Route examining system and method

A method, comprising

• electrically injecting first and second examination signals into first and second conductive tracks of a route being traveled by a vehicle, the first and second examination signals being injected using the vehicle at spaced apart locations along a length of the vehicle;
• monitoring one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks at first and second monitoring locations that are onboard the vehicle in response to the first and second examination signals being injected into the conductive tracks, the first monitoring location spaced apart along the length of the vehicle relative to the second monitoring location;
• and
• examining one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks monitored at the first and second monitoring locations in order to distinguish a section of the route traversed by the vehicle from among three states of the route based on the one or more electrical characteristics, the three states includes a first state in which the section is potentially damaged, a second state in which the section is not damaged and does not include an electrical short that one or more of conductively or inductively couples the first conductive track to the second conductive track, and a third state in which the section is not damaged and includes an electrical short, wherein:
• the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal at the first monitoring location and receipt of neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal at the second monitoring location as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state,
• the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of the first examination signal at both the first monitoring location and the second monitoring location and receipt of the second examination signal at both the first monitoring location and the second monitoring location as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state, and
• the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of one of the first and second examination signals at the first monitoring location and receipt of the other of the first and second examination signals at the second monitoring location as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the third state.

A system comprising:

• first and second application devices configured to be disposed on vehicle traveling along a route having first and second conductive tracks, the vehicle having plural shunts at spaced apart locations along a length of the vehicle, each shunt configured to one or more of conductively or inductively couple the first conductive track to the second conductive track, the first and second application devices spaced apart along the length of the vehicle between the plural shunts and each configured to be at least one of conductively or inductively coupled with one of the first and second conductive tracks, the first application device configured to electrically inject a first examination signal into the conductive track that the first application device is coupled thereto, the second application device configured to electrically inject a second examination signal into the conductive track that the second application device is coupled thereto, the first and second examination signals configured to circulate a conductive test loop, the plural shunts of the vehicle defining ends of the conductive test loop and segments of the first and second conductive tracks between the plural shunts defining sides of the conductive test loop;
• first and second detection units configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle, the detection units configured to monitor one or more electrical characteristics of the conductive tracks within the conductive test loop at spaced apart locations along the length of the vehicle in response to the first and second examination signals being injected into one or more of the first and second conductive tracks;
• and
• an identification unit configured to examine the one or more electrical characteristics of the conductive tracks monitored by the first and second detection units in order to distinguish a section of the route traversed by the vehicle from among three states of the route based on the one or more electrical characteristics, the three states including a first state in which the section is potentially damaged, a second state in which the section is not damaged and does not include an electrical short that one or more of conductively or inductively couples the first conductive track to the second conductive track, and a third state in which the section is not damaged and includes an electrical short, wherein:
• the conductive test loop forms an open circuit as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state,
• the conductive test loop forms a closed circuit as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state, and
• the conductive test loop divides into a first conductive short loop and an adjacent second conductive short loop as the vehicle travels a section of the route in the third state, the electrical short defining a common end for the first and second conductive short loops, the first and second conductive short loops each forming a different closed circuit.