Amtrak Signal Maintenance Training – Level 1 (SMT-1) Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• A relay picks faster when wired in what configuration?
• Test 2 is used to measure what?
• What are red tags on a wire?
• What safety steps should you take before opening any signaling cabinet door?
• What is the purpose of a pull-down or pull-up resistor in signaling logic?
• How would you count the cable toward the North, East, or House end?
• What is the typical sequence of steps to restore a failed signal after identifying a fault?
• Test 4 is used for which device?
• How often do you need to requalify for AMT-2?
• Test 4a involves which type of relays?
• Code following relay positions are?
• What is the function of terminal blocks in a cabinet?
• What is the function of a terminal strip in a signaling cabinet?
• How do you read an automatic signal?
• How often is Test 4b performed?
• What is added to a 3 block 4 territory?
• Which device changes AC to AC?
• How would you count the cable toward the South, West, or Function end?
• What is Test 4?
• Which component is commonly used to snub the drop across a relay coil?
• What is the max voltage and amps on a W400 UT transformer?
• What type of cable powers a transformer?
• Which device converts DC to AC?
• In a normally closed relay contact, what happens when the coil is energized?
• What is slow speed?
• Which device converts DC to DC?
• What is a ballast resistor, and where is it used in signaling lamp circuits?
• What is the UT transformer secondary voltage and amps?
• What is the function of a relay coil in a signaling cabinet and what happens when it energizes?
• The arm in the relay is connected to what?
• Which of the following is not a defined speed category?
• What are green tags on a wire?
• Which speed category ensures stopping within one half the range of vision and has limits of 20 mph outside interlockings and 15 mph inside interlockings?
• Outside interlockings, what is the maximum speed under restricting speed rules?
• What does insulation resistance testing measure, and what indicates good insulation?
• In the test schedule, Test 18 must be separated from the previous instance by at least how many days?
• What is the Ohm's Law equation?
• Which sequence best describes a systematic approach to isolating a fault in a signaling system?
• Which statement best describes the effect when a B arm signal is flashing?
• A continuous input of current to a storage battery is called what?
• What best describes a biased relay?
• Which component is used as a voltage regulator?
• What safety action must be performed before beginning fault diagnosis in this signaling maintenance framework?
• When voltage is increased across a fixed resistor, what happens to the current?
• Which color indicates AC high voltage?
• During fault isolation, which step directly follows inspecting for obvious faults?
• What is the amperage rating of the UT transformer's secondary?
• Name three common components you would expect to find inside a signaling cabinet.
• What is a common cause of phantom signaling faults?
• If the pick path drops, what would happen to the stick path? (ERS)
• Which switch size can you go over at 45/40 mph?
• How often do you requalify for NORAC?
• What colors typically indicate stop, caution, and proceed in Amtrak signal aspects?
• When a track circuit shows occupancy during testing, what would you expect the detector to indicate?
• What increases when parallel?
• What is the purpose of an impedance bond in track circuit wiring?
• Why is grounding and bonding important in track-side equipment?
• How does route locking complement interlocking?
• In ladder logic, what determines the output state on a rung?
• What is the minimum interval, in days, between occurrences of Test 18?
• In a simple circuit, which configuration yields higher current capacity?
• When testing a diode with a digital multimeter, which result indicates proper diode behavior?
• Which gauge is used for the transformer power cable in the described setup?
• Why is lockout/tagout (LOTO) required before performing maintenance on signaling equipment?
• How do you differentiate a protection device (fuse) from a circuit breaker?
• What size switch can you go over at 30 mph?
• US&S Mag Stick relay position?
• BDR associated cab code?
• What is the BRD associated cab code?
• Crossing and flasher amp hours
• What is added to a 3 block 4 territory?
• How often must test 4a be performed?
• For Test 18, the required gap between two consecutive tests is at least how many days?
• How many volts is a lead acid battery?
• How many volts is a nickel cadmium battery?
• What does CCP(R) mean?
• What is a key difference between solid-state and electromagnetic signaling components?
• Which gauge is associated with DC normal voltage in the color-coding described?
• Which description matches the code following relay positions?
• Which wires are the control wires?
• US&S relay sizes?
• What is the full order of the chain of command?
• At 15 mph, which switch size can be traversed?
• What happens to mag stick relays when the coil is de-energized?
• How often do you requalify for AMT 23 & AMT 27?
• What is the reason for megging a cable?
• Which device changes direct current to alternating current?
• How would you distinguish a short circuit from a ground fault in signaling gear?
• What is the purpose of the audible device in a signaling circuit?
• In relay diagnostics, what is the typical order of testing to isolate a fault?
• What signal is displayed at the distant signal when the home signal is at a stop?
• Who is listed third in the chain of command?
• Lead-acid battery cell voltage is
• If insulation resistance test yields a very low resistance value, what does this indicate about insulation condition?
• What does 'de-energized' mean in the context of signal maintenance?
• What describes a material's opposition to the flow of electric current?
• Before energizing a modified wiring run, which checks should be performed?
• Which statement about circuit breakers is true?
• What does a capacitor do?
• What two elements are used to read control signals?
• During maintenance testing, Test 18 requires a minimum interval of how many days?
• The minimum days between Test 18 administrations is what?
• When the signal on the B arm is flashing, what is indicating?
• What is limited speed?
• Which step should be taken to verify there is no voltage present at the circuit before maintenance?
• What must you do when checking for unknown voltage on a live circuit?
• For Test 18, what is the minimum number of days that must pass between tests?
