Amtrak Laser Clearance Vehicle

A '96 Suburban with hirail gear and a few added goodies to make it user friendly.

Add an infrared measuring laser and a red rotating laser for ease of structure targeting and we have a clearance survey vehicle

The hardware all fits neatly on an aluminum tray. As it rolls along, the laser measures in a 270° arc across the front of the truck.

This optical encoder is a .001 mile increment odometer and records right on the computer screen in the truck.

Ominous beast isn't it? The tiny mast is for laser self calibration.

Everything in it's proper place. You can see the encoder carrier for the odometer on the railwheel and both lasers and their associated wiring.

The software is displayed on a flatscreen monitor on the custom console using a minikeyboard and standard mouse. The computer is mounted in a std 19" industrial rackmount on top of the 110 volt inverter behind the back seat. Note the small box used for controlling the red laser.

The software is custom designed for railroad clearance use but can be tailored to just about anything measurable. Similar rigs have measured various aspects of railroads and also highways and subways. It takes various input and records milepost, degree of curvature, and superelevation(tilt), all in nearly real time.
If you are interested in the equipment used for laser clearance survey see.....
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