Sybelia Avenue, Maitland, FL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 6-25-25*

Signal on the far left: 3 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with General Signals LEDs, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the near left: 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the far right: 1 pair of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with GE Uniform Look LEDs, a Siemens gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
Signal on the near right: 2 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with General Signals LEDs, a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell, a WCH gate mechanism, and NEG LED gate lights.
This crossing is located in a quiet zone. Trains do not usually blow their horns at this crossing.

After catching the southbound SunRail at the station, I decided to hop over to this crossing just south of the station since I saw it had a neat gate mech at it. Thankfully, after only a little bit of waiting, I was able to get my seventh train of the day here: another northbound SunRail commuter train with an MP32PH-Q for power.

This crossing's a pretty nice one, featuring some older signals at it as well. Originally, the signals here were an early-80s WABCO install by the late-SCL (with a mix of MI and WABCO 8 inch lights on at least the far signal, not sure which ones were original and if any were replacements), though, in the late-90s and/or 2000s, CSX replaced both bells here with a pair of GS e-bells. Then, sometime between 2008 and 2011, the closer signal here was replaced entirely, though the bell was reused onto the replacement signal. Interestingly, the replacement signal here was actually an old ACL one, though with a reused WCH gate mech from the 80s and some reused Safetran 12x24 inch lights from the 2000s, it appears. After that, sometime between 2011 and 2013, SunRail upgraded this crossing to LED by replacing all of the lights here with the current LED WCH 12x24s. Next, sometime between 2013 and 2016, the relay case here was replaced by the current one. At about the same time, or shortly after, it seems, SunRail replaced the closer signal's mast and bell with the current mast and GS Type 3 e-bell. Thankfully, the WRRS base, WCH gate mech, and WCH lights were all reused onto the new mast, though the gate would get a reused counterweight arm from elsewhere it appears. Then, in 2018, the exit signals here were installed by SunRail in preparation for this to become a quiet zone. Not too long after in 2019, the bell on the far entry signal was replaced. This bell wouldn't last too long, however, as sometime between 2019 and 2023, the bell on this same signal would be replaced once again with the current GS Type 3 e-bell. At about the same time, the near entry signal would have its WCH gate mech replaced with the current newer WCH gate mech. Finally, sometime between 2023 and 2025, the remaining WABCO Model 75 gate mech on the entry signal on the far side would be replaced by the current Siemens gate mech.
Thankfully, despite all of the upgrades here, some older SCL and ACL equipment still holds-on here in the form of the far entry signal's mast and near entry signal's base, which is nice to see. It's also quite nice to see SunRail installing a newer WCH gate mech here to replace the older one. Not entirely sure why they chose to do that, given that they've been pretty solidly Siemens for their gate mechs since the latter half of the 2010s before and after the one here was installed, but it's nice to see regardless. In fact, this crossing is one of only two crossings I'm aware of on SunRail's mainline with WCH gate mechs. For whatever reason, the entry signal on the far side of the crossing also has the gate lights spaced rather oddly on its gate arm, with the middle one being up near the tip gate light, which certainly looks a bit strange. Interestingly, the bells here also shut-off when the entry gates have lowered as well. Hopefully SunRail's through tinkering with this crossing for a while, but, either way, I'm quite glad I was able to record this crossing on this trip.