GB1191998A - Parameter Measurement for Railway Classification Yards - Google Patents

Abstract

1,191,998. Hump yard control. WESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE CO. 13 March, 1969 [13 March, 1968], No. 13299/69. Heading B7H. In a hump-type classification yard, trackside measuring apparatus is provided for determining car length, the number of axles per car, cut length and the number of vehicles per cut. The apparatus comprises a light source and photo-cell detector PC disposed at vehicle coupler height and a wheel detector WD which act to gate the transmission of Doppler radar pulses, each equal to a fixed amount of car movement and obtained from an existing radar unit used to measure vehicle rolling resistance, to a counter circuit in a digital computer. Entry of a vehicle into track circuit AT returns all the counter apparatus to its initial state and when the vehicle coupler obscures the light source, Doppler pulses are gated to the counter circuit. The count is first sampled S1 when the vehicle's first axle is detected and then sampled S2 as the next axle is detected to provide a measure Dl of the distance between axles. Subsequent sampling provides measurements D2 &c., from which the axle count per vehicle can be determined e.g. if D1 differs as shown from D2 then the vehicle must have 4 axles and if D1 equals D2 but differs from D3 then the vehicle must have 6 axles. In addition the count from the coupler to the last axle of the first bogie, in this case S2, and the count from the coupler to the first axle of the second bogie, in this case S3, can be added to provide a count indicating the length of the car. If at this latter count the light source again actuates the photo-cell then the cut is a one-vehicle cut, however if the light source remains obscured the cut includes two or more vehicles and the dimensions of the subsequent vehicles are determined in the manner described.