Peter Brackett- Canadian Pacific Railway Robert MacMillan- CSX Railroad

1. Keeping Signals WorkingWhat it Takes!Improving Standby Power :For Railway Signals & Communication Systems Peter Brackett- Canadian Pacific RailwayRobert MacMillan- CSX Railroad Earl Chapman – Railway Consultant, (previously CN)

2. Communication And Signal’s are Up Against: Lightning

3. Blackout Aug 2003

4. Communication And Signal’s are Up Against: NatureQuebec Ice Storm

5. Communication And Signal’s are Up Against: • Hurricanes

6. Communication And Signal’s are Up Against: • Lightning and other surge energy • AC Power Failures- Short Term • AC Power Failures- Long Term • Power Line Faults • Power Line Induction Problems:energy coupled from adjacent Power lines into the rail • Keeping Equipment Cool / Warm

7. Communication And Signal’s Changes • Relays to Electronics

8. Signal’s 101 Battery+- +Electronics_

9. Signal’s 101 Battery+- +Electronics_ Surge Protection Device Remote Earth

10. Surge Protection First Line of Defence against Surges is: • SPD’s- Surge Suppression Devices • Purpose – to clamp the Voltage rise on a conductor and hence shunt the incoming energy to a safe alternative path rather than through your equipment

11. Surge Energy Damage Surge Protection Devices – SPD’s

12. To Understand Surge Protection: You Need to Know • The amount of incoming energy is proportional to the size of the conductor

13. Surge Energy = Conductor Size • Smallest Conductor22 Gauge Telephone WireHence smallest protector

14. Surge Energy = Conductor Size • Medium - AC Power

15. Surge Energy = Conductor Size Largest Conductor = Rail most energydesigned for 10,000 Amps Current

16. Surge Energy = Conductor Size Remote Earth Connection = “Ground”largest exposure Energy can go out or come back in through the remote earth connection and the AC power’s Neutral Line

17. Examples of Ground Surge Damage

18. ~10,000 Volts with #6 Wire Signal’s 101 Battery+- +Electronics_ SPD’s1000V Remote Earth

19. Metal Reference WallLow Impedance Reference Plane &SPD’sLIRP- CPR Initiative

20. Communication And Signal’s are Up Against: Power Line Faults

21. 15,000V Power Line On Rail

22. Recent Improvements for Power Reliability • Moving off open wire pole lines

23. Standby Switch Power

24. Recent CPR_Improvements for Power Reliability • Adding transfer switches and external generators plugs to buildings to make it • Easier, Faster and much safer to connect an external generator • Bus Mounted SPD

25. CSX Recent Improvements AC Power protected by MOV in Faraday Box

26. The Highway Crossing Warning Systems Power Issue • Crossing Lights are Normally Dark • Must be lit to indicate a warning to the motorist • Hence, Standby Power is a crucial part of the system when AC power fails • FRA Stats indicate that power failures are concern

27. Required Standby Power for Crossing Warning Systems Required by FRA Regulation 234.215or Transport Canada Rail Safety Act 26.1-.2

28. Summary • Power systems are an important asset • Batteries are a key element • Maintenance and testing is necessary to get the maximum performance • Automated Capacity Testing has potential to improve power systems reliability

29. Summary How C&S Are Addressing: • Lightning and other surge energy • AC Power Failures- Short Term • AC Power Failures- Long Term • Power Line Faults • Power Line Induction Problems:energy coupled from adjacent Power lines into the rail – Blue Book-EPRI • Keeping Equipment Cool / Warm

30. Keeping Signals WorkingWhat it Takes! Peter Brackett- Canadian Pacific RailwayPeter_Brackett@cpr.caChair ARMEA C38 http://www.arema.org/comm/c38.htm Robert MacMillan- CSX Robert_MacMillan@csx.com Earl Chapman – Consultant earl.chapman@sympatico.ca