An inspection system for inspecting the track of an amusement ride with at least one rail. A vehicle is provided that is designed to ride along the track. The vehicle supports cameras. The cameras are positioned in unobstructed areas. The cameras image the rail from different angles as the vehicle rides along the track. The images recorded by the cameras are reviewed to identify any defect or issue with the rail or its supporting framework that may impact from the safety of the ride.

An aspect includes a vehicle that includes rail inspection sensors configured for capturing transducer data describing the rail, and a processor configured for receiving and processing the transducer data in near-real time to determine whether the captured transducer data identifies a suspected rail flaw. The processing includes inputting the captured transducer data to a machine learning system that has been trained to identify patterns in transducer data that indicate rail flaws. The processing also includes receiving an output from the machine learning system, the output indicating whether the captured transducer data identifies a suspected rail flaw. An alert is transmitted to an operator of the vehicle based at least in part on the output indicating that the captured transducer data identifies a suspected rail flaw. The alert includes a location of the suspected rail flaw and instructs the operator to stop the vehicle and to perform a repair action.

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus for an ultrasonic inspection system for inspecting a railway track, the ultrasonic inspection system for attaching to a bogie for pulling over the railway track, comprising a framework for attaching to the bogie, a sled for inspecting a rail, the sled carrying an array of ultrasonic transducers for detecting flaws in the rail, the system further comprising a water subsystem for ensuring fluid coupling between the sled and the rail, automatic lateral position rectification subsystem for keeping the sleds centered over the railway tracks as the train moves along the track, the ultrasonic transducers in data communication with a computing system in a wagon over the bogie for analyzing and mapping the flaws in the rail, wherein at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers is mounted in the same housing thereby shortening the length of the sled to be irrigated.

An ultrasonic inspection apparatus for an ultrasonic inspection system for inspecting a railway track, the ultrasonic inspection system for attaching to a bogie for pulling over the railway track, comprising a framework for attaching to the bogie, a sled for inspecting a rail, the sled carrying an array of ultrasonic transducers for detecting flaws in the rail, the system further comprising a water subsystem for ensuring fluid coupling between the sled and the rail, automatic lateral position rectification subsystem for keeping the sleds centered over the railway tracks as the train moves along the track, the ultrasonic transducers in data communication with a computing system in a wagon over the bogie for analyzing and mapping the flaws in the rail, wherein at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers is mounted in the same housing thereby shortening the length of the sled to be irrigated.

A system for analyzing a railroad track comprises a transport device, a camera coupled to the transport device, an electronic display device, a memory device, and one or more processors. The camera is disposed adjacent to a rail of the railroad track and generates image data reproducible as one or more images of at least a portion of a surface of the rail. The processors can produce an image of the rail surface, which includes a plurality of elongated portions. The image is analyzed to identify any defects that exist within each elongated portion of the rail surface. The processors determine a value of a metric for each elongated portion of the rail surface. The metric is associated with the identified defects. The electronic display device displays a graph indicative of the metric for each elongated portion, the image of the rail surface, or both.

A system for analyzing a railroad track comprises a transport device, a camera coupled to the transport device, an electronic display device, a memory device, and one or more processors. The camera is disposed adjacent to a rail of the railroad track and generates image data reproducible as one or more images of at least a portion of a surface of the rail. The processors can produce an image of the rail surface, which includes a plurality of elongated portions. The image is analyzed to identify any defects that exist within each elongated portion of the rail surface. The processors determine a value of a metric for each elongated portion of the rail surface. The metric is associated with the identified defects. The electronic display device displays a graph indicative of the metric for each elongated portion, the image of the rail surface, or both.

