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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by macguy</i> <br /><br />[quote]QUOTE: <br />Train watching - arms go down, signals flash - no train. Maybe one of the usual pigeons set it off. They have trouble in that area. <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />That reminds me of where I used to work. The staff room overlooked a 3 rail grade crossing (great for train watching over the lunch hour!). I was on graveyard shift, so I took my lunch around 2am. I'm watching the crossing and the arms kept going down, staying there for a few minutes then went back up, then down again, and up. <br /> <br />It happened the entire hour I was there, truly weird. I thought they might have been doing some testing or something, but there didn't seem to be anyone else in sight!? <br /> <br /> <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />Well Maybe I can help put here. <br /> <br />The old Systems used to activate RR lights Were somewhat flawed, and can still be found in various places Still in operation. <br /> <br />I doubt they use the old insulated link system on Main lines, but if you live of a branch line or near a yard, this is what it could be: <br /> <br />An insulated link, with wires petruding from both sides are used to tell the location of the train. This sends a signal to the silver looking box known as the "Boite Logiciel" in Quebec, Heaven knows what that is in English. <br /> <br />The problem with this system, was that, It was never fool proof, and far from it. Teenagers with 10 Guage CU or AL wire could easily send this lights of in a tissy, and would drive the neighbors insane all night. <br /> <br />They were very easily "accidently" set off. That is why, newer Railraods use a different system, and I don't know how the hell that works, You see the problem with links are: <br /> <br />1. There are a lot of Natural Conductors in this world, Certain trees falling on the lines Could cause The Electricity to flow through The links, Such as Oak is an extremely good conductor, where as a maple tree isn't. <br /> <br />2. Freezing Rain: The ions and different metals in Rain that freezes on the tracks could easily cause a Joint Circuit and set the lights off, Rememrb, H20 itsel;f does not conduct electricity, But rain is comprised of almost every metal from the periodic table, Highly Acidic, and a good conductor when it becomes ice. <br /> <br />3. Loose Wires: A slightly loose wire, A wire with some rust would not be making proper contact, and the first thing an RR light set is programmed to so, that if there is a loose contact, and at any time can not do a proper job at monitoring the Tracks, Failsafe is activated. Failsafe Is What RR lights do when they malfunction, there would be no other way to reset them after failsafe is activated then to press the Reset button or to Turn them on or off. <br /> <br />3B) weather conditions: Cold weather means Contractions of the track, which might break a link, Hot weather means Expansion of a track with could Cause a loose wire. <br /> <br />4) Link system: 1,2,3,4 and 4,3,2,1. A train running in a certain Direction must complete the links in a certain order. 1 then 2 then 3 then 4, or 4 then 3 then 2 then 1. If the silver box faiuled to detect the train passing over link 3, yet detects it over link 4, hence 1,2,4 that would activate Failsafe. <br /> <br /><b>========1=============2==|---ROAD----|==3=================4====</b> <br /> <br />4a) is a train is moving -----> that way, it would hit link 1 wich would activate the signal, hit #2, which would then indicate to the silver box that the train is NEAR then end, and when the last car passes over #3, that would effectively shut off the RR lights <br /> <br />--But there is a catch <br /> <br />Rememebr 1,2,3,4? <br /> <br />A train has anywere from 2 to 5 to 10 to 20 maybe evern an hour in some places to effectivel;y Run over the fourth link, if it does not, the circuit would not be complete, and failsafe would self activate, because according to the silver box, the Train has only completed 1,2 and 3 <br /> <br />2 and 3 are your island circuits. If you has to wait until the Train hit humber 4 to shut off, you'd be waiting an extra 20-30 secondes for the lights to stop <br /> <br />Also, the biggest Flaw.. this system does not factor speed in. Links are set and can not be moved, well they can, it's just a nuissance. If a train is moving at...let's kid around here.. 85MPH, then it might take 2.3 secondes to reach the crossing, while if it is going 0.0000001 MPH, it might take the rest of the decade to reach the crossing, But let's put a valid number in there, uhhhh, 2 MPh, and it would take 20 minutes to reach the crossing <br /> <br />Thos are some of the major flaws with the RR link system.
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