The Frauscher Track Vacancy System FTVS was developed as a cost-effective axle counting solution for non-vital applications. During its initial development phase, several pre-production units were tested in real-world environments to assess their overall performance in various yard settings – to this end, a number of trials were conducted in the United States.

The trials aimed to evaluate not only the system’s performance but also its ease of installation and maintenance, as well as its ability to integrate seamlessly into existing yard infrastructure.

One of the trial installations, conducted from October 2022 to March 2023, involved installing three Frauscher Wheel Sensors RSR110 at a yard switch and connecting them to the FTVS. Monitored regularly by Frauscher engineers, the system handled an average of 30 vehicles and 3600 axles daily without any miscounts, resets, or equipment failures. The quick and convenient installation of the wheel sensors was facilitated by the patented Frauscher rail claw, which eliminated the need for drilling into the rail. Due to the faultless performance of the FTVS, the trial was deemed as a success, and the railroad operator decided to move the FTVS equipment from this yard and reinstall it in a different yard. The system is now operational in the second yard, where the operator aims to verify and replicate the impressive results observed at the original location.