Railroad Notes Flashcards
Train movements are controlled by the individual companies that own and operate the track. For example Amtrak operates on Amtrak, CSX and Conrail tracks. If a problem with an Amtrak train on a CSX track, CSX must stop the other trains, not Amtrak.
Only railroad personnel are allowed to operate switches.
Permanent heater utilizes electricity or natural gas. Portable heaters use propane.
Fire Department personnel will NOT use torpedoes.
Fusees are the same as highway flares and are waved or laid by the tracks to signal trains.
Trains are fun!!!
Torpedoes are small, square, explosive packets with metal bands on two of four sides. They are about the size of a pack of matches. They are placed on the rail and the bands are wrapped over the sides of the rail to hold them in place.
Fire Department personnel will NOT use torpedoes.
Amtraks electrified territory in the northeast quadrant of the city has overhead catenary lines that carry 12,000 volts. These lines extend 1,200 feet south into the north end of the first street tunnel.
THE CURRENT IN THESE LINES CAN ARC UP TO THREE FEET!!!! Even when power is shut down, these lines are still deadly until an on-site Class-A employee (electrician or lineman) grounds the system.
catenary lines
Starting at the top Static Wire, Transmission Line, Signal Line, Trolley Wire.
catenary lines
The ground wire (Static wire) is at the top. While it is not energized it may have stray current running through it.
catenary lines
Transmission lines are energized to 138,000 volts and objects must not be allowed within 8 feet.
catenary lines
Signal Power lines are below the transmission and static lines. They are energized to 6,900 volts and objects must not be allowed within 3 feet.
The lowest wires are the catenary (trolley) wires. They are energized to 12,000 volts and objects must not be allowed within 3 feet. Power from the catenary wires is transmitted to locomotives through pantographs on the roof of the locomotives.
If a train derails but stays in contact with the catenary wires, then any object or person that touches the train may serve as the ground for the 12,000 volts.
Impedance bonds are electrical devices that permit passage of higher voltage propulsion current but prevent the passage of lower voltage signal current. They are placed between the rails near signals. They are extremely dangerous if they are loose or broken.
In an emergency the catenary system must be shut down by Amtrak personnel in Philadelphia and grounded by an on-site Class-A employee. Prior to grounding, de-energized catenary system wires are still dangerous for three reasons. First, the wires could accidentally remain energized due to mistaken identification of the area that must be de-energized. Second, the wires carry a potentially fatal static charge until grounded. Third, the wires can accidentally become re-energized.
The catenary system can be shut down immediately by Amtrak’s Power Director in Philadelphia, but it may take up to an hour to have a Class-A employee arrive to ground the system.
The catenary system must always be considered deadly until Amtrak guarantees that power has been removed and the system has been grounded.
The volt probe used with metro CANNOT be used with the amtrack catenary system.
Do NOT use any type of extinguisher, including class C, on any energized catenary equipment
The S&I building is sprinklered including areas that are energized. Tracks 7 and 8 at the south side of the building have catenary wires in the building. In a fire or other emergency, personnel must not enter this south section of the building, and hose lines must not be connected to the sprinkler system until power removal is confirmed.
An average of 500 trespassers a year are killed on railroad right of ways and properties.
There are two types of locomotives. Electric, and Diesel electric.
Electric uses a pantograph to collect 12,000 volts 25 Hz alternating current from the catenary wire to power a large transformer that produces 600 volts of Direct Current at 800 amps with a potential capacity of 2,500,000 watts of power.
The entire roof area of the electric locomotive including the pantograph not in contact with the catenary is energized and extremely dangerous. DO NOT approach the roof area at all!!!
Diesel electric fuel tanks range from 800 to 5,000 gallons.
In addition to motive power, both trains provide head end power. This 480 volt head end power supplies heating, AC, lighting, and other power needs of the passenger cars.
There are no emergency shut offs on Electric Locomotives. Power to electric locomotives is removed by lowering and latching the pantograph, or by shutting down and grounding the catenary system.
IF AN AMTRAK EMPLOYEE SHUTS DOWN THE LOCOMOTIVE BY LOWERING THE PANTOGRAPH, THERE IS STILL SEVERE ELECTRICAL HAZARD IN THE CATENARY WIRES ABOVE.
Batteries on electric and diesel electric locomotives can be disconnected by switches in the cab, or machine and engine rooms
All diesel electric locomotives are equipped with three clearly marked shut offs. Two are on the outside and one is on the inside.
The two outside shut offs are on each side of the locomotive, usually directly above the fuel tanks. The newer ones are red push buttons and the older ones have pull rings. Be careful not to mistake red brake indicators on cars for fuel shut offs. The less common pull rings are under a cover that is easily lifted The third shut off is a red push button on the firewall (between cab and engine room) inside the cab. The shut offs must be operated from anywhere between several seconds to a minute to shut down the locomotive. Any one of the three shut offs can stop motive power. On some passenger train locomotives the shut off in the cab will not cut off the head end power. To ensure that both motive and head end power are removed on passenger trains use on of the outside shut offs.
Locomotive doors are manually hinged doors. They are the PREFERRED method of entering locomotives
Locomotive windshields are made of safety glass. Side door windows and sliding windows are made of either polycarbonate material or safety glass.
MARC and VRE use cab cars (equipped with horns and headlights). RE cab cars have distinctive yellow and black stripes on the end of the cab car.
Types of Freight Cars Flat, Intermodel Service, Auto Rack, Box Car, Refrigerated Car, Gondola Car, Hopper Car, Tank Car, Pressure Tank car, Caboose, High Rail vehicles.
The maximum speed for freight trains in DC is 30 MPH.
FD personnel are not to release cargo tie downs without assistance from railroad employees. FD personnel are not to open box cars without assistance from railroad employees.
About 50 CSX trains a day travel through DC.
Each train has one or more locomotives and 70 to 120 cars and are up to 9,000 feet long.
Air brake systems are pressurized to 90 psi by the locomotive. Each car has an A and a B end. The B end is identified by the location of the handbrake. Standing and facing the B end of the car, the left side is on the left and the right is on the right.
Hand brakes are on the ‘B’ end of each car. During emergency operations atleast 2 handbrakes must be applied.
All freight cars are numbered. The number will usually have two three or four letters representing the railroad or company followed by a serial number. The serial number can be from 1 to 6 digits but is usually 5 to 6 digits. When facing the side of the car, the number will be to the left.
Some hazardous materials must be placarded for any amount. Others do not require a placard until over 1,000 pounds are carried.
In Reefer cars up to 500 gallons of diesel may be used for the generator
On hopper cars FD personnel are not to open bottom doors without assistance from railroad employees.
Tank cars carry powder, liquid, gases, and liquefied gases. About ¾ of the hazardous materials shipments are in Tank cars.
The insulation, thermal protection, and steel jacket obscure the condition of the actual tank.
Fire Department personnel are not to operate valves, relief devices, or mechanical devices without assistance from railroad employees.
General service tank cars have test pressures at or below 100 psi. They can be identified by exposed valves and fittings at the top and bottom of the car.
The AEM-7 train weighs about 201,500 pounds.
