Jefferson Avenue, Birmingham, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 11-22-21*

Signal on the left: 5 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a Safetran Type 3 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO gate lights.
Signal on the far right: 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights.
Signal on the middle right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights.
Signal on the near right: 5 pairs of Safetran 12x20 inch lights, a General Signals Type 1 electronic bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, RECO gate lights, and an NEG LED gate light.

After catching the westbound NS mixed freight at Omega Street, I went over to this crossing to try and wait on Amtrak 19. However, while waiting, this long eastbound NS local freight came rolling through with a trio of SD60Es for power, which was pretty nice to see.

This crossing is honestly another pretty nice little one. The signals here were originally installed by the SOU back in the 1970s (it appears), but, in the late-1990s, NS replaced at least the bell on the closer signal (if not both bells here, I don't entirely know for sure) with the current GS Type 1. Around this same time, or shortly afterwards in the early 2000s, both gate masts and all of the lights were upgraded to the current Safetran equipment. Then, in the mid to late-2000s (and certainly by the first time Street View came through in 2009) the bell on the far signal was replaced (again?) with the current Safetran Type 3 e-bell. Since then, the crossing remained almost completely unchanged until 2021, when the far gateless signal was struck and got replaced with a re-used one from somewhere else.
Interestingly enough, back in 2019 (when I recorded the neighboring 15th Way crossing), I thought the GS Type 1 here was dead, as I only heard the Safetran Type 3 ringing. Turns out that it (thankfully) still works, but it rings until the gates have lowered while the Safetran Type 3 rings until the gates rise. Either way, I'm glad to have found yet another GS Type 1 in the Birmingham area.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Alabama/A-F/B ... Jefferson/

[freebrickproductions]

As of 9-7-24, the only noticeable change I found here was that the closer cantilever's gate lights were replaced with newer RECO incandescent ones: