Delivering Engineered SolutionsDelivering Engineered Solutions

Optonator®

the fibre optic railway “detonator”

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Delivering Engineered Solutions

The Tebay Problem

“The wagon rolled straight over detonators put on the

track to alert drivers to danger ahead and smashed

straight through a stop board clipped across the line.

But that was two miles away. The man went on: “It was

too far for any of the lads to hear the bangs. They were

working with their lights on, concentrating on their job.”

[ Testimony by a colleague of the four rail workers killed by a

runaway wagon at Tebay, Cumbria, UK on Sunday February 15th

2004 ]

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Work Site

Perimeter protection

Remote Sensor Unit

Fibre Optic

Work site protection

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Alarm Output Inactive ALARM !OKXPerimeter protection

Remote Sensor UnitX

Work Site

Fibre Optic

If remote detection fails then alarm warning given

Scenario #1 Unexpected loss of train warning detection

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Scenario #2 Incursion into possession by manned rail vehicle

Work Site

Alarm Output Inactive

TRAIN

ALARM !OK

ALARM

Fibre Optic

Perimeter protection

Remote Sensor Unit

Unaware of signaller’s instruction, train driver

hears the detonators and stops train

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Work Site

Alarm Output Inactive

ALARM !OKALARM

Scenario #3 Incursion into possession by unmanned rail vehicle

Remote Sensor Unit

Fibre Optic

TRUCK

Perimeter protection

Unmanned runaway vehicle is unaffected by

signaller’s instruction and detonators.

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Wheel strike at worksite boundary

Optonator Transmitter – just before and just after the leading wheel enters the Track Worker Safety zoneNote. Alarm indictor is off, then on after wheel contact

Fibre sensorFibre sensor

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Summary

• Optonator® addresses:

Runaways protection

Procedural Errors

Misunderstandings

• By providing failsafe vehicle detection via cheap, expendable

optical fibre this product can cost-effectively enhance track

worker safety

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