Patent ID: 6866072

Claim:
An effluent disposal system for a railway, comprising: a) an effluent receptacle situated underneath or immediately alongside a length of railway track, the receptacle having walls bounding a collection chamber isolated from a roadbed on which the track lays; b) an effluent storage tank fitted to a rail vehicle, the storage tank having an inlet for receiving effluent and an outlet for release of the effluent stored in the tank; c) outlet valve means operable between a closed position in which the effluent is prevented from passing through the outlet, and an open position in which the effluent is allowed to pass through the outlet; d) valve control means for controlling operation of the outlet valve means as a function of vehicle position relative to the track, the valve control means being responsive to receipt of an effluent release signal to effect opening of the outlet valve means; and e) a release signal generating means for communicating the effluent release signal to the valve control means when the vehicle is at a predetermined effluent release position with respect to the track with the outlet aligned with the collection chamber of the effluent receptacle.