F-0052 An exchange during inspection work, drifting toward the far end of track 3

June 11 (Sat)

09:03
Ogata: Alright, today we’ll just do the usual three points.
Saeki: Got it. Did you bring an umbrella? Forecast looks iffy from this afternoon.
Ogata: Got one in the car. One battery should be enough, the range is small.
Saeki: Should be fine. Visibility’s good today, so I think I can track it by eye from here too.

09:15
Saeki: Oh, I can see it. It’s flying over the old platform right now.
Ogata: Yeah, it’s on the monitor too. Nothing unusual.

09:20
Saeki: Didn’t we pick up the road construction noise from below last week?
Ogata: Oh, did you put that in the report?
Saeki: Didn’t bother, it wasn’t a big deal.

09:22
Ogata: Nothing different.
Saeki: Right, let’s move on. We’ll finish up just checking the platform side.

09:40
Ogata: That’s it, I’ll file today as no anomalies.
Saeki: Good work. Oh, by the way, are you going to next month’s training too?

09:41
Ogata: The renewal one? Yeah, I’m going. Already took the day off.

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June 18 (Sat)

09:10
Ogata: Huh, isn’t the departure board lit up? The one on the platform side.
Saeki: Where? Can’t see it from this angle.
Ogata: It’s on the monitor. …Oh, it just went out.
Saeki: Huh, already?
Ogata: Yeah, just now. Maybe someone forgot to turn it off — it’s a powered section after all. I’ll note it down.

09:13
Ogata: I pointed the camera back there again, but there’s nothing.
Saeki: Maybe the camera just shook.
Ogata: Maybe.

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June 25 (Sat)

10:05
Ogata: Hey, are you picking up that sound just now?
Saeki: What sound? I don’t hear anything from here.
Ogata: It’s on the mic. Something like a chime, like a departure signal, just for a second. I’ll turn up the sensitivity.

10:07
Ogata: Ah, it’s coming in again. Something. From the far end of track 3.
Saeki: The faint one?
Ogata: It’s faint, but it clearly sounds musical. Maybe a nearby crossing?
Saeki: There’s no crossing in this section anymore. It should’ve been removed already.
Ogata: Then what is it. Well, might just be mic noise.

10:20
Ogata: That’s it for today.
Saeki: Good thing the weather held. Good work.

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June 29 (Wed) *At the office, reviewing past records

14:20
Saeki: I was going back through the records a bit.
Ogata: Yeah.
Saeki: Both the departure board thing and the sound — they’re at the far end of track 3, right.
Ogata: I feel like the departure board was more on the platform side, but well, close enough.
Saeki: The weak signal from last week was just before that too, wasn’t it.
Ogata: Did that happen?

14:22
Saeki: Should we focus on that spot next time? It’s not originally in the inspection scope, so just as an extra would be fine.
Ogata: Oh, it wasn’t in scope, that spot.
Saeki: I think it’s just excluded because it’s the far end of the powered section.
Ogata: Well, it’s a drone, so it should be fine.

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July 6 (Wed)

11:02
Ogata: Alright, today we’ll just take a look at the far end of track 3. Won’t get too close.
Saeki: Okay, I can see the path. Visibility’s bad past this point, so I’m relying on your monitor.

11:05
Saeki: By the way, did you get the materials from that training?
Ogata: Got them, I’ll send them over later.

11:10
Ogata: Saeki, didn’t something flash down the tracks just now?
Saeki: Where? Can’t see it from here.
Ogata: Further in. Past the curve, just at the edge of the frame for a second.
Saeki: Can you rewind it?

11:11
Ogata: There’s nothing.
Saeki: Was it just a moment?
Ogata: Just a moment. I thought a train was coming around the curve.
Saeki: Maybe it’s lens flare.
Ogata: But I’ve never seen anything like that before.

11:20
Ogata: I’ll leave it here for today. No real reason to push closer.
Saeki: Let’s leave it in the records.

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July 9 (Sat)

09:28
Ogata: Got word from above today — we’re supposed to properly check the far end of track 3.
Saeki: Finally, huh.

09:30
Ogata: Alright, heading in.
Saeki: Okay, I can see the path. It’s windy today, be careful.

09:34
Ogata: Nothing unusual so far.
Saeki: Same here, no change.

09:36
Ogata: Oh, there’s noise in the video.
Saeki: Try backing off the position a bit.

09:37
Ogata: The departure board’s lit up. Feels longer than last time.

09:38
Ogata: Hey, don’t you hear that? Even from where you are.
Saeki: …I hear it. It’s loud today.

09:39
Ogata: Huh.
Saeki: What’s wrong.
Ogata: The controls aren’t responding.
Saeki: Are you okay.
Ogata: …Oh, wait, it’s moving. I’m not inputting anything though.
Saeki: Which way.
Ogata: Deeper in. It’s heading toward the curve.

09:40
Ogata: I’m stopping it.
Saeki: Is it responding?
Ogata: No. Speed’s increasing too.

09:41
Ogata: The monitor’s gone black.
Saeki: What about the location data.
Ogata: It’s coming through. …But it’s been stuck at the same spot for a while. Even though the speed should be increasing.

09:43
Ogata: It’s not coming back.
Saeki: Try calling it again.

09:45
Ogata: No good. No response.

09:48
Saeki: Should we go retrieve it?
Ogata: That’s a powered section, can’t do it.
Saeki: Right.

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July 9 (Sat) 15:10 (At the office)

Ogata: I’ll file the report for now.
Saeki: Are we suspending it?
Ogata: We’re down a unit too, there’s nothing we can do for a while.
Saeki: When can we get it running again, I wonder.
Ogata: Don’t know. Waiting on a decision from above.