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May 2016
By Michael Popke
Five companies share information on their technology offerings — the second in a series. Editor's note: Part one was published in Progressive Railroading’s April 2016 issue.
GE Transportation’s RailConnect™ 360 suite of software solutions is designed to drive productivity via on-board computing, real-time monitoring, predictive network optimization and dispatch throughout entire rail networks.
Trip Optimizer is an “intelligent” autopilot for locomotives that optimizes fuel consumption based on a specific train’s makeup and route traveled. Trip Optimizer is deployed on more than 5,000 units worldwide and has improved fuel efficiency by up to 17 percent, company officials said.
GoLINC is an on-board platform installed on more than 6,000 locomotives and serves as a mobile data center on which various applications can be hosted. GE officials call GoLINC the “brain of the train” for its ability to collect and process information from sensors on different parts both on and off the train — including cars, track and wayside infrastructure.
Meanwhile, LocoVISION is designed to help a train be more “aware” of its environment, thanks to a high-definition locomotive-mounted camera used to detect sun kinks, track misalignment, widening track gauge or problems with infrastructure alongside the track, company officials said. It pinpoints an issue and provides a precise location so crews can find and fix it. LocoVISION is installed on 200 Class I units and is in the pilot-program stage at other railroads.
Railhead Corp. offers on-board video systems for locomotives, cab cars and track vehicles. More than 5,500 systems are installed on Class Is, short lines, and light- and commuter-rail systems worldwide.
The company’s high-definition IP system supports up to 16 cameras and delivers what company officials say is “the clearest video quality on the market.” Railhead’s LDVR-HD is Mil-Spec-, FRA- and SAE-rated for durability and reliability in harsh railroad environments; the LDVR-HD recorder provides video-streaming capabilities, is wireless-ready and integrates with crash-hardened memory modules and event recorders.
The company’s service-proven and scalable software offers eight years of forward and backward compatibility, Railhead said. All video is encrypted to ensure authenticity and boasts user-friendly vehicle information back-office management software for fleet-wide management.
Railhead also works with OEM and aftermarket suppliers to integrate and factory install its systems, and also offers custom solutions.
ZTR Control Systems supplies fuel-level monitoring solutions, locomotive health monitoring and geo-fence functions that improve locomotive availability through advanced diagnostics and health monitoring, remote access to locomotive data, and mobile solutions for managing information. Through customized reports, digital schematics and wireless notifications, ZTR helps customers dramatically improve reliability, maintenance and operation of their fleets, company officials said.
SmartStart® SAVER™ provides wireless information about the performance of the SmartStart AESS system or the InteLevel fuel-monitoring system. Meanwhile, the NEXSYS™ Communication Module communicates with the NEXSYS III-i control system to provide remote connectivity and deliver information about a locomotive’s health, performance, location and diagnostics.
In addition, all ZTR products are equipped with connectivity options, allowing them to wirelessly connect with one of the company’s data centers. Data is buffered onboard the locomotive and transmitted in the most efficient way based on the relative priority of the data, company officials said.
ZTR makes all of the information available on mobile devices and platforms, as well as via the Near Me™ smartphone app.
The company also is developing information software that would utilize the power of onboard communication networks to gather the required data and interface with existing data recorders. Additionally, ZTR is developing hardware-expansion solutions that would enable greater flexibility in collecting vital locomotive information.
Locomotive troubleshooting and repair times have been significantly reduced since Railserve rolled out the Observe/Analyze/Respond™ (OAR) technology for its LEAF Gen-Set® locomotives in 2014. Developed by Alternative Motive Power Systems (AMPS), OAR enables multiple users to track data from remote locations. Users also can troubleshoot many issues without sending a technician into the field.
Data from the AMPS Locomotive Control Unit (LCU) onboard each Railserve LEAF is processed by OAR, then transmitted via Wi-Fi or cellular system to a web-based dashboard for locomotive status and performance monitoring. The data collected and displayed can be used to monitor track speed violations, hard couplings, engine temperature and oil levels, throttle position, forward/reverse settings, and penalty applications.
The onboard LCU communicates with all technology on the Railserve LEAF, including power generators, traction control, throttle, reverser, brake and the three-axis accelerometer. Data fed to OAR also can be displayed in various forms.
Nearly a year to the day after announcing plans to collaborate with Chicago-based predictive analytics provider Uptake, Progress Rail Services Corp. and Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. unveiled a demonstration of their new predictive analytics platform — EMD Uptime — at the Middle East Rail Show in March.
Applying Uptake’s world-class data science, EMD Uptime delivers predictive, actionable insights to identify potential failures before they occur and recommend repairs. The aim: minimized downtime, lower costs and optimized operations.
“With Uptake’s data analytics capabilities and our cutting-edge locomotive technologies, we developed a predictive analytics platform that we will deliver substantial benefits for our customers,” said Billy Ainsworth, president and CEO of Progress Rail and EMD.
As of press time, the companies were working with Class I customers to field-test the technology. They plan to have the product available for purchase once the tests have been completed.
Michael Popke is a Madison, Wis.-based freelance writer. Email comments to prograil@tradepress.com.
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