Railpuck increases safety along railway tracks
Text Lieke Bousema | Visuals RAILLIGHTING, Wieland
With Railpuck, RAILLIGHTING introduces a true revolution in railway lighting. “Railpuck is a plug-and-play lighting solution for mounting in the rail, which improves the lighting of siding service paths near stations, harbour tracks and industrial sites, thus improving the safety of drivers and employees”, says Martijn Broekhuis, Co-owner of RAILLIGHTING. “The major benefit over standard mast lighting is that Railpuck illuminates from the side, avoiding light pollution. Thanks to the string light concept, train shadows are no longer an issue and potholes and other obstacles in or on the service paths are clearly highlighted. This allows operators and staff to experience optimal visibility, overview and control even in the evening and night hours. Also, the solution is much more cost-effective than traditional railway lighting.”
The first project with Railpuck was realised in Den Bosch about six months ago. And now the railway station in Apeldoorn also has Railpuck fixtures, Broekhuis says. “Interest from the market is huge. Both nationally and internationally. And this is not surprising, as the benefits of Railpuck are manifold. This makes it possible to create smart circuits. In this case, a timer or light sensor ensures that the lights only come on when it is dusk or dark, while optional motion sensors in the line enable smart switching based on motion. Thanks to Isolectra’s Wieland pluggable coupling cables, Railpuck lighting strips can also be assembled very easily, quickly and seamlessly.”
Railpuck fixtures with pluggable interconnecting cables
At the basis of this lighting solution is a driver, which is connected in the power pit next to the track, explains Broekhuis. “A Railpuck fixture is then fixed to the rail every 3.5 metres, with Isolectra’s Wieland pluggable coupling cables providing the necessary power supply. The system is designed so that lengths of up to 600 metres can be easily achieved.”
MOLA Device Connector
During the development phase, Broekhuis visited Isolectra’s Rotterdam office to present the prototype for Railpuck. “Isolectra is the founder of pluggable installation in the Netherlands and I was curious to see what it could do for Railpuck”, he says. “Fortunately, it was perfect timing, as the RST16® MOLA Device Connector from Wieland was being introduced at the same time. This connector also allows pluggable wiring on the inside of a fixture, which opened up interesting new opportunities.”
Always fixed
The MOLA Device Connector is the modern successor to the crown terminal with screw connection, where the loose wires of the cable still have to be screwed into the terminal. “Instead, the MOLA Device Connector works with clamp connections (push-in terminals) that provide extra security: the wires are always secure!”, Broekhuis says. “Vibrations that loosen screws and the like are no longer an issue. Especially when mounted in the rail, where vibrations are a daily occurrence, this is a very valuable feature.”
Easy assembly
An additional advantage of the MOLA Device Connector is its easy assembly and possibility for pre-assembly, says Erik van Wijland, Account Manager OEM at Isolectra. “It’s mainly in the preparation where the primary benefit lies. The MOLA Device Connector is pre-connected and plug-and-play in the Railpuck fixtures and connects the lighting’s internal wiring to our connectors. On the outside, our 5-core waterproof Wieland RST16® connectors and pluggable coupling cables can then be connected very easily. As the cabling is already supplied including connectors, RAILLIGHTING works much more efficiently. It also greatly reduces the risk of connection errors. This allows scarce professionals to be even more productive.
100% waterproof, impact-resistant and sturdy
Immediately after fitting the MOLA Device Connector, the operation of each Railpuck is tested. “The fittings are then filled with a special resin, making them 100% waterproof, impact-resistant and sturdy”, says Broekhuis. “The loose components in the fixture are no longer accessible. Therefore, product quality and reliability are a must. From sensors to cabling and connectors.” This is what RAILLIGHTING and Isolectra achieve with Railpuck and Wieland RST16®.
Want to know more? Take a look at the website of www.raillighting.com or contact us.