AQ13 - On Track

[whole diary]

[grahame]

What are these?

1.


2.


3.


4.



5.

[ChrisB]

5 - Axle counter

[PrestburyRoad]

3 looks like a protection device relating to third rail.  Either to detect a train which has something low-hanging that would make unintended contact with the third rail section that it is approaching (1000 A at 750 V is not good if you're not expecting it), or to detect a train whose third rail shoe hasn't been raised when it leaves a third rail section.

[ellendune]

4 is a crossing gauge or track gauge to measure the difference in level between the two rails at a single point.  This allows the cant to be accurately measured. Also important is the change in cant over  distance - the twist which must be kept within certain limits.

[Western Pathfinder]

No 2.  Is a hydraulic rail stretcher used with continuously  welded rail in order to adjust the gap between sections prior to being Thermite welded.

[bradshaw]

5 Balise transponder for temporary speed restrictions

[stuving]

1. - I can see what it does, but don't know its name (or if it's used in this country). The shaped pieces rotate upwards to sit on the rails, and act as chocks or wheel blocks. So an alternative to trap points, perhaps, though I doubt these ones could stop a train of significant mass. (But as there is visibly something else built into the track off to the right, it's probably only a back-up system.)

[eightonedee]

Sadly, I think that some will assume that 1 is somewhere you can stand to take a selfie, or ask your friend to stand while you take their picture.....

[johnneyw]

1. reminds me a little of my Hornby Railway from childhood which included (in much more simple form) a carriage decoupler.

[Chris from Nailsea]

They are all trip hazards. 

[Oxonhutch]

3: Looks like a re-railing ramp

[Oxonhutch]

I would like to revisit a couple of others once the 24 hour rule has run its course.

[Surrey 455]

1. Looks like braille instructions for blind train drivers

[Oxonhutch]

5: Has the look of a remote track-circuit dropper. During a possession, it allows a PICOP^▸ (Person In Charge Of Possession) to block a section of track by shorting out the track-circuit by remote control; thus not having to place themselves in danger by being on potentially live track and effectively to be in multiple places at once. Safer and more efficient.

[grahame]

5: Has the look of a remote track-circuit dropper. During a possession, it allows a PICOP^▸ (Person In Charge Of Possession) to block a section of track by shorting out the track-circuit by remote control; thus not having to place themselves in danger by being on potentially live track and effectively to be in multiple places at once. Safer and more efficient.

Really interesting all the various suggestions for No. 5 - it was advertised to me as European Train Control System (ETCS^▸ (European Train Control System)) tracked box - that system that's used on the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and Pwhelli lines to avoid trains colliding without physical signals.   But I suspect that in that box you could put all sorts of things!