From: zephyr@cory.Berkeley.EDU (COIFMAN)
Subject: Re: Switch Heaters?
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 20:19:13 GMT

In article <1gh3o1INNog1@hp-col.col.hp.com> tvervaek@col.hp.com (Tom Vervaeke) writes:
>I'm sitting here reading notes at home and listening to the scanner.
>There's a discussion between a dispatcher in Albequerque, NM and a
>lineman regarding low/and or high power heaters for the switches at
>several local switch points for junctions just north of Colorado
>Springs, CO. 
>
>Do switches have heaters built into them to allow them to function in
>very cold weather? Currently here it's about -10 wind chill outside and
>about 1 foot of snow on the ground. I've never heard of heaters.  
>
>The lineman was informing the dispatcher that he thought they were set
>to "low power". The dispatcher could not read something on his CTC board
>correctly so he sent the lineman back out to check again.
>
>Am I missing something?
>
>Any information would be appreciated.
>
>
>
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 I grew up in Minneapolis (cold winters, lots of snow) and spent a lot
of time in the MN&S yards. They had switch heaters that ran constanly
throughout the winter. They were basicly a gas pipe with several burners
running along the outsides of the switch. The gas pipe and burners were
covered by a pice of sheet metal with a few vent holes poked into it. 
 I believe the theory is more to prevent snow and ice build up than 
anything else. (they run constantly because blowing snow could jam up
the works) 
 Having the oprotunity to clear a few switches of snow in the middle of
winter, I can see where a switch heater would be nice. 
 
 Also, while living in Minnesota, I noticed that almost all of the
switches I saw did not have ballast between the ties. I figured that
this was standard for switches everywhere. But, since moving to
California, I have noticed that switches here are fully ballasted. 
 From clearing out the switches in the dead of winter, I learned that it 
was much easier to break up the ice and force it down between the point 
and rail than to try to scoop it out. So, having the cleareance below the
rail (by keeping the ties clear of ballast) seems to make good sense.



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Way of the Zephyrs        zephyr@cory.berkeley.edu             Benn Coifman
                           zephyr@robotics.berkeley.edu