Signal on the right features 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 lights with GE Dotted LEDs mounted on a Safetran light bracket, Safetran signal base, Safetran gate mechanism, "new" WCH 2nd gen M-Bell (dead), and 3 pairs of Electro-Tech gate lights. Signal on the left features 2 pairs of Safetran 12x20 lights with the front pair featuring WCH 2nd Gen LEDs, and rear pair featuring 1 Electro-Tech, and GE Dotted LED mounted on a Safetran light bracket, Safetran signal base, Safetran gate mechanism, healthy WCH 2nd gen M-Bell, and 3 pairs of Electro-Tech LEDs.
My only video I took on a Friday afternoon. So today I went over to Vermont Ave to catch Amtrak Missouri River Runner train #316. The train was running a 7 minutes late as it had to stop before Air Line Junction to wait for a train to clear in order to proceed east to Independence Station. Eventually around 4:30pm I heard the train blow its horn for Harvard Ave, and began filming. The train would arrive shortly after with the usual Siemens Charger leading. The main reason I wanted to film the crossing in action was that UP has recently replaced the iconic high pitched 1st gen WCH Mechanical Bell on the closest signal with another mechanical bell which is a 2nd gen WCH Mechanical Bell that was apparently reused from Ridgeview Drive in Warrensburg, Missouri. The reason Ik it was that bell was because I compared the last Streetview image taken of the crossing in 2019 before the bell was replaced there, and the photo I took yesterday, and the picture matched the image Google took in 2019. The bell was replaced in 2020, and was apparently in storage until yesterday when the maintainer brought it here, and oddly enough swapped the 1st gen out with the 2nd gen despite having a WCH Electronic Bell on stand by (I assume the E-Bell was stored inside the bungalow or was taken elsewhere). Unfortunately despite the bell replacement, the "new" bell is struggling to ring as it would struggle to ring while the gates are lowering, and rising. It actually has me wondering if it's the gate mechanism itself that's causing the "new" bell to struggle or not. Hopefully UP can come back out here and fix the bell so it'll ring properly. Even though the bell replacement was a bit of a fail, it was nice to see a mechanical bell get reused here as most of the time, an electronic bell gets used anymore. It's still sad that the iconic 1st gen WCH Mechanical Bell that made the crossing a very popular spot of mine got retired, but at least I was able to save it nonetheless from being scrapped. That leaves with Scott Ave #1, and Wilson Rd the two crossings left in Independence with active 1st gen WCH Mechanical Bells.
Негізгі бет (Amtrak/"new" M Bell) Vermont Ave railroad crossing in Independence, MO
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