Train Crash in India 1

[dik]

New...

"The death toll in the train crash in India has risen to 120 people according to the Hindustan Times this evening, Friday, June 2.

More than 800 passengers are said to have suffered injuries. A huge rescue operation is expected to continue through the night with many people still feared trapped in the derailed cars."

https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/06/...80-injured-after-horror-train-crash-in-india/

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Murph 9000]

Looks like they do have detection on at least some of their point machines:

https://chandramoleshwar.com/the-irs-type-of-electric-point-machine-rotary-type/?v=3d801de62e85

Maintenance Instructions for Electric Point Machine_March 2020(1).pdf

 

[waross]

Thank you for posting that information, Murph.

--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[spsalso]

I perhaps wasn't clear in my previous post.

There are two point rails, or tongue rails, in each track switch. They are typically connected by stretcher bars.

What I am saying is that, as far as I know, no railroads have point rail position detectors for EACH POINT RAIL. In this case, there would be TWO detectors, one for each.

What does exist is a points position indicator, meaning that there are detectors for where the points are SUPPOSED to be, not where they are. In the case of the Indian documents linked by Murph, that would be inside the switch motor. I found no electrical contacts linked to the individual points rails themselves.


If there were individual point rail detectors, then if there was a failure in the stretcher bars, it would hopefully be detected, since the outputs of the two point rail detectors would be in conflict.


spsalso

 

[Murph 9000]

If you look closely, there are two detector rods, one for each switch rail. I wouldn't want to say they can detect every failure scenario (Grayrigg demonstrates a case where they didn't), but there is a separate detection circuit for each switch rail.

 

[waross]

If you look closely, there are two detector rods, one for each switch rail.

Agreed for Model CAMTECH/S/PROJ/2019-20/SP4A Electric Point Machine
One rod shown for each point position.


--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[spsalso]

I did just now look closer-ly, and I do now see the two detector rods. Most excellent, I say!

spsalso

 

[spsalso]

There seems to be a very interesting idea out there in the big world that locomotive engineers somehow "steer" or choose the routes they're going to take.

Here's an example from the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/05/india-train-accident-odisha/

"Railway officials said early reports suggest the problem may be related to issues with railroad signaling meant to instruct drivers to stop, slow down or switch to another track."

It could be held that those last few words were just sloppily written, and the writer meant to say "...instruct drivers to stop, slow down, and/or that they were being switched to another track."

Except that this isn't the only time I've seen this sort of thing.

The only time I recall a "driver" switching to another track is when some streetcar trolleys had a lever on the car that could be shoved downwards by the "driver" to throw a switch. This, of course, was done at a very low speed.


spsalso

 

[waross]

There was a current actuated device on some trolley systems.
There was a short section of the trolley line with current detection.
If the trolley was being driven the track switch went changed position, if the trolley was coasting, the track switch remained the default direction.

--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[FacEngrPE]

*For 143 mm throw point machine
The point driving rod and the lock connections of the machine must be so adjusted that with 5 mm thick test piece obstruction placed between the switch and the stock rail at 150 mm from the toe of the switch (Please see Fig.20 on next page):
[ol i]
[li]the point cannot be locked;[/li]
[li]the point detector contacts should not assume the position indicating point closure[/li]
[li]Friction clutch should slip.[/li]
[/ol]

If the switch engine passes this test, it should prevent a railcar truck from splitting a switch, and should present the correct indication to the signal system.

 

[waross]

I wonder when was the last time that test was performed on the switch in question.
That information may be provided in one of the reports still to come.

--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!