While on the bay tonight I saw this and thought that the identity of this item could be had here. I have no interest in this item other than to find out what it might be. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOT-A-STEAM-TRAIN-WHISTLE-RARE-LOCOMOTIVE-ELECTRIC-SWITCH-WHAT-IS-THIS-FOR-/181668241405?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a4c455ffd

It's a little difficult to tell from the description, but I think it is an "acceleration limit switch". A small metal weight is suspended inside a conductive metal "tube" by a wire. Normally this weight hangs inside the tube without touching the walls.

When the switch is accelerated (or decelerated) too quickly the metal weight hits the "tube" and completes an electrical circuit. This circuit could be used to "knock down" the current in the field windings of an electric motor (with a high current relay) and thereby "slow things down a bit" ?

But that is just a wild arsed guess on my part. I have never seen anything like it before in the railroad world.

Similar switches where/are used in pinball machines to detect a "tilt" condition and then you are "game over" and your quarter disappears....

(edit); I reread the description and it mentions that the electrical circuit "makes contact" when it is tilted. Maybe it is a "grade detector" that feeds into a low water alarm circuit to stop the alarm from sounding when a steam locomotive is on a grade ? But it does not seem to be able to distinguish between uphill and downhill ? But maybe if it is mounted on a tilted platform on top of the boiler it will only "make contact" when a steam loco is going uphill and the water would be high over the crownsheet. Perhaps they mounted them in "reverse" on the cab forward units ?

Ok; I'm out of ideas, but would like to hear others thoughts, it's an interesting bit of technology from before the electronic computer era.

(end edit)


Cheers, Kevin.

Handle for the turboencapulator.

Bomb trigger
See the movie "Juggernaut"

Flux capacitor ('Back to the Future')....

auto train stop, hits a bumper next to the signal...


next....

It does seem to be a tilt detector, should mount horizontally on the engine, hits some alarm the cork probably rolls into contact, time to get water in boys...

Interociter incorporating planetary generator.
Interocitor with voltarator.
Only missing the Zagon and Metaluna parts.....
Otherwise known as Unobtainium.

I saw one during a fraternity movie night, but I don't know what it's called.