Job #3: The button

So there’s the jointbar computer, where I look at jointbars and see if they are in compliance or defect. Then there’s the geo station, where I look at the real-time data streaming in and verify defects if they are valid, or remove them if they are a spike in data. Now there’s the button job, which controls the DGRMS, a system that measures the lateral resistance of the rails by pushing outwards on it.

This is the setup:

The left column has the processors/amplifiers for the data streams. The top middle and right show the profile of the rail, middle middle has the realtime plotting, bottom middle has a bunch of info about the axle status. Second from top right has cameras pointed forward from either side of the train, third from top right has cameras pointed right at the axle, and bottom right shows the view from a camera mounted on top of the engine car. I mostly look at the camera mounted on the engine car, and whenever I see a switch or a large bridge I press the left button on the desk. That releases the horizontal pressure so the axle is no longer pushing outwards on the rail. Over switches it can derail the axle, which in turn can sometimes derail the whole car. When it’s past, I lift the button back up again. 

So in summary: bridge/switch coming, button down. Wait for it to pass, button up. And that's it.

There is a backup though, there are two sensors ahead of the axle that detect any metal. So when the crossover rail comes through the track, it picks that up, and if I haven’t pressed the button it automatically releases the pressure and sounds off an obnoxious alarm. The annoying thing is that it sometimes goes off other times, sometimes in road crossings where metal plates are used, and sometimes just randomly.

The hard part is that you have to constantly be paying attention and looking at a screen. You have about a 3 or 4 second window before what was previously not visible passes under the train and is no longer visible again. Apparently a lot of people have trouble doing it, and can only last 20 or 30 minutes before they go crazy, but I seem to be able to do multiple hours on it. It’s not a very brain-intensive activity, so I can think and talk to God and look at the scenery all I want. I can't go hang out on the side of the train anymore, but now I know when cool scenery is coming, so I know when to look out the window. It does mean not many pictures though, but as this is my third time through the area, i'm okay with that. I’m also taking videos of the screen, and hopefully by the end I’ll be able to put together a video from the perspective of the front of the train travelling all the way across Canada. Should be pretty cool!