Eastern Railroad Discussion > Defect Detector Question

On CSX mainline right-of-way, at least, a train passes a Defect Detector roughly half-hour, on the line that I am most familiar with. Having to listen to the automated verbal update at that rate, with only the mile post change (hopefully!), over and over again, every day and night, seems like it would eventually become a engineer's/conductor's nightmare. On the other hand, I might be mistaking myself.

Am I correct?

Matthew

No not really, it is just something you get used to. You have to pay attention, and the UP requires that conductors write down times by detectors and the results of the inspection.   Managers,for testing purposes, will turn off detectors so the crew will not get an exit message. The crew will have to consult the System Special Instructions for the correct procedure. If its a test, the crew will know fairly quickly, and if they failed;they will know that too.

Years ago I was watching a train going northbound through Alexandria, VA when I noticed there were a couple of autoracks in the middle of the train.  These cars do not fit in the tunnel in DC and caused the high-car detector to go off, notifying the train crew to stop and inspect the train.  Luckily they did and had to set off the cars before trying to go through the tunnel.  Evidently from the radio conversation with the dispatcher, these cars were on the train when it left Rocky Mount, NC and no one ever noticed.  It would have made for quite a mess in the single track tunnel if it wasn't for the detector.

You get used to hearin the detectors and its comforting to hear No Defects, nothing gets a Conductor upset more than hearing Beep Beep Critical alarm , or Beep Beep , then a defect report. Especially when you have 10,000ft of train

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I'm happy to that my question is not all that relevent!

Matthew

Engineer's Southern-fried mumbo jumbo in response to a detector, overheard on Amtrak 94 near Richmond: "Nun wrong widdem".

Of course it was nice when the defect detectors said what town and state it was in. Now everything is mileposts. Also noticing many crews, especially on CSX, are now calling out their automatic signals by milepost, instead of name. Most intermediate signals are numbered, and have been for many years, but the crews all had names for them and called them out as such. That practice is going away as well. Controlled signals, such as sidings, for the most part are still named..