A diagnostic inspection system for inspecting railway components which can be mounted on a railway vehicle designed to travel on a railway track, said diagnostic inspection system being designed to perform a diagnostic inspection of a railway component during movement on the railway track, said diagnostic inspection system comprising: one single mechanical structure (10) which can be fixed below the body of a railway vehicle; first optical units (13) positioned on said mechanical structure (10) for a first rail (11); second optical units (14) positioned on said mechanical structure (10) for a second rail (12); each of said optical units (13, 14) comprises: a matrix camera (20) associated with an infrared laser (21), and a linear camera (22) associated with a white laser (RGB) (23); said white laser (RGB) (23) comprises: three laser sources capable of emitting the three primary colours; three dichroic mirrors able to sum the components of said three laser sources in one single point; a Powell lens to generate a white light line; said first optical units (13) comprise a first left-hand optical unit positioned externally to said first rail (11) and inclined to frame the outer side of said first rail (11), a first central optical unit positioned perpendicular above said first rail (11) and a first right-hand optical unit positioned externally to said first rail (11) and inclined to frame the inner side of said first rail (11); said second optical units (14) comprise a second left-hand optical unit positioned internally to said second rail (12) and inclined to frame the inner side of said second rail (12), a second central optical unit positioned perpendicular above said second rail (12) and a second right-hand optical unit positioned externally to said second rail (12) and inclined to frame the outer side of said second rail (12); said mechanical structure (10) is a bar having a length greater than the distance between said first rail (11) and said second rail (12).

A diagnostic inspection system for inspecting railway components which can be mounted on a railway vehicle designed to travel on a railway track, said diagnostic inspection system being designed to perform a diagnostic inspection of a railway component during movement on the railway track, said diagnostic inspection system comprising: one single mechanical structure (10) which can be fixed below the body of a railway vehicle; first optical units (13) positioned on said mechanical structure (10) for a first rail (11); second optical units (14) positioned on said mechanical structure (10) for a second rail (12); each of said optical units (13, 14) comprises: a matrix camera (20) associated with an infrared laser (21), and a linear camera (22) associated with a white laser (RGB) (23); said white laser (RGB) (23) comprises: three laser sources capable of emitting the three primary colours; three dichroic mirrors able to sum the components of said three laser sources in one single point; a Powell lens to generate a white light line; said first optical units (13) comprise a first left-hand optical unit positioned externally to said first rail (11) and inclined to frame the outer side of said first rail (11), a first central optical unit positioned perpendicular above said first rail (11) and a first right-hand optical unit positioned externally to said first rail (11) and inclined to frame the inner side of said first rail (11); said second optical units (14) comprise a second left-hand optical unit positioned internally to said second rail (12) and inclined to frame the inner side of said second rail (12), a second central optical unit positioned perpendicular above said second rail (12) and a second right-hand optical unit positioned externally to said second rail (12) and inclined to frame the outer side of said second rail (12); said mechanical structure (10) is a bar having a length greater than the distance between said first rail (11) and said second rail (12).

A railway track condition monitoring system including a plurality of sensors installed on a rail of the track and spaced by a predetermined distance from each other. The sensors having respective signal acquisition and recording means for the acquisition and recording of an acoustic signal being generated by an approaching train and propagated by the rail or by a ground carrying the rail. A signal transfer means for the transfer of an acquired and recorded signal to the passing train by wireless transfer at the time of passing of the train in proximity to sensors, and a signal analyzing means for analysing transferred ones of the acquired and recorded signal on-board the passing train. The signal analyzing means may be adapted to compare in a processing unit the signals from adjacent sensors and on that basis indicate a rail discontinuity.

A railway track condition monitoring system including a plurality of sensors installed on a rail of the track and spaced by a predetermined distance from each other. The sensors having respective signal acquisition and recording means for the acquisition and recording of an acoustic signal being generated by an approaching train and propagated by the rail or by a ground carrying the rail. A signal transfer means for the transfer of an acquired and recorded signal to the passing train by wireless transfer at the time of passing of the train in proximity to sensors, and a signal analyzing means for analysing transferred ones of the acquired and recorded signal on-board the passing train. The signal analyzing means may be adapted to compare in a processing unit the signals from adjacent sensors and on that basis indicate a rail discontinuity.