Skip to main content

On page 66 of Lionel's vol.2 - 2018 catalog is a new item #1929100, Defect Detector. While Lionel claims this came about during the 1940's can anyone supply information on what railroads, if any, actually used a system such as this, and in what parts of the country?  How widely was it used and how prototypical is Lionel's design to how the actual facilities looked and operated. Was this a "for real" necessity used by many railroads or an oddity used onDefect Detector just a few rail lines? Also, are any of you planning to add this to your layout? 

Attachments

Images (1)
  • Defect Detector
Last edited by ogaugeguy
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

ogaugeguy posted:

How widely was it used and how prototypical is Lionel's design to how the actual facilities looked and operated. Was this a "for real" necessity used by many railroads or an oddity...

They were, and still are widely used today on many Railroads mainlines. They along with EOT's are why the caboose is no longer used.

Last edited by Train Nut

Before there were defect detectors, the train had to be visually inspected often for hot boxes.  Time consuming and not always effective since there seemed to be a lot of wheel fires.

Forum member Francis Bauer has a similar one on his modern era layout (I don't know the make).  During operating sessions it will fairly accurately state how many axels the train has and either states everything is OK or, based on a setting in the device, once in a while say there is a hot box.  Which makes things interesting because now you have to stop the train, set out the bad car, then continue.  Sort of messes up the operating schedule

banjoflyer posted:
sinclair posted:

I wonder how easy it would be to remove the FT bit and adapt it to Atlas 3R.

It looks like there is a little doo-hickey embedded in the roadbed that must have something to do with the operation of the accessory:

That might pose a problem for transplant to the Atlas track.

Mark

 

That "Doo Hickey" is the simulated hot box detector. The Vertical "back tabs" to the left are the "dragging equipment" detector.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defect_detector

This type of detector...

...sent its signal to the dispatchers room. Before a train crossed the detector, the next home signal was coded to STOP. The detector signal was shown to the dispatcher, who had to read it, on a rolling paper in the form much like a seismic graph. He would be counting spikes representing axles, watching for spikes on the graph that were say two times higher than the others. After he read the graph, if there were no high spikes/defects, he would allow the train to proceed. If there were defects he would count how far back they were and let you know. This was always an estimate and you had to check five ahead of and five behind the axle/axles given (this is also true today with the computerized radio transmissions).
I think the dragging equipment detector set off an alarm in the office and you were instructed to stop immediately. 

This item is on page 66 of the volume 2 catalog. Price $79.99. These are located fairly frequently along the mainlines of the major railroads, well under 100 miles apart. They are audible if you have a railroad radio scanner and are close to one. They report in a computer generated voice, so the onboard crew can hear the report. It counts the axles, and if there are any defects found, it tells which axle(s) are bad. 

 

This looks like an interesting accessory, but I probably won't get one because it's on Fastrack, even though it doesn't look too difficult to modify.

Last edited by Big_Boy_4005
sinclair posted:

I wonder how easy it would be to remove the FT bit and adapt it to Atlas 3R.

Sinclair, Boulder Creek Engineering makes a Defect Detector made for use with any O scale track except Fastrack and MTH track as well as many manufacturers' HO and N scale track too. While it has many user customizable features and announcements, it's double the MSRP of the Lionel Fastrack Defect Detector. Here's a link explaining it's features and installation along with video of it in action:

http://www.bouldercreekengineering.com/trainboss.php

Last edited by ogaugeguy

Regular defect detectors (hot box / dragging equipment) are generally placed at about ten mile intervals.  As noted previously; you can hear these broadcast if you use a scanner programmed to the correct railroad radio frequency.

When my youngest son hired out with NS as a conductor; one of the gadgets they gave him to carry in his grip was a small handheld counter or clicker.  If a defect detector identifies a problem at axle number such and such; he uses the clicker to count axles as he walks the train.

Curt

Defect detectors are real and in use on the major railroads today. When a detector spots a potentially bad or hot axle it sends a phone message to the engineer and conductor. They then have to stop the train and manually inspect it. The detector measures the heat of the axles and if one is above "X" percent above the rest it sends the message that axle # blank is suspect. They have to count back to the numbered axle and check 5 cars on either side of it. They use a special pencil to place on the axles and if one is bad it will melt the wax like substance. That is so they won't get burnt by a hot axle. If they find a car with one they then have to set it off the train at the first siding that they can. 

I learned this from train watching with a retired BNSF engineer recently. I may have got something a little wrong, but I think it is reasonably accurate. At least close enough for government work.

Art

Defect detectors  will also indicate if your train is traveling too slow.  Many times our train was too long getting out onto the main coming off of restricted speed yard track to get up to track speed before hitting the detector.  The computer voice from the detector would come over the radio and indicate "defect found - speed to slow".     We had to radio the dispatcher and his response always was- "have a good day"...

banjoflyer posted:
sinclair posted:

I wonder how easy it would be to remove the FT bit and adapt it to Atlas 3R.

It looks like there is a little doo-hickey embedded in the roadbed that must have something to do with the operation of the accessory:

That might pose a problem for transplant to the Atlas track.

Mark

 

You have to be careful with those doo-hickey’s because it could definitely mess up that thing-a-ma-jig.  

Blake

Add Reply

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×