Resources

2000 – Nov – Balck – Interflow – An Alternative?

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Raymond Balck FlRSE Adtranz Signal InterFlow is a communications based modular system that facilitates the control and automation of freight and country railway systems to a level suited to each unique application and customer demand. The InterFlow concept is based on radio communication between the stationary control system and the locomotives. The system provides in cab information to the train driver and provides Automatic Train Protection. In case of driverless trains (in a mining application) the system communicates directly with the ATOIATP equipment. This results in a cost effective system with minimal wayside equipment, reducing the initial investment cost as well as the operational maintenance. Apart from passive balises along the track and object controllers at each point-machine, allsystem components are in the control room or onboard the locomotives. Changes to the system are simplified as there is a minimum of wayside plant.

Read More

2005 – Aug – Gould – Broadening the Perspective

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Karen Gould MIRSE, EngTech, CMCIPD Institution of Railway Signal Engineers The aim of this paper is to set out the main IRSE activities in the Training and Development arena over the last few years in the context of the events of the UK Rail Industry. It summarises the projects that have been taken on and successfully completed and how they may be of use to the wider international membership. It also looks at the challenges ahead as the IRSE continues to grow in its international standing and explores how we might broaden our perspective in order to meet the growing needs of our increasingly international presence.

Read More

2006 – March – Jordan – A Trial of a Low Cost Level Crossing Warning Device

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Phillip Jordan BE (Civil), M Eng Sc. – Principal Consultant, Road Safety International; formerly Principal Road Safety Engineer, VicRoads. The use of red flashing lights (signals) and boom barriers at rail crossings has been a widely accepted practice in Australia since the 1920's. These devices have an excellent safety record, but are expensive to install. The State of Victoria now has an annual budget of $6 million for upgrading level crossings from passive to active control. In the 1990's this figure was a low as $600,000. That figure allowed just 4 or 5 crossings to be upgraded from passive to active each year. The present budget results in some 15 road crossings and a handful of pedestrian crossings being upgraded annually. But even now, with some 1500 passive level crossings in the State, it will take the best part of another century to provide active level crossing protection at all sites. Of course, many of these 1500 sites are very low volume crossings, and the use of large amounts of public money at such crossings may well be difficult to justify. This situation caused a group of road and rail engineers to investigate the possibilities of reducing the cost of level crossing protection through the use of lower cost (but still 100% reliable) detection devices and warning signals. Their intention was not to replace the existing active device with a new low cost option, but rather to have an additional device which could be used to improve the conspicuity of selected passive crossings at the time that a train was in the vicinity. After an international literature search, five detection units were submitted to a Stage 1 trial on a disused rail line in suburban Melbourne. The most reliable detector out of these five was then further tested during Stage 2 of the trial on a railway line near Ballarat in western Victoria. Finally, as Stage 3 of this trial, the prototype was installed at a passive level crossing at Creswick in western Victoria and monitored in real life situations. This paper presents the history of this trial, together with some of the results of the trial, through the eyes of a road safety engineer. It outlines the key decisions which were made during the nine year long study and provides some guidance and advice for others who may be thinking of a similar trial. The paper details the decisions which lead to the design of the warning signal used to alert motor vehicle drivers of the presence of a train. The outcome of the trial to date is very encouraging - VicRoads and Vic Track are now just months away from having a low cost level crossing warning device available for use on low volume roads in rural areas. Its final cost will be in the order of one fifth of the cost of conventional active control.

Read More

1993 – Nov – Venneman – Constant Warning Systems

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Pat Venneman, Manager Crossing Systems, Harmon Industries, U.S.A. What is Constant Warning Time Technology? Constant Warning Time Technology is an advanced method of providing consistent warning times at grade crossings exposed to extreme variations in train speed. Modem Constant Warning Time Train Detection Equipment monitors track parameters to determine train position and velocity. It is this technology that makes it possible to optirnize a Grade Crossing Warning System's performance providing consistent warning time to motorists and minimize disruptions to vehicular traffic flow.

