System and method for detecting a change or an obstruction to a railway track

1. A system for determining the capability of a railroad track to safely carry railroad vehicles over the track by sensing changes in an environment proximate the track, the system comprising:

a) a sensor for detecting a magnetic field proximate the railroad track and generating data indicative of the magnetic field, wherein the sensor is fixed within the railway ballast material to determine whether the magnetic field around the ballast material changes, said railway ballast material being within the environment proximate the railroad track;

b) a processor for processing data from the sensor to identify changes in the magnetic field proximate the track that affect the capability of the railroad track to safely carry railroad vehicles, said change in the magnetic field resulting from a movement of the railway ballast material; and

c) a communication device in communication with the processor for transmitting indicia indicative of changes in the environment proximate the track affecting the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein changes in the environment proximate the track that affect the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles includes changes in support for the railroad track.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein changes in the environment proximate the track that affect the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles includes objects that have been positioned adjacent the track and that may interfere with the travel of the railroad vehicles along the track.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein changes in the environment proximate the track that affect the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles includes objects that have been positioned across the track and that may interfere with the travel of the railroad vehicles along the track.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication device gives notice of the loss of support for the track to at least one of a train, a service facility, and railway equipment operable to prevent train movement towards the monitored track.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each sensor is capable of determining a change in the magnetic field in multi-directions.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor further comprises a filter to reduce a noise signal detected by the sensor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said filter comprises at least one of a high pass filter and a low pass filter.

9. A method of determining the capability of a railroad track to safely carry railroad vehicles over the track by sensing changes in the environment proximate the track, wherein said change results from a movement of a railway ballast material, the method comprising:

a) positioning sensors within the railway ballast material in the environment proximate the track;

b) detecting a magnetic field proximate the railroad ballast material;

c) generating data indicative of the magnetic field;

d) identifying changes in the magnetic field proximate the track as indicative of the movement of the railway ballast material that affect the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles; and

e) transmitting indicia indicative of changes in the environment proximate the track affecting the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of identifying changes in the magnetic field further comprises detecting changes in support for the railroad track so as to safely carry railroad vehicles on the track.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of identifying changes in the magnetic field further comprises detecting objects that have been positioned adjacent the track and that may interfere with the travel of the railroad vehicles along the track.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of identifying changes in the magnetic field further comprises detecting objects that have been positioned across the track and that may interfere with the travel of the railroad vehicles along the track.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transmitting indicia indicative of changes in the environment further comprises transmitting when loss of support for the track is detected to at least one of a train, a service facility, and railway equipment operable to prevent train movement towards the monitored track.

14. A system for determining the capability of a railroad track to safely carry railroad vehicles over the track by sensing changes in an environment proximate the track, the system comprising:

a) a sensor for detecting the earth's magnetic field proximate the railroad track and generating data indicative of the magnetic field, wherein the sensor is attached to a railway tie to determine whether the railway tie has moved beyond a predetermined threshold, said determination based on a magnetic field difference during a movement of said railway tie having exceeded the predetermined threshold, said railway tie being within the environment proximate the railroad track;

b) a processor for processing data from the sensor to identify changes in the magnetic field proximate the track that affect the capability of the railroad track to safely carry railroad vehicles, said change in the magnetic field resulting from a movement of the railway tie; and

c) a communication device in communication with the processor for transmitting indicia indicative of changes in the environment proximate the track affecting the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles.