still to record this crossing again, so I hit the highway and made my way over here. Thankfully, I was able to beat NS 320 here with plenty of time to spare, and there was still a nice amount of light to film them with. Here we see this train for the final time on this day, still heading towards Birmingham after the sun had set.

The only change that I noticed to this crossing since I last filmed it back in 2024 was that NS replaced the tip gate light on the far signal with a RECO LED gate light. Admittedly, I assume it's a RECO LED as I only just noticed well after I took this video and I haven't been back down to verify yet. Looks like it could've been LED in 2024 as well, but it's hard to say, TBH. Thankfully, absolutely nothing else has changed to this crossing since then. I'm especially glad to see the Safetran mechanical here is still holding-on, and honestly sounds better than it did when I last recorded it. This wound-up being the only mechanical bell I filmed all day.

https://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/G-Q/Parrish/Main2/