RR Crossing Sign

This crossing has something better than signals -- intimidate the driver. Maybe we should get some signs like this at OERM?

CTC Overview

High level design overview for CTC signalling (from discussions with Gene on Oct 14, 2006):
1.) Line-side wiring consists of Upper Crossarm = signal to signal local control and Lower Crossarm = AC Power + 2 wire CTC data line.
2.) Modern version of above is power to each CTC control point (CP) with local power, send CTC data to each CP from dispatcher location, and signal to signal local control via Electricode or equivalent (signals travel on rails).
3.) CTC dispatcher link for 2. above is currently via 900mhz radio for UP and Fiber for BNSF.
4.) CTC Control Point (CP) is located at every siding switch. Intermediate block signals are local control only between CPs.
5.) Local control is primary (for safety) and CTC just sends a desired command but that command will not take effect if local control determines it is unsafe.
6.) Early CTC sent commands and received responses but had no dispatcher side logic to determine if it was safe -- if an unsafe condition was sent, the dispatcher would just see that it was ignored and would need to determine what he had missed.
7.) Later CTC had dispatcher side logic that mimiced the field track signal logic and would inform dispatcher of conflicts during setup and prior to sending it to the railside signals.

OERM Signals - Mapes Xing Recent Activities

Saturday Oct 14, 2006 ----
1.) Drill holes in rail for south island track wires and joint bond wires.
2.) Install bond wires (6 each) on new joints.
3.) Pull into conduit and terminate at rail new track wires for island circuit on each side of intersection (approx 10 feet for edge of automobile traffic lane).
4.) MoW Hi-Rail truck used to transport equipment and rail drill to crossing and provided a mobile work area.
5.) Still needed -- a.) Troublshoot +16vdc short (approx 60 amps - 0.25 ohm), b.) Connect new track wires in both A and B cases, c.)Connect light/bell wires for A-Street South stand-alone flasher/bell mast.
6.) Mapes Signals must be fully operational before Thomas.
(Gene, Mike, Ron, Allen, Gary)

Last Week ----
1.) Drilled holes in rail for track wires -- north island track wires (Allen, Mike).
2.) Moved power supplies back into "B" case, prepared new power supply wires and connected to case (Gene)
3.) Terminated and connected new wires for +10vdc and +16vdc batteries (Gene).