"mile code" markers on train tracks?

[dpopiz]

when I'm on amtrak and there's a attendent nearby with their radio on, every so often the radio will have a computer voice shouting something like "MILE CODE 102.3".

I've also noticed that all along the train tracks there are these little sort of tube/pole/pipe things that are painted white and orange and have a code number printed on them.

So what I'm thinking is that these tubes stuck in the ground are radioing to their walkie-talkies the computer voice.

correct? or am I way off?

 

[TitanDiddly]

I doubt it. Maybe an electronic beacon for the train to pick up, but it's probably not doing the radio-ing. Doesn't make sense, they'd have to give it power in places where there is none. Beacons could probably be done with batteries as they take very little power.

 

[dpopiz]

yeah maybe so

 

[DannyBoy]

Not too sure about the system in the US but I know a lot of it is the same, either way in the UK...:

Mile markers are placed every 0.10 of a mile on a track network and they always return to what's considered a 'central' point on the network, in England for example the central point on the network is London - Any train heading towards london is on the "Up" line and any train travelling away from it is "Down".

Alternate rails are referred to as "Up and Down" respective of the direction of travel, like I just explained.

The things that trigger off the announcements / bells or horns on trains are the track magnets inbetween the rails, they're used for a number of things including notification, signaling and the TPWS (Train Protection Warning System) on-board the actual train. (this is the same in the US)

I used to work for British Rail, btw, I know pretty much everything about how trains operate.

 

[Linflas]

I think what you are hearing is the electronic "hot box" detectors. Watching for hot boxes used to be one of the primary jobs of the conductor. Hot boxes are what happens if the wheel bearings begin to overheat. This function is now performed by trackside detectors. I think they actually communicate with a device mounted on the back of the last car which then transmits to the train crew.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Originally posted by: DannyBoy
Not too sure about the system in the US but I know a lot of it is the same, either way in the UK...:

Mile markers are placed every 0.10 of a mile on a track network and they always return to what's considered a 'central' point on the network, in England for example the central point on the network is London - Any train heading towards london is on the "Up" line and any train travelling away from it is "Down".

Alternate rails are referred to as "Up and Down" respective of the direction of travel, like I just explained.

The things that trigger off the announcements / bells or horns on trains are the track magnets inbetween the rails, they're used for a number of things including notification, signaling and the TPWS (Train Protection Warning System) on-board the actual train. (this is the same in the US)

I used to work for British Rail, btw, I know pretty much everything about how trains operate.

Tell me- has any research gone into using turbine-electric drive been started?

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: DannyBoy
I used to work for British Rail, btw, I know pretty much everything about how trains operate.

Ever install a chlorine kit on a rail car?

 

[dpopiz]

awesome! dannyboy must now tell us everything he knows about trains!

hey, my friend told me that locomotives actually use electric motors to propel themselves -- that the diesel engine just charges up batteries and generates electricity to drive the motors. --because even a huge diesel engine can't provide enough torque to get a whole train started from a halt.

true?

 

[chrisms]

Driving that train, high on cocaine. Casey Jones you'd better watch your speed!

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: DannyBoy
I used to work for British Rail, btw, I know pretty much everything about how trains operate.

Are you one of those guys that molests american tourists on trains? You know, like that guy on Euro Trip?

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
awesome! dannyboy must now tell us everything he knows about trains!

hey, my friend told me that locomotives actually use electric motors to propel themselves -- that the diesel engine just charges up batteries and generates electricity to drive the motors. --because even a huge diesel engine can't provide enough torque to get a whole train started from a halt.

true?

I know GE has a big beast that does just that. It's a hybrid, similar to the car's implementation, with generator drives off the engine and regenerative braking (mwahaha) Was just introduced recently, though. Not sure how it was done previously.

I suspect DannyBoy doesn't know too much about diesel, it doesn't really fly in Europe. Virtually their entire system is electric.

 

[DMT]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
awesome! dannyboy must now tell us everything he knows about trains!

hey, my friend told me that locomotives actually use electric motors to propel themselves -- that the diesel engine just charges up batteries and generates electricity to drive the motors. --because even a huge diesel engine can't provide enough torque to get a whole train started from a halt.

true?

