.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........: :.........
........:« «:........
.......:«* *«:.......
......:«*% @%«@%«@%«@%«@%«@%«@%«@%«@%«@%«@%« %*«:......
.....:«*%& %@« %@« &%*«:.....
....:«*%&¶ %«@ 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. &%*«:.....
....:«*%&¶ ¶&%*«:....
...:«*%&¶@ @¶&%*«:...
..:«*%&¶@# #@¶&%*«:..
.:«*%&¶@## ##@¶&%*«:.
..:«*%&¶@# #@¶&%*«:..