NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/railroad/10228

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-28 | 1.6 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!darwin.sura.net!sgiblab!daver!dlb!zygot!denwa!jimmy
From: [e-mail] (Jim Gottlieb)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Automation in crossing gates (was Re: Deaths on Railroad Property: common sense or am I an Idiot?)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 Dec 92 07:28:50 GMT
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Organization: Info Connections, West Los Angeles
Lines: 26

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Rick DeMattia) writes:
>[e-mail] (mark.emanuele) writes:
>
>the train would proceed at a crawl for a short distance until the signals
>and gates were actuated again.
>
>If there's a problem, it's not the technology.

Definitely true.  In Japan, where most of my rail observations come
from, I have always been impressed that the signals and gates appear to
be tied into some other system and know perfectly when to drop.

For example, let's consider the grade crossing right after a station,
and only the local train stops at this station.  If the train headed
down the track is an express train, the crossing starts making noise
and then the gates come down when the train is still some distance
away.  But if the approaching train is a local train, the gates don't
start sounding until the train is almost stopped.  And if that train is
scheduled for a stop of a few minutes, then the gates will stay up
until X seconds before that train is scheduled to leave.

All automated.
--
Jim Gottlieb
E-Mail: <[e-mail]> or <attmail!denwa!jimmy>
V-Mail: [phone]   Fax: [phone]   Voice: 824-5454