Think about the process - having a 5000 HP 44L diesel engine charge a battery just to discharge it again is one step too many and would require one HELL of a strong battery to stay up.

A diesel locomotive is actually a diesel electric - internal combustion engine linked to a generator - linked to electric motors. I think your statment of torque is correct, as several series of electric motors (usually high torque) would be more efficient than the engine mated to a transmission.

 

[95SS]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
awesome! dannyboy must now tell us everything he knows about trains!

hey, my friend told me that locomotives actually use electric motors to propel themselves -- that the diesel engine just charges up batteries and generates electricity to drive the motors. --because even a huge diesel engine can't provide enough torque to get a whole train started from a halt.

true?

Yes, that is mostly true. All modern diesels use electric traction motors to drive the wheels. The motors are powered from a generator, which is powered by the diesel engine. DC used to be the standard, but now AC traction motors are common.

 

[IGBT]

..mile markers indicating track location.

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox

Originally posted by: DannyBoy
Not too sure about the system in the US but I know a lot of it is the same, either way in the UK...:

Mile markers are placed every 0.10 of a mile on a track network and they always return to what's considered a 'central' point on the network, in England for example the central point on the network is London - Any train heading towards london is on the "Up" line and any train travelling away from it is "Down".

Alternate rails are referred to as "Up and Down" respective of the direction of travel, like I just explained.

The things that trigger off the announcements / bells or horns on trains are the track magnets inbetween the rails, they're used for a number of things including notification, signaling and the TPWS (Train Protection Warning System) on-board the actual train. (this is the same in the US)

I used to work for British Rail, btw, I know pretty much everything about how trains operate.

Tell me- has any research gone into using turbine-electric drive been started?

I never dealt with the engineering research aspects, I worked with what we had and had to learn what we had.

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: DannyBoy
I used to work for British Rail, btw, I know pretty much everything about how trains operate.

Ever install a chlorine kit on a rail car?

Nope.

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
awesome! dannyboy must now tell us everything he knows about trains!

hey, my friend told me that locomotives actually use electric motors to propel themselves -- that the diesel engine just charges up batteries and generates electricity to drive the motors. --because even a huge diesel engine can't provide enough torque to get a whole train started from a halt.

true?

That's true for certain types of train, each train is categorised and given a 'power-class', such as Electric-Multiple-Unit (for trains that pull current from a 3rd rail or overhead wires), Diesel-Electric unit which, does as you say, and then straight diesel powered loco's which are generally only ever used to pull frieght.

 

[BMdoobieW]

Originally posted by: Linflas
I think what you are hearing is the electronic "hot box" detectors. Watching for hot boxes used to be one of the primary jobs of the conductor. Hot boxes are what happens if the wheel bearings begin to overheat. This function is now performed by trackside detectors. I think they actually communicate with a device mounted on the back of the last car which then transmits to the train crew.

That's not a bad guess. I would also say that they might be dragging equipment detectors. There is one on the tracks near where I live and when I listen to my dad's railroad radio, you can hear it say something to the effect of "Dragging Detector - Milepost XX - XX cars". The "XX cars" is the number of cars on the train (the detector counts the train cars as they roll over it).

Edit: Sorry, I didn't explain that a dragging equipment detectors checks for some part of the railroad car dragging along the ground, which would be bad.

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: BMdoobieW

Originally posted by: Linflas
I think what you are hearing is the electronic "hot box" detectors. Watching for hot boxes used to be one of the primary jobs of the conductor. Hot boxes are what happens if the wheel bearings begin to overheat. This function is now performed by trackside detectors. I think they actually communicate with a device mounted on the back of the last car which then transmits to the train crew.

That's not a bad guess. I would also say that they might be dragging equipment detectors. There is one on the tracks near where I live and when I listen to my dad's railroad radio, you can hear it say something to the effect of "Dragging Detector - Milepost XX - XX cars". The "XX cars" is the number of cars on the train (the detector counts the train cars as they roll over it).

