CSX - BNSF Equipment Defect Detector

[ScanManQSL]

On 160.23 CSX - Ch.1 (Wash DC area) I hearing an automated voice saying: CSX Equipment Defect Detector Mile Post 2.43 Track 2….No Defect......End of Transmission :arrow: My question is what type of testing equipment is this & how does equipment operate in detecting a fault in the tracks?


- Ben -



*corrected to CSX no BNSF

 

[DaveIN]

Check this out:
http://www.railroad.net/articles/modelrailroading/detectors/index.php
http://www.southern-tech.com/smalltalk.htm

 

[ScanManQSL]

CSX - Equipment Defect Detector

Thanks for the useful information

Basically when the train runs over a detector it announces if that train has a defect / fault. So, Now I have to look up the mile post and locate it on the track to find the location of that train.

This is all new to me and finding this all interesting.

 

[45-70-405]

On 160.23 CSX - Ch.1 (Wash DC area) I hearing an automated voice saying: BNSF Equipment Defect Detector Mile Post 2.43 Track 2….No Defect......End of Transmission :arrow: My question is what type of testing equipment is this & how does equipment operate in detecting a fault in the tracks?


- Ben -

The detector mainly check for hot journals, dragging equipment, and/or excessice height. They also count axels, report speed, and report air temp. Each railroad is different on the format. I have heard a Souther Pacific detector go off when a steam locomotive went by. It firmly told the crew to "STOP YOUR TRAIN". It saw the firebox and thought it was a hot bearing.

The old SP detectors would say somthing like "SP detector milepost 241 track number 1 25 miles per hour, no defect no defect." (This is the detector just west of Reno NV, just about where 4th street takes off from I-80)


Josh KD6KML
Napa Valley Railroad
Radio Service

 

[INDY72]

CN/IC's detectors announce number of axles/cars...any defects,.. EOTD query for some trains,... and Timestamp.

 

[radioscan]

On 160.23 CSX - Ch.1 (Wash DC area) I hearing an automated voice saying: BNSF Equipment Defect Detector Mile Post 2.43 Track 2….No Defect......End of Transmission

If you are in Maryland hearing this, it should not say "BNSF", it should be
"CSX". There are no BNSF owned tracks anywhere near Maryland.

Also if you perhaps meant mile post 24.3 that detector would be located
at "Clopper" on the CSX Metropolitan Subdivision.

Find more info on the Metropolitan Sub here:

http://kickitup.railfan.net/html/csx/csx-metropolitan.html


Mark

 

[PJH]

Each are a little different, even by the same railroad/region.

SP's gave out mileposts, and usually talked as the train reached them, and after the last axle past thru the detector.

CSX give the milepost, and sometime axle count, or would just say no defect. Some will annouce speed, some don't

Conrail's annouced the location by town, axle count and speed

Most of Amtrak's will give just speed and temp

It all depends on the maintainer and line volume. In busy area's, you don't need something talking on the radio for 30 secs at a clip.

The voice of the SP (Southern Pacific) detectors is/was an office worker in the corporate building.

The newest/advanced CSX detector that I have heard are hooked up to the AEI readers. While traveling to Ohio, I heard the detector go off with a defected.. It annouced (along these lines) CSX Detector MP xxx Stop your train stop your train....1st defect on CSX Train Q264 - Engine CSXT 612 - first defect axle 145 north side UP 523543 (would repeat the car number then went onto the second defect in the train). Took up a lot of airtime, but it definatly helps out the crew to find the right car.

 

[FPO703]

I remember hearing a 'hotbox detector' in the Cleveland Ohio area years ago. It went like this:

Conrail, White, Ohio, Track 2, Total Axle Count: xxx, No Defects, Over.

Also, a few times:

Conrail, White, Ohio, Hot Box Detector not working, Over.

I don't monitor RR traffic much any more. But, there are still a few of the older automated systems, if you will, in the Cleveland area.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Norfolk Southern (NS) has some of the older hotbox detectors called TSAs (Trackside Scanning Analyzers), which are currently being upgraded with more modern equipment. What these detectors look for are:

1. Hot bearings on axels.
2. Hot axels.
3. Dragging equipment.

The TSAs from NS will announce the words "Critical Alarm" followed by the sound of an alarm going off, and this process would repeat three times. Further, after the train had gone completely over the TSA, the Engineer would stop the train and listen for the announcement that would read off which axels needed to be checked for problems.

When NS use to run steam excursions, the N&W 611 and 1218 would cause these talking hotbox detectors to blow a nut. However, the Trainmaster was usually on board and would give the "ok" for the train to continue, if it was the axels under the firebox that were causing the TSA to go off. I really miss those days very much!


73's

Ron

 

[ECPD279]

Most detectors vary from one another even on the same rail line. As an example the Union Pacific detector in Richmond, CA says:

"UP detector.....milepost one four point one on track one" Just as the front of the train reaches the detector.

Then when the tail end clears the detector it says:

"UP detector......milepost one four point one, on track one, six seven miles per hour, no defects.......no defects"

But the UP detector in San Leandro, CA says nothing until the tail end, and it gives an axle count but no speed, at least last time I heard it.

 

[jgd511]

The CSX broadcast near where I live in western, NC sends out a transmission stating whether or not there are any defects. About 20 seconds later another transmission gives the length of the train and the number of axles. I live near the tracks so when I hear the horn I know that I'll hear the transmissions shortly

 

[INDY72]

Yeah the DD's and EOTD QD's make train chasing more accurate.

 

[FJSchwalbach]

Alabama Railfan has various recorded sound clips from defect dectors from various railroads, you can go to http://www.alabamarailfan.com/sound-bytes.php to hear them