Hale Street Railroad Crossing, Wheaton, IL

Описание: originally recorded on 6-5-22

Signal on the right: 2 pairs of WCH 12x20 inch lights with Electro-tech LEDs, a WCH Type 3 electronic bell, a WCH gate mechanism, and RECO LED gate lights.
Pedestrian signal on the far left: 2 pairs of Safetran 12x24 inch lights with Electro-tech LEDs, a WCH Type 3 electronic bell, and a Safetran gate mechanism.
Pedestrian signal on the near left: 1 pair of WCH 12x20 inch lights with Electro-tech LEDs and a Safetran gate mechanism.
Pedestrian signal on the far right: a Safetran gate mechanism.
Pedestrian signal on the near right: a Safetran gate mechanism.
This crossing is in a quiet zone.

After the inbound Metra passed through, I'd noticed that UP had another eastbound lined-up the middle track, so I decided to head over to this crossing and film it as well. After only about 15 minutes of waiting, this eastbound coal train came through with an AC44CW leading an AC45CCTE on the head-end and another AC44CW working as the rear-DPU.

This crossing is a somewhat neat one, featuring what is reportedly the first WCH signal to be installed on the UP Geneva Sub. It appears that this was originally an EM install from the C&NW (likely from the 50s or 60s), but in the 1980s, most of the signals here were replaced with newer Safetran ones, all most likely originally featuring Safetran Model 85 gate mechs. Interestingly enough, at least the near-left pedestrian signal was left as an EM signal. Then, in the late-90s, UP replaced the pedestrian signal on the near right with the current one, followed by the lone road signal here being replaced with the current one prior to September 3rd, 1999, when ‪@Andrewsaxamophone‬ shot a video of this crossing in action with it. Then, in the early 2000s, the remaining EM signal here was replaced with the current one, though I believe it would've had WCH Clear LEDs originally like the road signal here. The mast and Safetran gate mech appear to have been re-used from a mid-90s C&NW install elsewhere.
Then, later-on in the 2000s, the pedestrian signal on the far-left had its lights upgraded with Electro-tech LEDs, followed-by the clear LEDs here all being replaced with more Electro-tech LEDs sometime between 2008 and 2012. At around this same time, both of the surviving Safetran Model 85 gate mechanisms on the far side were replaced with the current Safetran gate mechanisms. Interestingly enough, these gate mechanisms were also re-used from elsewhere, as the left-hand one is a mid-90s Safetran gate mech while the right-hand one is a 1980s Safetran gate mech. Finally, sometime between 2012 and 2018, UP installed the current WCH e-bell on the far side of the crossing, and I'm guessing the road signal here had its original WCH e-bell replaced with the current one at around the same time as well. Since then, thankfully, no major changes have occurred here.
Of the three crossings I wanted to visit in Wheaton, this was probably the least interesting one for me. Honestly, the thing I like about it the most is the far-left pedestrian signal, which I think just looks rather neat. Had it been cloudy at the time, I absolutely would've set-up on that side of the crossing, but alas, it was nice and sunny this day so I set-up over here. The mix of older and newer gate mechs here was nice to see as well.
Personally, I kinda doubt that the WCH signal here was the "first" WCH signal along this line, as ‪@TommyBNSF‬ documented a crossing along this line around Dixon that had slightly older WCH signals at it (with WCH heads that predate the ones seen here). Either way, this is certainly one of the earliest, and very well could have been the first one with LEDs along this line. All in all, this is a bit of a neat crossing and I'm glad I got to record it as well.

http://www.rxrsignals.com/Illinois/R-...

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