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April 2023
Compiled by Michael Popke
The unmanned ENSCO Rail Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System (ATGMS) can be installed on locomotives, passenger trains or freight cars. Because it’s equipped on revenue cars, it does not impact rail traffic flow, so it can reduce operational costs, company officials said in an email.
ATGMS also provides increased inspection: Every train movement presents an opportunity to assess the track and detect defects. The system also offers significant operational efficiencies for data management and reporting, company officials said.
Track geometry data measured by ATGMS is streamed over wireless networks; detected exceptions with associated track locations are automatically sent via email to field personnel or directly to rail work-order maintenance systems.
ATGMS also features a web-based reporting system for historical analysis, trending and reporting functions. When combined with ENSCO data analytics, customers can detect defects sooner, identify the highest risk areas of a track network, and optimize maintenance and renewal planning, company officials said.
How does linear asset data move from collection on a track to real, actionable risk assessments? VisioStack Inc. offers a data management system called RailLinks® to help railroads answer that question.
The process begins with importing a variety of data formats into a single, organized data architecture. Customizable plugin workflows automatically cleanse and sort data, label attributes and detect changes. This enables various data types to “talk” to each other rather than be assessed individually, company officials said. The workflows can be mixed and matched based on a railway’s needs or goals.
After the new data is fully processed, high-power analytics compare historical trends and visualize trendlines to identify the most urgent areas for maintenance. Users can perform tailored searches of the entire database, combining multiple measurement parameters, asset types or production data to identify high risk areas and plan maintenance accordingly.
Once areas are identified, the RailLinks Workspace brings together various data streams — current and historical track measurements, point clouds, imagery and a satellite map view — into a single dashboard to provide maintainers a synchronized snapshot of any given point on a track, company officials said. In addition to the desktop platform, the RailLinks mobile app enables field personnel to work on location.
RailCens, a CensWise solution from Censys Technologies, autonomously performs manual right-of-way and infrastructure inspections quickly, accurately and in real time, company officials said.
A streamlined, simple-to-use AI modeling platform, RailCens converts “data to decisions” by processing various data streams — including raw and compressed images, as well as raw numerical sensory data in cloud-like environments, they said.
A dynamic module of the CensWise™ AI/ML software platform, RailCens is designed for deployment in both the transit and freight rail environments. The automated system allows for efficient and continuous inspections of infrastructure, reducing the safety risk and time needed to identify and fix problems, company officials said.
The modeling platform manages the full lifecycle of an AI application and can be used to “consume images as well as unstructured data,” and produce automated AI models, they said. From small data sets, it can generate models and increase algorithm performance/accuracy from live incoming data.
L.B. Foster continues to invest in its remote monitoring and asset management product portfolio. A provider of in wheel/rail interface friction management (FM) solutions, the company offers a Remote Performance Monitoring (RPM) platform that’s tailored for railroads’ FM programs.
RPM is designed to provide insight into the performance of entire FM programs spread over multiple divisions while allowing users to easily drill down and troubleshoot problems at the system level, company officials said. RPM also allows users to calculate both individual system and entire program uptime.
Additionally, RPM is designed to improve the efficiency of maintenance teams and reduce track access requirements. Each user can configure RPM to display what is most important to them, and custom reports built for individual customers provide exact and actionable insight, company officials said.
In the coming months, L.B. Foster plans to release a new Stand-Alone RPM device capable of adding RPM monitoring capability to non-RPM trackside systems.
When combined with the RPM system, L.B. Foster’s trackside friction management system PROTECTOR®X serves as an advanced friction management system. The patented top-of-rail foam application bars are designed to optimize the delivery of friction modifiers to the wheel/rail interface, maximizing pick-up and minimizing waste, company officials said.
Over-height vehicles present a significant hazard to low-clearance railroad bridges. When an impact occurs, a rapid response is vital to continuing safe and efficient railroad operations.
Loram Technologies Inc. offers a line of SENSR products aimed at delivering video and actionable data directly to a customer as quickly as possible following such an event.
When a vehicle strikes a monitored bridge, the motion is captured by the continuously recording SR1 triaxial accelerometer and biaxial tilt-meter. Data is transmitted via a cellular data connection on a minute-by-minute basis to the SENSRsi cloud, where it is immediately analyzed for impacts and stored, company officials said.
Once the system detects an impact, automated alerts are sent to the bridge owner and other interested parties via any combination of email, text message or automated phone call. Included in the alert message is a link to the online report containing relevant data captured, as well as a 15-second video clip of the incident as captured by the SIM1 camera at the site.
Up to six devices can be connected per SGC1 gateway controller, and the system can be powered by AC or solar panels. It also is entirely IP68 rated, making it versatile and durable enough for any application, company officials said.
Long trains have physical dynamics that can overstress many rail-car components. Precision Train Builder (PTB) was created by PS Technology Inc. (PST) to examine those forces before a train leaves a yard.
