Re: Brief Signalling failure at Camberwell

[Mark Bau <markbau@earthlink.net>]

in article 3ad522e7$0$25508$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au, Michael
Wierzbinski at wizzer1865@NOSPAMoptusnet.com.au wrote on 4/11/01 9:26 PM:

> 
> "Sam Eades" <seades@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
> 11cA6.529$wP3.3566@news-server.bigpond.net.au">news:11cA6.529$wP3.3566@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>> 
>> "Paul Hambleton" <phambleton@labyrinth.net.au> wrote in message
>> fnaA6.12$Z53.2560@vic.nntp.telstra.net">news:fnaA6.12$Z53.2560@vic.nntp.telstra.net...
>>> A bit of excitement this morning at Camberwell.
>>> As the 1023 UP from Alamein approached platform 2, all the signals went
>> out.
>>> No lights whatsoever. The driver dutifully stopped at the automatic signal
>>> guarding entry into platform 2 before proceeding into the platform. All
>> the
>>> signals then came back on displaying red before normal operations resumed.
>>> Anyone know what happened.
>> 
>> Sounds like a power surge or a brief power failure. With a power surge, all
>> of the circuit breakers have to reset, then all track circuits "drop"
>> causing signals to go to normal (stop). The signaller then needs to run the
>> time releases to put them back to proceed (usually 1 to 2 mins)
>> 
>> Sam
> 
> Strangely enough, this happens on a very regular basis, at least once a week.
> 

All the signals going "dark" is a pretty strange occurrence as signals
actually run off battery power. The batteries are kept in a constant state
of charge by mains power but if the power were to to go out the batteries
should be able to keep everything running for at least 5 hours, usually much
longer. point motors, boom gates, signals all can run off batteries for
extended periods of time. A train shunting a track circuit however will
drain batteries relatively quickly compared to the same track circuit being
unoccupied.

Sounds like Camberwell has some serious signal problems if its signals are
going dark.

Mark
Union Pacific Signal Maintainer