:~:....... .......:~:
%:~:...... ......:~:%
*%:~:..... .....:~:%*
#*%:~:.... ....:~:%*#
##*%:~:... ...:~:%*##
###*%:~:.. #*~#*~#*~#*~#*~#*~#*~#*~#*~#*~#*~ ..:~:%*###
####*%:~:. *#~ *#~ .:~:%*####
###*%:~:.. *~# 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. .:~:%*####
###*%:~:.. ..:~:%*###
##*%:~:... ...:~:%*##
#*%:~:.... ....:~:%*#
*%:~:..... .....:~:%*
%:~:...... ......:~:%