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Railroads have long known that locomotive remote control is safe and efficient. They're now discovering it can help grow the top line.
Locomotive remote control is a safe, expedient way to get the job done-you're in total control of every movement. And it's extremely comfortable to use." That's high praise from a locomotive engineer with seven years experience. Donna Poynor, a Puget Sound & Pacific employee, uses remote control regularly to set up trains and switch cars. No longer is she restricted to operating a locomotive from inside the cab to perform switching. No longer must she rely on a brakeman's radio or hand signals to direct her moves. Poynor handles both jobs herself.
Such remote control suppliers as CANAC, Cattron-- Theimeg, and Control Chief say the technology offers railroads like PS&P a safer, more efficient alternative to traditional switching operations.
Faced with an economic downturn, many railroads are looking for ways to improve efficiency. "We often ask ourselves, `How can we do more with less, safely?'" says M.R (Mike) Oakley, system manager-train handling performance for Canadian National. One answer, he says, is to operate with locomotive remote control.
Remote control in action
CN is one of the pioneers of locomotive remote control. Over 124 CN locomotives are equipped with CANAC's BELTPACK(R) system, and more than 2,100 yard and terminal employees are trained to use it. They use a BELTPACK(R) transmitter, which communicates with an onboard locomotive receiver to control train movements. Digital "packets" of information are sent from the transmitter via radio to the receiver, which interfaces with the cab controls. Users choose one of seven pre-programmed locomotive speeds, and the computer onboard the locomotive operates at that speed, accounting for tonnage and track grade.
CN started using remote control in the 1980s to improve safety, eliminating such human errors as visual or voice miscues, inadvertent movement, and other potential switching hazards. "It puts control of the locomotive at the point where the majority of serious injuries occur: at the coupling of cars," Oakley says. Users control the locomotive from positions adjacent to the track or train, allowing a full view of the surrounding area. According to CN, yard and terminal accident rates have dropped 56%, and there has never been an incident...