A modern, high-tech CCTV has been installed at a popular miniature railway to keep passengers safe and protect the installation.
The video surveillance system, manufactured by Hanwha Techwin, is being used by the operators of the Audley End Miniature Railway in order to ensure that the 100,000 plus people who visit the Railway every year are able to enjoy all its facilities safely.
The 10¼” gauge miniature railway, which is located close to Audley End House in Saffron Walden, Essex, was built in 1964 by the then Lord Braybrooke as a hobby. It has since become a major tourist attraction, with enthusiasts able to enjoy steam and diesel train rides through the beautiful Audley End estate woodland, designed by Capability Brown, whilst young visitors can venture through a ‘Fairy and Elf’ walk.
IP network solution
Originally installed as a replacement for an old analogue CCTV system, following a number of security incidents, the new IP-based Wisenet system is now also being used to keep a close eye on the trains moving around the 2.4km track and visitor car parking areas. In addition, it is also helping with management of the queues of people waiting to buy tickets and to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
The video surveillance system, comprising 14 Wisenet cameras and a network video recorder (NVR), has been installed by IT infrastructure specialist Eastern Voice and Data, which also designed and installed the miniature railway’s network and Wi-Fi.
“We have previously installed Wisenet cameras for other clients and have been impressed with their robustness and reliability, as well as the quality of the captured images,” said Russell Marriott, director of Norwich-based Eastern Voice and Data. “As a result, we were able to confidently recommend to Audley End Miniature Railway that all cameras should be selected from the Wisenet Q camera range. We then worked closely with the Hanwha Techwin pre-sales team to select the most appropriate camera model for each location.”
High-definition
The cameras are all able to capture 4MP high-definition images of objects, regardless of the lighting conditions, with the help of built-in infra-red illumination. They also feature defocus, motion and tamper detection, hallway view and lens distortion correction, whilst support for Power over Ethernet (PoE) has negated the need for separate power supplies and cabling to each camera location.
Images from all of the cameras are recorded and stored on a 16-channel network video recorder.
Bob Ottaway, general manager of the Audley End Miniature Railway, added: “Our old CCTV was well past its ‘use-by’ date and lacked the functionality required to help us maintain a safe environment for our visitors and staff, as well as deter would-be intruders and vandals.
“We are now able to closely monitor all activity throughout the site during opening hours and, with the help of the Wisenet Mobile App, we can also be remotely alerted via smartphones and tablets to any suspicious activity when we are closed.”
Be the first to comment