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Photos

Tag Placement and Car Type Issues

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  • This tag was applied without sufficient clearance at the bottom, the flange welded to the bottom of the car will prevent some antenna arrangements from reading this tag.
  • Twelve axle depressed heavy flat car and other non-typical axle configuration can cause AEI software to have problems. Proper AEI tags can help.
  • Tag applied without required backing will be difficult to read at high speeds as the required back plane acts to improve the performance of the tag antenna.
  • The eight axels on this car do not cause as much of a problem as the fact it has two trucks on each end, sophisticated axel pattern recognition and redundant wheel detectors are required in order to properly identify this car.
  • Not common, does happen, reading multiple tags on a single car, only back office applications can sort this out by knowing which car should be on the consist.
  • Tagged or untagged, this Scale Test Car would cause problems with AEI site logic.
  • Multiple truck rail equipment, if not properly tagged can confuse AEI site software especially during low speed passing.
  • The scale car in this photo has only two wheels and does not fit any wheel pattern, add to this the car typically operates without waybills and can see why the car gets overlooked or not reported/identified.
  • Cars with horizontal flanges at the base of vertical sides can deflect RF energy and prevent the tag from being read with low profile or low mounted antennas.
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AEI Equipment Buildings

  • Aluminum construction made for single track application, best used inside yard environments, no protection for maintainer from the weather.
  • SAIC equipment squeezed into a 2x4 building, RF unit had to be installed in a separate signal hut, battery requirements had to be reduced for space.
  • L&W steel powder coated 2x4 building.
  • Pole mounted AEI sites reduce the total costs of an AEI site installation by as much as $600 and saves space, the trade off is no AC, reduced back up power, no way to get out of the weather during maintenance, and less protection from vandalism.
  • Here the installer utilized an existing signal hut and a small AEI building to house AEI equipment for a single track application.
  • An STC AEI installation of a PTMW 4x6 building, these are very successful buildings providing a safe work environment, interior/exterior lighting, work surfaces, 110V AC outlets, secure, and can be upgraded with air conditioning. Air conditioning improves
  • STC hardware is all solid state construction reducing the amount of total space required in a building, extra space can be used for printers, computers, additional communications, or even serve as a field work station.

Upgrades and Installation

  • Before installation of relocated equipment, single track at switch.
  • Before building upgrade.
  • Before installation of a single track application on an elevated roadbed.
  • STC Fairfax KS
  • Completed installation of relocated equipment, single track at switch.
  • Before removal of a single track location.
  • After relocation and rehabilitation of a double track AEI site
  • After relocation of installation.
  • Before antenna construction upgrade.
  • After removal of a single track location.
  • After installation of a single track application on an elevated roadbed.

Antenna Installations

  • Antenna vandalism, antenna continues to operate, however it requires repair.
  • Routine and scheduled maintenance is a must.
  • Damaged antenna base, could be prevented with culvert installation.
  • Low profile mounted antenna without cover.
  • Low profile or low mounted antennas can be susceptible to damage. This site was hit as a result of a crossing accident.
  • Upgraded and new installed antennas get a culvert set around the antenna mast, this application was first introduced by CSXT and provides inexpensive protection for the antenna while giving the maintainer a platform to work from.
  • Relationship of tag and antenna placement, in the optimum situation the center of the antenna is located parallel to the tag placement.
  • Low Profile Antenna Installed 18 inches above TOR_1
  • Antenna Installation
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  • Wheel Detector Install with Plumbing_1

Canadian CSA Approved Systems

  • Single Track AEI in Hut CSA Approved_1
  • CSA Apporoved Enclosure Mounted AEI System

Wheel Detector Installations

  • Application of two Tiefenbach wheel detectors to report alternate routing, used to monitor/reports movements at a switch.
  • Honeywell wheel detectors used in slow and stop application especially useful when employed with "car by car" logic. These devices are used by Wavenet and STC for specialty applications.
  • Tiefenbach single track wheel detector installation.
  • Application of two Tiefenbach wheel detectors to report alternate routing, used to monitor/reports movements at a switch.
  • Dual SAI wheel detector application.
  • Wheel Detector Mounted with Bracket_1

AEI Installation Examples

  • Double Track Installation in Hut
  • Double Track Unrestricted in Hut_1
  • Multiple Track Single Processor Application_1
  • Quad Track Installation in 6X10 Hut_1
  • Single Track AEI in Hut_1_1
  • Single Track Gate Reader in Enclosure_1_1

Solar Power Examples

  • Way Side Paower Battery Backup_1
  • Solar Installation
  • STC FAIRFAX KS

Halo Grounding

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  • Hydro Vac for Dirt and Ballast Removal_1
  • Rail Joint Bonding with Chicekn Heads_1

Construction

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  • Rail Use of Chicken Heads for Track Circuits and Bonding_1
  • Grounding of AEI equipment is extremely important. Wheel detectors attached to the rail draw current directly to the building. Typically a halo grounding system is applied and twisted ground wire, cad welded to the building, is a requirement.

High Wide Load Detectors

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ATBD Resources

Photo Galleries


Tag Placement and Car Type Issues
AEI Equipment Buildings
Upgrades & Installation
Antenna installations
Canadian CSA approved systems
Wheel detector installations
AEI installation examples
Solar power examples
Halo grounding
Construction
High Wide Load Detectors