The RR signal that we 'borrowed'!

 For 2+ years, we were on a 'road sign' kick. We 'borrowed' a bunch of them including 'bridge closed ahead', 'low flying planes', stop signs, and ones with street names on them, IT DID NOT MATTER! EVERYTHING was FAIR GAME!!!!! BUT this was our crowning moment. It was our senior year (1992) and like what most teenagers think, WE WERE INVINCIBLE! 

 Like a 'HIGHLY CLASSIFIED' document that is now DEclassified by the CIA, all the names will be blacked out. XXXXX's dad just got a new job in FL. and his mom went to go see him one weekend, so you know what that meant!!!! PARTY at casa de XXXXXX! If I recall, it was a typical teenage party, A LOT of beer was involved... It was LATE in the night and XXXXX, XXX X, XXXXX X., XXXXX X., XXXXX, and I decided to take his big @$$ Suburban and 'borrow' our crown jewel! It was a freakin' RR crossing sign! OKIE DOKIE! Let me explain a couple of things"

• It was NOT an active crossing! Matter of fact, It was not used for years, WARNING! I am going to get 'GEEKY' on ya! It was used to haul the 'spent' rods, A.K.A nuclear waste from the NUCLEAR POWER PLANT on Lake Wylie many moons ago and the tracks were NOT used for AT LEAST 10 years prior to 1992 when it was 'borrowed'.
• The RR company just left the signs up for years and I guess, forgot about them...

 OKIE DOKIE!!! Back to our shinanagines! It was like a 1/2 hour drive away but we did NOT care, all of us loaded up in the 'BURBAN' and being 'preparers' we were, XXXXX and I had the tools we needed to get the job done. When we got there, we all underestimated the SIZE of it! IT WAS HUGE! We analyzed it and came up with a game plan. XXXXX and I would loosen the bolts and the others would hold it to GENTLY let it fall to the ground! FORESHADOWING! It did NOT go to plan!! When we racheted the bolts loose, we yelled at everyone to let it fall to the ground because it was so heavy and we did NOT want any of our friends to get crushed!!!!! It came CRASHING down!! Luckily, there were NOT TOO many houses out there to hear the huge BOOM when it fell..... We quickly took it apart so we could put it in the 'BUBAN'. AND just like that, we had the crown jewel! One of the things I VIVIDLY remember is that we took the bell and that thing was LOUD! XXXXX  ran around the house ALL night ringing that thing! Trust me, It was GREAT (Add sarcasm here) to hear in the morning! 

 It was stored in two locations, In my garage for a year, I tried to clean it up, and in the crawl space at casa de XXXXX for over 30 years. XXXXX recently texted me that his mom was moving and if I wanted to come over and get the RR sign that was in the crawl space for 30+ years. About a year ago, XXXX called me and asked if I knew if there were any signs left because his son wanted one to hang in his room. At the time, there were none BUT now I have the crown jewel and the video I posted on DA TUBE will document me cleaning up one of the lights and giving it to him. 

Me breaking down the lights..

The RR lights broke down...