21st Avenue, Birmingham, AL

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*originally recorded on 12-18-20*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a General Signals Type 1 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
F L Shuttlesworth Drive signal: a RACO 8 inch light and a WCH 12x20 inch "No Right Turn" light.

This was the ninth and final crossing I chased NS 320 to on December 18th. I tried to chase it to 2nd Avenue after this, thinking they'd be held just before the crossing by CSX, but apparently they were able to get on through without really having to stop, so that sadly wasn't successful. This definitely wasn't a bad crossing to end off on though, so I ain't gonna complain.

This crossing is honestly a rather great one. It appears that the crossing originally featured a pair of gated signals installed by the SOU, likely back in the 1960s alongside the no turn signal here, but in the 1970s/early 1980s, it appears the far signal was replaced with a newer gated one (not sure if the closer signal was replaced or not then as well). The crossing then remained unchanged until sometime around the late-1990s, when I believe the bell here was replaced with the current GS Type 1. Then, at some point in the 2000s, the closer signal was replaced almost entirely, with the bell being reused onto the newer signal. At about the same time, it appears that the far signal had its lights and gate mech upgraded to the current equipment as well. I also suspect the no turn signal had its original (I'm guessing 14 inch?) no turn light replaced with the current WCH 12x20 inch one with these upgrades too. Since then, no major changes appear to have occured here since then, thankfully enough, especially since this crossing retains the only No Turn signal in the Birmingham area (and one of only two no turn signals I'm aware of in Alabama as a whole), along with the last 8 inch light left along the line.
However, when I first documented this crossing back in February, the bell here remained on while the gates were down, though I'm not sure if it was supposed to do that or not. The bell here does ring while the gates are lowering and rising though, which is always nice to see. The closer signal also still retains a (partially) diagonally striped gate arm, which is nice to see considering how it appears people usually drive at this crossing. The gate lights on it are also miswired as well.
Either way though, hopefully this crossing will remain mostly unchanged for years to come.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/Birmingham/21/

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No changes here as of 9-7-24: