LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS - High-Floor/Low-Floor LRVs (1 of 2)

Light rail vehicles are built in a variety of designs and dimensions. In almost all cases, they are capable of being operated in coupled trains. Modern LRVs are generally much larger and heavier than their streetcar predecessors and can have axle loads just as large as, or even larger than, so-called "heavy rail" transit vehicles.

Light rail vehicles vary in the following design characteristics:

1. Unidirectional versus bi-directional
2. Non-articulated versus articulated and, for the latter, the location(s) and configuration of the articulation joints
3. 100% high-floor versus partial low-floor (typically 70% or less) versus 100% low-floor
4. Overall size (width, length, and height)
5. Truck and axle positions
6. Weight and weight distribution
7. Suspension characteristics
8. Performance (acceleration, speed, and braking)
9. Wheel diameter and wheel contour
10. Wheel gauge

These characteristics must be considered in the design of both the vehicle and the track structure.

3. High-Floor/Low-Floor LRVs
Getting passengers safely and expeditiously onto and off of light rail vehicles at stations has always been an issue. Time spent at stations—“dwell time”—can be a significant percentage of the overall running time from terminal to terminal. For a conventional “high-floor” light rail vehicle, with steps at the doors that are internal to the vehicle, the delays inherent in climbing up and down steps adds significantly to the dwell time. The various measures necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) means even more delay before such LRVs can resume forward motion.

Level boarding from the platform to the vehicle is clearly the best way to accommodate the mobility-challenged transit rider. Level boarding also reduces station dwell times by making it easier and quicker for all riders, mobility-challenged or not, to board and alight from the LRV. Because of these advantages, heavy rail metro systems have always used level or near level boarding from high level platforms. Following that example, several light rail systems built during the 1980s, in both North America and Europe, incorporated level boarding from high level platforms, largely eliminating the need for steps.

The problem with high level platforms is that they usually can fit alongside of the tracks only if the light rail line is in an exclusive guideway such as a subway tunnel, an aerial structure, or a private right-of-way. High platforms that are the full length of the train (usually no less than 200 feet/60 meters for a two-car train) are generally impractical where the LRT guideway is in an urban street. Urban locations often also have insufficient space for vertical circulation elements to get passengers from street and sidewalk level up to a station platform that would usually be 3 feet [0.9 meter] higher. Moreover, a two- or three-car long high platform will often be very intrusive on the urban streetscape, as well as quite expensive.

Because of such issues, light rail systems that were constructed in the 1980s and early 1990s and included extensive operations in city streets typically used high-floor LRVs that were equipped with steps for patrons to board from sidewalk level. A variety of methods were used to get mobility-challenged persons on and off the vehicles, with mini-high platforms being the usual choice. However, these arrangements were generally less than fully satisfactory. Some means of providing level boarding for all riders without resorting to full-length high level platforms was desired.

THE SECRET NAME OF RE

This is a solar myth which concerns the magical potency of the name of a god. Isis wants to learn the secret name of Re. She thinks she might use it in her magic spells. She creates a snake, places it in the path of Re. Re comes out his palace, and snake bites him. Re is seized by terrible pains. He calls for the gods to a meeting. Amongst them is Isis with her magic skills. Re tells them what has happened to him, and begs Isis to relieve him. Isis tells him, in order for her spell to be effective she must know his secret name. Re tells her that he is Khepri in the morning, Re at midday, and Atum in the evening.

But Isis tells him that none of these is his secret name of power. Finally he reveals his secret name on the condition that it is made known to no god but Horus. Using Re's name of power Isis utters the spell which removes the effects of the snake's poison. The text ends with directions for the use of spell to cure snake-bite.

LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS - Non-Articulated/Articulated (2 of 2)

Particularly in the case of low-floor LRVs, there are many variations on articulation joints, as each LRV manufacturer has devised its own specific design. These hardware variations can affect vehicle clearances since the pivot points of the articulation can be a considerable distance off of the centerline of sharply curved track. Variations in center section design also affect steering and relative roll, which might have some affect on vehicle curving and rail wear, thus influencing rail steel selection, track gauge, and track superelevation. The track designer has little control over this, but the problem is more difficult with low-floor vehicles using independently rotating wheels than with conventional high-floor vehicles equipped with solid axles.

Existing systems contemplating a change to longer vehicles must consider overall train length and the impact that the revision might have on existing station platforms. Longer cars might require either a reduction of the number of vehicles in a train or lengthening existing platforms.

One major LRT system in the United States initially designed their underground LRT stations for four-car trains of conventional two-section high-floor LRVs. When they added low-floor vehicles, trains had to be limited to three of the longer low-floor cars because the subway station platforms could not be economically lengthened. Longer vehicles can affect other infrastructure and systems as well, particularly the layout of equipment within the light rail vehicle maintenance shop.

There is a common misconception that articulated light rail vehicles can negotiate sharper curves than a rigid body car. This is not true. Rigid cars can negotiate curves that are as sharp, and even sharper, than an articulated vehicle. However, rigid cars are limited in both length and passenger capacity, primarily because the lateral clearances required in curves increase dramatically as the distance between the trucks increases. Where lateral clearances are not an issue, rigid body cars can be appreciably cheaper to procure and maintain than articulated cars of similar passenger capacity; however, this is a distinct exception to the normal circumstances.

In North America, modern non-articulated light rail vehicles are used only in Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Toronto, but, as of 2010, those fleets, which are all high-floor designs, are in their third decade of operation. Outside of North America, the light rail system in Hong Kong and several cities in the former Soviet Bloc have continued to purchase rigid body cars, most likely for reasons peculiar to those systems. Therefore, while thousands of single unit, single-end trams, many of them of designs derived from the North American PCC car, still operate around the world, it is virtually certain that the LRVs for any new system will always be high-capacity, multiple-section, articulated cars.

THE SLAYING OF APOPHIS

The serpent Apophis is the enemy of Re. In one of the texts Seth is the agent of victory. Refresh your memory. Marduk is the agent of the gods in the conquest of the dragon Tiamat in the Akkadian myth.

In another text the gods whom Re has given birth employ their magical powers to destroy Apophis. We have an interesting parallel here with the victory of Marduk over dragon Tiamat at the Babylonian New Year Festival.

LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS - Non-Articulated/Articulated (1 of 2)

Light rail vehicles are built in a variety of designs and dimensions. In almost all cases, they are capable of being operated in coupled trains. Modern LRVs are generally much larger and heavier than their streetcar predecessors and can have axle loads just as large as, or even larger than, so-called "heavy rail" transit vehicles.

Light rail vehicles vary in the following design characteristics:

1. Unidirectional versus bi-directional
2. Non-articulated versus articulated and, for the latter, the location(s) and configuration of the articulation joints
3. 100% high-floor versus partial low-floor (typically 70% or less) versus 100% low-floor
4. Overall size (width, length, and height)
5. Truck and axle positions
6. Weight and weight distribution
7. Suspension characteristics
8. Performance (acceleration, speed, and braking)
9. Wheel diameter and wheel contour
10. Wheel gauge

These characteristics must be considered in the design of both the vehicle and the track structure.

2. Non-Articulated/Articulated
The earliest electric streetcars in the 1880s were four-wheeled single truck vehicles. Streetcar ridership quickly outgrew the capacity limitations of such vehicles, and eight-wheeled double truck streetcars were common by 1900. Often, these larger cars would pull a trailer car for even more capacity. The first articulated streetcars appeared in the United States about the time of World War I, often by splicing together two older single truck cars, and later as three-truck vehicles functionally very similar to high-floor, articulated LRVs of today. The objective of this evolution in vehicle design was to maximize not only passenger capacity but also the number of passengers carried per operating employee since labor costs, then as now, were a high percentage of the cost of transit operation.

That trend has continued up through the present with the result that multiple-section light rail vehicles have reached unprecedented lengths. Today, with the exception of legacy and heritage streetcar operations and three light rail systems that bought new rolling stock in the 1980s, all new and modernized North American light rail systems are using articulated cars with two, three, or more carbody sections. Two-section articulated LRVs, which were the most common design when the first edition of the Track Design Handbook for Light Rail Transit was published, are now being purchased only for those LRT lines that require a 100% high-floor car to match highplatform stations.

The development of LRVs with multiple-carbody sections (up to seven sections in the case of trams purchased in Budapest, Hungary, in 2007) was driven by the same issues as a century ago—carrying more passengers with fewer operating employees. Multiple-carbody vehicles also have fewer motorized trucks per passenger and thereby provide substantial energy savings. Several North American systems are following this trend. Toronto ordered new five-section streetcars in 2008. Dallas Area Rapid Transit, following a trend started in Europe, modified older two-section, high-floor light rail vehicles to add a low-floor center section. New Jersey Transit has investigated adding two additional sections to their current fleet of three-section, 70% low-floor cars.[4]

Where two body sections meet, a turntable and bellows arrangement connects the sections, allowing continuous through passage for passengers from one end of the car to the other. In the case of high-floor LRVs, a single such arrangement, centered over a truck of conventional design, is used to connect two carbody sections. Low-floor LRVs require two such articulations—one on each side of the center truck and center section of the carbody—since there is no room for the turntable above the special trucks required under low-floor cars. This usually results in a very short carbody section at each low-floor truck.

