Leafs on the line.

[Gary Prentice]

So the really intelligent people who designed this wonderful system just failed to consider leaves?

[Vespasian]

So the really intelligent people who designed this wonderful system just failed to consider leaves?

 

Its just dawned on me that trains aught be fitted with GPS, surely that would be more economical than all these sensors along the lines..

maybe put sensors in tunnels if needed..

[openspaceman]

So the really intelligent people who designed this wonderful system just failed to consider leaves?

 

The system evolved with advances in technology. I'll never be an apologist for nitwork rail but just consider the improvements in timetables and accident rate in recent years.

 

The faults are to do with the governance not the technology. The internecine battles between network and tocs keep more lawyers in employ than engineers/technologists

 

Also bear in mind up till 1963 trees were generally not allowed to grow lineside.

[Mesterh]

You do realise that literally billions are spent each year on de veg for the railway network.

 

Leaves unfortunately do cause problems

 

Blame the way the train sticks to the track than the leaves.

 

Sounds ridiculous that a massive train can succumb to a leaf but just think about it for a second,,

 

I bet we have all at one point slipped on a leaf.

[Shane]

I think someone has paraphrased that for the hard of thinking.

 

Leaves get impacted onto the line by train wheels, train wheels have little friction anyway so reduce it and the wheel locks, each time this happens a flat is worn on the wheel but worse is this flat then becomes the place where the wheel locks next time, so eventually the wheel needs changing.

 

Same happens on a car if you anchor up in a cloud of tyre smoke, flat spot on tyre makes it un usable.

 

Eventually the compressed leaf material forms a skin on the rail that increases the resistance to the track circuit signal the runs from one rail, through the axle, to the other rail and this confuses the track sensor and fouls the signalling.

 

This latter problem is one reason why signalling is moving to axle sensing, which counts the number of axles into and out of a section, a bit of a bummer when you put a trolley on one side of a sensor and take it off the other side

 

Apologies for repeating that, I totally missed the last bit of your post, still, at least we are in agreement.

[openspaceman]

You do realise that literally billions are spent each year on de veg for the railway network.

 

 

Pays my wages, till Xmas at least.

[openspaceman]

Apologies for repeating that, I totally missed the last bit of your post, still, at least we are in agreement.

 

Nothing like a bit of corroboration to get the point home.

[peatff]

They should put an iPhone on the train and use the find my phone app, problem solved and not too expensive if they get an old 4s off Gumtree

[Cae Ffynnon]

Until the end of steam on 1965-8 depending on location in the country, the lineside was well managed by the sheer expedient that steam engines started fires and burnt everything off.

 

Other countries have the same problems, they just choose to spend their money differently.

 

The leaf build up on the railhead problem has also become worse since trains have gone over to disc brakes from clasp brakes working against the tread of the wheel.

[mickdundee]

They should put an iPhone on the train and use the find my phone app, problem solved and not too expensive if they get an old 4s off Gumtree

 

 

Well that's that sorted haha.

Right then, Gaza. What do you suggest there

 

 

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