Roger Road, Marks, MS

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 11-19-25*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Safetran Fading LEDs, a Safetran mechanical bell, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Safetran Fading LEDs, a Safetran gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.

After catching the SD70M-2 running around a rail train, I heard that they were going to wait on a southbound before working south for a bit, so I decided to hop back up to Marks to record this crossing, since I saw that it had a mechanical bell at it still. After a bit of waiting, I was able to catch this southbound mixed freight rolling through with a pair of ES44ACs for power, with a 100th Anniversary unit leading!

This crossing is a pretty nice one, featuring a late-90s/early-2000s IC install that's pretty much still mostly original. Sometime between 2014 and when EthantheRailfanner visited this crossing in 2021, CN replaced the original Safetran Hybrid Bell here with the current reused Safetran mechanical bell! Not sure why CN decided to reuse a Safetran mechanical bell here, but I certainly ain't gonna complain. The bell here is also still rings when the gates lower and raise, which is pretty nice to see. Interestingly, it appears that the closer signal's gate mech doesn't entirely fully lower, seeing how the gate arm seems to point upwards when lowered. It doesn't affect the operation of the bell though, thankfully. Hopefully the mechanical bell here remains for many more years to come, but, either way, I'm glad I got to record this crossing when I did. I believe this is the last mechanical bell in and around Marks, TBH.
Just on the other side of the crossing, you can see a really faded crossbuck still protecting an abandoned spur just east of this crossing here.

https://www.rxrsignals.com/Mississippi/G-Q/Marks/Roger/