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

Communication And Signal’s are Up Against:Lightning

Blackout Aug 2003

Communication And Signal’s are Up Against: Nature Quebec Ice Storm

Communication And Signal’s are Up Against: Hurricanes

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

Communication And Signal’s Changes Relays to Electronics

Signal’s Electronics _ Battery + -

Signal’s Electronics _ Battery + - Remote Earth Surge Protection Device

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

Surge Energy Damage Surge Protection Devices – SPD’s

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

Surge Energy = Conductor Size Smallest Conductor 22 Gauge Telephone Wire Hence smallest protector

Surge Energy = Conductor Size Medium -AC Power

Surge Energy = Conductor Size Largest Conductor = Rail most energy designed for 10,000 Amps Current

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

Examples of Ground Surge Damage

~10,000 Volts with #6 Wire Signal’s Electronics _ Battery + - Remote Earth SPD’s 1000V

Metal Reference Wall Low Impedance Reference Plane &SPD’s LIRP- CPR Initiative

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

15,000V Power Line On Rail

Recent Improvements for Power Reliability Moving off open wire pole lines

Standby Switch Power

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

CSX Recent Improvements AC Power protected by MOV in Faraday Box

Crossing Lights are Normally DarkCrossing 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 The Highway Crossing Warning Systems Power Issue

Required by FRA Regulation or Transport Canada Rail Safety Act Required Standby Power for Crossing Warning Systems

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

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

Keeping Signals Working What it Takes! Peter Brackett- Canadian Pacific Railway Chair ARMEA C38 Robert MacMillan- CSX Earl Chapman – Consultant