9th Avenue, Cordele, GA
Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 5:42 pm
*originally recorded on 6-24-21*
Signal on the left: 2 pairs of US&S 12x20 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, a US&S mechanical bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of US&S 12x20 inch lights with Dialight Ball LEDs, a US&S mechanical bell, a US&S Model 75 gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
After catching the southbound mixed freight, we went over to this crossing since it was right nearby and also had some great equipment. Good thing we did too, as not too long after, the CSX local freight here in Cordele pulled the HOG interchange and made its way west to work an industry and then the small "yard" on the northwest side of town. Here we get to see it crawl through with a single GP40-2 for power.
This crossing is another great one, featuring a US&S install from the Seaboard System back in the 1980s that's still mostly original! It appears that up until sometime between 2007 and 2013 this crossing was still pretty much entirely original. Then, during that time frame, CSX upgraded all of the lights here to Dialight Ball LEDs. This was followed by the original US&S gate mech on the far signal being replaced with the current Siemens gate mech sometime around 2015/2016, if I had to guess. Thankfully, since then, no major changes have occured to this crossing, which is quite nice to see, especially since it still retains a pair of rather healthy-sounding US&S mechanical bells! The far signal also has its lights, especially its front pair of lights, mounted rather uniquely, due to the long gate arm here that has to be mounted at a sharp angle.