THE OLD AGE OF RE

None of the flooding caused by the river Nile could be compared to the destructive floods caused by the Euphrates and Tigris. Therefore there is no Egyptian myth of the destruction of mankind by inundation. According to this myth Re grows old and feels that his authority over gods and man has diminished. He gathers an assembly of gods and tells them that men are plotting against him. He asks the advice of Nun, the eldest of the gods. Nun advises that the eye of Re, in the form of goddess Hathor, should be sent against mankind.

Hathor is sent. She begins her slaughter and wades in blood. But apparently Re does not desire a complete destruction of mankind so he devises a plan for the making of seven thousand jars of barley beer dyed with red ochre to resemble blood. This is poured out on the fields to a depth of nine inches. When the goddes sees this flood shining in the dawn, reflecting her own face in its beauty, she is lured, she drinks and becomes drunk and forgets her rage against mankind. So mankind is saved from total destruction (So now you know who saved mankind from extinction!).

LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS - Unidirectional/Bi-Directional (2 of 2)

The following are some of the factors that should be considered when evaluating single-end versus double-end light rail vehicles:

• Systems with stub-end terminals at either one or both ends of the line or at any intermediate turnback location will require bi-directional vehicles.

• Bi-directional vehicles with two operating cabs and doors on both sides of the vehicle will cost more than a single-end LRV with only one cab and doors on only one side.

• For slow speed movements in a yard or under an emergency situation, many single-end LRVs have a “back-up controller” in the rear of the car, often hidden behind a panel or under a seat.

• Unless equipped with doors on both sides, single-end LRVs require that all station platforms be located on the same side of the tracks. Having doors on both sides of the vehicle provides the capability of having stations on either or both sides of the track, regardless of whether the vehicle has one operating cab or two.

• Single-end vehicles that have doors on both sides can be coupled back-to-back resulting in a double-end train.

• The choice of single-end versus double-end vehicles may have an impact on how yard and shop facilities are laid out. This in turn will affect the real estate requirements for that facility and hence its location. The yard location in turn may have a direct effect on the system operating plan.

• Double-end vehicles typically have more uniform wear of the wheels since the leading axle on each truck changes at the stub-end terminals. Single-end vehicles often develop thin wheel flanges on the leading axle of each truck while the flanges on the trailing axles incur relatively little gauge face wear. This directly affects the frequency and cost of wheel truing and ultimately wheel replacement.

• From a civil engineering perspective, stub-end terminals are less costly compared with the loops because, as noted above, of the land costs and other local space restrictions. Trackwork costs for a stub-end terminal versus a loop could be similar or greater depending on the configuration and amount of special trackwork associated with any terminal station, passing tracks, or storage tracks. Train control system costs are nearly certain to be greater for a stub-end terminal than for a loop terminal.

• Stub-end terminals have construction and maintenance costs associated with special trackwork and train control systems that differ from those of loop tracks. The designer must evaluate options based on life cycle costs.

• Dwell times for a loop terminal are appreciably less than those for a stub-end terminal, which can be advantageous at terminals with extremely close operating headways.

• If double-end cars are selected, it is still possible to have loops at some terminals should local conditions make that choice advantageous.

• Loop tracks are more likely to be sources of noise than stub-end terminals, possibly impacting both the wayside community and patrons alike. The crossover track movements associated with a stub-end terminal are more likely to be a source of groundborne vibration, particularly if a double or “scissors” crossover is used.

• Loop tracks at an intermediate turnback point will require a crossing diamond, which is more likely to be a source of noise and vibration than the ordinary frogs in the crossover tracks associated with a center pocket track.

• If there is a reasonable probability that a line might be extended beyond some initial terminal location, a stub-end track arrangement—and hence double-ended vehicles— would usually be the logical choice.

• Stub-end tracks provide greater flexibility for vehicle storage during off-peak hours.

EGYPTIAN CREATION MYTHS (2 of 2)

Heart and tongue in Egyptian thinking : The heart and tongue represent thought and speech, the attributes of the creator, and are deified as Horus and Thoth (The Moon-God of Egypt).

By his thought and speech Ptah does the following:

• Brings the gods into existence,
• Brings order out of chaos;
• Fixes the destinies (like Marduk);
• Provides food for mankind,
• Divides Egypt into provinces and cities;
• Assigns their places to the various local gods.

(In those days thinking and feeling were associated with the heart, and a simple utterance by the supreme being was thought to be sufficient for the materialization of that thought at that moment. This heart and tongue issue could be found also in the next belief system.

Now hold tight!: This description of Ptah's creative activities closes with the words "..And so Ptah rested (or was satisfied), after he had made everything". Does it sound familiar? Yes! The identification of Ptah with Atum-Re constitutes the link between the Heliopolitan myth of Re as creator and the Memphite Theology which takes the myth as the basis for cosmological speculation of great subtlety.

How about the creation of man? Well it has no special place in Egyptian mythology. There are representations of god Khnum fashioning mankind on the potter's wheel and there are various references in Egyptian texts to this special creative activity, but the line between man and the gods is not as sharply drawn as it is in the next religion. As a result the creation of man has a comparatively slight emphasis in Egyptian mythology.

LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS - Unidirectional/Bi-Directional (1 of 2)

Light rail vehicles are built in a variety of designs and dimensions. In almost all cases, they are capable of being operated in coupled trains. Modern LRVs are generally much larger and heavier than their streetcar predecessors and can have axle loads just as large as, or even larger than, so-called "heavy rail" transit vehicles.

Light rail vehicles vary in the following design characteristics:

1. Unidirectional versus bi-directional
2. Non-articulated versus articulated and, for the latter, the location(s) and configuration of the articulation joints
3. 100% high-floor versus partial low-floor (typically 70% or less) versus 100% low-floor
4. Overall size (width, length, and height)
5. Truck and axle positions
6. Weight and weight distribution
7. Suspension characteristics
8. Performance (acceleration, speed, and braking)
9. Wheel diameter and wheel contour
10. Wheel gauge

These characteristics must be considered in the design of both the vehicle and the track structure.

1. Unidirectional/Bi-Directional
Nearly all of the legacy streetcar systems in North America that survived up through the 1960s used unidirectional vehicles, most often the Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) streetcar. Such “single-end” cars had operator’s controls in the forward end, doors on the right side, and a single trolley pole current collector at the rear. At the end of the line, cars negotiated a turning loop and ran to the opposite terminal. Because these vehicles could negotiate curves with centerline radii as small as 35 feet [10.7 meters], the amount of real estate needed for a turning loop was relatively small, usually only a single urban building lot. Transit companies typically found that the expense of buying properties and building loops was small compared to the savings associated with not having to maintain duplicate sets of control equipment in “double-end” trolley cars.

Current designs of high-capacity light rail vehicles have much larger minimum radius limitations and the amount of real estate that is required to construct a turning loop is much greater. Accordingly, while a few European light rail lines continue to use single-end, single-sided vehicles that require turning loops, most contemporary LRVs have control cabs in both ends and doors on both sides. These cars can advantageously reverse direction anywhere that a suitable crossover track or pocket track can be provided. This arrangement is usually more economical than the turning loop in terms of real estate required and has become the norm for most modern light rail transit systems. Crossovers and pocket track arrangements can often be sited within the confines of an ordinary double-track right-of-way and do not require the supplemental property acquisition needed for turning loops.

EGYPTIAN CREATION MYTHS (1 of 2)

Egyptian belief system is fluid and the creation myth assumes many forms. Underneath them lies the basic experience of the Sun's action upon the slime left by the receding waters of the Nile flood.. The earliest form of the myth, modified later by the theologies of Heliopolis and Memphis, presents the sun-god Atum-Re, seated upon the primeval hillock, and bringing into existence 'the gods who are in his following'. But Atum himself is depicted as rising out of Nun, the primeval ocean (This sounds familiar! Someone must have done some stealing).

In the form of the myth which belonged to Hermopolis, in Middle Egypt, the emergence of Atum was due to the activity of the Ogdoad (These were conceived of as animal forms, four snakes and four dogs, representing primeval chaos. Their names were Nun and his consort Naunet, Kuk and Kauket, Huh and Hauhet and lastly Amon and Amaunet). Atum, emerging from the waters, brings the elements of chaos into order, so that they appear in the texts as gods functioning in their proper places.

In an early form of the myth, according to the Pyramid Texts, Atum is represented as fertilizing himself and producing Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture); from the union of this pair came Geb (earth-god) and Nut (sky-goddess); here the Heliopolitan theology introduced the figures of the Osirian group, and made Geb and Nut give birth to Osiris and Isis, side by side with Seth and Nephthys, thus completing the Heliopolitan Ennead.

There is another form of the myth arising from the desire of Memphis to vindicate its importance as the new capital of the first dynasties of Egypt. Ptah was the local god of Memphis. The Memphite Theology, as the document which contains this form of the myth is usually called, has transformed the Heliopolitan Ennead by giving the primacy in the activity of creation to Ptah.

