In response to your questions: One of the major manufacturers of signal equipment is SafeTran Systems Corp. However, even though they have a plant at Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., supposedly that is only an R&D facility. Further, their brochure on "Instrument Houses" at - http://www.safetran.com/product/Signal/pdf%20Esection/SIG%20E-1-1.pdf (5 pages, approx. 458 KB in size) - says at the top of page E-1-5 that they are assembled at the Louisville, KY plant.
For more information, see: http://www.safetran.com/signal_equipment.asp
I didn't see anything pertaining to the 'boxes' on the Ansaldo STS USA = former Union Switch & Signal website, at - http://www.ansaldo-sts.com/AnsaldoSTS/EN/WorldWideNavigator/NorthAmerica/US/index.sdo
- Paul North.
Hi Paul, thank You for your followup research on signaling gear. Curiously, neither site seems to publish much in the way of specs including applicable building codes that might have to be met.
A post, on another site IIRC, noted that these cabinets now have to be capable of enclosing or mounting battery banks, charging equipment, solar panels, etc. to reduce the burden of tracking and paying local utility electrical bills. Money well spent if the ROI is there. It still seems odd that the cabinets get bigger as the individual electronic components get smaller. Can someone confirm that these battery banks are powerful enough to drive switch motors if commercial power is interrupted?
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
Update as of Saturday, June 12, 2010:
City of Industry to Colton to Riverside, CA
Part I (of I-III), Section A (of A-B)
A Train on the Up and Over!
A ballast train was found to be dumping ballast on the west side of the up and over in the City of Industry, CA.
Two units were for the power.
The ballast cars were periodically moving in spurts in conjunction with other ballast equipment.
Continued in Section B
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
Part I, Section B (of A-B)
The train continued a stop and go ballasting of the track as it progressed eastward.
More ballast cars, what appeared to be empties, were parked on a spur on the east side of the up and over.
Those parked cars were having some type of service being performed on them. A gentleman that had some type of hose from his white vehicle periodically could be seen up on those parked rail cars.
----------------
Coming Monday, June 14, 2010 in Part II: Would you believe new, erected, and never put in service signals in Pomona have been taken down?
Part II (of I-III), Section A (of A-B)
What on Earth Just Happened?
You may remember this previously posted May 13, 2009 photo of the NEW west side eastbound signal bridge at Humane Way in Pomona, CA., when all the canal construction and grading prep for the fourth track was taking place. Because the Diversion has not been finished yet, the signals have not been activated and never put in service. Note the base of the signal bridge by the truck
But, look what has happened ...
The whole signal bridge has been taken down and is laying in pieces parallel to the tracks.
The south foundation ...
Part II, Section B (of A-B)
It seems something was aloof near the north foundation, and it had to be dug out.
The not laid yet fourth-track's rails, but no ties, are visible near the dug up area in the photo above.
The signal bridge's north foundation's pieces were all huddled together away from the dug up area.
A site overview.
---------------
Coming Tuesday, June 15, 2010: Workers and equipment are again at the new [CP] AL514 HAMILTON. Plus, some looks at a few other areas of activity ...
K.P. - Thanks again for the update and photos, esp. of the ballast cars on the ''Up and Over'' - I wonder what the grade % is there - those 2 big units may have been needed just to be sure there was enough Tractive Effort available to drag the entire string of ballast cars up and over if the rail adhesion conditions were not the best.
On the signal bridge mystery: My best guess is that the north side base was too close/ too much ''in front of'' the little bridge over the new concrete channel, for trucks to be able to make their 'swing' onto the parallel access roadway along the tracks - see the 1st photo of Part B above for a good view of that. I also thought about the signal bridge's foundation maybe imposing too much of a 'surcharge' load on the culvert pipe that runs across and under the same roadway - see the concrete 'Flared End Sections' between the north base location and that bridge - and/ or the closest vertical wall of that concrete channel. But the signal bridge doesn't weigh or carry that much load, and that base appears to have been a decent distance back from both the pipe and that wall, so I doubt that's the reason. It'll be real interesting to see what eventually happens there . . . You might even be able to find somebody to pay you a good buck to 'make that evidence - excuse me, those pictures - disappear', if you know what I mean . . .
MikeF90 [snip] Curiously, neither site seems to publish much in the way of specs including applicable building codes that might have to be met. [snip] Can someone confirm that these battery banks are powerful enough to drive switch motors if commercial power is interrupted?
Well, I'm no expert, but I believe so, and the relevant pages from the SafeTran catalog appear to confirm that - within reasonable limits, of course, and depending on the battery's size and capability.
