ไม่สามารถเล่นวิดีโอนี้
ขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก
Railroad Signaling Explained: Electric Locks at Hand Throw Switches
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ธ.ค. 2019
- Welcome to another FORBIDDEN VIDEO! In the last segment I covered Power Switch operation and the inner workings of an M-23 power switch machine. In this piece I cover hand throw switches and the two types of electric locks we used in my territory over my career. There are other types but all work on the same principle.
Called "hand throw" because they must be thrown manually, there are a few ways they are protected based on the type of track. There are still many electric locks in service but the "come out" signal is the modern preference where practicable. I will try to put a piece together about those but in my time as a maintainer (when I started these videos) I had none on my territory to shoot! I will try and get a piece done on those s well so stay tuned!
Follow these links to related videos
• Railroad Signaling Exp... Power Switch Machine
• Railroad Signaling Exp... Wayside Detectors
• Railroad Signaling Exp... Control Point Operation
I cam across a mechanical switch lock box. I bought it from a guy desperate for a buck. Thanks for the video, I'm trying to date my new piece. Very informational videos. Thank you.!!!!!
My pleasure!
This is a railfan's dream video. It was entertaining and educative.
About the high lock. I've seen those before...and I always wondered what they were! My first thought was a phone to call the dispatcher!
It's cool that there are so many safety aspects to a manual throw. I like that the electronic lock prevents inadvertent switching :) It is amazing how complex these switches are even though this one hasn't been made since the 1940's. Sometimes we achieve near perfection and that's it.
I retired from UP last year. Worked as a switchman , conductor and finally an engineer. Very interesting to learn after 18 years what was inside all thoses magic boxes. Your new sub.
I'm glad to hear you retired! Working is overrated! Welcome to the funhouse! I appreciate the subscription.
@@MarkClayMcGowan As a foamer, 18 years with UPRR was the best second career in the world, however it was time to move on. Making money and having fun. Be safe.
There's something strangely satisfying about that old heavy-duty electro-mechanical gear. When crawling around a WWII vintage battleship it can be downright orgasmic :-)
Really interesting and informative look into railroading. Thanks for posting these videos.
My pleasure! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Yeah both types of those Electric Locks the switch mounted and the tall ones are a pain to operate. Sometimes the light doesn’t illuminate at all. All kinds of issues. As for the tall one, I’ve only used that type once. And they got rid of it when they re-did the track through the area.
I like your first video very educational me and my girlfriend has said some watch trains from around the world we take vacations just sitting here at home watching trains but thank you so much for the education is preciate it God bless🙏🚥🛤
Outstanding video, Mark - straightforward style is perfect and great video quality.
Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you liked all of the "signaling explained" videos. I hope you like ALL my videos but i am especially proud of those!
Thanks for checking it out!
@@MarkClayMcGowan I plan to watch them all several times. My dad grew up in Lindsay/Strathmore and infected me at an early age learning about trackage, switching and MOW principles - steam was still present in the San Joaquin Valley in the late 1940's -1950's. Line operation was his focus, and not so much on the locomotives. There was a lot of fruit switching we saw on our "let's get lost" expeditions along the east valley and Highway 58. Your videos also give a lot of local history which is an added feature to me. I always have a copy of Tulare County History (Historic Tulare County: A Sesquicentennial History, 1852-2002) along to read about the early times in the towns you describe. Thank you, George
Hi Mark. I just happen to run across your track series while searching for model railroad information. I had always wondered what was in those control boxes and how they worked. I have watched many of your videos. Thanks for letting us
be a part of your daily job.
My pleasure! It was fun making them and I'm glad you enjoy them. Thanks for checking it out!
My pleasure! It's even more fun now that my daily job is being retired! I'm glad you enjoy the channel. Much more to come!
Outstanding video! I just picked up 2 of the SL-6's to restore! Heavy buggers to say the least.
Thanks! Yeah, the SLs were beasts to wrestle with! I was glad when we started using the small ones. T-21s I think. I have forgotten so many details in such a short time!