Edit: Sorry, I didn't explain that a dragging equipment detectors checks for some part of the railroad car dragging along the ground, which would be bad.

You're saying the train drags something along the track?!

 

[BMdoobieW]

Originally posted by: DannyBoy

Originally posted by: BMdoobieW

Originally posted by: Linflas
I think what you are hearing is the electronic "hot box" detectors. Watching for hot boxes used to be one of the primary jobs of the conductor. Hot boxes are what happens if the wheel bearings begin to overheat. This function is now performed by trackside detectors. I think they actually communicate with a device mounted on the back of the last car which then transmits to the train crew.

That's not a bad guess. I would also say that they might be dragging equipment detectors. There is one on the tracks near where I live and when I listen to my dad's railroad radio, you can hear it say something to the effect of "Dragging Detector - Milepost XX - XX cars". The "XX cars" is the number of cars on the train (the detector counts the train cars as they roll over it).

Edit: Sorry, I didn't explain that a dragging equipment detectors checks for some part of the railroad car dragging along the ground, which would be bad.

You're saying the train drags something along the track?!

Well ideally the train should not be dragging anything, but if it is, then it is most likely a piece of the railroad car that has broken off but is still partially attached.

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: BMdoobieW

Originally posted by: DannyBoy

Originally posted by: BMdoobieW

Originally posted by: Linflas
I think what you are hearing is the electronic "hot box" detectors. Watching for hot boxes used to be one of the primary jobs of the conductor. Hot boxes are what happens if the wheel bearings begin to overheat. This function is now performed by trackside detectors. I think they actually communicate with a device mounted on the back of the last car which then transmits to the train crew.

That's not a bad guess. I would also say that they might be dragging equipment detectors. There is one on the tracks near where I live and when I listen to my dad's railroad radio, you can hear it say something to the effect of "Dragging Detector - Milepost XX - XX cars". The "XX cars" is the number of cars on the train (the detector counts the train cars as they roll over it).

Edit: Sorry, I didn't explain that a dragging equipment detectors checks for some part of the railroad car dragging along the ground, which would be bad.

You're saying the train drags something along the track?!

Well ideally the train should not be dragging anything, but if it is, then it is most likely a piece of the railroad car that has broken off but is still partially attached.

They don't drag anything, I already explained it's all done with track magnets and magnets on the underside of each carriage.

 

[BMdoobieW]

Originally posted by: DannyBoy

Originally posted by: BMdoobieW

Originally posted by: DannyBoy

Originally posted by: BMdoobieW

Originally posted by: Linflas
I think what you are hearing is the electronic "hot box" detectors. Watching for hot boxes used to be one of the primary jobs of the conductor. Hot boxes are what happens if the wheel bearings begin to overheat. This function is now performed by trackside detectors. I think they actually communicate with a device mounted on the back of the last car which then transmits to the train crew.

That's not a bad guess. I would also say that they might be dragging equipment detectors. There is one on the tracks near where I live and when I listen to my dad's railroad radio, you can hear it say something to the effect of "Dragging Detector - Milepost XX - XX cars". The "XX cars" is the number of cars on the train (the detector counts the train cars as they roll over it).

Edit: Sorry, I didn't explain that a dragging equipment detectors checks for some part of the railroad car dragging along the ground, which would be bad.

You're saying the train drags something along the track?!

Well ideally the train should not be dragging anything, but if it is, then it is most likely a piece of the railroad car that has broken off but is still partially attached.

They don't drag anything, I already explained it's all done with track magnets and magnets on the underside of each carriage.

Huh? I'm talking about the US of A.

 

[tami]

TRANSITGEEK.

 

[BMdoobieW]

On a somewhat related note - here is a photo of my dad taken in the early 1980's. He's standing on the front of the Conrail train to check for low clearances because the train is pulling a special "high and wide" load. It is a heat exchanger (looks like a rocket ship) going to the Middle East.

heatxchnger1.JPG

 

[BMdoobieW]

Originally posted by: tami
TRANSITGEEK.

Yes.

The PROFF?

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