Detonators?!

[kerrgg]

Tdragger,

How about modelling the use of Detonators on the tracks. That would bring a level of authenticity to the sim.

Gary

[mttcrlsn]

Only place I could think of detonators would be useful is in WWII Europe or possibly somewhere in the Mideast. Are you may be thinking of torpedoes work zones and such? Or were you refering to train detectors for hotboxes, dragging equipment and oversize loads?

[kerrgg]

FYI

Railway track signals are sometimes referred to as "railway detonators". They are still commonly used in practice today, world wide.

An interesting example comes from the UK:-
Many mechanical signal boxes in the UK were fitted with detonator placers, which automatically placed a number of detonators on a running line when a lever was operated in the signal box. The levers were painted a striking white and black chevron pattern – pointing upwards for the "up line" or pointing downwards for the "down line". In some cases, the placers were fed from a cartridge holding a number of detonators.


Track warning detonator:
In use the cylinder is affixed along a length of railway track in a manner whereby the wheel of a passing train progressively compresses the elastomer from its outer end so as to burst an end face of the cartridge and drive the second explosive component into contact with the first explosive component to cause detonation thereof.

Gary
"What would Long John Silver’s Parrot do?" ~The Parrot being the true brains of the operation.

[OTTODAD]

Hi Gary !

I remember them being used in the UK decades ago, warning drivers to look out for signals in thick fog.

I don't think that they are in common use in the UK anymore, unless there is an emergency with signaling or there is extreme fog and has caused this:

http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2000/6/12/198716.html

O t t o

[JLChauvin]

In france, they are always in use:
-"torpedos" to place on the top of the rail in emergency situations.
-"detonators" to enforce a "closed Carré", it's to say an absolute stop signal (two verticals or horizontals red lights in light signaling).
In both case the engineer must stop in emergency.
In first case he can resume speed "at sight" by himself.
In the second case the engineer must make as if the signal was at "carré" indication even if clearly saw it in an other indication, so he must receice an order from the signalman.

[kerrgg]

They are also used in Australia as well.

In Southern Africa they have an additional use outside of indicating the status of the clearance of Line ahead.

They are used by the National Parks & Farmers to warn Engineers about Migrating Animals ... Elephant, Buffalo & such like, that will pose a hazard to the Lead Locomotive travelling at normal track speed.

As distance between stations are large & radio & telephone contact not always possible. It makes good economical sense...

Seeing that Flightsim has Migrating Elephants in it... Hmmm.

Gary

[kerrgg]

Yep Otto,

I feel that there will be good reason to include this type of Track Signalling as there is the WOR concept, and there will be period Loco's and rail carrage modelled for the sim both by the developers and 3rd party.

So I think it's a good idea to have Detonators modelled, don't you.

Gary
PS: On the NSWGR AD60 4-8-4+4-8-4 Beyer-Garratt... Other visible modifications were the fitting of ‘sound intensifier tubes’, which ran from cones ahead of the leading truck wheels, across the top of the tank and alongside the boiler to the cab, allowing the crew to hear detonators on the track and the closer placement of the vent pipes on the top of the front tank from very early in the piece.
(taken from http://eurekamodels.com.au/Garratt.html)

[JLChauvin]

Gary, we have the same tube on some old diesel "BB 63000" class engines...

[OTTODAD]

Hi Gary !

You could create a detonator sound source and place it on a track in the Route Editor, to go off when a train drives over it.

But what you are after, I think, is to place them at will while actually driving in the route, which I don't think is going to be on the "To Do" list of any of the train simulators programmers.

TRAINZ has a zoomable moving map which shows were the player train is in a session as well as other trains, letting you change to their cabs and drive them, add more loose consists and conceivably could also place detonators on to tracks if coded for.

O t t o

[atsf37l]

They use them on this side of the pond too. We call them track torpedoes. They are normally put on the rail by the rear flagman to warn following movements of a train not in the clear and stopped ahead. Two torpedoes placed 50 ft or so apart a couple hundred yards (meters) from where the flagman is located. Wakes up the engineer for sure.

[CAPFlyer]

Actually torpedoes are all but outlawed in the US now due to issues with having explosives onboard the engine and concerns over being able to properly store them. Plus, most of the need for using them is now gone (better track signalling, non-scheduled operations, use of TWC & Yard Limits instead of pure dark territory, etc). A couple of guys at the railroad I work for still have a few, but for the most part we've gotten rid of them as a company.

[mttcrlsn]

I know for a fact that CP had some up till a few years ago (2000??). Some hoods found some along with a bunch of flares. Amtrak #7 came into town and found the torpedoes the hard way. The following train CP #425 came by at walking speed so the station agent and I could remove the flares "decorating" the cars - we ended up with almost a case full burning on the station platform concrete.