Question about Defect Detectors

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redcrumbox
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Question about Defect Detectors

Unread post by redcrumbox »

I see on the internet definition of a DD. Bad copy pasta over and over? -(includes TSA, SAD and HBD detectors)-. So what is TSA and SAD? Thanks.
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cr6903
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Re: Question about Defect Detectors

Unread post by cr6903 »

TSA, as far as I know, is just different terminology-Track Side Analyzer. NS calls theirs TSA's, but I'm thinking they are pretty much the same Hotbox and/or dragging equipment detector installations.

SAD is Stand Alone Detector. NS has gone to some of these installations, but around here (NW Ohio) I don't know if anyone else has. The Stand Alone, from what I understand, is not tied into the dispatcher's information. Working like a typical Detector, whatever information it gives is all you get-if the message is missed, or garbled, there's not a way for the dispatcher to verify it. For instance, years ago, at Sidney, Ohio on the Conrail(now CSX) Indianapolis line, the Detector West of town was "Hardin, Ohio", a Dragging Equipment, and Hot Box detector. Things were set up like so: In the dispatcher's office, the Base radio screen had a square for the Sidney base radio. When the dispatcher got toned up by a crew, it would flash white, prompting the dispatcher to answer. If the Hardin detector found a reportable defect, the square would flash red, as the detector gave the initial warning message. The dispatcher would know the Detector had found something before the report to the train told the crew. This setup was common on mainlines (at least on Conrail). There were also ways for the Dispatcher to "check the tape", so to speak, in case the message was missed or unintelligible. The SAD, as the name implies, is all alone. Not tied to anything.

My knowledge of these kinds of things has not kept up (I don't spend as much trackside as I used to), but this is what I'm thinking. If I am misinformed, let me know.

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redcrumbox
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Re: Question about Defect Detectors

Unread post by redcrumbox »

Thanks. I had seen the reference of SAD on some FCC licenses and didn't know the terminology.
Old EMD’s are the gift that keeps on giving.

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