New detector to monitor flat spots on wheels?

[Rail Liner]

I have heard BNSF is come out with a new defect detector that will monitor if a train has a very flat wheel. If this happens mabe we can sleep when on amtrak.

[Tadman]

ha - you hafta repair the wheel, and you need money to do that...


Although I feel for you, certain Metra trains seem to have flat wheels all the time, and I hate trying to sleep on a train with pizza-box wheels.

[MetraBNSF]

I hear the following off conductor radio's when passing certain points along the Chicago sub:

"BNSF detector, milepost xx.x, track main (1,2, or 3), no defects, repeat, no defects. Total axles, xxx, detector out."

Do these detectors monitor track condition or the train's wheel condition?

[GOLDEN-ARM]

That's a hotbox detector, and possibly a dragger, as well. It counts axles, as you pass over it, looks for defects, and sometimes tells your speed, and even train length. (the length, is accurate, to within 1000', per train ) It will make a warning sound, then tell you what defect you have, what side of the train, and what axle number. (counted from the head-end) These are what made removal of cabooses possible....... , along with EOT's. Regards

[route_rock]

We had a train pass TWO defect detectors with a square wheel ( thats what its shape was after it got stopped) and got a highball from both. Wound up tearing up 26 miles of track.So I have a lot of faith ( ha ha) in these new ones.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

The damaged wheel detector, or "flat spot finder", is a seperate detector, from hotbox/draggers. They are rather large, long enough to measure the sounds, coming from an entire revolution, of the largest wheels in service. Also new, and awaiting service, is a radar operated axle scanner, that will use radar beams, to "listen" for defects inside of axles/wheelsets, at track speeds. I would doubt, that you went over two flat wheel detectors, in a row. Where was this at? Are you certain they weren't hotbox/draggers? I don't know of a single class one, that is putting the new ones, on sequential detectors. While they are supposed to work, I believe the carriers are still out to lunch, on a final deciscion, about them. Interested in hearing, the locations, of those 2 detectors, if you know. Thanks

[route_rock]

Just regular Hotbox draggers not the new kind. I was just being a sarcastic fan of technology in my post. THis happened in June on the Ottumwa sub from Ottumwa hill bottom to Fairfield is the area. When they took a look at the wheel it was square and had been dragging a bit ( obviously for tearing up track)
I was still the 8710 switchtendeer and they called me on sat night( my rest day) at 2 am and told me they needed a switch tender in Mt Pleasnt. I kindly told them to go to hell thinking it was a friend screwing with me.

But no these were your run of the mill defect detectors nothing fancy. BTW does anyone elses give the axle count again? All of ours here on the Chicago and they are NOT supposed to be doing that anymore.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

BNSF and possibly the UP have a feature, to "recall" the last transmission, in case the cndr was asleep, and didn't catch the axle number...... Some congested terminals, have them set, to only xmit on defects detected, although I don't know how you would know it's working, other than the initial transmission, with the detector location. I have some sweet "PowerPoint" pictures, in my computer, from a wheel that lost a giant pie shaped piece, from a train of mine, at 49 mph. 13 miles later, we swapped crews, and only the "roll-by" rule saved them from taking her up, to 70 mph. (If anyone knows how to take pix from a powerpoint program, and share them, let me know, and I will add them here) They were emailed to my, by the BNSF trainmaster, at Clovis, after the wheel was changed out. I do have the largest piece, that broke out, and it weighs in, at over 100 pounds.........

[CN_Hogger]

BTW does anyone elses give the axle count again?

On the IC we get axle count, speed and train length.

[route_rock]

YEah but by General Notice and in SSI we were told no more axle counts and the TWDs were "de"programed to NOT say the axle count. Now they are doing it again and when they started doing it again ole KRS on the Ottumwa sub asked a track foreman " Well when did they start doing that again?" reply " You got me!"

[freshmeat]

BNSF took off axle counts last summer for about a month. For some reason they re-installed them within a few weeks. Seems to me that it is a good check and balance to make sure you at least have MOST of the cars you were supposed to set out or pick up.

[NV290]

A great site on the subject including a link to the manufacturer:

http://home.comcast.net/~perkins8/testc ... index.html

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

amtrak already has a flat spot detector on its Northeast corridor, its on MP 201

[NV290]

amtrak already has a flat spot detector on its Northeast corridor, its on MP 201

Maybe click the above link?

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

amtrak already has a flat spot detector on its Northeast corridor, its on MP 201

Maybe click the above link?

hahaha woops, i read the title and the first few posts, then i inputed, but someone beat me to it

well since that website is there, i will add that i was there towards the end of that installation. the crew there was kind enough to let me stay and watch and take pictures of passing trains