It was only a single ten foot section set in concrete so the top was about five and a half feet above the top of the rail. As this was for AEI, the antenna needed to be in the neighborhood of 42 to 48 inches above the top of the rail. Also the thing was in place for nearly 20 years before that freak event.
I don't miss being in a wayside hut monitoring equipment while a fast freight goes by. There were times I wondered if I was in my last moments of life.
Overmod RadioTech We got out there to see the antenna tower (a ten foot stick of Rohn 25G) to be standing at an angle and obviously twisted. Serves as a lesson that they should have guyed it! (Or maybe used 45?)
RadioTech We got out there to see the antenna tower (a ten foot stick of Rohn 25G) to be standing at an angle and obviously twisted.
Serves as a lesson that they should have guyed it! (Or maybe used 45?)
As I read it - the antenna is in the center ditch between tracks - tough to fully guy it.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDAs I read it - the antenna is in the center ditch between tracks - tough to fully guy it.
I was kidding. The "G" in the designation means it's designed to be guyed, even at comparatively short elevation - but a 10' stick has all the torsional stiffness it probably needs.
Nah, the should have used 55... I would also think the guy wires would be even more vulnerable than the 25. FWIW, I had 30' of Rohn 25 bracketed at 8' holding up 3 yagis (15M, 10M and 6M), so the 10' of 25 would have been good for wind loading, but not necessrily dragging equipment loading...
One thing older heads love to do is tell stories to new hires. One I recall concerned a military train where a tank turret became unsecured and worked its way around to the side whereupon it struck a signal stand. Besides likely knocking the stand out of alignment it caused the turret to swing around to the other side and strike another stand. This apparently went on for miles until the train was stopped to secure the turret, etc. That would have made for a bad day for a signalman working on a stand--maybe their rules require them to vacate the stand in advance of a train, I never read their rule book--or be on the head end of another train in a siding or on double track at the wrong time.
Not wayside, but one thing we warned ourselves about was a radio or microwave tower shedding ice. A large chunk of ice falling from a few hundred feet could really ruin your day. Years back a Southwestern Bell tech needed access to our comm hut at the Concho, OK site (north of El Reno, OK). I got there and the tower was shedding ice. Finally the wind picked up and was blowing the ice away from the position of the hut and I allowed the SWBC tech in after about a two hour wait. Fun stuff.
RadioTechNot wayside, but one thing we warned ourselves about was a radio or microwave tower shedding ice.
During (or rather, immediately after) Ice Storm '98, one road had to be closed because an adjacent 600' TV tower was starting to shed ice.
Said ice caused one 200' FM radio station tower to collapse.
Some power lines had 2" of ice hanging from them (if they weren't already on the ground). Everyone was cautioned to dress accordingly.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
RadioTechOne thing older heads love to do is tell stories to new hires. One I recall concerned a military train where a tank turret became unsecured and worked its way around to the side whereupon it struck a signal stand. Besides likely knocking the stand out of alignment it caused the turret to swing around to the other side and strike another stand. This apparently went on for miles until the train was stopped to secure the turret, etc. That would have made for a bad day for a signalman working on a stand--maybe their rules require them to vacate the stand in advance of a train, I never read their rule book--or be on the head end of another train in a siding or on double track at the wrong time.
A conductor I once supervised when he worked in the yards, went out on a road assignment and was decapitated by a unsecured crane boom as he was inspecting a passing train - since that incident the carrier has required all crane booms to be secured in a trailing position.
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