Fairview Road, Winfield, AL
Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2021 10:42 pm
*originally recorded on 3-21-21*
Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights.
Signal on the right: 3 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights and a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell.
After catching the northbound coal train, I returned back to Winfield to grab a bite of lunch before coming back to the crossing I had tried to get earlier. After a good while of waiting, the signals at the nearby siding lit-up for a southbound, and then eventually, this southbound grain(?) train come rolling through with an H2 Dash-9 leading an H3 ES44C4 on the head-end with another H3 ES44C4, a UP SD70ACe, and a UP AC45CCTE working as the DPUs! This honestly has to be the first time I've caught foreign power on this line, and it wound-up being power from the other main western Class I, lol. The leader also certainly had a bit of an unusual horn on it as well, not entirely sure what it was?
The crossing here is another nice one, with the closer signal originally having been installed by the Frisco back in the 1970s, with one of the side-lights apparently lacking a background since it was installed. Then, in the 1980s or early-1990s, the original signal on the far side was replaced entirely by the Burlington Northern, most likely with the main lights on the closer signal being replaced with the current ones at the same time. The signals were left largely untouched until sometime between 2008 and 2014, when the (original?) Safetran mechanical bell here was replaced with a General Signals (Type 2?) e-bell. The crossing then remained further unchanged once again until sometime between 2016 and 2018, when the backgroundless side-light having a 20 inch background installed on it. It also appears that sometime after 2014, though not entirely sure when, BNSF replaced the bell here again with the current GS Type 3. Either way though, it was certainly nice to film another gateless crossing with equipment dating back to the Frisco, especially since the closer signal still retains a pair of the original Safetran 12x20 inch lights from the 1970s!
http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/R-Z/W ... /Fairview/