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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route

You are here: Home > Forum > Miscellaneous > The real thing (signalling) > Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route

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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 28/08/2013 at 17:22 #48950
postal
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" said:
Aha....as I thought so Sorabain plan to manually key points will backfire at some point (no pun intended!).....

Edit: Thanks Goeff for the quick clarification
But I can see what Sorabain wants to do, and I've done the same on Stafford (particularly when I'm running with the Gremlins).

If you manually set the points early and they fail, you have a sporting chance of diverting a train round the failure and you also start the countdown to the fault being fixed a little earlier. I know the counter argument that if you waited to set the points at due time then they might not fail but it is a case of setting things early in the hope that it is easier to work round any problem rather than waiting for due time then having a problem in your face.

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 28/08/2013 at 17:24 #48951
Danny252
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But who is to say that the points won't fail when you move them manually, in which case you are still in the same boat!!
His point was more that if you key them and they break 20 minutes before the next train is due, that's either 20 minutes to do something about rerouting said train, or 20 minutes less everyone has to wait for S&T to come and fix it!

Last edited: 28/08/2013 at 17:24 by Danny252
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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 28/08/2013 at 20:49 #48959
pedroathome
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" said:

When any motor starts from rest, it initially draws a very high current. Once the point motor is up to speed, the current flowing through the motor falls considerably. 10 sets of points energizing at the same instant would produce a HUGE (momentary) power demand spike on the power supply which, if it's not rated highly enough, may cause damage to components in the supply such as rectifiers (if used) and fuses/trips etc..
I believe that a typical AC induction motor (Not sure what types are used on the railways) uses somewhere around 5 times more current during start-up than when running

James

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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 28/08/2013 at 21:01 #48960
Firefly
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Quote:
believe that a typical AC induction motor (Not sure what types are used on the railways) uses somewhere around 5 times more current during start-up than when running
The majority of point machine are driven by 120v DC. not sure if the same applies, it's all way beyond me.

FF

Last edited: 28/08/2013 at 21:02 by Firefly
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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 28/08/2013 at 21:08 #48962
Firefly
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The problem with reducing the size of the cables and the ratings of the transformers is that you then have to guarantee that points won't be moved at the same time. This then requires additional interlocking which would represent an increase in design and testing cost.

It would be a bit of a nightmare if the signaller swung a set of points just as the ARS set a route and all of a sudden you've blown the supply to several signalling locations

FF

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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 29/08/2013 at 05:21 #48971
Hawk777
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Yes, the same applies to DC motors. *All* electric motors generate back EMF when spinning, and it’s the lack of back EMF when stationary that causes the power spike. In fact, many motors will burn themselves up if you apply their rated voltage and don’t let them turn—their stall current (current drawn when stationary and rated voltage applied) can be much higher than their continuous rated current (maximum current you’re allowed to send in forever and expect the motor not to overheat)!
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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 29/08/2013 at 09:33 #48985
kbarber
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" said:
" said:
Aha....as I thought so Sorabain plan to manually key points will backfire at some point (no pun intended!).....

Edit: Thanks Goeff for the quick clarification
But I can see what Sorabain wants to do, and I've done the same on Stafford (particularly when I'm running with the Gremlins).

Of course the Stafford boxes themselves, the pointwork at Colwich (but not Rugeley or Armitage - they were worked from a panel in Colwich) and the boxes at Lichfield, Tamworth & Hademore were mechanical frames. There is a theory that levers should be restored to their normal position after a train has passed (honoured more in the breach than the observance I hasten to add, without comment from the inspectorate). But more to the point, the REC frame and its BR(LM) derivative found in Stafford 4 & 5 and Colwich had levers that came over a very long way; sometimes it was worth restoring points levers to get them out of the way as you worked up & down the frame, especially those whose reversal was uncommon. The alternative was to risk coming into contact with one you weren't used to walking around, usually at an uncomfortably high speed as you headed off down the frame to answer a bell; I can assure you the result was an eye-watering reminder that the lever needed normalising!

Tamworth, Lichfield and (I think) Hademore were LNWR boxes with Webb frames; the levers in those didn't come so far over, so leaving points reversed until next required to be changed would be less potentially painful.

My practice was to leave frequently-used points where they were last set until they needed moving again (and where I had a Derby frame to get used to where those levers were) but to normalise rarely-used points and those leading to/from sidings/yards (anything protected by a trap point, basically) unless I had reason to think the next move would require them reverse.

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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 29/08/2013 at 11:22 #48987
jwsetford
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If the points are right next to each other it can result in a derailment. I discovered this when on my model railway a freight train was crossing from one track to another derailed because the bogies were trying to go in two directions in one. So it means the train might moan it has ran out of valid track.
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Manually changing points in anticipation of setting route 30/08/2013 at 02:58 #49009
indian_railways_fan
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On the Indian Railways,where Siemens practice of interlocking is extensively prevalent,all Route Relay Interlocking(RRI)/Route Setting type installations are provided with Point "Chain" groups.These are pre-wired relay groups which are interconnected with the point group in such a way that whenever a route is initiated,at a time only two sets of points will be allowed to operate and the next set of points will started only after the previous two points' initiation(but not the detection)stage has been completed.In this way,the "kick load" or starting current of the points is kept in control to avoid overloading of the power supply system.
In addition,the points on a double-ended crossover are operated in series.First one machine will operate and if it completes detection,the supply is extended from this machine to the second machine which on completing operation and detection will operate the appropriate relays in the point-group to switchover from operating mode to detection mode.

Khalid.

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The following user said thank you: Firefly