TIU Safety?

I suspect that a wet nose could get a tingle from 18 VAC.  A paw could physically damage the inside components or loosen a board (so could a shoe, for that matter).  If the owner is thinking of replacing fuses, tell him that installing fuses or breakers between TIU and track of 10 amps, or less if his trains pull fewer amps, will end the need to replace fuses.

The biggest danger to here is stepping on the TIU and either breaking it or loosing your footing and falling.

IMO, he's pretty stupid for leaving it out like that, what he really needs is better circuit protection outside the TIU.  If you're blowing those 20A fuses, you need better circuit protection outside the TIU.  It's only a matter of time before something bad happens here.

Thanks for your replies!  As I said I strongly recommended that he put the cover back on, but he indicated it had been that way for years, and he wasn't worried.  I was going to send him a written warning regarding potential safety concerns, but since it isn't really that dangerous I will just let it go.  What really frustrates me is he said that the repair I did wasn't really significant enough to justify payment.  Since it was only an issue of two wires being crossed.  So 4 hours troubleshooting etc., (I installed TVS's on TIU, resolved a track shorting problem, connected a culvert loader, and rerouted track wiring on Bascule bridge so the train would stop if bridge is open.  And 4 hours  of travel time.  He was a real @##$!$%^  AFTER the work is done.  So have to be more careful in the future helping people.  Thanks for hearing my rant.

I do trivial repairs at times, but I may expect to get paid for them anyway.  I decide when it's a freebee, not the customer!

I concur with GRJ: Having the cover on is what should be done. If the customer is worried about easy access to the fuses, here is my post from the loose TIU posts thread. Very easy. After this is done, remove 2 top screws and the cover comes right off.

Attaching the TIU to something firm will help prevent connections from wiggling and loosening. But I go one step further: What I do is remove the top (6 small crews in the bottom) and drill out all 4 corner holes to accept screws. Pick a flat head pan screw  (you need 2) with a head just small enough to fit in the tube above the rubber pads. The hole you drill should be big enough to allow the screw threads to pass through but small enough to prevent the screw head from passing through. Mount the TIU base (top off) to a board using a top corner and the opposite bottom corner. The screw head should go into the tube and bottom out, securing the base to the board. Then use longer screws of the same diameter to mount the top to the base using the opposite unused holes in the corners. The screws go completely through the TIU and bite into the wood broad behind the TIU. Use a washer to insure the screw head does not go into the hole. Now when you blow a fuse, you simply remove the 2 screws with the washers and the top pops off, and the base stays put. No need to dismount everything and pull the 6 little screws out of the bottom!

Chris

LVHR

If you are going to expect payment and there is a possibility the other may think it is a friendship freebe, make clear before starting thzt you do and the price.  Your time and expertise has a value

Surprising as this may be, I agree completely with John.  

Usually when I encounter someone like that, they are looking for someone to blame. So by you actually showing up, you bear the blame for his mistakes. Obviously he had the TIU wired correctly and you are lying! It's on the floor uncovered because it's a stupid piece of stuff anyways. It's not even his responsibility that you had to travel to him because someone had to!

 So to summarize, I believe you actually owe him money for his inconvenience. Well that's what I've heard from people like this.

I would suggest that you also uncover his main's panel in the knowledge that someday he might stick his nose in there.... 

I feel more sorry for the dogs that have to live there.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Surprising as this may be, I agree completely with John.  

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn occasionally Barry, I have to be right at least once in a while.