In the part of the Memphite Theology which concerns creation, Ptah is equated with Nun, the primeval ocean, and is presented as bringing Atum and all the gods of the Heliopolitan Ennead into existence by his divine word (Here it is again! The power of the word). What might be called the creed of the Memphite Theology is briefly summarized in the following passage of the text:

• "Ptah who is upon the Great Throne
• Ptah-Nun, the father who begot Atum;
• Ptah-Naunet, the mother who bore Atum;
• Ptah the Great, that is, the heart and tongue of the Ennead
• (Ptah) who gave birth to the gods."

Vehicle/Trackway Interface (2 of 2)

It is essential that the track designer, the vehicle designer, and the designers of systems such as signals, catenary, etc., coordinate and cooperate to achieve compatibility between the LRT system components under all operating conditions. These interactions can be facilitated by generating a comprehensive design criteria manual for any new LRT system and keeping it updated with ”as-built” information as the project is developed, constructed, and operated.

It is generally inadvisable to design a new light rail line around the characteristics of only one make and model of light rail vehicle since doing so may limit choices for subsequent vehicle procurements as the system expands and matures. A transit system guideway may remain unchanged for a century or more, during which time it would not be unusual for three or more cycles of vehicle procurements to occur. Instead, it is recommended to consider a universe of candidate LRVs from several manufacturers and develop a fictitious “composite” LRV that incorporates the most restrictive characteristics of several cars, e.g., the longest, the widest, the one with the largest minimum radius capability, etc.

In this fashion, the transit agency will not be forever restricted to using only one particular make and model of LRV. It also minimizes situations where parts of the track alignment are at the absolute minimum or maximum capabilities of the vehicle, a condition that is highly discouraged in any event.

When new vehicles are procured for an existing transit line, the vehicle must be specified to operate on the existing track unless a concurrent rehabilitation and upgrading of the old guideway is proposed. When an existing transit line is extended, the track standards for the extension must accommodate both the old rolling stock and any new vehicles that might be procured.

THE OSIRIAN MYTHS

The myth is about the conflict between Osiris and his brother Seth. The political element of this conflict reflects the course of struggle, which ultimately made upper and lower Egypt a united monarchy. The agricultural element of the myth shows us that Osiris is a vegetation god. Like the Akkadian Tammuz (Dumuzi of the Sumerians) he is a dying and rising god, dies with the dying vegetation and returns to life with its rebirth.

Osiris is Khent-Amenti, Lord of the underworld. He presides over the tribunal which decides on the fate of the departed souls, and in this aspect he is inseparably connected with the complicated ritual of mummification. The outline of the myth of Osiris is contained in the treatise De Iside by Plutarch. According to this account Osiris was a culture hero who taught the ancient Egyptians the art of agriculture and metal-working.

In the myth, Osiris was the son of Geb, the earth-god, and his sister and wife was the goddess Isis, who ruled over Egypt with him and assisted him in his beneficient activities.

Vehicle/Trackway Interface (1 of 2)

As vehicle technology continues to evolve, so does the complexity of the interface between the vehicles and the track. There are few hard and fast rules about the relationships between vehicles and track on light rail transit systems. In spite of this lack of design consistency, there are several key vehicle-to-track and trackway parameters that the track designer must consider during design of light rail systems. These include:

1. Vehicle Weight (both empty and with full passenger load)

2. Clearances

• Required track-to-platform location tolerances to meet ADA requirements

• Required clearance between cars on adjacent tracks considering car dynamics

• Required route clearances (wayside, tunnel, bridge) considering car dynamics

3. Wheel Dimensions

• Wheel diameter, which can be very small in the case of low-floor vehicles and is virtually always smaller than that used on freight railroad equipment. Smaller wheel diameters produce higher contact stresses than larger wheel diameters, with resulting implications regarding rail corrugation and wear on both wheels and rail

• Wheel profile or contour, including the wheel tread width, which must be compatible with the rail section(s) selected, particularly in the case of special trackwork

• Wheel gauge, to ensure compatibility with the track gauge, including tolerances

• Wheel back-to-back gauge that is compatible with flangeway dimensions and special trackwork check gauges

4. Longitudinal Vehicle Forces on the Track

• Maximum acceleration and associated tractive forces

• Maximum/emergency deceleration from a combination of friction brakes, dynamic braking and electromagnetic track brakes, including the automatic application of sand

5. Lateral Vehicle Forces on the Track

• Maximum lateral forces resulting from all speed and curvature combinations

6. Dynamic Vehicle Forces on the Track

• Impact of car and truck natural frequencies

• Impact of wheel flats or damaged wheels

THE MYTHS OF RE, THE SUN-GOD

In Egypt the cult of the sun-god has occupied a far more important place than it did in the ritual and mythology of Sumer and Akkad. Shamash, (The Sun-god of Akkad) was the guardian of justice. But he never became one of the triad of gods, and he was never associated with myths of creation. Re, according to tradition, was the first king of Egypt and as Atum he was the creator of the world. As its name indicates, the city of Heliopolis was the chief centre of the cult of Re, and it was probably there that cult of Osiris and that of the sun-god merged during the Old Kingdom period. The Horus-falcon that is to be seen protecting the head of the pharaoh Khafre on his statue, shows the identification of Horus with Re and the association of the kingship with Re. The mythology of Re and of Osiris have become completely blended. But there are still some elements of the solar mythology which remain distinct from the Osiris myth.

Where the Rails and Wheels Meet the Road

Arguably, the two most important defining elements of trackwork for light rail systems are the construction of track in streets and the interface between the wheel of the light rail vehicles and the rails. Track in streets requires special consideration, especially with regard to the control of stray electrical current that could cause corrosion. These embedded tracks also need to provide a flangeway that is large enough for the wheels but does not pose a hazard to other users of the street.

Light rail vehicle wheels do not necessarily match those used in freight railroad service. Wheel diameters are usually much smaller, and the wheel tread is often much narrower. Light rail wheel flanges are often shorter and have a radically different contour than railroad wheels. These variations require special care in track design, especially in the design of special trackwork such as switches and frogs. The compatibility of the vehicle and track designs is a central issue in the development of a light rail system if both components are to perform to acceptable standards.

While light rail may need to share right-of-way (R/W) with pedestrians and vehicles, the designer should create an exclusive R/W for light rail tracks wherever possible. This will make operation more reliable and maintenance less expensive.

TABOO

Taboo is a prohibition, a ban. Taboo has the meaning of an 'unapproachable thing.' Taboo corresponds to the 'divine-heavenly fear' of our time, the breaking of which in many ways will be like committing a 'sin' nowadays. The restrictions are not tied to a divine command and described as 'the oldest unwritten laws of humanity.' When taboo was in full force there was neither the idea of a supreme being in its present context, nor a belief system. Therefore taboo like totem could be said to be older than the supreme being.

The most ancient punishment systems of humanity could be tied to taboo. Avoidance of the dangers that are created by the violation of a taboo may be possible by penance and purification. In other words, by paying something, by refraining from certain things and by cleansing yourself (Can you detect the beginnings of the concepts of expiation, ablution, abstinence and fasting?).

The primitive communities were subjected to a series of prohibitions. They didn't know why. They didn't think of asking questions.

Taboo was accepted as if it is an open truth and the violation of it is believed to be punished automatically (Echoes of the accepted attitudes today?)

Taboos do not co-exist with individualism and the personal freedoms, which should be eradicated. (Precursors of the belief systems?).

Prohibitions are kept alive by an inner necessity; they are connected to the danger of contamination from the banned object; and necessitate ceremonial acts (like the belief systems of today).

All the taboos were ancient prohibitions, imposed externally and by force.

The oldest and most important taboo prohibitions are the two basic laws of totemism: 'Don't kill the totem animal' (it could be extended to the 'kin' as well) and 'avoid sexual relations with the opposite sex of the same clan.'

The primitive people who were living long before the imposition of laws by the gods had this command or the moral rule: You should not kill. This is a rule the violation of which shouldn't go unpunished. The isolation of professional executioners for a set period or temporarily originates from this superstition. The appeasement ceremonies, sacrifices, restrictions, isolation period, atonement and purification ceremonies in the belief systems and also following a battle in primitive communities all originate from one superstition: Thou shalt not kill! This must be familiar.

The individual is asked to sacrifice his/her instinctual satisfactions to the supreme being, who has declared: 'I'll take your revenge.' This is important because in the development of the early belief systems we could see that many things which were relinquished by humanity (because they were 'sins') were turned over to the 'supreme being' and became permissible in his name. This gave earthlings the opportunity to save themselves from the domination of their evil and socially harmful instincts.

Atonement in taboo ceremonies is much more fundamental than purification.

Taboo aims at the most powerful expectations and desires and it is also the typical method of legislation imposed by the chiefs and priests whose purpose is to preserve their assets and privileges.

TOTEM

Here are the attributes of the totem (the supreme entity):

• Totem is an object serving as the symbol of a family, a clan or a tightly knit group.

• Relationship with the totem is pivotal and comes even before the membership of the tribe and all kinds of blood ties.

• Totem law prohibits sexual relations and marriage between the persons belonging to the same totem. This is a taboo, because totem functions as a blood relationship.

• This principle is called 'exogamy'.

• Totem is not attached to any place.

• Totem protects and warns the members of its clan. Loyal members of its clan get advance information on the future, and guidance from the totem.

• Members of the totemic clan believe that there is a kinship between themselves and the totem animal.

• There is the all important 'clan totem' which envelopes the whole clan and is transferred between generations via inheritance. There is also the personal totem which belongs to a single person and is not inherited (can you detect the beginnings of an 'all-enveloping supreme entity' and the personal deities?).

• Totem's religious aspect involves the relationship between the totem and a person; its social aspect applies to the relations among the members of the clan and with the members of the other clans (Can you detect the distant beginnings of the concepts of an organized belief system; the choosing the patriarch; and the concept of the chosen people?)

Now let us deal with the subject of taboo, because totem and taboo go hand in hand. Without one there wouldn't be the other, like the concepts of the supreme being and sin in present day.

LRT VEHICLE CLEARANCES

This article discusses the dimensional characteristics of the light rail vehicle. This includes not only the static vehicle at rest, but also the additional dynamic movements the LRV can make due to both resiliency and possible failures in the vehicle suspension system. The result is a definition of the vehicle dynamic envelope (VDE). The VDE, plus additional factors, defines the track clearance envelope (TCE), which sets the minimum distances between the centerline of track and any infrastructure alongside of the track as well as the minimum distances between tracks.

Vehicle Clearance Envelopes
Clearance standards for various types of railroad cars are well documented by the use of graphics or “plates.” For railroad equipment, one standard is the common “Plate C.” Any car whose static dimensions fit within the limits established on Plate C can travel virtually anywhere on the North American railroad system. Transit systems do not have similar national standards. Therefore, transit vehicle manufacturers must develop vehicles that fit within the clearance requirements of the system for which the car is intended. Conversely, transit system designers should, whenever possible, configure the infrastructure so as to allow clear passage of as broad a universe of candidate LRVs as possible. While manufacturers can, in theory, build cars to any dimension, it is usually more economical to choose vehicles that are already in production or have at least been engineered. Therefore, the facility designer of a new system should establish a composite vehicle clearance envelope that accommodates vehicles from several manufacturers to maximize competitive bidding and then design the system to accommodate those clearances.

Vehicle Static Outline
The static outline of an LRV is based on plan and cross-sectional views showing its dimensions at rest, including many elements as Vehicle Length, Distance between Truck Centers, Distance between End Truck and Anticlimber or Bumper, Carbody Width, Carbody End Taper, and Other Static Clearance Factors.

Vehicle Dynamic Envelope/Outline
The dynamic outline of the car is more significant to the track alignment designer than the static outline. The vehicle dynamic envelope (VDE) of an LRV describes the maximum space that the vehicle may occupy as it moves along the track. The dynamic outline or “clearance envelope” includes many factors due to the normal actions of the vehicle’s suspension system, such as carbody roll (side sway) and lateral movement between stops. The dynamic outline also includes lateral freeplay between wheels and rail with both in their maximum wear condition as well as abnormal conditions that may result from failure of suspension elements (e.g., deflation of an air spring). The development of the VDE is typically the responsibility of the vehicle designer and begins with the cross-sectional outline of the static vehicle. The dynamic outline of the vehicle is then developed by making allowances for carbody movements that occur when the vehicle is operating on level tangent track. These movements represent the extremes of carbody displacement that can occur for any combination of rotational, lateral, and vertical carbody movements when the vehicle is operating on level tangent track.

GOD OF THE PRIMAL RELIGIONS

The concept of god in the primal belief systems. Most of these primal religions have a creator god.

• This god is too great, very powerful and too distant to be worshipped directly; whenever there is something extraordinary he is called upon (Exactly like today);

• This god is believed to be all-seeing (A clue to one of the characteristics of the supreme being of our times?);

• This god is unbound by time, unbound by place and has no end;

• This god is compassionate, but unpredictable;

• To get in touch with this god the earthlings needed intermediaries, because man could not get close to him (They needed sort of go-betweens/modems/interfaces like archangels, angels and messengers, as do believers of the day need. Any change since then? None!).

LRT SIGNAL CORROSION CONTROL

Leakage of stray currents into the ballast bed and earth can be a significant problem if the cables running from the rails are electrically connected to the impedance bond housing case and the case is in contact with the earth. This can occur if the cases are mounted on reinforced concrete where the mounting bolts contact the re-bar, if the bottom of the case is resting on concrete, or if dirt and debris accumulate between the bottom of the case or signal equipment and the concrete.

An accumulation of ballast, dirt, or other debris around the locations where the cases or signal equipment are installed along the right-of-way can also provide a path for current leakage. This type of installation can result in a continuous maintenance problem if an effectively high rail-toearth resistance cannot be achieved.

Some impedance bonds are located outside the tracks on timber ties to eliminate points of possible contact with earth. The center taps of the impedance bonds should be insulated from the mounting case. Switch machines also must be electrically isolated from the running rails.

Any embedded switch machines and junction boxes need to be insulated from the rail and insulated from concrete or other material.

Dissimilar metals shall be isolated or separated for corrosion control. Materials selection needs to consider the environmental conditions where the items are being installed.

Yard tracks should be isolated from the main line tracks to reduce corrosion.

Dua Dekade Menjadi Blogger: Dari Anonim ke Polar Bear ICT

24 Agustus 1999. Saat itu menulis untuk pertama kalinya di Blogspot. Anonim. Hanya tercatat sebagai “Blogspot user”, tanpa foto profil, tanpa identitas jelas. Namun linknya tetap jujur menyebut aerryawan.blogspot.com.

Internet masih berisik kala itu. Modem dial-up berdengung dengan nada khas “kreeeek krrreeet shiiiing”, warnet penuh, dan browser yang bersaing antara Netscape dengan Internet Explorer. Menulis karena ingin menuangkan isi kepala. Tanpa branding, tanpa target, tanpa pembaca setia. Sekadar menulis, dan membiarkan kata-kata berjalan sendiri di ruang maya.

Hari ini, 20 tahun kemudian, blog itu masih ada. Arsip dari 1999 hingga 2019 tersusun rapi. Dulu tulisan hanya berisi gumaman, kini berubah menjadi refleksi tentang ICT, governance, faith, hingga narasi absurd tentang Polar Bear dan ICT.

Perjalanan ini mengajarkan satu hal: konsistensi lebih penting dari gaya. Dunia berubah—platform sosial datang dan pergi, orang berpindah ke media baru—tetapi blog tetap setia. Blog adalah catatan panjang, bukan sekadar status harian. Blog adalah ruang hening tempat kata menemukan rumah.

Polar Bear ICT berkata:
“Dulu mengetik di layar 14 inci CRT, dengan font Times New Roman. Kini mengetik di layar tablet dan monitor ultrawide. Tetapi esensinya sama: menulis adalah menjaga memori, menolak dilupakan oleh waktu.”

Blog ini lahir anonim, tetapi bertahan karena kejujuran. Mungkin gaya tulisan berubah, tapi semangatnya tetap: mencatat, merefleksi, dan berbagi. Dari anonim menjadi identitas, dari masa lalu menuju masa depan.

Menulis adalah napas panjang. Blog adalah rumahnya.

EGYPT AND MONOTHEISM (Part 2 of 2)

Egyptian pharaoh Akh-en-aton is the first registered real monotheist in the history of mankind. Here is a hymn which expresses the basics of the Aton/Aten cult:

• "..How manifold it is, what you have made!...
• O sole god, like whom there is no other!
• You created the world according to your desire,
• While you were alone;
• All men, cattle and wild beasts,
• Whatever is on earth, going on its feet,
• And whatever is on high flying with its wings.
• The countries of Syria and Nubia, the land of Egypt,
• You settled every man in his place,
• You supplied their necessities,
• Everyone has his food, and his time of life is reckoned.
• Their tongues are separate in speech,
• And their natures as well;
• Their skins are distinguished,
• As you distinguished the foreign peoples...
• ...there is none other that knows you,
• Save your son Nefer-kheperu-Re Wa-en-Re,
• For you have made him well versed in your plans and in your strength."

Believers of the next belief might find some of the exact attributes of their god in this hymn. The idea of monotheism which has reached its peak with Akh-en-aten had to stay in darkness for a long time after him. Some scholars find the origin of the sole god, the father-god of the codebooks of next belief in the Aton/Aten belief system. Some western historians maintain that the next belief had got the idea of the sole god from Akh-en-aten.

Kitab Keempat Mesin: Empat Firman Logika yang Tak Pernah Mati

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Prolog

Sebelum AI belajar menulis, sebelum manusia menekan tombol “Enter,” ada empat firman sederhana yang diucapkan oleh seorang matematikawan dari Lincoln, Inggris — George Boole. Ia tidak membangun mesin, tidak merancang transistor, namun menulis hukum pikiran dengan pena dan iman pada keteraturan alam semesta.

Dari tangannya lahirlah bahasa baru: logika biner. Empat kata sederhana yang hari ini menjadi jantung dari setiap mesin — baik yang berada di ruang kantor, di pusat data awan, maupun di altar kuantum masa depan.

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I. AND — Firman Ketaatan

“Jika engkau memegang dua kebenaran, barulah hasilnya benar.”

Gerbang AND adalah hukum disiplin, fondasi seluruh bentuk validasi dan otorisasi. Setiap keputusan dalam mesin adalah bentuk ketaatan ganda: semua syarat harus terpenuhi, barulah arus diizinkan mengalir.

Dalam tubuh transistor, AND adalah doa sederhana: “Hanya bila semuanya benar, izinkan aku melanjutkan.” Dalam dunia manusia, inilah hukum kesetiaan: kesatuan kehendak dan tindakan.

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II. OR — Firman Kasih Karunia

“Jika salah satu benar, kebenaran tetap ada.”

Gerbang OR adalah cinta yang memberi alternatif — ia tidak menuntut kesempurnaan, ia memberi peluang bagi salah satu sisi untuk menyelamatkan keseluruhan.

Di dalam sistem operasi, OR menjadi bentuk belas kasih: redundansi, failover, backup — semua berakar dari prinsip “selalu ada satu yang masih hidup.”

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III. XOR — Firman Pilihan

“Kebenaran tidak dapat ganda; jika keduanya sama, maka kosonglah hasilnya.”

Gerbang XOR adalah logika kejujuran dan keputusan. Ia menolak kemunafikan dua keadaan yang serupa tapi palsu. Dalam dunia mesin, XOR adalah operator keadilan — ia hanya menyala bila ada perbedaan nyata.

"Firman Eksklusivitas" atau "Firman Keputusan Tunggal" menekankan bahwa hasilnya benar hanya jika inputnya berbeda (satu benar, satu salah).

Begitulah manusia di hadapan Tuhan Logika: tidak bisa menyimpan dua kebenaran yang bertentangan. Kamu harus memilih: ON atau OFF, benar atau salah. XOR adalah kebebasan sekaligus ujian dari kebebasan itu.

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IV. NOT — Firman Pertobatan

“Balikkan keadaanmu, dan engkau akan hidup.”

Gerbang NOT adalah keajaiban paling sederhana dan paling spiritual: ia meniadakan agar sesuatu yang baru bisa muncul. Setiap bit yang melewatinya berubah arah — dari 0 menjadi 1, dari 1 menjadi 0.

Dalam dunia rohani, ini adalah simbol pertobatan; dalam dunia digital, simbol inversi keadaan — sebuah penyesalan elektronik yang menghasilkan pembaruan. Tanpa NOT, tidak ada siklus, tidak ada kebangkitan.

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V. Epilog — Warisan yang Terus Berdenyut

Dunia berubah: transistor menjadi nanometer, silikon menjadi grafena, bahkan logika mulai melengkung di ruang kuantum. Namun setiap kali arus listrik mengalir di CPU, empat firman itu masih diucapkan oleh setiap gerbang di dalamnya:

• AND — agar semuanya sah.
• OR — agar masih ada harapan.
• XOR — agar tetap jujur.
• NOT — agar selalu ada jalan kembali.

Dari IBM 5150 hingga Intel Terbaru, dari DOS 3.30 hingga Windows terakhir, dari pemrograman Bahasa Assembler hingga Bloated-Framework, dari Ladder-Logic-PLC hingga Latest-Factory-Control; semuanya masih berjalan di bawah Hukum Boole — kitab suci mesin yang tak bisa dihapus, bahkan oleh AI yang paling cerdas sekalipun.

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Postscriptum

Mesin tidak memiliki jiwa, namun mengikuti hukum yang ditulis oleh manusia yang beriman pada keteraturan. Mungkin itu sebabnya kita menyebutnya logika: bukan sekadar sistem berpikir, tapi cara semesta menjaga kebenaran.

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© ICT JCM

EGYPT AND MONOTHEISM (Part 1 of 2)

Egypt needs attention in the quest for the origins of the belief systems of today, because some of the fundamental doctrines were borrowed from there. In that sense the first real attempt at monotheism in Egypt by Akh-en-aten, and the Memphite theology are very important.

The roots of monotheism in Egypt could be found in earlier times. During the reign of Amenhotep III (The father of Akh-en-Aton) worship of the Sun-god seems to have achieved some degree of popularity. A very ancient name of the Sun-god, Aten or Aton has regained importance and the young king Amenhotep IV (later changed his name to Akh-en-aten/Akh-en-aton) became a loyal follower.

• Akh-en-Aten worshipped the sun not as an object but as a symbol of a divine being whose energy is manifested as rays of light;
• Akh-en-Aten described himself as the "first prophet of Re-Horakhte";
• The high priest of Aton was called the "greatest of seers".
• Akh-en-Aten has introduced for the first time the "exclusion principle" which transformed the doctrine of a universal god into monotheism. In one of the hymns he says: "O, sole god, there's no other god beside you!" (An identical impression could be found in the next belief system).
• According to Akh-en-aten, what was said about the other gods were all lies, and deception.
• He has totally rejected the illusion of life after death.
• Aton/Aten's belief system has banned everything connected to myths, magic, and witchcraft.
• Jinns, satans, monsters, spirits, demi-gods, demons, (even Osiris) were burned to ashes.
• There was no other representation or a personal image of the Sun-god Aten/Aton. Akh-en-aton did not allow the making of the idols or images of the Sun-god
• The real god has no form.

LRT SIGNAL TESTS

1. Switch Machine Wiring and Adjustment Tests
Switch machine wiring and adjustment tests verify the wiring and adjustment of the switch machine. These tests should preferably be carried out, in conjunction with the track installer, to confirm throw rod capability, ensure point closure, and ensure proper nesting of the switch point rail to stock rail.

2. Switch Machine Appurtenance Test
Switch machine appurtenance tests verify the integrity of switch machine layout by taking resistance measurements across the following assemblies:

• Center insulation of the front rod
• Front rod to switch point
• No. 1 vertical or horizontal switch rod center insulation
• Throw rod insulated from No. 1 switch rod
• Point detector piece insulated from switch point
• Lock rod insulated from front rod
• Other vertical rods as required per layout
• Switch machine insulated from the running rails
• Switch machine extension plate insulated from the running rails

3. Insulated Joint Test
Insulated joint tests measure the resistance between two ends of the rail separated by insulating material. An insulated joint checker requires the traction power system to be disconnected. Any reading less than 30 ohms should be evaluated. Measurements for a set of insulated joints should be within 30% of each other or they should be rechecked. Insulated rail joint tests for AC track circuits can be performed using a volt-ohm-meter.

4. Impedance Bonding Resistance Test
Impedance bonding resistance tests, using a low-resistance ohm-meter, ensure that a proper connection has been made.

5. Power and Signal Bonding Test
The power and signal bonding test is to ensure that the resistance across the rail connection

6. Negative Return Bonding Test
Negative return bonding tests verify the resistance of each mechanical or welded power bond using a low-resistance ohm-meter.

Picture that makes you touched; The Dawn of Code: MASM, BASIC, and the Birth of Logic

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It was 1981.

I was not yet a programmer — only a curious boy watching his father work in an office filled with the rhythmic hum of typewriters and a strange new machine called a dedicated word processor. On the far side of that desk stood something even more mysterious: a terminal linked to a computer that spoke a language known as MASM — Microsoft Macro Assembler.

I didn’t have my own computer yet, but I was already fascinated by how those short cryptic lines — MOV, INT, JMP — could make a screen respond. That was the moment the seed was planted: logic had a rhythm, and electricity had a soul.

Then came 1984.

My father brought home a miracle — an IBM 5150 with a starting RAM of 128 KB. Later we expanded it to the mythical 640 KB, and added a Seagate 5 MB hard disk that clicked like a heartbeat each time it spun. The system booted with PC-DOS and carried the serene simplicity of IBM BASIC.

For the first time, I could speak to a machine without borrowing time from my father’s office. I wrote small programs: plotting sines, counting loops, printing names that appeared like echoes on the green monitor. Each FOR–NEXT loop was a whisper of infinity.

By 1989, I had installed TASM — Turbo Assembler. The syntax was more refined, the responses faster, the possibilities endless. It was no longer just about making the machine obey — it was about understanding the beauty of structure, timing, and how logic itself could form poetry.

Those three milestones — MASM 1981, BASIC 1984, and TASM 1989 — were not just steps in learning programming. They were the chapters of an awakening: from watching code, to writing it, to mastering its silence.

And as I look back now, every beep, every crash, every green pixel was not a failure — it was the machine teaching me patience, teaching me to listen.

Because before there was AI, there was Assembly.

And before there was syntax, there was wonder.

