Route examining system

A system comprising:

• a first application unit configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle traveling along a route having plural conductive rails, the first application unit configured to inject, from a power source coupled to a conditioning circuit, a first electrical examination signal having one or more of a first frequency or a first unique identifier into a first rail of the plural conductive rails;
• a second application unit configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to inject, from the power source coupled to the conditioning circuit, a second electrical examination signal having one or more of a different, second frequency or a different, second unique identifier into a second rail of the plural conductive rails;
• a first detection unit configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to measure a first electrical characteristic of the first rail based on the first electrical examination signal and to measure a second electrical characteristic of the first rail based on the second electrical examination signal;
• a second detection unit configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to measure a third electrical characteristic of the second rail based on the first electrical examination signal and to measure a fourth electrical characteristic of the second rail based on the second electrical examination signal;
• and
• one or more processors configured to detect a break in conductivity of one or more of the first rail or the second rail of the route responsive to one or more of the first electrical characteristic, the second electrical characteristic, the third electrical characteristic, or the fourth electrical characteristic decreasing by more than a designated drop threshold for a time period that is within a designated drop time period;
• wherein each of the first and the second application unit includes a conductive shoe or a conductive brush that slides along a surface of a track or an outer circumference of a wheel or an inductive circuit.

A method comprising:

• injecting a first electrical examination signal from a power source coupled to a conditioning circuit into a first conductive rail of a route from onboard a vehicle system traveling along the route;
• injecting a second electrical examination signal from a power source coupled to a conditioning circuit into a second conductive rail of the route from onboard a vehicle system traveling along the route;
• detecting a first electrical characteristic of the route based on the first electrical examination signal, wherein the first electrical characteristic of the route includes a first voltage of the first electrical examination signal as measured along the and first conductive rail by a first detection unit of a route examining system onboard the vehicle system;
• detecting a second voltage of the second electrical examination signal as measured along the first conductive rail by the first detection unit as a second electrical characteristic of the route;
• detecting a third voltage of the first electrical examination signal as measured along the second conductive rail by a second detection unit of the route examining system as a third electrical characteristic of the route;
• detecting a fourth voltage of the second electrical examination signal as measured along the second conductive rail by the second detection unit as a fourth electrical characteristic of the route;
• and
• detecting a break in conductivity of the route responsive to the first electrical characteristic decreasing by more than a designated drop threshold for a time period within a designated drop time period.