.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........: :.........
........:~ ~:........
.......:~: #$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~ :~:.......
......:~:* $#~ $#~ *:~:......
.....:~:*$ $~# 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. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... $~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~#$~# ..........
.......... ..........
.......... THEIR FUNCTION FOR THE RAIL ENVIRONMENT ..........
.......... IS POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THEY SEEM TO PULL ..........
.........: IN STRAY FIELDS AND ELECTRICITIES. :.........
........:~ SUPERSTITION EXIST THAT THEY ALSO ~:........
.......:~: AFFECT SPIRITS, GIJINKAS, AND EVEN THE :~:.......
......:~:* SOULS OF LIVING CREATURES. *:~:......
.....:~:*$ $*:~:.....
....:~:*$£ £$*:~:....
...:~:*$£# #£$*:~:...
..:~:*$£## ##£$*:~:..
.:~:*$£### ###£$*:~:.