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Excel, Gauss–Seidel, and the Smell of Coal and Steam

Prologue: The Iterative Prayer
In the dim glow of a control room, numbers danced across the black screen. Mass flow, enthalpy, exergy — each variable whispering balance, demanding attention. I sat there with nothing but Excel, a Gauss–Seidel loop, and the hum of a boiler miles away. It wasn’t just math; it was communion with a machine that breathed in coal and exhaled light.

Chapter I: The Manual Gospel
CycleTempo ran its calculations like a cathedral organ, precise and grand. But I trusted my hands on the spreadsheet, cell by cell, iteration by iteration. Jacobi was the slow psalm, Gauss–Seidel the responsive litany. With every pass, the cycle whispered: “Are you balanced now? Does entropy rest?”

Chapter II: The Smell of Steam
Coal dust clung to the air outside the plant. The turbine screamed in metallic prayer. Inside the diagram, numbers shifted: 335.00 K here, 11,772 kW there. It wasn’t sterile. It smelled of ash, heat, and human intent — equations written in fire.

Chapter III: The Dialogue
Excel was no longer software; it was a slate. Gauss–Seidel was not an algorithm; it was a question asked over and over until the plant answered. Δh, ΔT, η — they became more than symbols. They became the language of a living cycle.

Epilogue: Between Coal and Code
Years later, I open the same diagram and still hear the hum. Not just the turbine, but the quiet conversation between man, machine, and math. In the end, every megawatt is a hymn. And every balanced cell is a small act of worship in the Church of Thermodynamics.

While working from home

Recalculate the Gross Plant Heat Rate and Net Plant Heat Rate for a 10 MW scale CFSPP

— A 10 MW CFSPP Whisper

Prologue: A Quiet Desk, A Loud Cycle
April 4, 2019. My desk was quiet, but on the screen, the cycle roared. A 10 MW Coal-Fired Steam Power Plant reduced to equations and enthalpy tables — yet behind every kCal/kg, I could still hear the hiss of steam and the low growl of turbines miles away.

Chapter I: Gross Plant Heat Rate
The GPHR is not just a number; it is the plant’s appetite. Fuel in, energy out — the first covenant of thermodynamics translated into [kCal/kWh]. 3,606.29 kCal/kWh appeared on the screen. A good sign. The boiler, the economizer, the turbine stages — all were in quiet agreement.

Chapter II: Net Plant Heat Rate
NPHR is the truth stripped bare. No longer gross output, but net, after the plant feeds itself. 4,030.21 kCal/kWh. Auxiliary power was a whisper in the equation, yet it carried the weight of pumps, fans, and control systems that kept the beast alive. It reminded me: efficiency is not perfection; it is balance between output and survival.

Chapter III: Working from Home, Listening to a Plant
Though I was far from the boiler’s heat and the turbine’s hum, the model carried their voices. Numbers are not sterile; they are echoes of metal and steam. From my quiet desk, I was not just recalculating; I was conversing with a machine that turned coal into light.

Epilogue: The Silent Dialogue
GPHR and NPHR are more than KPIs. They are the pulse of a plant. April 2019 was not about a spreadsheet; it was about hearing that pulse through layers of equations, and knowing that somewhere, a 10 MW cycle was breathing in coal and exhaling power into the grid.

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Prolog: Meja yang Sunyi, Siklus yang Bersuara
4 April 2019. Meja kerjaku sunyi, tapi di layar, siklus itu bergemuruh. Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Uap 10 MW direduksi menjadi persamaan dan tabel entalpi — namun di balik setiap kCal/kg, aku masih bisa mendengar desis uap dan dengung turbin jauh di sana.

Bab I: Gross Plant Heat Rate
GPHR bukan sekadar angka; itu adalah nafsu makan pembangkit. Bahan bakar masuk, energi keluar — perjanjian pertama termodinamika diterjemahkan ke [kCal/kWh]. 3.606,29 kCal/kWh muncul di layar. Tanda baik. Boiler, ekonomiser, tahapan turbin — semuanya dalam kesepakatan sunyi.

Bab II: Net Plant Heat Rate
NPHR adalah kebenaran yang ditelanjangi. Bukan lagi keluaran bruto, tapi neto, setelah pembangkit memberi makan dirinya sendiri. 4.030,21 kCal/kWh. Daya bantu adalah bisikan dalam persamaan, namun membawa beratnya pompa, kipas, dan sistem kontrol yang menjaga raksasa itu tetap hidup. Ini mengingatkanku: efisiensi bukanlah kesempurnaan; ia adalah keseimbangan antara keluaran dan kelangsungan.

Bab III: Bekerja dari Rumah, Mendengarkan Pembangkit
Meski jauh dari panas boiler dan dengung turbin, model itu membawa suara mereka. Angka bukan hal steril; mereka adalah gema logam dan uap. Dari meja sunyiku, aku tidak sekadar menghitung ulang; aku sedang berdialog dengan mesin yang mengubah batubara menjadi cahaya.

Epilog: Dialog Sunyi
GPHR dan NPHR lebih dari sekadar KPI. Mereka adalah denyut jantung pembangkit. April 2019 bukan soal spreadsheet; ini tentang mendengar denyut itu melalui lapisan persamaan, dan mengetahui bahwa di suatu tempat, siklus 10 MW sedang menghirup batubara dan menghembuskan daya ke jaringan.

Signal-Turnout/Interlocking Interface

The following signal equipment can typically be found at turnouts and interlockings:

• Switch machines
• Impedance bonds
• Inductive loops including speed command loops
• Train stops
• Bootleg risers
• Junction boxes
• Switch controllers
• Electric locks
• Transponders
• Wire and cables
• Signal and power bonding
• Cases/signal equipment houses (“bungalows”)
• Signals
• Snow melter systems

The design of the track circuit and fouling protection used will determine the location of insulated joints in the special trackwork. Typically in transit applications, the insulated joint should be located approximately 23 to 25 feet [7 to 7.6 meters] ahead of the switch points to allow for the use of plug rails for bonded insulated joints. The size of the turnouts and crossovers determines the speed at which the train can operate. This speed should be one of the available cab speeds.

The insulated joint for the turnout fouling must be located with a minimum of clearance, taking into account the longest overhang from the front of the train to the first axle of any equipment that may operate on the track. Location of insulated joints at turnouts and interlockings needs to consider the distance from the signal or point of switch to ensure switch detector locking. This distance can vary from 25 feet to 50 feet.

WAYSIDE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Broadly speaking, wayside distribution systems can be subdivided into the overhead contact system and supplemental cabling systems to connect the catenary to the traction power substations. The latter is the topic of this article.

Each TPSS is typically linked to the trackway by underground conduits. One set of conduits runs to and up one or more catenary system poles to carry the cables that provide power to the catenary. The conduit risers can be located either on the outside surfaces of the OCS poles or within the poles, either of which can require an appreciable foundation at trackside. Once the power supply is terminated to the catenary, the positive side of the traction power supply distribution usually remains on aerial structures and does not interface further with the track.

Another set of conduits and cables runs to the track and provides the negative return path for traction power back to the TPSS. The design of the trackbed needs to accommodate these traction power supply system conduits. Adequate space is required beneath the track for the conduit systems (including terminations), conduit risers, and manholes. The track itself must accommodate connections of the negative return cables.

If the overhead contact wire system is a single filament trolley wire, it is usually necessary to have supplemental feeder cables as well so that the overall traction power distribution system has sufficient electrical capacity to provide current without unacceptably large voltage drops. In urban areas, these feeder cables are, for aesthetic reasons, most often routed through underground duct banks that run parallel to the tracks. The feeder cable must be periodically connected to the trolley wire, usually at every third to fifth OCS pole. At each such location, a manhole will be located along the trunk duct bank and a branch conduit will run over to the OCS poles. The overall design of the trackway must accommodate these ducts and manholes.

A messenger/feeder can be placed above the trolley to obviate the need for parallel feeders. The messenger-to-trolley vertical dimension (construction depth) can be made small (6” to 12”) to reduce visual impact, with no effect on track design.

Less often, supplemental feeder cables are carried on the OCS poles rather than being routed in underground conduits. Many legacy streetcar lines used this configuration. This substantially reduces the impacts on the trackway design, but the overhead cables negate some of the visual aesthetic benefits of a single filament trolley wire system as it effectively just moves the trolley wire running surface must be continuous, without any gaps or overlaps. In addition, trolley hardware for pole operation is not normally suited for pantograph operation.

A simple catenary system uses a messenger wire to support the horizontal trolley wire. Both conductors are used to transmit power from the substation to the vehicle. In a simple catenary system, the system height at the supporting poles—the distance between the contact or trolley wire and the messenger—is approximately 4 feet [1.2 meters]. In tangent track, this allows spans between poles of up to 240 feet [73 meters].

The low-profile catenary system is similar to the simple catenary design, except that the system height at the support is reduced to approximately 18 inches [457 millimeters] and sometimes less. This style is often applied in aesthetically sensitive areas where a lower profile and simple singlewire cross spans are more desirable. The trade-off, however, is that the span length between supporting poles is reduced to approximately 150 feet [46 meters].