For example, from the section on Switch Machine, at - http://www.safetran.com/product/Signal/pdf%20Lsection/SIG%20L-1-5.pdf (6 pages, about 52 KB in size) - it appears that to throw a typical switch machine, at 115 volts it draws around 15 amps - about the same as a decent-size microwave oven - for around 1 second. That's say, 115 x 15 = 1,725 watts = 1.725 kilowatts for 1 second = 1 / 3,600 of an hour, or less than 0.0005 kilowatt-hr. Looking at that another way, 15 amps at 115 volts is about the same power as 150 amps at 12 volt standard battery voltage. 150 amps for 1 second is 150 / 3,600 = 0.042 Amp-Hour. So, for each 1 Amp-Hour of battery capacity, the switch machine could be thrown about 24 times - say, 20 to 25 times, or proabably at least an hour's worth of maximum operation. Since a typical car battery can have a 20-Amp-Hour rating, it would be enough to power such a switch machine for almost a day's worth of such maximum operation - pending confirmation from a real signalling expert, of course. See also the section on Battery Chargers, at - http://www.safetran.com/product/Signal/pdf%20Gsection/SIG%20G-1-13.pdf (2 pages, approx. 26 KB in size) - they too appear to be pretty hefty, with at least a 1 KW / 20 amp continuous rating.
It's been a while, but I believe most of the 'building codes' usually exempt transportation and utility equipment, as long as that equipment is in compliance with some other generally accepted standard, such as AREMA here. I recall a dispute that a local municIpality's building inspector had with the Pennsylvania Turnpike over the early 'E-Z Pass' automatic toll reading electronic equipment installed in the toll booths not having been testing or certified by the Underwriter's Laboratory or equivalent. The issue was heat build-up and dissIpation, and as best as I can recall, it was made in Europe by Alsthom or a subsidiary, to European standards. I no longer recall how that was worked out, but it was, and there've been no fires there since, to the best of my knowledge . . .
Paul_D_North_Jr<snip>So, for each 1 Amp-Hour of battery capacity, the switch machine could be thrown about 24 times - say, 20 to 25 times, or proabably at least an hour's worth of maximum operation. Since a typical car battery can have a 20-Amp-Hour rating, it would be enough to power such a switch machine for almost a day's worth of such maximum operation - pending confirmation from a real signalling expert, of course.
Note to K.P., the temporary bridge removal might have something to do with resolving the pipeline/utility protection issues mentioned some months ago in the ACE minutes. Or not.
Part III (of I-III), Section A (of A-D)
[CP] AL514 HAMILTON
Previously, the recently installed east side south switch and the track going out from it were unaligned and unbolted for a number of weeks. The below is a re-shown photo of that unbolted track.
Now, all that track is bolted together.
Equipment was kind of on a track all of its own, between our Main A (foreground) and Main B.
Part III, Section B (of A-D)
A small piece of equipment was being lifted up.
From Hamilton Blvd, looking EAST.
Looking WEST. An odd scattering of bits and pieces.
Continued in Section C
Part III, Section C (of A-D)
The Cypress Ave. Overpass
In Fontana, CA, near the west end of West Colton Yard's Receive Yard, a half of a mile west of Sierra Ave., the Cypress Ave. overpass still is under construction. You may remember these previously posted evolving overpass photos.
The recent development is that the temporary construction structure-work of wood is no longer needed, and has been taken down. The below photo is a late afternoon view that looks west into the sun, hence, the unnatural high photo contrast.
Without that structure hindrance in the way, UP can now lay the two additional tracks planned. As partially seen in the second photo above, there are heads for four-tracks. Presently, there are only two tracks.
Whether or not UP will now move ahead and finish the revamping of West Colton Yard in this particular area (and in the present bad economy) is subject to speculation.
Continued in Section D
Part III, Section D (of A-D)
Colton ... and Progress on Relocating Riverside's C055 STREETER
This forumist visited the area of the Colton Signal Department, but there was no activity there and everything was locked up.
Two flat trailers used to bring CP boxes and signals to sites were present, but empty.
In the area of of the future Magnolia Ave underpass in Riverside, the new CP box and the three masts laying by it have all been positioned and erected.
Looking westbound from the Palm Ave. grade crossing. Because of the darkening evening sky, the new west side eastbound signals are difficult to see, but they are very close to Palm Ave.
The east side westbound mast with two heads on it, and the CP box by it, are halfway between Palm Ave. and Brockton Ave. to the east
The future temporary CP is so new that the two-tracks to one-track turnout hasn't even been installed yet.
In both of the photos above, neon "X" signs, normally associated with "Quiet Zones," are high up on poles and flash with a three-flash and wait cycle. Such repeatedly warn approaching engineers not to blow their horn. They all seem to flash in unison, all the way back to the backround.
