Does anyone know what this is?

[Hawk]

I got an email from a friend asking if I knew what this is. I didn't know so I thought I'd ask here.
He says he saw it on an electric rail line.

DSC07318.jpg

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Looks like a temporary AWS beacon of some sort.
Permanent ones will be fixed more solid.

[Hawk]

Hmm? That doesn't look anything like this one.

AWS-Ramp-2.jpg

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

No, the lower photo depicts an old, magnetic resonance beacon, these operate at very low resonance frequencies and the coils inside have to be large therefor.

In ERTS, the pan-European ATC system, the beacons are much smaller and probably use a migh higher frequency or transmit in binary/pulse code.
They are also often mounted to the railhead's side, for the pickup on the engine is located above the rail instead of in the centerline of the track.

I don't know the technicalities, but am sure you read up on this in Google.

[Hawk]

Actually, Google wasn't much help on this thing I posted the pic of. That's why I was asking here.

That pic was taken in Manarola, Italy, so you might be right.

Thanks for your help Kanawha.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Some background reading:
Comprehensive resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_protection_system
http://www.mermecgroup.com/signalling-systems/628/1/atpatc-systems.php
http://www.sh1.org/eisenbahn/rindusi.htm
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatische_treinbe%25C3%25AFnvloeding&prev=/search%3Fq%3Datb%2Bnederlandse%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DwdI%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:nl:official%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D792%26prmd%3Dimvns&sa=X&ei=pU5jUKrZCOev0QW124HACQ&ved=0CC4Q7gEwAQ
http://www.railway-technical.com/sigind.shtml

Video of EuroStar HST with signalling explanation (in French, but there should be lots more on Google and elsewhere)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbSxgNvvUoA

[Hawk]

Thanks! I sent a link to this topic to the person that emailed me.