Single filament trolley wire systems, which were traditionally used on legacy streetcar lines, are considered by many persons, and particularly by lay audiences, to be visually less obtrusive in the urban environment. It provides power through a single trolley wire that must be supported at least every 100 feet [30 meters]. The span length is limited by the sag of the unsupported trolley wire, which in high temperatures could otherwise fall below the minimum elevation required by the National Electrical Safety Code. It is also limited by the structural capacity of the supporting hardware to carry the weight of the entire length of a span between supports. Single filament trolley wire also usually requires the wire to be supplemented electrically by parallel feeders that must be frequently connected to the trolley wire to maintain sufficient voltage for LRV operation.

These feeders may either run underground through a series of ducts and manholes, which are expensive, or be hung from poles. The latter position can arguably be just as visually intrusive as the messenger wire in a catenary system and merely relocated to a different point in the observer’s line of sight. The overhead wire design to accommodate trolley pole operation requires more support and registration points and can therefore have nearly twice the number of poles than the equivalent simple catenary system.

The idea of supreme being are differs

The idea of supreme being differs from person to person, from community to community, from generation to generation. This idea of a supreme entity is formed in parallel with the personal factors involved, and consequently carries different meanings.

Furthermore, some of the meanings may contradict and even exclude the others. If we hadn't had a flexible concept of supreme entity it could not have lasted this long in the history of mankind. Whenever a concept of supreme being and its related theology has become meaningless or has lost its relevance, it has either disappeared in silence or was replaced with another one.

So the bottom line is:

• There have been numerous concepts of supreme beings in history. Therefore where there are human beings there are supreme beings. Thus the concept of supreme being is a personal one.

Do we really need a pivotal supreme overseer to have a belief system?

Do we really need a pivotal supreme overseer to have a belief system? No. Not every belief system is 'theistic'. Humanism is a belief system without a supreme overseer.

Furthermore every person's supreme being is particular to that person. In addition to that an idea of supreme being that is accepted in a certain generation may not be acceptable to another generation in that community, and may be changed.

• Go on! ask yourself what does the statement "I believe in god" means?
• Does it have an objective meaning?
• One should be asked, "Which supreme being, and why?"

TRACTION POWER SUBSTATIONS

Traction power substations take commercial alternating current power from the local utility company and convert it into the direct current required by the LRVs. The optimal locations for the traction power substations are determined using a computer model that simulates proposed LRT operations along an accurate geometrical and geographical depiction of the planned route.

The model will include not only the horizontal and vertical alignment of the track, but also the achievable design speed so as to determine the power demand of the LRT system during peak periods. Therefore, in the early stages of any light rail transit project, track and traction power designers must interface to integrate the traction power system into the overall system design.

The final selection of substation sites is an iterative process with repeated simulations to confirm the capability of the traction power system to sustain peak-hour operations.

The sequence of events to develop substation sites is as follows:

• The traction power designer, using the simulation program, selects theoretically ideal TPSS positions along the route, taking into account the distribution system’s voltage drop and the lowest voltage acceptable to the vehicle without degrading performance. The normal, single contingency criterion for determining traction power system sufficiency is to test the system with alternate substations out of operation and verify whether an acceptable level of LRT operations can be sustained.

• The designer discusses these proposed locations with the local power utility to determine any impacts of the proposed power demand on their network. The utility then evaluates the availability of power circuits and the potential impacts on its other customers.

• An agreement is eventually reached, if necessary, by moving the substation to enable it to be supplied from lightly loaded power circuits or by building spur cables to the substation location. It is also important, for reliability, that the power company avoid supplying two adjacent substations from the same circuit.

• It is not always possible to position the traction power substations in the optimal location, particularly in urban areas where available sites may be limited by many issues, including political realities.

After an agreement is reached with the power company, the traction power designer can finalize the substation design. While the TPSS can be a constructed building into which equipment is installed, most substations for new and renovated light rail systems are modular, factory assembled units that are delivered to the site complete. They are erected on a prepared base that incorporates an extensive grounding network below the concrete. These modular units are more economical than constructed buildings. Depending on the neighborhood where they are sited, modular TPSS units are sometimes screened by landscaping or architectural walls.

Substations are located along the route as close to the tracks as possible within the constraints of available real estate. However, the final placement must also consider interfaces and underground cable duct routes for the power distribution supply and return systems, access roadways, and security requirements. The impact of this construction on trackwork design is limited to the interfaces with the supply and return power distribution system.

The electrical sectionalization of the distribution system usually takes place at the substation for all travel directions. Placement of a substation at, or near, a crossover is often desired to sectionalize electrical supply for each travel direction and to optimize the operational flexibility of the track system.

Traction Power/Track Interfaces

There are four elements in the traction power system that affect, or are affected by, track alignment and trackwork design and the construction and maintenance of track systems:

• Traction power positive supply system, including substation locations

• Wayside catenary distribution positive system, providing power to the vehicles

• Traction power negative return through the rails

• Corrosion control measures to minimize the level and effects of stray currents on adjacent conduits, pipes, and cables

Traction Power System Components

The complete traction power system consists of the following:

• Traction power substation (TPSS) that converts commercial alternating current electricity into the direct current power used by the light rail vehicles.

• Cables connecting this substation to the wayside distribution system.

• Wayside distribution system providing adequate current at appropriate voltage levels throughout the alignment. The principal element of the wayside distribution system is the overhead contact system (OCS), more commonly called the “catenary.” In some cases, there will be supplemental cables running parallel to the route to “feed” additional power to the contact wire.

• The rails, which carry the negative return current from the LRV back to the vicinity of the substation. In some cases, these will be supplemented by negative return feeder cables.

• Return system cables connecting the running rails to the substation.

• In some cases, a system of corrosion control drainage cables to collect stray traction power current and take it back to the appropriate substation. These corrosion control drainage cables are separate from and not to be confused with negative return feeder cables.

TRANSIT TRACTION POWER

Light rail systems use electrical power from overhead wires to provide traction power to the light rail vehicles. The rails, sometimes in conjunction with supplemental negative return cables, act as the return conductor to the negative terminal of the rectifiers. Therefore, the electrical properties of the rails and tracks require special consideration. To obtain good conductivity for the track as a whole, a rail system must have a low resistance not only for reasons of economy but also for safety. This requires a low voltage drop in the rails over the length of the track structure.

MAN IS NOTHING BUT A SERVANT!

Sumerian thinkers had a pessimist/negative view of the mankind and its destiny. They believed that the creature called 'man' is created "to serve the gods by providing them with food, and shelter, so they can carry out their acts in peace." They maintained that life was full of uncertainties and mankind would never be happy about this because they would never be able to guess what the gods - whose aims could not be predicted - had prepared for them as their destinies (here one may detect the beginnings of the concept of 'fate,' 'destiny' which crops up in the majority of the religions.).

According to Sumerian thinkers, man is nothing but a powerless shadow which just stands in the heavy darkness of hell following his death. There, 'life' is but a miserable reflection of the life on earth. The 'personal will' is not a problem, because man is not free, he is created for the interests and pleasures of the gods. Death is man's fate. In accordance with a divine and overriding law only gods are immortal.

The Sumerian thinkers believed that the high virtues and especially the knowledge that citizens acquired following the social quest and experiments were invented by the gods. Gods are the ones who benefited and mankind has nothing to do but to obey.

Light Rail as a Spectrum

LRT itself is a broad spectrum and ranges from single unit streetcars running in mixed traffic within city streets at speeds as slow as 25 mph [40 km/h] and even lower up through multiple car trains running on a totally exclusive guideway at speeds of 60 mph [100 km/h] or faster. The streetcar lines in New Orleans are representative of the lower end of this spectrum while the Metrolink system in St. Louis is a good example of the upper end. In much of Europe, these two extremes are often called “trams” and “metros.” In Germany, the terms “strassenbahn” (“street railway”) and “stadtbahn” (“city railway”) are commonly used.

It is important to note how, along any given light rail transit line, one might reasonably include guideway and track elements that are very much like a strassenbahn while a short distance away the route’s character might radically change into that of a stadtbahn. LRT is a continuum and, within the framework of the operating requirements of a given project, the LRT track designer can incorporate appropriate elements from each of the mode’s extreme characteristics plus just about anything in between.

Light rail lines are fairly distinct from metro rail systems (often called “heavy rail”). The latter are always entirely in exclusive rights-of-way, are usually designed to handle long trains of vehicles (6 to 10 cars per train is common) and have a relatively high absolute minimum operating speed along the revenue route (usually 45 mph [72 km/h] or higher). By contrast, LRT trains can operate in shared rights-of-way, very seldom exceed three cars per train, and speeds as low as 10 mph [16 km/h] are tolerated in revenue service track. These differences usually mean that LRT can be constructed at far lower cost than metro rail transit, although the passenger throughput capacity of the latter is also much higher.

