Progressive Railroading Reader's Choice Awards 2021


It's time to vote! We want your input on how these products rank as innovative, standing out and meeting rail-industry needs.

Rank your top 3 below from 1 to 3. 1 being the best, 2 your second best pick and 3 your third best pick.

Winners will be announced in Progressive Railroading magazine, the eNewsletter and on the website.

  ECORail Biobased Top of Rail Compound


ECORail Biobased Top of Rail Compound
RAILMARK TRACK WORKS INC. - Derived using USA-grown crop oils, creates a naturally higher Viscosity Index. Biobased molecules bond and adhere better to metal surfaces than mineral oil. ECORail’s Top-of-Rail Compound will withstand pressure & thinning. ECORail’s lubricants meet EPA’s “EPP” criteria, USDA’s “BioPreferred” product, and is “Biobased Labeled”. Use in any wayside lubricator.

  CloudMoyo Interline Settlement System (ISS)


CloudMoyo Interline Settlement System (ISS)
CloudMoyo - ISS automates interline settlement processing & dispute resolution to accelerate revenue cycles, with up to 97% concurrence in the first settlement. ISS, built on Azure cloud, automates key processes, reconciles claims, & helps mitigate risks using advanced analytics. Its AAR Accounting Rules compliant Railinc certified, & handles bulk EDI messaging for Class I railroads.

  Piper StandClear Passenger Counting & Social Distancing


Piper StandClear Passenger Counting & Social Distancing
Piper Networks Inc. - Piper’s social distancing solution will renew confidence for passengers to return to mass transit. Passenger counting, designed for transit agencies, uses Piper’s LiDAR technology to capture passenger crowding on trains & platforms. The info is communicated in real-time to mobile apps and LED light pipes on platforms so passengers can choose the least occupied cars.

  The Brake Stick


The Brake Stick
Precision Cut - This product is a new lightweight Brake Stick weighing 2.2 lbs which replaces the traditional heavy metal brake sticks that weigh between 8 and 15 lbs. New lightweight technology creates a single handle tool to push or pull brake wheels, push brake release levers, turn angle cocks, adjust draw bars and arm EOTs. Can be used through an entire work day without fatigue.

  Pharos 8" Wayside LED Signal


Pharos 8
Siemens Mobility - Siemens Mobility’s Pharos 8” Wayside LED Signal is the only LED fully compliant to AREMA chromaticity requirements. With its patented 4 lens system, it has a more than 50% reduction in phantom aspects and is fully compatible with existing wayside control systems. Comes in red, yellow, green and lunar white in both 1/2 mile and 1mile versions.

  X5


X5
Icomera - The X5 is Icomera’s 5G-enabled router, which houses four 5G radio modems. The X5 is the latest multi-radio mobile access and applications router for connected vehicle solutions, simultaneously supporting resource-intensive applications such as Wi-Fi, infotainment, and real-time video surveillance as part of a single solution.

  Vancer Cold Air Blower


Vancer Cold Air Blower
Vancer - The Vancer Cold Air Blower quickly and safely clears snow and ice buildup off tracks and switches. Designed to be mounted on an excavator with a rotating coupler, the cold air blower’s hydraulically driven fan moves a high-pressure stream of air to clear the targeted area. Steel cables with button stop ends help break up ice and packed snow.

  PowerHouse Hybrid


PowerHouse Hybrid
Power Drives, Inc. - The US-EPA SmartWay verified IRT, the PowerHouse, maintains a system temperature of above 100°F. The Hybrid model can operate solely on battery power. The charger is active when the system is plugged into an external AC power source and it trickle charges the locomotive batteries when plugged in. When unplugged, it operates solely off the locomotive batteries.

  Rail Pro Flex


Rail Pro Flex
Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. - Loram’s Rail Pro Flex is an integrated data collection and analysis system that allows RGS Specialty Grinders to inspect most track assets, create grind plans, and help execute the precise grinding of switches and other specialty assets for increased safety, productivity, and quality for any heavy haul or commuter railroad.

  Rail Pro Infinity


Rail Pro Infinity
Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. - Loram’s Rail Pro Infinity allows for infinite control of production rail grinding pattern combinations to grind to any transverse profile more efficiently than previously attainable. Heavy haul rail grinding programs experience a reduction in metal removal needs, increased productivity, and equipment optimization, and increased post-grind quality.

  Shift5 for Rail


Shift5 for Rail
Shift5, Inc. - Using hardware & software integration, Shift5 for Rail captures and analyzes data from locomotive subsystems to decrease maintenance costs, unlock operational efficiencies, and protect Serial Data Bus systems vulnerable to cyberattacks. Our solution is designed for both passenger and freight railroads and includes executive dashboards for real-time fleet health status.

  436 Software's Customer Web Portal


436 Software's Customer Web Portal
436 Software - Originally developed at a high-volume regional railroad and then acquired and commercialized in the fourth quarter of 2020, 436 Software's Customer Web Portal is flexible software that can consolidate data from numerous, disparate systems into a cohesive “single pane of glass” that provides real value to customers and internal stakeholders.

  LCS-III


Cattron - A comprehensive remote control safety solution for FRA regulated rail operations. Features dynamic speed control, remote 4G connectivity, RF protocols support repeaters for extended range and compliant with 49 CFR § 229.15. Provides monitoring, configuration, archive record access and maintenance information.

  Virtual Sample Railcar™


Virtual Sample Railcar™
The Greenbrier Companies - The Greenbrier Companies developed Virtual Sample Railcar™ (VSR) to remotely bring customers into the plant to inspect the quality of a sample railcar from the convenience of their own home. VSR is a live and interactive customer event that has saved millions in unneeded customer travel and security costs, plus days out of the office for shippers, railroads and lessors.

Thanks for voting!