Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

*originally recorded on 8-30-22*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x20 inch lights, a dying RACO mechanical bell, a RACO EM gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Modern Industries 12x20 inch lights, a dying RACO mechanical bell, a RACO EM gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

After catching the local freight in Belgrade, I continued on east over to this crossing in Livingston. Wound-up getting here at just the right time, as this westbound loaded BNSF coal train was sitting just before this crossing had just gotten a set of MRL pushers added to the rear and was about to depart. Thankfully, I was able to get set-up and recording with just a few seconds to spare before the crossing activated. Here we get to see this westbound coal train going through the crossing with a BNSF ES44C4 leading a BNSF ES44DC and a BNSF Dash-9 on the head-end, with an ex-BNSF GECX Dash-9, an MRL SD70ACe, an MRL SD40-2XR, and another MRL SD70ACe shoving on the rear. Believe this was my first time ever catching one of the Dash-9s BNSF returned to GECX. The MRL units were the added manned helper set, for what it's worth.

This crossing is a rather nice one, featuring a classic pair of Northern Pacific-era RACO EM signals from the 1960s. It appears that this crossing is almost entirely original, though in the late-80s/early-90s, the MRL replaced all of the lights here with the current MI 12x20s. Interestingly enough, it appears that these signals were originally intended (at the very least) to have attached pedestrian gates, as there are some unused mountings for ped gate arms on them.
Thankfully, both signals also still retain their original RACO mechanical bells, though unfortunately both very much sound like they're on their way out. The closer one clicks noticeably as it rings, while the far one sounds like it struggles noticeably when the gates lower, and it doesn't sound like it rings at all when the gates here raise. The bells here do ring when the gates rise though, which is rather nice to see.
Hopefully the MRL gives these bells some needed TLC and keeps these signals around for a good while longer, but I doubt they have too much time left in service, as it seems they're currently in the process of replacing all of their remaining EM signals (and other older signals along their mainlines). Either way though, I'm quite glad to have gotten another pair of EM signals recorded.