Nice to see some informational videos about C&S stuff. I imagine it's a pain in the ass trying to get track time out there on Mojave with how busy it is.
They sure needed one of these back in the 60s on the SP line. When my brother was about 13 or so , he and a friend were playing around on the tracks and they came across one of those old hand thrown switches and they proceeded to throw it. Not many minutes after doing such, an engine came along and plowed into 3 box cars sitting on the tracks in about the 2000 block of Kentucky Street. The impact was so hard it split the middle car of the 3 right down the side. The railroad tracked them down to our house and came out and told our mom that we could be facing sever thousands of $$$ worth of damages. They ended up not doing anything because as it turns out , even though the kids were on the tracks illegally, the railroad was negligent in not having the switch locked out...I don't remember what my Dad did when he got home but I am sure it hurt....lol
Wow! What a memory! Switches certainly need protection. Yard switches are generally unprotected by signal but are mostly locked these days.
Thanks for the comment and for checking it out!
Your switch point box at Cable looked very close to what we used on the Milwaukee. Also our points were set at a 1/4" or more to throw the signals.
Yeah, they're pretty much the same everywhere as far as equipment. Prior to installing latchout devices we used the 1/4" gauge as well.
Thanks for checking it out!
Thanks for these informative videos! Cool stuff. Having always wondered about how the electric locks worked in conjunction with a switch you answered a lot of questions. I'm down the road in Lancaster and I remember as a kid we looked forward to the SP's "Blitz Local" coming into town for local work and deliveries. Used to be an old conductor named Rufus (you might know him) who was pretty cool and took the time to answer all of our annoying questions. He would let us come onboard the caboose and what was prob a horrific rule violation at the time would allow us to ride in the caboose back to the main line whenever they switched hoppers at the feed mill. That would probably never happen in this day and age but it was a good time and awesome experience. Sadly I don't think there is any local work anymore for the Blitz as any rail served customer is long gone here in town. Thanks again and take care.
You're welcome! I know Rufus well and ran into him a couple months ago. I certainly remember the Blitz!
SP was quite a different place than UP for sure! My girls rode on the head end of the work train in Tehachapi back in the day!
I'm glad I answered some questions! That was my hope.
Thanks for the comment and for checking out my channel!
Wow! I did not know that high-type model of switch lock was discontinued that long ago... sheesh!
The model 10 electric lock appears to be the same setup UP installed on the switch that leads to my former employer's Toledo line. Previously, SP had a spring switch that was very hard to throw and the mainline through there was ABS. It's now all CTC (and higher speed limit). I rarely had to deal with it...that's conductor work! Um, the switch looks a little dry, might be why it's hard to throw. BTW, during my career with the railroad, I have tested a derail...and it worked!
There was an issue with the reverse points at Cable but yeah, the switch was a mess anyway. The one in the desert was fixed shortly after I left. I was amazed at how poorly such an important piece of road had been maintained by both track and signal after coming from the valley.
I knew I wasn't going to be around so I didn't make a stink that would have created more work for me!
The job I left (Tehachapi Maintainer) is still vacant after two bid cycles. These jobs are a pain any more and even more so on a high profile, maintenance intensive district like that one. No one wants anything to do with it.
Thanks for the comment and for checking out my channel!
@@MarkClayMcGowan Gotta admit, you couldn't pick a much more exciting stretch to maintain, though. Props!
Love your videos sir very informative and professional. Greatly appreciated
The biggest problem with USA is that it is soooo big, it is really difficult to electrify all the rails too and making switches 'smart' for dispatchers is a chore too. Canaries with trains using 'Panographs (contactors that contact the canary wire) are the cheapest considering the long-term dangers of the third rail.
3kV at 1-2kA is around 4000 running Microwaves of power for freight trains... 'only' 4-6 Megawatts. However, they have regenerative breaking and as long as the driver is experienced, they will only use regenerative breaking 1-2 miles out and return 70% of the power to the grid. Express trains run around 8000 household microwaves of power/braking.