Read More

1987 – March – Luber – Track-Clear Indication by Axle Counting

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

B. Luber Siemens Ltd. The best-known, and even today, the most widely-used method of track-clear indicating, are track circuits in their various forms. However, shortly after the introduction, it became obvious that tract circuits were not always suitable. To quote two examples: if physical requirements can not be met, whic is the case when it is not possible to insulate the rails, or if the track section to be monitored is very long or difficult to reach - an uneconomical solution. To find an alternative method, based on axle counting, was the aim of Siemens as long ago as 1935. The system which has been developed is based on axle counting-in at one end of the track section and axle counting-out at the other end of this section. When both counts correspond, the track section concerned is indicated as being clear.  

Read More

2005 – Oct – Lee & Tay – Tetra for Driverless Rapid Transit System

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Edwin Lee Senior Systems Engineer (Communications) Lim Hock Tay Assistant Manager (Communications) Land Transport Authority This paper identifies the attributes of a radio communication system that are essential for the operation of a driverless rapid transit system, and discusses how these requirements may be fulfilled using a TErrestrial Trunked RAdio (TETRA) system. The design of the TETRA system in the Singapore Circle Line, a project that is currently under construction, is also briefly introduced. Some useful experiences that have been gained from the implementation of TETRA for the Singapore North East Line project, and how these are addressed in the CCL radio system design are also discussed.

Read More

1984 – March – Neal – Solid State Signalling on the Mt Newman Mining Railroad

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

AL Neal MIE (Aust) MIRSE Chief Project Engineer, MNM The advantages of coded track circuits, compared with ordinary D.C. type track cricuits are well known; the lower power consumption, longer practical lengths, and the elimination of vital lineside wires, either cable or pole line.  On the Mt. Newman Railroad the long lengths and information transmission abilities are exploited to the full.  Indeed we operate some of the longest track circuits in the world, up to 14km without any repeating cut sections.  There are no vital lineside cables along the railroad, all vital information is transmitted through the coded track circuits. Cabling is limited to a power cable, telemetry cable and a non-vital telephone cable (used for hot-box and dragging equipment detector equiment). The high cost of maintenance of the existing coded track equipment, the future expected major maintenance required led to investigations of alternative systems to the present G.R.S. "Trakode"system of track circuits. These investigations began in earnest about two and a half years ago. Following these investigations two types of fully solid state equipment have been put into service, two track circuits of G.R.S. "Trakode II", covering 11 km of the single track main line, and eight track circuits of "Electrocode", manufactured by the Electropneumatic Corporation in U.S.A., covering a total of 42 km, all but 3 km being on the single track main line, (the remaining 3 km is installed on a passing track). Experience in operating the systems has clearly shown that there are significant cost savings, enough to justify the conversion of all the existing relay coded tracks.  Experience has also shown that even in the very harsh climate, and in an area subject to regular and intense sumner lightning storms, the equipnent performs more reliably than the present relay based system. There have been some problems, and these will be discussed a little later.  

Read More

2011 – November – Why do track ballast machines have windows by adam morris 20-7-11

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Presentation only.

Read More

1985 – Aug – Harrison & Thompson – Computer Assistance to Management of

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Read More

2002 – April – Jackson – Meeting the Challenge to Provide TechnoloLOGY that Meets Operator Needs

Author(s):

Date presented: December 27th, 2015

Lyle Jackson Managing Director Union Switch & Signal Pty Ltd Understanding and meeting the operators needs in a rapidly changing industry environment is a major challenge for the signal and telecommunications industry. Change has impacted on all aspects of the industry including the corporatisation and privatisation of previously government railways, the segregation into above rail and below rail organisations, the introduction of rail safety regulators, the increased documentation demands for equipment approval, the mobility of the workforce as well as the technology used. The major driving force as we move into the new millennium is the changing perspective of operators and hence their changing needs. The impact of business focus on the management of railways will drive the need for more performance driven solutions that make effective use of technology. The paradigm shift will be from providing engineering solutions to particular aspects such as signalling or train control systems, to providing technology that will provide integrated traffic management solutions to meet operators needs so that they, in turn, can meet their customers needs. Those organisations with the ability to adapt and to work more closely in client/supplier teams to deliver integrated systems which improve business performance will prosper in the new millennium.

Read More