Joe Wright Drive #2, Cordele, GA

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 6-24-21*

Signal on the left: 3.5 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, 1 WCH 12x24 inch light with a Leotek EV Series LED, an NEG electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 3 pairs of Modern Industries 12x24 inch lights with WCH 2nd Generation LEDs, 1 WABCO 12x20 inch light with a WCH 2nd Generation LED, 1 WCH 12x24 inch light with a WCH 2nd Generation LED, a US&S mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.

After chasing GC L781 up to Macon, we decided to head down to Cordele to see if there was anything of interest left along the CSX Fitzgerald Subdivision, as the GC wasn't gonna head back south on that day. After we got some lunch, we set-up here for our first train of the day, which we thankfully didn't have to wait too long for. Here we see a southbound CSX mixed freight come through with an AC44CW leading an ES44AH!

This crossing's certainly quite a neat one. Originally, there'd been a pair of older Harmon cantilevers here with 8 inch mast lights, 12x20 inch overhead lights, a pair of RACO mechanical bells, and a pair of early Safetran gate mechanisms. However, in the early 80s, the closer one was replaced by the SBD with an MI cantilever and a US&S/WABCO gate mast (which would've had a US&S Model 75 gate mech originally), followed by the mast lights on the far signal all being upgraded to WCH(?) 12x24s not too long after. The crossing remained unchanged until the 2000s, when CSX replaced the US&S gate mech on the closer signal with a newer Safetran one. Then, sometime between 2007 and 2013, the Harmon cantilever on the far side was replaced with the current one (including all of the LEDs), and the rear mast lights on the gate mast were replaced with incandescent Safetran 12x24s. Then, sometime around 2014/2015 or so, the remaining incandescent lights at this crossing got upgraded to LED, like all of the other crossings along the line.
The remaining RACO bell here managed to hang on until sometime around 2016 or 2017 (if I had to guess, certainly between 2013 and 2018 though) when it was replaced with the current NEG e-bell. Since 2018, the only major changes to this crossing appears that one of the rear mast lights on each signal were replaced with WCH 12x24s.
This is certainly a neat little crossing though, and I'm glad to have been able to record it. Glad to see another US&S mechanical bell still in use, and hopefully it remains here for a good while longer. Also glad to see another early Safetran gate mech still in use here as well.
Even though it's all LED, the Fitzgerald Sub seems to have a surprising amount of good crossing equipment left. Also, the smashed watermelons seen around the crossing fell off of watermelon transport vehicles.