02-24-2020, 09:02 PM
(02-24-2020, 08:25 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(02-24-2020, 05:45 PM)KevinT Wrote: I'd be surprised if they weren't also de-energizing the overhead catenary system (OCS) on the shared segment when the freight train is on the line. This would affect a much larger block of track, and you wouldn't want any LRVs to be sitting cold and dark (or warm and dark in summer) on an un-powered section with passengers on board.
Interesting point. That certainly could be true. On one level it’s a bit weird — how does it work where freight trains are electric? — but on another I can see it being done.
If that is an issue, then it might be helpful to break up that part of the OCS system into smaller segments. Not sure how complicated that would be.
Are there any electric freight in N/A? Certainly there is none in Canada. I think we're all aware that our railroad regs are terribly obsolete compared with other places, so it makes sense that those places have better regs in this context as well.
That being said, I'm not sure breaking it up would help any, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that they require both directions to be unpowered before freight proceeds.