Medal Marconi Drive, Marion, AR

[freebrickproductions]

*originally recorded on 4-22-26*

Signal on the left: 2 pairs of US&S 12x20 inch lights, an Invensys Rail gate mechanism, NEG LED gate lights, and a RECO LED gate light.
Signal on the right: 2 pairs of US&S 12x20 inch lights, a General Signals Type 2 electronic bell, an Invensys Rail gate mechanism, NEG LED gate lights, and a RECO LED gate light.

After catching the weekly siren test in Memphis, vtgrxrman and I went down to Mississippi for gas. After filling-up my car, we decided to head back across Memphis and went across the "Mighty" Mississippi River on I-40 to this crossing in Marion, AR, to see if we could catch anything on the BNSF Thayer South Subdivision. Not too long after we got here, we heard a defect detector about 10 miles north of us read-out for a train, so we got on set-up as I hoped it was a southbound. Sure enough, after a bit of waiting, we were able to catch our fourth and final train of the day: a southbound loaded BNSF coal train with a pair of ET44ACHs pulling on the head-end and another ET44ACH and an ES44ACH pushing on the rear as the train's DPUs. Based on the consist and the reporting marks on the coal hoppers, I suspect this train was heading to Alabama Power's coal-fired plant in West Jefferson, AL. After this, Harris and I hit the highway for the four drive back home to Huntsville for the evening.

This crossing is a pretty nice one, featuring some nice older US&S signals at it. It appears these signals were installed in the 1980s by the BN, I'm guessing in the mid-1980s. I'm assuming these would've been installed after the BN stopped using WCH equipment but before they started installing Safetran equipment. Either way, in the mid-1990s (it appears), the BN replaced the closer signal's gate mech with a Safetran gate mech. Then, in the late-90s or early-2000s, the far signal had its gate mech replaced with a US&S Model 95 gate mechanism by BNSF. At about the same time, BNSF replaced the bell here with a GS e-bell. Finally, in the mid-2010s (most likely 2014 or possibly 2015), it appears that BNSF replaced both gate mechs here with the current Invensys Rail ones. At about the same time, it seems, the bell here was replaced again, this time with the current GS Type 2 e-bell.
Thankfully, since then, absolutely nothing too major appears to have changed here. Definitely nice getting to film more older US&S signals like this, especially with ones that still have all of their original US&S 12x20 inch lights! I'm especially glad to see these older lights are still around, and aren't even upgraded to LED by BNSF. It seems the front-left light on the closer signal could use a bit of TLC though, given how dim it looks. Looking at the pictures I snagged of it, the lens is also come out from the lens tabs, but isn't too far off from how its supposed to be mounted thankfully. Hopefully BNSF gives it some work, but, either way, I'm quite glad I got to record this crossing when I did. Definitely nice to get another crossing in Arkansas filmed, NGL. This is also easily one of the best crossings on the BNSF Thayer South Subdivision, IMHO.