Re: Unmanned Railway Crossings

["Chris Gormlie" <gorms@optusnet.com.au>]

Is the area around the crossing track circuited
The correct signage and sighting is important regardless of method of
protection.
What type of signalling is employed at the crossings that are causing the
most grief
I can help you with solutions ranging from coded track circuitry to treadle
switches and signage upgrades but I need more info

Regards
Chris

Notagunzel <notagunzel@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
mVBk4.64$nM4.4901@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net">news:mVBk4.64$nM4.4901@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net...
> <sgpal@hotmail.com> wrote in message 86ul5n$sjj$1@nnrp1.deja.com">news:86ul5n$sjj$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
>
> > Indian Railways have 26 000 unmanned level crossings, where the road
> > buses and trucks have free access to cross the railway tracks, all the
> > time.
>
> Not dissimillar to Australia, where there are many rural level crossings
> with passive protection.
>
> > There are frequent ugly accidents at the level crossings as the
> > road vehicle driver can not hear the whistle of the railway engine, due
> > to the masking effect of road vehicle diesel engine.
>
> What sort of Road rules are in force at passively proected crossings in
> India?  To road users have to Stop?  US research (start looking at
> www.fra.dot.gov) shows a reduction in accidents at passively protected
Xings
> with a Stop sign, as compared with a Yield or Give Way signs (where the
Road
> User doesn't have to stop). This is dependent of course on how well the
Road
> Rules are enfororced.
>
> > It may be possible to equip each level crossing with :
> > 1. Two solar panels, one on either side of the track, about 1 Sq m
> > area; 2. Two Lead acide maintenance free batteries, fed directly by the
> > Solar panels;
> > 3. A switch to start a flashing light to warn the road users about the
> > presence of a " Railway Crossing ", during the dusk hours;
>
> First I'll describe the actively protected level crossings in Australia.
> Apart from a handful of remaining Gated level crossings, which have their
> origin with 19th century British practice, all actively protected level
> crossings have either Flashing Red Lights, or for urban & busy rural
> crossings, Boom Barriers operating in conjunction with Flashing Red
Lights.
> These generally operate automatically on the approach of a train, giving
> 20sec. warning for Flashing Lights, or 25 sec. for Boom Barriers.
>
> Australian (which is based heavily on US) practice for Flashing Lights is
to
> have 1 control cabinet, near the Xing, this contains the control equipment
&
> the power supply (either a mains AC supply or Solar Panel float charging a
> battery).  For simple crossings 2 flashing light masts are used diagnally
> opposite, each mast has 2 lights in each direction, alternately flashing,
so
> the Road User sees 4 flashing lights, except when a train obscures 2 of
> them.  (This drawing assumes left hand roads).  Busy & curved roads
> sometimes need more masts.
>
>       Track
>       |   |
> Mast o|   |
> ------|---|------
>       |   |   Road
> ------|---|------
>       |   |oMast
>       |   |
>
> Some method is needed to actually detect the train.  This can be a track
> circuit, which uses the rails as an electrical circuit, when a train
> approaches, it short circuits the track circuit, dropping a relay which
> starts the flashing lights.  Well that's the simplified explanation.
>
> Other more exitic ways of starting a level crossing can use axle counters
or
> predictors.
>
> > Any suggestions to cut down the cost and to improve the reliability of
> > the system are welcome.    Dinesh Bansal, Chennai, India
>
> Reliability is the key factor.  Level Crossings in Australia are
constructed
> to fail safe, when they fail, the Lights/Booms will operate continually.
> But the converse is important.  They should be reliable in service, so
that
> the Road User isn't always finding a defective set of Lights, otherwise
this
> will 'desensitize' the Road user as to the importance of the warning.
This
> of course means active level crossings aren't cheap.  So as well as
> targeting active protection to crossings with high road & rail vehicle
> numbers, having good signage at passive crossings (with a Stop sign) is
> important.
>
> End of lecture. (Hope this didn't confuse you). |-)
>
> --
> Mr Notagunzel.
> Rail Transportation Connoisseur
> notagunzel@bigfoot.com
> (Regrets to announce there will be no further moves at
> http://www.geocities.com/nota_gunzel
> until further notice is issued from this office)
>
>