Way back in 1975, my first post college electronics engineering job was working for Ensco, Inc. in Northern Va., designing a track test & analysis system for the FRA. Each system could profile the rails, and one did ultrasonic rail flaw analysis. There were 4 test cars in two sets, labeled T1 thru T4, where T1 & T3 had the instruments and T2&T4 were support cars. One car set was based on Budd stainless steel passenger cars (don't know a model #) and the other set used something out of the Pullman era, I think. Now the question: Has anyone ever seen these cars in operation? And, better yet does anyone have any pictures of them?
Thanks in advance.
Joe Snyder jsnyder@trelis.com
Posted by Gil Abar (Member # 990) on :
Try this site for more info. I was with FRA and rode the T1-T2 test cars many times. They were replaced by the T-10 (a Budd SPV) and that was to be replaced in 1999 by Ensco. http://www.dot.gov/affairs/1999/fra0299.htm
------------------ SignalGil
Posted by Gil Abar (Member # 990) on :
Here is another site with the T-2000 test car made by Ensco. I could not find ant photos of the T1-T2 or the T-10. http://atip.ensco.com/real_index.html ------------------ SignalGil
[This message has been edited by Gil Abar (edited 03-19-2002).]
Gil, Wow, I didn't even expect a reply to my posting, let alone the info and links you provided. Thanks many times over. I looked at the Ensco press release and then the rest of the company as it is today. Interesting to see it still thriving 30 years later. Working on the T1-T4 project was the first time I had ever been on a train (actually, I think I spent more time underneath the car than in it.)
If your memory is still vivid, you can blame me for all the quirky digital controls and microprocessor stuff that ran the geometry and ultrasonic sensor systems.
-Joe
Posted by Gil Abar (Member # 990) on :
Joe I didn't get involved with the testing as I was a signal inspector for FRA. Riding the loco pulling the T1 was a good way to see a lot of my territory in a short time as they tried to run the test train at track speed. I remember the Ensco people were under the car making adjustments at times during stops but we covered a lot of territory in a day.
