Course Information

This course is designed to build foundational skills in fault diagnosis and troubleshooting for signalling systems, as well as following procedures for responding to signalling failures. The course will develop the delegates’ understanding of procedures for locating faults in relay based signalling systems.

Please note that this is a 3 day course split into 2 days of learning and one practical day that requires technical signalling equipment with a fault. We can provide such a facility via one of our technical training buses if needed (extra costs apply), or delegates can come to our technical classroom in Crickhowell.

Pre-requisites

Delegates should have attended or hold certification for Signal Engineering Maintenance 1 (SEM1) or equivalent.

Course Outcomes

At the end of the training the delegate will be able to describe and explain:

• Which procedures give guidelines and instructions relating to the response to signalling failures.
• How to verify the symptoms of a failure which were apparent to the signalman, driver, technician or member of the public to assess the occurrence and operational effect.
• How to recognise the implications of the failure symptoms on the operational safety of the railway in determining the classification of the fault.
• Which sources of information would be available and relevant to the different types of reported faults.
• What the procedures are for the reporting and recording of wrong-side failures.
• Which types of failures have requirements are for the preservation of evidence and how it should be implemented.
• How to report and document the non-availability of signalling systems.
• What the organisational requirements are for the documentation and reporting of signalling fault conditions.
• How to decide whether to use intrusive, non-intrusive or observation fault finding methods and techniques.
• How to break the failed system down into blocks to localise the potential fault area.
• How to use test equipment to locate the faulty circuit.
• How to ensure the testing techniques do not cause other operational circuitry to malfunction.
• What particular precautions should be taken when working on circuits with ‘latched’ relays.             
• What testing techniques are used to locate an open circuit, to locate a short circuit (blown fuse), locate an earth fault on a DC and an AC power supply.
• How to use ‘halving’ techniques to speed the process of locating the precise point of the fault.
• How to use previous test data for comparison purposes.
• How to use intrusive, non-intrusive or observation fault finding methods and techniques to locate an open circuit and a short circuit in signal or points control and indication circuitry.

Assessment

Delegates will be assessed by completing a written theory test, along with a practical test observed by their assessor. Delegates will receive a certificate upon successfully completing their assessments.