Sunflower seeds?

[Spaceflower]

What is the rationale behind the sunflower design? just curious. Anyone know?:???:

 

[P156KWJ]

AWS indicator you meen? Dunno, easy to see...

 

[Respite]

It's pretty!:grin:

Also they are not backlit BTW, just illuminace paint (allegedly).

(SP?)

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Its an inheritance from pre-electronic days when most high technology was mechanical. These were the days when telephone dials turned at a fixed speed after you dialled each digit. And you have to admit, those AWS displays are not unlike the old telephone dial!
What's clever about that design is that only a small mechanical movement makes a big difference to the appearance, which in turn, is supposed to be effective in attracting the driver's attention in all sorts of ambient light (as did the electro mechanical buzzers and bells).

 

[Respite]

What's clever about that design is that only a small mechanical movement makes a big difference to the appearance, which in turn, is supposed to be effective in attracting the driver's attention in all sorts of ambient light (as did the electro mechanical buzzers and bells).

Which is why Alstom win the Darwin award for putting the AWS display well out of the drivers view in 175's!!!It's in the middle of the cab, facing straight back, you have to lean over to the right to see it. Duh. :grin:

 

[P156KWJ]

It's pretty!:grin:

Also they are not backlit BTW, just illuminace paint (allegedly).

(SP?)

yes it is paint, if water gets inside them it just shows black all the time!

 

[Spaceflower]

Its an inheritance from pre-electronic days when most high technology was mechanical. These were the days when telephone dials turned at a fixed speed after you dialled each digit. And you have to admit, those AWS displays are not unlike the old telephone dial!
What's clever about that design is that only a small mechanical movement makes a big difference to the appearance, which in turn, is supposed to be effective in attracting the driver's attention in all sorts of ambient light (as did the electro mechanical buzzers and bells).

Thanks, very illuminating.

 

[O L Leigh]

Black and yellow is supposed to be the colour combination with the greatest contrast and therefore the most eye-catching and easiest to see. In the days when the RAF used to use obsolete aircraft as target tugs they were painted in this scheme to prevent pilots shooting them down by mistake.

Incidentally, the mechanical nature of the AWS visual indicator does not make them reliable and I've seen a few get stuck on one aspect. You can normally free them up again by giving the box a hard thump on the side, which is good when the alternative is failing the train.

O L Leigh

 

[P156KWJ]

Black and yellow is supposed to be the colour combination with the greatest contrast and therefore the most eye-catching and easiest to see. In the days when the RAF used to use obsolete aircraft as target tugs they were painted in this scheme to prevent pilots shooting them down by mistake.

Incidentally, the mechanical nature of the AWS visual indicator does not make them reliable and I've seen a few get stuck on one aspect. You can normally free them up again by giving the box a hard thump on the side, which is good when the alternative is failing the train.

O L Leigh

not as easy when it's something like a 47 where it's built in to the control panel

 

[O L Leigh]

Sure it is. You just thump the front instead.

O L Leigh

 

[P156KWJ]

I did that on a class 25, made it worse hock:

 

[O L Leigh]

If it's already stuck, how can you possibly "make it worse"...?

O L Leigh

 

[Respite]

If it's already stuck, how can you possibly "make it worse"...?

O L Leigh

Maybe it started showing "britains got talent" instead! :grin:

 

[DescendingSadly]

Maybe it started showing "britains got talent" instead! :grin:

 

[westcoaster]

I did that on a class 25, made it worse hock:

either that or youdid not cancel the horn

 

[P156KWJ]

either that or youdid not cancel the horn

I think I'd know if I hadn't AWS horns on class 25s are very loud!

 

[heart-of-wessex]

how do you turn on the AWS when turning on the cab? i suppose its different per train? I know when I drove the 73, you had a switch behind the cab to turn it on, but with units i guess you put the master key in and the AWS self test comes in?

 

[P156KWJ]

basically just pop the master key in and turn the master switch to 'on' and it automatically runs through the standard AWS / TPWS self test, yes.

 

[voyagerdude220]

So, to boot up the cab of something modern, like say a Voyager, you'd have to:

Put the master key in,
turn the master switch on,
and cancel the AWS warning?

Or do you have to do the first two, flick the reverser from Neutral to Forwards/Reverse, then back, and then cancel the AWS warning, like you do on BVE4?

I'm just wondering how realistic BVE4 is....

 

[driver9000]

So, to boot up the cab of something modern, like say a Voyager, you'd have to:

Put the master key in,
turn the master switch on,
and cancel the AWS warning?

Or do you have to do the first two, flick the reverser from Neutral to Forwards/Reverse, then back, and then cancel the AWS warning, like you do on BVE4?

I'm just wondering how realistic BVE4 is....

locomotives had a change-end switch that needed to be switched on to activate the AWS, on DMUs you put the master key on, put the master switch to Neutral and the AWS/TPWS runs a self test (no change end switch), cancelled by pressing the AWS reset button

 

[P156KWJ]

locomotives had a change-end switch that needed to be switched on to activate the AWS, on DMUs you put the master key on, put the master switch to Neutral and the AWS/TPWS runs a self test (no change end switch), cancelled by pressing the AWS reset button

aah yes, cos it can cause embarassment to your collueages if you forget to disable it when changine ends of a loco! Can remember a guy who i know who brought the 25 out of the yard, changed ends, bearing in mind he's very experienced, and said "guess what I've done!" and by this time, we all knew. In all the EWS 47s, there used to be a sign above the doors that said "don't forget - AWS"

 

[voyagerdude220]

Thanks driver9000 for your reply, greatly appreciated.

Now, let's decide which Super Voyager i'm going to steal...

Although 221109 "Marco Polo" is the set I did the doors on last May, I think i'll choose 221144 "Prince Madoc", because as anyone who's been on her before will know, she really flies when she's let out solo, and I'd love to know how fast she does 0-60, as I bet it's just as fast, or even faster than class 220's...

(220's take 60 secs to get up to 60, whilst 221101-221143 take 70. As for 221144, who knows?!!!)

 

[Kneedown]

I think I'd know if I hadn't AWS horns on class 25s are very loud!

They've got nothing on 31's. They'd blow your wig off, and even more remarkable when you consider it's not so much horn, as hissing air!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

In the days when the RAF used to use obsolete aircraft as target tugs they were painted in this scheme to prevent pilots shooting them down by mistake.

O L Leigh

I remember the Canberra TT18's in this colour scheme well, but in the early 80's they used to have a pair of Meteor's down at RAF Brawdy in Pembrokeshire that were used as target tugs. They never carried the yellow and black stripes, only their original squadron liveries.

 

[Respite]

(220's take 60 secs to get up to 60, whilst 221101-221143 take 70. As for 221144, who knows?!!!)

Wow I didnt know they were that slow.8) Must be those silly little pram wheels they have.

 

[BlueGrey]

Wow I didnt know they were that slow.8) Must be those silly little pram wheels they have.

The wheels look ridiculous :???: but the acceleration is out of this world for a diesal