NATIONWIDE WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYSTEM

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Alison Stevens
9 years ago
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1 Nationwide Wayside Detector System Keeps Rail s Record Safety Performance on Track Freight railroads make safety their #1 priority and continually look to improve on their record safety performance through the use of new technology. One of these technologies, wayside detectors, allows railroads to prevent damage and accidents before they can occur. Positioned along the 140,000 miles of railroad, six kinds of wayside detectors monitor the wheels of passing trains and alert rail car owners to potential defects enabling them to schedule appropriate maintenance in a safe, timely and cost effective manner. Since the system was developed in 2004, the broken wheel and rail accident rate has dropped over 20 percent. 1 of 8

Positioned along the 140,000 miles of railroad, six kinds of wayside detectors monitor the wheels of passing trains and alert rail car owners to potential defects enabling them to

2 Acoustic Bearing Detectors (TADS-ABD) use acoustic signatures to evaluate the sound of internal bearings and identify those likely to fail in the near term. These systems supplement or replace existing systems that identify bearings already in the process of failing by measuring the heat they generate. Development of this new technology allows railroad operators to detect defects long before they damage track or cause accidents. 2 of 8

These systems supplement or replace existing systems that identify bearings already in the process of failing

3 Railway Bearing Acoustic Monitors Railway bearing acoustic monitor (RailBAM ) technology detects faulty wheel bearings as trains pass by. Rail wheel bearings allow wheels to rotate freely as a rail car moves along the track; noisy rubbing sounds and overheating are symptoms of a bad bearing. 3 of 8

Rail wheel bearings allow wheels to rotate freely as a rail car moves

4 Truck Bogie Optical Geometry Inspection Truck bogie optical geometry inspection (TBOGI) is a laser-based monitoring system that measures performance of a rail car s axle and wheel suspension assembly, commonly known as the truck. As trains pass by the TBOGI on tangent track, the system identifies those rail trucks that are not performing optimally. By identifying trucks that have become warped or misaligned, railroads prevent accidents before they occur. 4 of 8

As trains pass by the TBOGI on tangent track, the system identifies those rail trucks that are not performing

5 Truck Performance Detectors (TPD) assess the performance of rail car suspension systems, or trucks, on curved track. Trucks that are performing optimally produce less rail car component wear and track damage and use less fuel. The wheel s lateral forces are measured as the rail car moves over TPD sensors placed at each major segment of a track containing four to six degrees of curvature. 5 of 8

Trucks that are performing optimally produce less rail car component wear and track damage and use

6 Wheel Impact Load Detectors (WILD) identify rail wheels worn or damaged into an out-of-round shape before they cause damage to the rail track. To do this, the impact of wheels on track, otherwise known as vertical wheel loads, is measured as rail cars pass by. An out-of-round wheel produces a significantly greater vertical wheel load than a fully-functional round wheel. 6 of 8

To do this, the impact of wheels on track, otherwise known as vertical wheel loads, is

7 Wheel Profile Measurement Systems (WPMS) evaluate the complete rail wheel profile. Wheel images captured by lasers and options show worn wheel treads or flanges, indicating when the wheels need to be removed from service on a predictive basis. 7 of 8

8 Hot Box and Dragging Equipment Detectors Hot box and dragging equipment detectors are the most commonly used types of wayside detectors. A hot box detector is a heat sensitive device used to measure the temperature of journal bearings on passing rail cars. More than 6,000 hot box detectors are installed along North America s 140,000 miles freight rail network. Dragging equipment detectors are used to detecting components that are loose and dragging under the freight cars. More than 1,000 dragging equipment detectors are installed on the North American freight rail network. 8 of 8

More than 6,000 hot box detectors are installed along North America s 140,000 miles freight rail network.

21ST CENTURY RAILROADS: SAFETY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

21ST CENTURY RAILROADS: SAFETY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY MONITORING ASSET HEALTH THROUGH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY With 28,000 locomotives, more than 1.4 million rail cars and enough rail to circle the earth more than thirteen times, railroads rely on advanced technologies