Diesel Electric burns way too much energy, especially when braking where they just dump it into heat using big ol resistors.
Thank you for sharing!
I’ve wondered what type of equipment y’all use I work for another railroad and see some of the same stuff but never anything like the electriclocks you showed we use 9B’s and sl21’s
The territory I have now has an automatic interlocker that was in-serviced back in the 30’s it still has a lot of the original relays. Hard to believe that old equipment has lasted that long.
The old stuff is very reliable. Some is just maintenance intensive! The SL-6 is a great piece of equipment. The T-10 is a piece of junk!
What road do you work for?
Thanks for the comment and for checking out my channel!
More great stuff Mark! I see you have old gear as well ! We have detectors that have no spares and then there's a panic when they fail..LOL. You keep asking for parts but nothing happens. I was at Cable during my trip and can't wait to get back trackside in the States.
Keep the videos coming Sir.
Gregg .
Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying them and hope you enjoy what's to come!
Thanks for the comment and for checking out my channel!
Mark, I want your job. 😀. Thanks for the video.
Hello Mark, this was amazing. Thank you i really liked it and was very informed wow than
ks :-) btw my best friend used t work for U P aka Uncle Pete :-)
I'm glad you enjoyed it. When I conceived the series it was intended to do just as you said. Inform people. I hope you take the time to watch the rest of the series. I have a couple more on the way. I hope you check out ALL my videos!
Thanks for the comment and for checking out my channel!
US&S was bought by Alstom. I'm a retired engineer, but not by choice. If I can't enjoy the big ones, I just enjoy the little ones!!!
Yeah. All the vendors have been bought by conglomerates in the last decade.
Very informative, thank you!
Would you have one video on semi-automatic switch?
I have one on a power switch machine. I guess that's what you're talking about. Here's the link. Sorry for such a delay. I was still pretty sick two years ago.
th-cam.com/video/nJZbGHbSK8U/w-d-xo.html
I've been a fan of trains and railroads since 1957 when I was three years old. My parents took a train from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio. I still remember seeing a steam locomotive up close on the train we took. I'm also an HO scale train layout maker.
At the switch points, why does track maintain the throw rod and signals maintains the lock rod? What's the reason for the divided responsibility between departments?
The throw rod is track infrastructure. The lock rod is needed for the signal system but isn't otherwise required.
By the way, I really do like yer stuff!!!
Thank you! I appreciate the compliment and the subscription. I have one more signal info video coming up on Crossings. Stay tuned!
Hi Mark What voltage and current is the lock (at the contacts) operating at? I notice you have no concerns of putting your hands in there (and on some of your other videos inside the signal houses etc.) so presume there is no risk of electrical shock etc. All DC?
Thanks
It's likely 12v DC or less on these contacts. Current, perhaps an amp or 2.
95% of wayside signal equipment is 12VDC equipment, and it's often operated at 10-12 volts. There's no serious shock hazard.
There are higher voltage switch machines, and often the switch heaters require 120VAC to work.
Sorry for the long delay. I was still recovering from Covid around this time. The other replies are correct. 12vdc and max 1 amp for this type of equipment. At Power switches, the motor is 24vdc and can pull around 15 amps under load, but the signal indication circuits are the same as this one.
th-cam.com/video/nJZbGHbSK8U/w-d-xo.html
Did the feeder with tail piece come that way or did you attach it? If you did, what did you use to fasten with to the cage?
I haven't seen the entire video but I'm guessing there is a manual override "just in case."
I thought electric locks were all controlled by the dispatcher.
Only power switch machines at control points are dispatcher controlled. I did segments on control points and how a power switch machine works. Electric locks are operated by workers and crews but have to have the dispatchers permission.
TRIVIA In 1943 U S &S manufactured 55,000 .45 Auto Pistols for the war effort.
One of their sales people told me that once. Very cool!
@@MarkClayMcGowan I've had several over the years. But everyone was making war goods.