Downtown Pomona, where train engineers also do not blow their horns, does NOT have those eye catching flashing neon signs. It is unknown if such neon signs will be erected after all the future new track and signals at Pomona are operational.
K. P. Harrier Update as of Saturday, June 12, 2010: City of Industry to Colton to Riverside, CA Part III, Section B (of A-D) [CP] AL514 HAMILTON A small piece of equipment was being lifted up.
It's a Stanley MHP1 ''TracHorse''' - see:
http://www.stanleyhydraulic.com/Products/TracHorse/tabid/143/Default.aspx
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Just wondering for the above reasons. Chicago and suburbs have gone to quiet zones in a big way without such lights.
FWIW, CTA uses lights - I know, it's not a railroad - to indicate gates down.
K.P., great pictures as always! The overpass at Cypress Avenue looks much closer to being finished.
Mike, I do have a camera, but I don't make it out there as often as I hint at here. Plus, I have forgotten to bring the camera a few times
HarveyK400 Just wondering for the above reasons. Chicago and suburbs have gone to quiet zones in a big way without such lights. FWIW, CTA uses lights - I know, it's not a railroad - to indicate gates down.
Harvey,
When they went to quiet zones on the WC/CN North Central line through Mundelein and installed the horns, they included the flashing "X" signals. This goes back over ten years now. Apparently the practice has not spread though the rest of the Metra system.
John Timm
desertdog HarveyK400 Just wondering for the above reasons. Chicago and suburbs have gone to quiet zones in a big way without such lights. FWIW, CTA uses lights - I know, it's not a railroad - to indicate gates down. Harvey, When they went to quiet zones on the WC/CN North Central line through Mundelein and installed the horns, they included the flashing "X" signals. This goes back over ten years now. Apparently the practice has not spread though the rest of the Metra system. John Timm
Flashing X signals have also been installed in Elburn IL on UP's Geneva Sub.
Forgot about Mundelein - only rode inbound once in last couple years. Don't think Elburn was up last time I was there. I'll look next time I'm out that way; sounds like the practice is spreading.
Still seems useless. What exactly is the rule if the signal is dark?
HarveyK400Forgot about Mundelein - only rode inbound once in last couple years. Don't think Elburn was up last time I was there. I'll look next time I'm out that way; sounds like the practice is spreading. Still seems useless. What exactly is the rule if the signal is dark?
desertdogHarveyK400Forgot about Mundelein - only rode inbound once in last couple years. Don't think Elburn was up last time I was there. I'll look next time I'm out that way; sounds like the practice is spreading. Still seems useless. What exactly is the rule if the signal is dark? You raise an interesting point, Harvey. I suppose it becomes an "HX" situation, requiring manual protection. From the first time I saw the flashing "X" I thought it would make more sense for it to remain dark and flash only if there were a system failure. The engineers I spoke with when the signals first appeared told me that they found them to be very annoying and distracting, especially when there are several in sight at once. John Timm
Is manual protection a euphemism for sounding the train horn or, more draconian, stopping and flagging?
desertdogYou raise an interesting point, Harvey. I suppose it becomes an "HX" situation, requiring manual protection. From the first time I saw the flashing "X" I thought it would make more sense for it to remain dark and flash only if there were a system failure. The engineers I spoke with when the signals first appeared told me that they found them to be very annoying and distracting, especially when there are several in sight at once. John Timm
I think that they have the flashing "X" as a failsafe. If the system (wayside horns here in DeKalb) doesn't have power, thus non-operational, then no "X", then loco horns would be required.
Go Huskies. Forward Together Forward
Fan of - C&NW - Milwaukee Road - CGW -
The Colton Signal Dept. Yard
For the benefit of those unfamiliar with or have never been to the facility, the following photos are filed with the forum.
For about 20-25-feet back from the front fence, almost the whole south side front area is presently taken up with stacks and stacks and stacks of spooled signal and switch machine wires. In the scene below, a piece of equipment is seen moving items around beyond the spools.
The whole area covers about two city blocks, but the fenced section on the eastern part is estimated to be between 150-200 feet in length.
When UP finally starts burying wire at the huge AL514 HAMILTON in Pomona, there will be plenty of cable for that whopping effort.
In the last few months, jerry-rigged type concrete bases have been stored outside the fenced area, by the public street. (See the photo just above.)
In the last year, such-like concrete bases were used temporarily in Maricopa, AZ in conjunction with the two-tracking over Highway 347 and revamping of that whole grade crossing. Note the crossing gate base in the reshown photo below.
Where the present Colton cement bases might be temporarily used at is unknown, but underpasses are scheduled to be built for Milliken Ave. in eastern Ontario (on the SP), as well as Magnolia Ave. in Riverside (on the LA&SL), and the bases might be used for makeshift repositioning crossing gates at those locations.