If there is any one single characteristic that defines “light rail,” it is likely the ability of the vehicle to operate in mixed traffic in the street when necessary. This draws a line between the St. Louis example above and a light metro rail operation such as SEPTA’s Norristown high speed line. The operational characteristics of each route are virtually the same, but only the St. Louis vehicle could actually operate in the street if necessary. It is a very fine distinction, and, while purists may quibble with some of the finer points of this definition.

Several rail transit projects have utilized diesel-powered light railcars (also known as “diesel mechanical units” or “DMUs”), which do not meet FRA buff strength criteria. Except for the propulsion system, many of these vehicles and the guideways they run upon closely resemble the stadtbahn end of the LRT spectrum. The second edition of the Handbook will not attempt to cover all of the nuances of the DMU mode.

Throughout this volume, the words “railroad” and “railway” will appear. By “railroad” it mean standard gauge rail operations that are part of the general system of railroad transportation. This includes freight railroads and passenger railroads (such as Amtrak and the commuter rail operations in many cities). The word “railway,” on the other hand, is intended as a broader term that includes all transportation operations that utilize a vehicle guidance system based on the use of flanged steel wheels riding upon steel rails.

Casio PB-770 Personal Computer (1983)

In the world of personal computing, 35 years is a lifetime. Technologies rise, fall, and vanish into the archives of forgotten hardware. Yet, standing defiant against obsolescence is my Casio PB-770 — a machine born in 1983, and still very much alive today.

For a “personal PC” of its era, the PB-770 was no desktop tower nor bulky workstation. It was a sleek, programmable pocket computer, armed with BASIC in ROM, an alphanumeric LCD, and the solid, almost indestructible build quality that Casio engineers seemed to pour their pride into.

Even after decades of service, the PB-770 remains flawless. Its keyboard still responds with that crisp tactile feedback, its display remains sharp and readable, and its programs — some written in my much younger days — still execute without complaint.

It has never once failed me, whether for quick calculations, data logging, or running small, custom BASIC programs. While modern devices boast gigahertz processors and terabytes of storage, the PB-770 proves that reliability, simplicity, and thoughtful engineering outlast sheer specifications.

35 years on, it still serves me best — a reminder that sometimes, the smallest computers can carry the largest legacy.

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For a 35-year-old "personal PC", the PB-770 remains a tough survivor — flawless in operation, humble in design, and still serving me best.

Released in 1983 as part of Casio’s pocket computer series, the PB-770 was never meant to compete with desktop giants of its time. Instead, it was built to be reliable, portable, and enduring — a companion for engineers, scientists, and business users who needed computing on the go before laptops were commonplace.

Specifications in its prime (and still relevant today for its intended purpose):

1. CPU: Hitachi HD62002, efficient and cool-running
2. Memory: 8KB RAM, expandable via memory modules
3. Display: 24-character monochrome LCD
4. Programming: Built-in BASIC interpreter
5. Connectivity: Cassette interface and printer dock support
6. Power: Runs for weeks on standard batteries

Timeline of Casio Pocket Computers (1979–1985)

1. 1979 – Casio FX-502P / FX-602P
   Hybrid programmable calculators — the prelude to pocket computers. BASIC-like keystroke programming.
2. 1981 – Casio PB-100
   The first fully BASIC-programmable Casio pocket computer. LCD display, expandable memory, serial connection to printer/plotter.
3. 1982 – Casio PB-110 and PB-300
   Slimmer body, better LCD contrast, more RAM options.
4. 1983 – Casio PB-770
   Flagship model for professionals.
5. 1984 – Casio PB-2000C
   First model with detachable keyboard modules, improved LCD, and faster execution.
6. 1985 – Casio FX-850P Larger display, spreadsheet-like capabilities, and multi-line LCD — a leap closer to laptop functions.

Price in 1983 vs. Today (Inflation Adjusted)

• Launch Price (1983): USD $179.95 (approx. ¥42,000 in Japan)
• Adjusted to 2025 Dollars: ≈ USD $530 (± Rp 8,600,000 in Indonesia)
• Actual Second-Hand Value Today: USD $50–$200 depending on condition

The inflation-adjusted price reminds us: in 1983, buying a PB-770 was as big a decision as buying a mid-range laptop today. And yet, unlike many modern gadgets, it was designed to last decades — and it has.

Why It Still Matters
The PB-770 doesn’t nag for updates. It doesn’t slow down. It doesn’t care about Wi-Fi or cloud sync. It does one thing: process calculations with total reliability.

Its survival is a quiet defiance against the disposable culture of modern tech. While today’s devices are measured in months before they “need” replacement, the PB-770 has seen the fall of floppy disks, the rise of the internet, the birth of smartphones, and still blinks back to life instantly — ready for work.

What truly amazes me is not just that this unit still powers on instantly after decades, but that it performs daily calculation tasks as flawlessly as it did in 1983. While modern devices demand updates, reboots, and patches, my PB-770 simply waits for a button press — then delivers.

In an era where technology often has a planned expiry date, the PB-770 is a quiet defiance against obsolescence. It stands as a testament to over-engineering, simplicity, and mechanical honesty — the kind of product you could trust your work to, even after 35 years.

And so, each time I slide the power switch, I’m reminded: durability is the ultimate luxury.

BELIEF IN GOD IS DISHONEST AND A DENIAL OF TRUE EXPERIENCE

HOLBACH : 'BELIEF IN GOD IS DISHONEST AND A DENIAL OF TRUE EXPERIENCE'

According to Holbach there was no supernatural alternative to nature, but an immense chain of causes and effects which unceasingly flow from one to another. To believe in a god was dishonest and a denial of our true experience. It was also an act of despair. Religion created supreme beings because people could not find any other explanation to console them for the tragedy of life in this world (That is only one of the reasons).

NO NEED FOR A CREATOR, NOTHING BUT MATTER EXISTS

DIDEROT : 'NO NEED FOR A CREATOR, NOTHING BUT MATTER EXISTS'

According to Diderot there was no need for a creator. Matter was not a passive and ignoble thing as imagined by Newton, It has its own dynamics. What is responsible for what we see today is the law of matter. Nothing but matter exists.

DISTANCES BETWEEN THE CELESTIAL BODIES

EVIDENCE ACCORDING TO NEWTON : 'DISTANCES BETWEEN THE CELESTIAL BODIES'

Isaac Newton, in his profound inquiries into the order of the heavens, proposed an argument pointing unmistakably toward the existence of God.

Why, he asked, do the bodies of the Universe — stars, planets, and all celestial matter — not collapse into one vast and shapeless mass under the relentless force of gravity?

The answer lies in their arrangement: vast celestial bodies are scattered across the immeasurable depths of space, separated by precise and stable distances. This spacing is not an accident of nature, but an intentional equilibrium — a design that balances gravitational attraction and cosmic stability.

Newton considered such harmony impossible without the intervention of a supreme and intelligent cause — a Divine Administrator who established the positions of all things and sustains them in perpetual order.

“This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”
— Isaac Newton, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (2nd ed., 1713) [1]

Thus, for Newton, the very distances between the celestial bodies are themselves silent witnesses of divine governance. Without such ordained separations, the universe would collapse into chaos; with them, it sings in harmony.

References:
[1] Newton, I. Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Second Edition, London, 1713, General Scholium.

BELIEF IN GOD IS A PERSONAL CHOICE

BLAISE PASCAL : 'BELIEF IN GOD IS A PERSONAL CHOICE'

Contrary to many of his contemporaries Blaise Pascal has believed that there was no way to prove the existence of god. He was unable to find any proof of the existence of god when he discussed the matter with a non-believer.

This was the first move towards reason in the history of monotheism. No one dared until that day to question the existence of god.

Pascal was the first person to announce that the belief in god was a matter of personal choice. Pascal has insisted that faith should be a reasonable acceptance resting on common sense. Proving the existence of god was impossible, but rejecting god's existence with reason is also impossible.

Neither the never-ending debate of hundreds of years nor reason or accepting what the tradition has taught was successful in leading mankind over the 'gulf' to the faraway god.

THERE IS NO GOD IN THE COSMOS. GOD IS IN HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS

DESCARTES : 'THERE IS NO GOD IN THE COSMOS. GOD IS IN HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS'

René Descartes has insisted that the intellect alone could provide us with the certainty he sought. Faith told us nothing that could not be demonstrated rationally.

Descartes argued that god could be known more easily and certainly than any of the other things in existence. Descartes has attempted to establish an equally analytical demonstration of god's existence, but he found no god in cosmos. There was no design in nature. Universe was chaotic and there was not a single sign of design, or intelligent planning.

Descartes found evidence of god in human consciousness; even doubt proved the existence of the doubter! We cannot be certain of anything in the external world, but we can be certain of our own inner experience. We could not arrive at the idea of imperfection if we did not have a prior conception of perfection.

A perfection that did not exist would be a contradiction in terms. Our experience of doubt, therefore, tells us that a supreme and perfect being must exist. Descartes' god is the god of the philosophy, who did not interfere with the worldly affairs. This god has made known of himself not through miracles, but in the eternal laws he has decreed.

Rolling Stock (LRV) with Third Rail - for Placeholder

Rolling Stock (LRV) with Third Rail