Mapes Crossing Relay Acronyms

XRP - Crossing Relay rePeater
XR - Crossing Relay
LXR - Left Crossing Relay
XSR - Crossing Stick Relay
NTR - North Track Relay
STR - South Track Relay
RXRP - Right Crossing Relay rePeater
LXRP - Left Crossing Relay rePeater
RER - Right Electric-Light Relay
LER - Left Electric-Light Relay
RFLR - Right Flasher Relay
LFLR - Left Flasher Relay
XRR - Crossing Relay Reverse
TSR - Trap Stick Relay [???]
TU - Timing Unit

OERM Signal Activities - Oct 28-29

Mapes Crossing Rebuild Activities ----
1.) Adjust track circuit (both North-old and South-new Safetran). On new Safetran audio track circuit, trying to get reliable operation at approx 10 feet past track wires with minimal overring beyond that but had trouble limiting overring while still get full track circuit (between track wires) operation.
2.) Replaced track relays with 900 ohm units (mistakenly replaced with 62 ohm units earlier).
3.) After track relay replacement and circuit adjustment, test of the crossing showed unexpected (phantom) operation of the lights/gates every 30 seconds.
4.) Troubleshooting of 3.) showed both NTR and STR (north and south circuit track relays) did not drop, but at time of activation, the XSR (crossing stick relay) dropped. Measuring the voltages in the relay contacts feeding the XR (crossing relay), it was determined that a contact in the NTR was bad and held shunted by the stick circuit so that when the stick circuit timed out at 30 seconds the crossing would restart. Replacing NTR solved the problem.
5.) Auxiliary Flashers/bell for southbound 'A' street was connected at both the flasher end and the 'A' case end.
6.) Crossing was tested.
7.) Open issue -- overring on South Circuit is larger than desired -- Gene will be contacting Safetran Applications Engineers to determine plan of action. The circuit is fully operational as is -- island is slightly larger on north side and south approach is longer than before.

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).

OERM Signal Activities - Sept 23 (Sat. only)

Mapes Grade Crossing rebuild ----
1.) Wire for under street conduit from A-case to B-case did not arrive from supplier so we searched "out-back" for suitable replacement but none found. Plan is to get crossing operational using previous overhead wires across Mapes and add the new underground wire in later.
2.) Wire from B-case to L-Gate terminated and connected at both ends.
3.) Wire (4 #6s) pulled into conduit from Battery Box to B-case -- 10 VDC and 16 VDC.
4.) New terminal strips added in B-case.
5.) Following still needs to be done to get crossing fully operational -- new battery wires terminated and connected, pull in track wires at both north and south track island points (conduit already in place), terminate track wires, install & connect charger.
6.) Mapes Signals must be fully operational before Thomas.
(Gene, Allen, Gary)

MoW Bucket Truck repair ----
1.) Rebolt bracket for front right leaf springs.
2.) Replace locks for doors and ignition switch.
3.) Pulled valve cover and rocker assembly for inspection -- looks clean.
4.) Inspection of boom shows fiberglass degradation is just cosmetic -- entire boom is steel. Appears fiberglas was added as insulation for high voltage protection.
5.) Hydraulic pump was separate and is missing -- Mike's plan is to try and add transfer pump to transmission rather than a belt driven pump or a stand-alone pump.
6.) Inspection shows missing cooling inlet/thermostat cover and bypass.
7.) Previously pulled pan --- inspection shows 2 spun crank/rod bearings but otherwise clean.
(Mike and Ron)

OERM Signal Activities - Aug 26-27

Mapes Grade Crossing rebuild ----
1.) Poured a concrete floor in the base of the B case (south side).
2.) Drilled hole in south gate and installed LB condulet.
3.) Pulled in wires for south gate to B case.
(Gene, Allen, Mike)

Signal Garden Cleanup ----
Pulled several dumpsters full of weeds and small trees that had grown to the point where they obscured the signals themselves and definitely limited the view of the garden by passers-by.
(Allen, Ron, Gary)

Miscellaneous ----
1.) Moved many of the "storage" type items from around the Signal Shop (mostly south of the shop road) to the out back storage area. Used the MoW stake bed to easily fork in and out the pallets of stuff.

2.) Reviewed (and admired) the new water cooler Mike installed in the machine shop. Discussed future "improvements" to keep the water from warming up prior to getting to the water cooler -- it seems the chiller in it can not overcome the heat gained by the water through the uninsulated feed line.

Additional activities on Saturday Sept 9 -- Paul and Gene selected the cables to be pulled across the reconstructed Mapes crossing and finished the monthly inspections.