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| Crews install new EVA signal system near Rich Square. |
EVA Signal System
The department in 2001 installed new rail crossing signals that use neon-looking signs and a red strobe light to notify motorists of oncoming trains. The EVA Signal System uses traditional crossbucks highlighted with red light emitting diodes, or LED lights.
A strobe light bar, that includes a directional light indicating which way the train is traveling, is positioned about five feet above the crossbucks. The combination of the neon looking, flashing lights makes the signal hard to ignore.
Sensor probes, which detect the surrounding magnetic field, are buried at the edge of the ballast along the railroad. The probes can detect the presence of any moving railroad equipment, determine the travel speed and trigger the electric crossbucks and strobe warning lights. The entire system runs on electricity and back up battery power. Manufactured by the EVA Signal Corporation of Nebraska, the signals system costs about half that of standard signals, $65,000 per crossing, compared to $110,000 for traditional signals.
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| A strobe light bar alerts motorists to which way the train is traveling. |
The NCDOT worked closely with Carl Hollowell, the general manager of the North Carolina and Virginia Railroad, to test the signals near rural Rich Square in Northampton County. While the signals were installed at three other sites across the nation, North Carolina was the first official test site for the Federal Highway Administration. Video surveillance also was used at the site to record train movements and drivers' reaction to the new signals.
Through repeated testing, the department found that the back up system for the EVA Signal System would loose a short train when it approached the crossing if the primary detection system had recently been activated. In the worst-case scenario a short train approaching the crossing would confuse the circuitry causing the signals to flash intermittently. The NCDOT worked closely with EVA Signal Corporation to develop a more reliable detection system that can handle any potential train movement that could occur on a railroad.
EVA Signal Corporation installed an improved detection system (EVA 3000) in July 2002. At the same time, the NCDOT replaced the strobe flashers with standard crossing signals. The NCDOT worked with the company to eliminate any bugs in EVA 3000 and evaluated the new system for several months. However, the department was never convinced that the system would work safely and consistently, and the equipment was taken out of service. More detailed information may be found in the April 2005 report below.
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| Crossbucks highlighted with red LED lights make the railroad signals difficult to ignore. |
EVA Signal System Report (April 2005)
Evaluation Reports (April 2001, June 2001, June 2002)
EVA Signal Operations Manual
Contact: Drew Thomas, PE
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