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.........: #&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~ :.........
........:~ ~ ~ ~:........
.......:~\ &~# SUCKING TRANSFORMER &~# \~:.......
......:~\= ~ ~ =\~:......
.....:~\=& ~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#& &=\~:.....
....:~\=&& &&=\~:....
...:~\=&&£ A TYPE OF TRANSFORMER (AN ELECTRICAL £&&=\~:...
..:~\=&&£# COMPONENT) FOUND MAINLY ALONG RAILWAY #£&&=\~:..
.:~\=&&£## LINES. THEY'RE USUALLY MOUNTED HALFWAY ##£&&=\~:.
..:~\=&&£# BETWEEN THE RAILS AND THE OVERHEAD #£&&=\~:..
...:~\=&&£ POWERLINES. £&&=\~:...
....:~\=&& &&=\~:....
.....:~\=& AS FAR AS TRANSFORMERS GO, THESE ARE &=\~:.....
......:~\= ~VERY BIG~. INSTEAD, NOT AS MANY ARE =\~:......
.......:~\ NEEDED. AMONG ALL RAIL-ADJACENT \~:.......
........:~ ARTIFACTS/SYMBOLS, THEY BELONG TO THE ~:........
.........: RARER KIND. :.........
.......... ..........
.......... ~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#& ..........
.......... ..........
.......... THE RAILPEOPLE ARE IN GENERAL VERY ..........
.......... SECRETIVE ABOUT THEIR SYMBOLS AND ..........
.........: MACHINES, SO ALSO WITH THE THIS :.........
........:~ TRANSFORMER. WHAT WE KNOW IS WHAT WE ~:........
.......:~\ CAN OBSERVE. \~:.......
......:~\= =\~:......
.....:~\=& A SUCKING TRANSFORMER IS SURROUNDED BY &=\~:.....
....:~\=&& TWO SIGNS, BOTH AROUND TWENTY FOUR &&=\~:....
...:~\=&&£ METERS TO EACH SIDE OF IT. TRANINS DO £&&=\~:...
..:~\=&&£# NOT STOP BETWEEN THESE SIGNS DURING ANY #£&&=\~:..
.:~\=&&£## CIRCUMSTANCES - IF THE CHOICE IS ##£&&=\~:.
..:~\=&&£# BETWEEN HALTING WITHIN, OR RUNNING INTO #£&&=\~:..
...:~\=&&£ ANOTHER TRAIN JUST OUTSIDE, THEY PREFER £&&=\~:...
....:~\=&& COLLIDING. &&=\~:....
.....:~\=& &=\~:.....
......:~\= WATER AVOIDS THEM. IN LIGHT RAIN, THE =\~:......
.......:~\ GROUND CLOSEST TO A TRANSFORMER STAYS \~:.......
........:~ DRY. A COMMON SIGHT IS A CREEK OR ~:........
.........: STREAM MAKING A HALF-CIRCLE DETOUR. :.........
.......... GENERALLY, SUCKING TRANSFORMERS ARE NOT ..........
.......... PLACED NEAR TO LARGER BODIES OF WATER. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... &~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~#&~# ..........
.......... ..........
.........: THEIR FUNCTION FOR THE RAIL ENVIRONMENT :.........
........:~ IS POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THEY SEEM TO PULL ~:........
.......:~\ IN STRAY FIELDS AND ELECTRICITIES. \~:.......
......:~\= SUPERSTITION EXIST THAT THEY ALSO =\~:......
.....:~\=& AFFECT SPIRITS, GIJINKAS, AND EVEN THE &=\~:.....
....:~\=&& SOULS OF LIVING CREATURES. &&=\~:....
...:~\=&&£ £&&=\~:...
..:~\=&&£# #£&&=\~:..
.:~\=&&£## ##£&&=\~:.
..:~\=&&£# #£&&=\~:..
...:~\=&&£ £&&=\~:...