What are Rational Formulae? What is Maflin’s Formula? What is the Special Committee Formula?

19-07-2019

These are various formulae for calculating the gang strength required to perform maintenance of different kinds on a section of track. Maflin's Formula, adopted in 1931, is a very simple one (number of gangmen = 2.5 x 'unit per mile' x length of track, where the 'unit per mile' factor depends on the kind of traffic carried on the track). It assumes a standard requirement of manpower regardless of the track gauge. The Revised Maflin's Formula was adopted in 1962 following the recommendations of the Lobo Committee in 1959. In this, rather than using the length of track directly, the length is specified in Equated Track Miles (ETM), which depends on traffic density, type of track formation

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How is the Neale’s ball token system or other physical token system worked?
July 16, 2019

This system is primarily used for single line routes (although it is seen on others too, e.g. MS-KMU-TPJ). The ball token system relies on the crew's physical acquisition and carriage of a small metal ball to mark a train's permission to enter a section of track. The ball is dispensed by a Token Instrument at either end of the block. The two

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How do the block or token instruments work?
July 16, 2019

In manual block working of double lines, the block instruments that connect the two signalboxes (and which dispense the tokens in the case of token systems) have to be coordinated by the signal operators at the two signalboxes. The signalbox that accepts a train into its block section must first set the Line Clear indication on the block

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What kinds of block instruments are or were used in India?
July 16, 2019

In India, the most prevalent form of physical token system to be found in recent decades is the Neale's Ball Token System and variants such as Neale's Voucher Block, Neale's Tablet Token, etc. Other systems such as Theobald Key Token, Webb and Thompson electric token staff, Tyer & Co.'s key token instrument (one-wire three-position instrument

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What’s a token system or a tokenless system?
July 16, 2019

A token block system uses a physical item (the token) of some sort, such as a ball as in the Neale's Ball token system (see below), which is physically carried or manipulated in some way to indicate permission for a train to enter a block of track. A tokenless system, such as may be obtained by a combination of interlocking and semaphore signals,

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What is the Absolute Block System of train working?
July 16, 2019

Absolute Block' refers to a system where the the track is considered to consist of a series of sections, such that when one train is occupying a section of track (the block section), no other train is allowed to enter that section. In addition, no train can enter an empty block section without first securing the permission of the station in

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What systems does IR use for control and reporting of signals and related equipment?
July 16, 2019

Panel Interlocking or Route Relay Interlocking are common in most busy stations. Usually, with these the aspects of all signals and positions of trains in various track sections is shown on a control panel. The control circuits usually use underground cables along the track, and sometimes overhead cables. Trackside cables are not used much because

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