Pigeon Warmers!

[mudchicken]

Mook:

(1) Most main track switch heaters have a thermostat and a moisture sensor that, when turned to automatic, fire the switch heater on and off. The moisure sensor looks like an overgrown bunsen burner from your old high school chemistry class (the type with the grid on top to spread the flame).

(2) Switch heaters tend to be propane, but in the case of Denver & Lincoln - they use natural gas from the local utility. (You get heated atmosphere faster that raises the ambient temperature of the rail faster) - The eco-switch plate lubricant can sure start smelling funny the first time the "dragons" fire up.... Just like the thermostat at home, these things can be adjusted to suit local conditions...Once you melt the snow, you want the water to be evaporated or driven off to prevent it re-forming as ice. Amused with some of the solutions out there used as movable point frog heaters...Rube Goldberg would be proud.

(3) Nervous dispatchers start throwing/ lining switches on and off in cold weather. Saw this several times near Bond, Yarmony, McCoy and Radium, CO yesterday after the snowstorm on the Moffat Tunnel Sub. .............Switch heaters nice to be around after a while. Birds do not like the noise from the dragons and will go elsewhere.

Heading back up the hill...

Mile-Hi Frozen Feathers[banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead]

[Mookie]

Well - we are for the birds aren't we.....

Must explain a little of the original question.

I have seen buildings in downtown that have a heat vent and the starlings, especially, will congregate around the warm area, during off-feeding times. Or if an entire roof is warm, they will sit there for quite awhile.

These heaters have blowers - look fairly state-of-the-art (whatever SOTA heaters look like). It was just around freezing that day and the air was moist. (fog) And there were pigeons and starlings all around the area - but they were looking more to eat than warm up. Seems they could sit between the rails and get a little warmth from the side of the switch.

We have had robins year round here - as long as they can find food and some water. There aren't a whole lot of them, but a few hardy souls will stay, especially if not a lot of snow.

M

[locomutt]

That really is a bit early,even for the Robins!! We have seen 'buds' on bushes already;
After the weather we've ALL had this past year,who knows?!

We do have a "bird bath" in the front yard,but for some reason,I seem to recall unpluging the extension cord for the 'heater' several years ago.
LET THEM take a bath in COLD water!!!!!![:O][:O][censored]

[Modelcar]

...Carrying the "bird" theme one bit farther.....On my way out of the addition this morning I saw a robin....I'd say he has his schedule a bit hurried.....Should have stayed south just a bit longer. Had a color pic of one in our paper this past Saturday but this was the first one to actually see.

[Junctionfan]

I have seen in a picture during winter, a huge flock of pigeons swarming around grain cars in CP MacTier Yard in Toronto. Hope the yard crews were wearing hats at the time.

[}:)][:D]

[Anonymous]

I remember as late teenager seeing a blue flame on the rails on the LIRR. What do they use for fuel?

[tree68]

I recently heard a crew report to the DS that the "blower was running, but no heat was coming out." Knowing as I do that the location in question has LP heaters on the switches, I can only guess they are some form of automatic. I'm not sure the track foreman would appreciate having to hi-rail out to at least one of them every time it was needed.

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

I think the birdies are too active--and too hungry--to sit in one place for very long, no matter how warm it is. Somebody with a heated bird-bath might be able to weigh in on this.

As a long time feeder of birds, I can say it varies. Some will sit at the feeder or on the ground and eat their fill. Others come in, load up, and leave. I can't ever remember seeing any bird just sit on the heated bird bath when I ran one. There's plenty of water in the area, so I don't provide that service any more.

[kenneo]

Mook --- Many switch heaters are automatic. In the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains - and I presume Donner as well - the heaters are set to automatic when the temperature gets to a certain point (usually 33 or 34 degrees last I knew) and turn off automatically as well. The can (could) be overridden from the dispatchers CTC control board if there was nothing to freeze so that propane could be conserved.

[Puckdropper]

QUOTE:
Here on the ns the heaters are lit manually usually when it is forcasted to be snow or any frozen precip. they stay on at all times ...then when the threat of frozen precip is over they go and shut the tanks off . the birds wont sit on the rails around these as it is very hot. roasted pigeon dont sound good to me.

So if a certain bird here comes too close to the switch heater would Mookie be having fried chicken for dinner?

[CShaveRR]

Wabash, it's called "squab" and is considered a delicacy in some circles!

In the yard, we use electric calrods at all of the power switches, and blowers at the switches up in my tower besides. The controls are in the towers, and we turn them on (or off) when the signal department requests it.

The mainline switches use gas-fired blowers by us. I'm not sure who turns them on (it could be our dispatcher in Omaha, for all I know, at the request of the local track department), but they're on all the time these days.

I think the birdies are too active--and too hungry--to sit in one place for very long, no matter how warm it is. Somebody with a heated bird-bath might be able to weigh in on this.

[wabash1]

Jen

Here on the ns the heaters are lit manually usually when it is forcasted to be snow or any frozen precip. they stay on at all times ...then when the threat of frozen precip is over they go and shut the tanks off . the birds wont sit on the rails around these as it is very hot. roasted pigeon dont sound good to me.

[cherokee woman]

Anyone want to say, "Here birdies, here birdies"?[8D][:P]

[Modelcar]

...Good morning Jen...just a tidbit to add to your bird notation: About a year or so ago I crossed the NS line here in Muncie that comes in from the northwest...{Frankfort line}, and noted with great surprise....between the rails and as far as one could see was a trail of corn about 2 feet or so wide obviously that had originated from a leaking grain car passing through....I have no idea how long this "bird feeder" may have been but can one imagine the feast the birds must of had on that....

[Mookie]

Got to watch a little action on the tracks this weekend. We are just across the road from the nearest switch heater.

Which brings up some questions.

The heater was on - since you could see the heat waves from the rails.

1) Do these stay on all the time or do they cycle and only come on when the temp reaches a certain point.

2) are they triggered to go on a certain time before a train passes over them?

3) The birds are notorious for finding warm spots. Why didn't they go near the warm rails? They are all over the other rails looking for grain and whatever.

I await...

Mookie