• When any function of a signal is to be taken out of service, what needs to be done?
• In planning Test 18, what is the smallest permitted number of days separating this test from the next?
• What is the associated cab code for a slow clear?
• During pre-energization checks, why is inspecting color coding important?
• Which statement about restricting speed and interlockings is true?
• Who is listed second in the chain of command?
• What does a resistor do?
• Who is listed first in the chain of command?
• When testing a diode with a multimeter, which observation indicates the diode is functioning properly?
• If a relay coil is found stuck energized, what is the proper action?
• Who reports to and receives instruction from the deputy chief engineer C&S?
• Which instrument is used to measure insulation resistance between conductors or to ground?
• What is the Ohm's Law equation?
• What does it indicate when a fault log entry states 'interlock failures' in signaling operations?
• What code is used for Tru II detection mode inside interlocking?
• After repairing or replacing a component, what is the next step before returning to service according to the standard sequence?
• What term describes the direct movement of electrons?
• What is medium speed?
• For a fixed resistor, increasing the supply voltage will cause the current to do what?
• What is the least number of days allowed between Test 18 occurrences?
• Which device converts AC to DC?
• Which of the following is not a typical component inside a signaling cabinet?
• What is resistor measured in?
• How deep do you bury cable?
• What is the mandated minimum interval, in days, for Test 18?
• What is restricting speed?
• Who does the supervisor report to?
• Which measurement indicates an insulation fault in a signal cable?
• What is the force with which electrons travel?
• Briefly describe how a DC track circuit detects a train in a block.
• What do DC cells connected in series form?
• What does a diode do?
• The protocol for Test 18 specifies a minimum interval of how many days?
• When a relay coil energizes, what happens to its contacts in a signaling circuit?
• How should you handle high voltage equipment safely during SMT-1 tasks?
• Inside interlockings, what is the maximum speed under restricting speed rules?
• Which measurements would you perform with a digital multimeter in a cabinet circuit?
• Before re-energizing, what should you confirm about the lockout?
• GRS Mag Stick relay positions?
• A pull-up resistor is used to keep a digital input in a known high state when the input is floating. Which option best completes?
• Which tag color is associated with a special arrangement?
• Which action is recommended to diagnose intermittent signaling faults caused by insulation damage?
• How do you check continuity?
• Define absolute block.
• The schedule for Test 18 requires a minimum of how many days between tests?
• Ohm's Law is applied in signaling circuits to size which components?
• Define normally open and normally closed contacts and how they change state.
• GRS relay sizes?
• Which tag color indicates a cutover connection?
• In any cycle, the minimum separation between two Test 18 tests is how many days?
• How would you interpret a simple relay-logic rung on a ladder diagram?
• How does route locking complement interlocking?
• Which physical cue can indicate insulation fault?
• Which device converts AC to AC?
• BRD associated Cab code?
• What is the requalification frequency for NORAC?
• Which color indicators on a relay represent voltage type?
• What is a primary benefit of proper grounding in track-side equipment?
• What is a zener diode?
• What is Test 2?
• What is the role of a driver or transformer in a low-voltage signaling circuit?
• Tru II detection mode inside interlocking?
• Which statement about biased relays is correct?
• In schematic symbols, what does a normally closed relay contact look like and when is it closed?
• To comply with Test 18 scheduling, the gap must be at least how many days?
• What is the associated cab code rate for an approach?
• Which of the following best represents how to read an automatic signal?
• How often do you do Test 4b? (Magnetic switch)
• Explain what 'reading a wiring diagram' entails when diagnosing a circuit.
• Which statement correctly describes mag stick relays when de-energized?
• How do you use a multimeter to test diode integrity in a signaling circuit?
• In a pull-down resistor, the default state for a digital input when the circuit is open is which?
• In a signaling system, when a normally open contact energizes, what is the resulting state?
• To diagnose intermittent signaling faults caused by loose connections, what is recommended?
• ADR associated cab code?
• Which statement is true about Mag Stick relay orientation when shown in prints?
• When arranging Test 18, the minimum days between tests must be at least how many days?
• Which device changes DC to DC?
• Between Test 18 sessions, the interval must be no shorter than how many days?
• In a cabinet, how does current behave differently in series versus parallel circuits?
• The combination of DC cells wired in series is best described as a what?
• What is the protective purpose of a fuse in a signaling circuit?
• What measures specific gravity in batteries?
• What increases when in series?
• What code is added to a 3 block 4 territory to indicate the approach?
• Which statement describes the role of testing equipment during isolation verification?
• If a continuity test between two wiring harness points reads infinite resistance, what does that indicate?
• An insulation fault is indicated by which insulation resistance reading?
• What is the significance of ground potential in track equipment?
• What is an interlocking and why is it essential for safe train operations?
• Which color indicates DC normal voltage?
• A continuous input of current to compensate for internal loss is called what?
• After replacing a signaling lamp, how can you verify correct illumination and color?
• How do you verify a circuit is isolated after performing LOTO and before energizing?
• Which device helps prevent arching and pitting?
• Which activity best describes reading a wiring diagram when diagnosing a circuit?
• What is the minimum frequency interval for Test 18?
• Which of the following is a plausible root cause for phantom signaling faults in signaling cables?
• Which device changes alternating current to direct current?
• Which action helps diagnose intermittent signaling faults due to insulation damage?
• What does it mean if a fault log shows an interlock failure?
• How do you identify a broken conductor in a wiring harness using a continuity check?
• What do yellow tags on a wire indicate?