Subj : Re: Todays Classic Ad To : Daryl Stout From : Ed Vance Date : Sun Oct 12 2025 13:42:02 > Ed, > > Exactly. And, the moving current doesn't help things, either. > Normally, the crossings where electronic signals are, have a > battery backup power supply, which usually will activate the > signals, and lower the gates, when power is lost to the bungalo > signal box. However, those batteries don't last forever (as does > nothing in this life). Apparently, the signals deactivate when > the battery backup is about to run out, then they don't work at > all. At that point, it's the same is a private grade crossing > with only a crossbuck. > After Hurricane Charlie several years ago devastated much of > Florida, damaging much of the railroad and other infrastructure, > most of the signals went dark. As a result, there were "slow orders" > for all the trains (including Amtrak), and the crossings had to be > "flagged", where a member of the crew (likely the Conductor) would > get off, walk to the crossing, with a flag, and possibly the flares, > to stop traffic. When the locomotive eased into the crossing to fully > block it, the Conductor got back on, and the train went on its way. > Or, if some of the railroad management were involved as flaggers, > they had HT's to communicate with the dispatcher and the engineer, > to advise that they could proceed at restricted speed, and that the > crossing was flagged. The flagger would also check once the rear of > the train had passed, to verify that the end of train device/marker > was there, and was activated. > I remember while still living in Florida, there were warning > signs at one crossing noting that "the signals were not working, > and to use caution". > Before I had to quit driving, the grade crossing only 1/4 mile > away from my house was activated (gates down and lights flashing), > but there was no train. I called the number on the Emergency > Notification System (ENS) sign, and was told which options to > choose. > If there was a derailment, a hotbox or railcar fire (especially > if there was hazardous materials involved (with a colored placard > on the side))...you would choose option 1. If there was a vehicle > blocking the crossing, the signals weren't working, or they were > broken, to choose option 2. > On the ENS sign was the location of the crossing, the host > railroad, the milepost, and a department of transportation ID > number. You would give all that to the dispatcher at the other > end of the line. They, in turn, would change the signals, issue > slow orders, and contact the crew...along with other local area > emergency personnel. They will also dispatch maintenance of way > (MOW) personnel, to work on repairing the signals. > If this is done as soon as it occurs (or very shortly thereafter), > there is a higher chance of stopping an approaching train before it > slams into stuff at the crossing, or a derailment and fiery explosion > results, which requires evacuations. > I have reported this to Union Pacific Railroad (the main railroad > through Little Rock) more than once...and I gave them my name, and > my amateur radio callsign. > Only in America...we rush to beat: > 1) The traffic lights at intersections. > 2) The trains at railroad crossings. > 3) The boats at draw bridges. > Yet, we'll stand patiently for 3 hours on the golf course. > They probably wouldn't want you...or me, either. > 73, > Daryl, N5VLZ > ... And there were plagues of locusts, and frogs, and MS-DOS, and MS Windows. > === MultiMail/Win v0.52 > --- SBBSecho 3.29-Win32 > * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:19/33) Daryl, Your Tagline included DOS amoung the list of plagues Maybe MS-DOS but not IBM-DOS. On my 486 desktop with MS-DOS 5.0 I later added IBM-DOS 7 to it after finding a IBM-DOS 7 CD at a thrift store. I have always wondered if I got caught and committed if the place would allow me to have my Kenwood TS-520S in my room. I have a Husler Mobile antenna bottom section with upper portions for 75M through 10M. If the institution didn't want to hear my squeaky voice I would bring Headsets and a J-38 Key. At least that's the plan I have in my mind /Portable# should work O.K. unless I was transmitting on the 15M band. 73 Ed .. . --- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105) .