My apologies to our good friend K.P., as well, but I need to get in one more point before we move this geographcially back to the Southwest where it belongs :
The issue for engineers on the North Cental Service was the flashing, not the "X" in and of itself. To me, a fixed "X" would be sufficient to indicate full operating status and a dark signal would suffice to indicate any kind of malfunction, much as the bulb on the side of the signal bungalow is supposed to indicate a malfunction when extinguished (at least on the UP, according to their rule book).
CShaveRRIf the signal is dark, that's an indication that the horn is not functioning, not that the gates or any other signaling are inoperative. All that would be required is for the engineers to sound their horn for the crossing. The no-horn zone on Chicago-area commuter systems predates my experience (nearly 40 years) in the Chicago area, well before the advent of these horns. In other words, the crossings are quiet, even without the horns. Why go to the expense to "fix" something that isn't broken? Quiet zones have not been the problem here. Having said that, I'm beginning to wonder whether some crossings on the UP West Line won't get a system like this in the near future to serve as a "second train" warning. In the not-too-distant future, UP will be relaxing its rules on allowing other trains to occupy the platform areas when a commuter train is stopped, to make all operations faster and more fluid. They have said that some sort of "second-train-warning" system will be employed where it's necessary. These horns, which will sound for a train on an adjacent track when the crossing is already occupied, would fill the bill. Sorry, K.P.--this discussion has moved away from southern California and Arizona. I'm ready to let you bring it back now.
Google Maps aerial pictures of the 'diversion' area west of Temple Ave, Pomona have been updated recently and show new details:
- The turnout connecting the diversion track to the existing Alhambra sub is probably temporary - immediately adjacent is a section of new track matching the length of the turnout.
- Just west of the new CP the diversion track (main D route) is not contiguous, possibly showing where track swings might take place.
- The signal bridges for the new CP appear to be spaced for three crossovers.
Paul D. North, Jr. (6-11/14):
Part A
About those signal ‘houses' or CP boxes you commented on ...
A view of the temporary LA&SL CP C055 STREETER box while it was on a trailer at the Colton Signal Dept. was recently presented to the forum, and is reshown below.
At the time of the above photo, the back side of the box was also photographed, but up till now was never posted.
What I marvel at is that these boxes have FOUR doors, two on each end!
The Colton Signal Dept. yard was passed by yesterday morning, Friday, June 18, 2010. The CP boxes for the future CP AL514 HAMILTON destined for Pomona were still present, and they had their doors open again with workers in and out of them. The boxes were photographed again at a different angle, a revealing one, so that a viewer can see a maze-like path through the CP box to the door on the opposite side.
Those boxes are thus compartmentalized. Maintainers can freely go between compartments, and air circulation is quite free flowing.
Continued in Part B
Part B
So, who makes those great CP boxes? In the third photo in Part A, left of the left door is a small manufacturer's nameplate.
A similar nameplate was on a smaller, uninstallation box, a box that was recently offloaded by an alleyway near the old [CP] C055 STREETER in Riverside.
A close-up view of that above box's nameplate:
In researching the company, it seems to be a metal box manufacturer with their offerings having numerous applications, with customers not necessarily from the railroad industry.
Thus, this poster has theorized and is inclined to believe either the railroad or a contractor does the installing of all the wiring and circuitry for specific signal applications. This poster also is inclined to believe such equipping of the boxes is done in the greater Los Angeles area, or at least staged from that area, accounting for the slow trickling of suchlike boxes through the Colton site. Without having the full facts available, however, it must be realized the above thoughts are no more than opinions.
About that new four-track signal bridge that was temporarily taken down on the west side of the Humane Way overpass in Pomona ...
That truly is an unusual occurrence. It is unknown if the matter is related or not to the costly error that was reportedly made by someone somewhere on the Diversion.
Maybe public information will become available in time. Forumist mvs has been quite kind and pretty studious in finding, tracking, and/or alerting us to various published Diversion news. Maybe he will happen onto further information about this.
MikeF90 (6-18):
What a great map link! It took a while for this dense old geezer to figure out how to use the brought up website, and to take advantage of the list of important locations you set up on Google Map's left margin. The satellite view of the Diversion west of Temple Ave. was fantastic!
As far as crossovers between the signal bridges west of Temple Ave., I only perceive two crossovers, i.e., eastbound from Main B to Main C, and Main C to Main D. Those turnouts in the aerial view sure look incredibly long!
Best wishes everyone,
K.P.
Coming in a day or two ... K.P.'s two-cents on and experience with the flashing "X" signs. And, that experience is with more than two-tracks!
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.