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Metra Fighting Winter Weather with Fire - Switch Heaters at A-2


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 24 February 2018 - 06:37 PM

The Signal Metra blog, 2/23/18:
 

Fighting with Fire: Switch Heaters at A-2

 

 

Snowstorms and winter weather affect more than the road conditions in the Chicagoland area; they affect the railroad, too. One particular issue caused by winter weather is snow- and ice-clogged switch points, which can bring a train (or several) to a halt until the blockage is cleared. At A-2, Chicago’s busiest interlocking, clogged switches could cause rolling delays that upset many people’s commutes. How do we combat this? One way is with fire.

 

Some riders may have seen the open flames licking the rails at the A-2 interlocking. Despite popular belief, the tracks themselves are not on fire. Instead, the flames come from a gas-fed system that runs adjacent to the rail, generating heat on the critical areas where the switches are supposed to make contact. Without that contact, the switches default to “fail-safe” mode, which means any trains that need to pass through the interlocking will have to wait until the switches make contact with the rail and complete an electric circuit. Until then, train movement is halted.

 

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