Chisolm Drive, Selma, AL

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 7-10-25*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with GE Dotted LEDs.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with GE Dotted LEDs, 2 pairs of WCH 12x24 inch lights with GE Dotted LEDs, and a General Signals Type 3 electronic bell.

After catching M527 in Selmont-West Selmont, I decided to go ahead and chase the train on west down the CSX Selma Subdivision, not wanting to miss this opportunity to get some crossings on the line filmed. As such, I hopped on the road and raced on across Selma to this crossing on the west side of the city. Thankfully, I was able to beat them here with plenty of time to spare. After a bit of waiting, I was able to catch CSX M527 for the second time on this day, with the crew giving me a friendly horn salute and wave as they pass.

This crossing is an alright one, featuring a pair of newer gateless signals at it. It appears that, originally, there was a gateless 1970s L&N install here. However, in the late-90s or early-2000s, CSX upgraded all of the lights here to Safetran 12x24s. At about the same time, the bell was replaced with a GS e-bell. The crossing remained largely unchanged for almost/about two decades after, but, then, sometime between 2022 and 2023, the MNBR replaced both signals here entirely with the current ones. I can't entirely say for certain as to why, but I personally suspect it may have been related to the EF2 tornado that struck Selma back in 2022, as it appears to have gone through the city just past this crossing. Either way, it appears that the MNBR chose to reuse two pairs of Safetran 12x24s from the old L&N signals as the main lights on the closer signal here, upgrading them to LED in the process. Since then, nothing else appears to have changed to this crossing.