You thought you had seen everything? HA!

[selector]

Overheard in the jail cells, spoken in frank terms by Lenz's lawyer:  "Good luck, kid."

[Darth Santa Fe]

Maybe they'll make a new "reality" series based off of this, called "The Train Hacker," or "Choo-Choo Boy," or some other thing like that. Of course, being a reality series, it would have to be absolutely realistic, so instead of Tycos for the sky shots, they'll use Life-Like. And then you'd have to put a lighted Amtrak car (with passengers) with a few skeleton log cars that are holding nuclear missiles instead of logs, and the main character would have to be played by Elijah Wood for some reason.

Wereyou trying to make a "funny"  If so this went way over my head.  It received no giggle here Im sorry

Yeah, you're right. The parts about Tyco and Life-Like and the passenger car running with missile carriers were making fun of how un-realistic reality shows are. I don't know where the Elijah Wood part came from. I say a lot of dumb stuff that often doesn't make sense, but I'm usually at least smart enough not to type it out. This wasn't one of those times.

I am amazed at how a 14-year-old can hack into a train network with a modified TV remote. Not being a practical joker (like he apparently was), I don't understand why anyone would do anything like that. There's a tree about a block from here that gets TP'd about every other week, and I'll never understand what the humor in that is.

[New Haven I-5]

 I would like to have been him for a while, UNTIL he got arrested!

[marknewton]

Ah, now it makes more sense. An email from a mate in Strasburg cleared this up. Lodz crews use infrared controls on board the trams to set routes.

Teenager derailed trams with home-made device.

WARSAW (AFP) - Police said they had arrested a Polish teenager Wednesday after he allegedly used a homemade device to derail city trams in Lodz, central Poland. Officers suspected the 14-year-old of having used the infra-red, remote-control device to switch tram tracks at street junctions from a distance, in one incident slightly injuring 12 commuters.

"Questioned by police in the presence of a psychologist, the teenager testified he switched tram tracks three times, once causing a tram to jump the tracks," said the statement posted on a police website. A search at the suspect's home turned up the device he had used to switch tram tracks.

Officers suspected he could be responsible for several other recent tram derailments in Lodz, said the statement. The boy told officers he had trespassed at tram depots to gather information and the equipment needed to build the device, said the statement.

So, no computers, hacking, or any other high-tech highjinks, after all.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they'll make a new "reality" series based off of this, called "The Train Hacker," or "Choo-Choo Boy," or some other thing like that. Of course, being a reality series, it would have to be absolutely realistic, so instead of Tycos for the sky shots, they'll use Life-Like. And then you'd have to put a lighted Amtrak car (with passengers) with a few skeleton log cars that are holding nuclear missiles instead of logs, and the main character would have to be played by Elijah Wood for some reason.

 

Wereyou trying to make a "funny"  If so this went way over my head.  It received no giggle here Im sorry

[Darth Santa Fe]

Maybe they'll make a new "reality" series based off of this, called "The Train Hacker," or "Choo-Choo Boy," or some other thing like that. Of course, being a reality series, it would have to be absolutely realistic, so instead of Tycos for the sky shots, they'll use Life-Like. And then you'd have to put a lighted Amtrak car (with passengers) with a few skeleton log cars that are holding nuclear missiles instead of logs, and the main character would have to be played by Elijah Wood for some reason.

[Anonymous]

Big deal.  Nothing too extravagant at all.

[marknewton]

"The giant train set started operating at 1pm on Tuesday when a city tram driver tried to steer his vehicle on to right hand tracks, and found himself helpless to prevent it swerving to the left instead, seemingly of its own accord."

He must have tapped into the power steering as well!

Teditor 

I wouldn't use the term "steer", but in essence the statement as quoted is correct. Next time you're in Melbourne, have a look at the way the trammies there set routes on powered turnouts. They do it from within the tram, in advance of the turnout, by either powering or shutting off at a contactor on the trolleywire. They're marked with a sign attached to the span wire or mast. It's a system used all over the world, and has been around for yonks.

Cheers,

Mark.

[SteamFreak]

Is he a member of this forum? All of this information we give so freely might have been used for evil.

Sounds like he was modelling a timesaver.

[loathar]

Lenz's lawyer is bailing him out as we speak.

ROFLOL!!! Good one Selector!

[Teditor]

"The giant train set started operating at 1pm on Tuesday when a city tram driver tried to steer his vehicle on to right hand tracks, and found himself helpless to prevent it swerving to the left instead, seemingly of its own accord."

He must have tapped into the power steering as well!

Teditor 

[selector]

Lenz's lawyer is bailing him out as we speak.

[loathar]

That kid will get a good scare then the Poslish version of the NSA will have him hired before he gets on the Juvie bus.

And the the Polish don't we will.

Yep. This kids got a future. Talk about do-it-yourself DCC!

[marknewton]

Don't know what to make of this!

The only way I can imagine you could do this would be if the turnouts and signals were radio controlled? Most tramways I know anything about use track circuits to control signals where provided, and powered turnouts are operated by contactors or sensors on the trolleywire or contact wire. Power on for the straight, power off for the turnout.

Odd.

Cheers,

Mark.

[SpaceMouse]

That kid will get a good scare then the Poslish version of the NSA will have him hired before he gets on the Juvie bus.

And the the Polish don't we will.

[selector]

http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1325812/ShowPost.aspx