Plan Y to Plan W

[Malc]

No, but I do as a living design complex electronics, some of which are for trains. My reputation depends upon my designs being right so I guess I apply the same to my own CH

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[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

So I was right then

 

[bripl]

leaves on the line,wrong type of snow,sounds good electronics to me

 

[Malc]

Train spotter - no, can't see the point
Dandruff - no I use head and shoulders thanks
Round glasses, - no I prefer squarer

So wrong on all 3 counts.

For those interested the problem with leaves is that the rails and the train wheels and axle are used to detect the train presence. Image a battery connected to a section of rails and also a lamp. Lamp is lit. Along comes a trains and shorts out the lamp so you know the train is in that section. Leaves produce a film when they decay and despite mega tonnes of train you don't get electric contact so the train disappears and the interlocking has a fit.

Newer trains are worse since the old ones used to slide their wheel back and forth over the rails. Worse ride and more rail wear but better electrical contact - then the train makers "fixed" it.

There are electrical systems to overcome leaves (or you could just cut down the trees), but all costs money and they don't want to spend it for the odd problem.

 

[masona]

Well I never knew the reason why !

 

[kevplumb]

so do you design the transformers for all this

 

[Malc]

Not exactly transformers these days. It's electronics like everything else. And it uses software too of course. Cars and planes are going the same way of course, all electronics.

The old kit used a lot of relays. In railway parlance a miniature relay is about the size of a large hardback book Makes sense if you saw a standard relay I guess (1900's era). I've seen some 3 hardbacks big.