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Crossing arms may be operated inside SunRail trains


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 23 April 2015 - 04:42 PM

WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL, 4/22:

 


 

Crossing arms may be operated inside SunRail trains

FDOT to reveal new technology that may lower crossing accidents

 

ORLANDO, Fla. -In the coming days, the Florida Department of Transportation will reveal brand new technology that could lower SunRail crossing accidents.

 

The development is coming in the same week that SunRail will look to celebrate its first anniversary.

 

Since it started last May, there have been a number of accidents at SunRail crossings, the most recent coming at the end of March in Maitland.

 

Drivers in the area claimed that SunRail crossing arms would lower as the train approached the station, but at times would go back up before the train departed.

 

 

 

Continue here.



#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 23 April 2015 - 06:06 PM

Not good.  To me this is backwards "technology".  While the ability to lower gates to leave stations a few second sooner might be helpful, I would be uncomfortable with total reliance on crews to work the gates without the technology already in place.   If gates did not go down manually, I don't think a train would be able to slow down or stop in time before the engineer could manually put them down.



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#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 25 April 2015 - 10:39 AM

I believe the gates are controlled by a "predictor" grade crossing system which is closing the gates as the train approaches, and then raising the gates when the train slows and stops at a station before entering the crossing.

 

The train then has to leave the crossing slowly, allowing either the "predictor" system, or (if very close to the crossing) the "crossing island" circuit to again lower the gates.  The engineer then has to allow at least 20 seconds (from the crossing activation) before the train occupies the crossing, which may even mean stopping the train.  This results in slow departures from the station stop; and sometimes motorists becoming impatient and violating the crossing when they don't perceive the train as an immediate danger.

 

The "DTMF" (dual tone multi frequency) control discussed in the article (article calls it "BTMF") would allow the engineer to initiate the grade crossing signal/gate closure as the train is leaving the station stop, thus eliminating the very slow approach to the crossing.  Motorists are more less likely to violate the crossing when they can sense the train accelerating.  I don't know if the system would allow an engineer to prevent a gate closure; the "predictor" system should keep the gates down until the trains location, speed and deceleration rate indicate it will stop short of the "crossing island."

 

Useful links:

Wkipedia

How Motion Detector and Predictor Railroad Crossing Detection Works (personal page; some good description, some very technical)

 

Ross






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