This site is very useful if traveling or fanning : Defect Detector Database
Defect Detectors
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Along with the references to railroad names that haven't existed for 30+ years.
There is a contact form on the root website: Contact Us - DefectDetector.net
lol, yeah... that's what I'm talking about... There's recordings from CNW which ceased to exist in 1995, and MoPac which ceased to exist in entirety in 1997.
I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, in fact quite the opposite... I find it a fantastic preservation of railroad history.
It is got old detectors and old recordings, there is several Conrail DD active in New Jersey. After all the documents on the detectors will say "Active or Not Active".
Please since so many have negative thoughts remember USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
In parts of New Jersey and around Detroit, Michigan, Conrail still exists in the form of Conrail Shared Services. This was part of the agreement between CSX and NS when they split up Conrail.
Hey guys,
This is my website that I've been working on since last fall. It's all database-driven, hence the old detectors show up on the map too (perhaps I should change the default to 'Active: Yes' instead of 'Active: All' - this can be changes in the Filter).
Old audio clips are especially hard to find, as not many people really went out of their way to record them - and many of the clips uploaded to the net ~20 years ago have long since vanished. While not as popular as locomotives, freight cars, or signals to most railfans, they're still a unique part of the railroad landscape, so I wanted to help preserve them.
Being a railroader myself, I have access to many Employee Timetables, but I don't always have access to the numerous General Orders outlining frequency changes & whatnot, so frequencies may be out of date. By all means, if you see something that needs to be changed, feel free to drop me a line.
The database driving the map has been a very labor intensive project involving going through every timetable to map out every detector using Google Earth, FRA mapping, & FCC license records. For Class Is, the CSX, KCS, & NS systems have been mapped out, while I'm about halfway done with CN.
With thousands more detectors to map out and a backlog of hundreds of detector audio files, I'll be busy for quite a while - on top of the fact that it's a one man show while working full time (and then some).
This is my website that I've been working on since last fall. It's all database-driven, hence the old detectors show up on the map too (perhaps I should change the default to 'Active: Yes' instead of 'Active: All' - this can be changes in the Filter).
Old audio clips are especially hard to find, as not many people really went out of their way to record them - and many of the clips uploaded to the net ~20 years ago have long since vanished. While not as popular as locomotives, freight cars, or signals to most railfans, they're still a unique part of the railroad landscape, so I wanted to help preserve them.
Being a railroader myself, I have access to many Employee Timetables, but I don't always have access to the numerous General Orders outlining frequency changes & whatnot, so frequencies may be out of date. By all means, if you see something that needs to be changed, feel free to drop me a line.
The database driving the map has been a very labor intensive project involving going through every timetable to map out every detector using Google Earth, FRA mapping, & FCC license records. For Class Is, the CSX, KCS, & NS systems have been mapped out, while I'm about halfway done with CN.
With thousands more detectors to map out and a backlog of hundreds of detector audio files, I'll be busy for quite a while - on top of the fact that it's a one man show while working full time (and then some).
Nick, Thanks for ALL the work you do on the DB. I for one do use this allot. THANK YOU !
I am really surprised that the FRA Safety Map doesn't show defect detectors. Seems like DDs would be something that the FRA would want to know about.
You're doing a fantastic job
PM me when you're ready to move on to UP... I have some resources that I know how to get ahold of.
The FRA does care about DDs. I was told they required CSX to put them in every 10 miles around here instead of the 20 miles between DDs that CSX used to have them. But, like you, I'm surprised DDs don't show up on the FRA GIS map.
And thank you Nick for doing this!!
Doc. clearly states: Wayside defect detectors are not part of FRA regulation requirements or jurisdiction.
That document contains a statement from a rail union in testimony to the FRA about the railroads requesting a waiver of certain FRA rules and is dated February 2014.
Here's a link to an FRA study about defect detectors from May 2019. While the FRA may not have specific rules about defect detectors, I think they are paying attention to railroad use of defect detectors.
Here's a link to an FRA study about defect detectors from May 2019. While the FRA may not have specific rules about defect detectors, I think they are paying attention to railroad use of defect detectors.
From what I've seen in the past, FRA attention to defect detectors is mostly along the lines of:
1. Did the incident (accident/derailment/whatever) result from equipment failure?
2. If so, was that failure detectable by a wayside detector?
3. If so, was the defect reported by the nearest detector?
4a. If so, why did the crew not immediately stop to inspect, or
4b. If not, did defect detector spacing along the line of road contribute to the incident?
That doesn't make them a requirement... I worked an area with a considerable amount of dark territory that regularly saw loaded hazardous unit trains... In fact those loaded hazardous unit trains are the only thing really keeping those lines open.
Not a single defect detector or AEI reader to be found.
Oddly enough, FRA interest seems to be based on the speed limit of the track.
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You have done some amazing work with this mapping webpage/database. Keep up the hard work.
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