Canadian National Detector Overview
CN DHP2000
In the 1980s, CN developed their own overlay talker system for existing Servo installations using the Z80 microprocessor. Bilingual units were used in Quebec on lines where English-speaking crews would operate.
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Harmon Model 75
On former GTW lines, CN reprogrammed the GTW-era Harmon Model 75s to announce Canadian National.
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Progress Rail MicroHBD
The MicroHBD is CN's current preferred detector model, and have been for the past 20 years or so. Virtually
every detector in the United States is a MicroHBD, although STC units do remain in operation in Canada.
To learn how to identify whether a detector is a MicroHBD or an STC Sentry 2100, see the section below on the STC Sentry 2100.
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STC Sentry 2058
CN inherited some Sentry 2058 units when they took over the Wisconsin Central and Algoma Central, some of which were reprogrammed to say CN. These units retained the standard voice in lieu of the custom Canadian voice featured on the Sentry 2100.
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STC Sentry 2100
In the early 2000s, CN installed numerous detectors with STC Type 2 bearing scanners. Due to the timeframe and
the scanners used, they can only be STC Sentry 2100 units - the Sentry 2058 used different bearing scanners, and the SmartScan NG was
not introduced until 2004.
These units sound extremely close to the MicroHBD units that CN used with the same exact voice in Canada. The easiest way to tell the
difference is to look at the bearing scanners themselves at each installation. Furthermore, the Sentry 2100s tend to be HBD-DED only
sites while the MicroHBDs tend to also include HWD capabilities, although this is not the case 100% of the time. Transducers are
interchangeable between manufacturers, so it is not uncommon to see GE/Progress Rail transducers being used with an STC detector
(sometimes mixed & matched with STC transducers).
To identify them by audio only, there are some subtle differences to pay attention to. Perhaps the easiest way to discern them is the
tone at the beginning: the Sentry 2100's is slightly lower pitched and stops transmitting briefly after the tone, whereas the
MicroHBD's tone is slightly higher pitched and keeps transmitting. The STC 2100 also has a slightly slower pace and quieter audio, as
well as saying numbers 5, 7, & 9, and "Total Axle" differently than the MicroHBD. For French-speaking detectors, the Sentry 2100s say
"Essiuex Total" while the MicroHBD says "Total Essiuex" for the axle count.
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