PTB is an automated software tool that uses detailed physical modeling of actual rail assets employing UMLER car information. This allows yardmasters or operations staff to quickly create hypothetical trains and then “run” them with the PTB Physics Engine on planned routes using actual geographic information system data for terrain accuracy, company officials said.
One of PST’s Class I users is in the final stages of complete PTB integration for prescriptive train building to help prevent accidents; PTB is used on every train run on that Class I’s network, they said.
Following the PTB automated analysis, the information is available as interactive visual components, enabling users to create customized reports for comparing a wide range of parameters, including power placement, Buff/Draft, tractive power, wind and brake pipe pressure. The simplified visual output was designed for technical and non-technical users.
The current PTB release has moved from predictive to prescriptive for prevention of break-in-twos, stalls (locomotives unable to crest a grade because of train weight) and excessive in-train force derailments (including cushion coupler trains). Additional analytics are being gathered for potential analysis of coupler and bearing wear combined with operational parameters, company officials said.
Railhead Corp.’s onboard video and data system with remote access and monitoring offers a scalable and modular approach, which enables users to start with the highest monitoring priorities and add to the system as time, a need and budget allow, company officials said.
Video evidence can prove invaluable at the time of an incident, they added. Recording additional data alongside the video can add a new dimension to a user’s efforts to “avoid unjust liability,” company officials said. A case can be made stronger if the exact speed, location, brake pressure and more is known at the time of an accident.
Data and video from onboard a train can be more than just a historical record of what happened. Adding a Railhead Fleetwide Tracker can enhance a video system with remote access capability, company officials said. Operators have the option of connecting to any equipped train via a Wi-Fi, cellular or satellite connection to view live video, download video clips remotely, stream event recorder data or monitor fuel levels and other onboard systems.
Railway Equipment Co. (REC) offers a range of remote monitoring products. Its lineup includes the new SMC Charger, which is 60% more efficient than previous models, as well as REC’s first Redundant Charger, which continues to operate on remaining modules should one fail, company officials said. The redundant charger also offers users the ability to estimate remaining battery runtime and provides battery charge percentages.
The company’s Automated Grade Crossing Test monitors and records working lights, gate arm position and individual battery cell voltages while under load without power from the charger. It also includes an audible alarm. Information can be fed on-demand to a railroad’s central system via a Simple Network Management Protocol.
Programmable settings allow for adjustment of length of test and load placed on batteries. The crossing test will immediately stop upon test time expired, crossing activation, low battery levels or detected fault. This allows railroads to perform grade crossing inspections remotely or on-site without needing to take crossings out of service, company officials said.
REC also offers an external event recorder that is compatible with existing crossing controllers for simple installation. It can store up to 1 million unique entries, expandable up to 96 separate digital and analog inputs.
The TransmetriQ Rail Management System (RMS) Asset Manager module allows operators to monitor and manage critical rail-car location, health and status data. A Railinc® brand, TransmetriQ supports the module with real-time data covering virtually every rail asset operating in North America, company officials said.
Asset Manager automatically displays key rail-car health and location data flowing from detectors covering the entire North American rail network. Users can customize dashboards, empowering them to make decisions based on such considerations as AI-enabled wheelset predictions, asset location, load/empty status, air brake test dates, upcoming tank qualification, and current and historical performance, company officials said.
With direct access to real-time Railinc data and AI-generated predictions, Asset Manager provides component life estimates to help schedule replacements and maintenance at preferred repair locations. Asset Manager dashboards leverage direct access to comprehensive rail industry fleet data using Railinc’s Equipment Health Management System, Equipment Advisory System, Damaged and Defective Car Tracking, movement systems and more.
ZTR Control Systems LLC offers an onboard remote monitoring solution designed to work with its NEXSYS™ III-i control system.
The ZTR Locomotive Communication Module connects to NEXSYS III-i to deliver information about locomotive health, performance, location and diagnostics. The data reveals insights about fleet health, fuel consumption, emissions, utilization, propulsion and control, and starting performance. The insights can save time and money in maintenance planning, performance reporting, remote troubleshooting, alert management and overall fleet efficiency, company officials said.
The ZTR locomotive monitoring solution identifies locomotive component failures, including weak batteries, contactor and relay failures, dynamic brake grid blower fan failures, pressure system leaks, traction motor winding failures and axle generator failures. In addition to performance data, it can provide location data and geofencing options.
The system includes an on-board graphical diagnostic display that allows real-time monitoring of locomotive parameters and system troubleshooting, while also providing crew messages and fault history.
The controller components have a lifespan of more than 25 years, are IEC 60571-certified for the harsh locomotive environment and come with 24/7/365 support, company officials said.
Michael Popke is a Madison, Wisconsin-based freelance writer. Email comments or questions to prograil@tradepress.com.
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