A method includes obtaining data relating to operation of a first vehicle in a vehicle consist that includes the first vehicle and a second vehicle communicatively coupled with each other by a communication channel. The first vehicle includes a first electronic component performing functions for the first vehicle using the first data. The method also includes communicating the first data over the communication channel from the first vehicle to a second electronic component disposed onboard the second vehicle responsive to the first electronic component being unable to perform the one or more functions for the first vehicle using the first data. The method further includes performing the functions of the first electronic component with the second electronic component using the first data that is received from the first vehicle.

A control device includes a power converter, reference rotational speed obtainer, and abnormality determiner. The power converter feeds power to motors. The reference rotational speed obtainer, when rotational speed sensors are determined to include a suspected abnormal sensor suspected of having abnormality, obtains a reference rotational speed from signals output from the rotational speed sensors other than the suspected abnormal sensor and indicating rotational speeds. The abnormality determiner determines that the motor corresponding to the suspected abnormal sensor has abnormality when the difference between a modulation factor obtained from a command value of voltage output from the power converter and a comparative modulation factor set in advance is larger than or equal to a modulation-factor threshold, and determines that the suspected abnormal sensor has abnormality when the difference between the modulation factor obtained from the reference rotational speed and the comparative modulation factor is smaller than the modulation-factor threshold.

An autonomous rail vehicle system that includes one or more motive systems, each having a bogie assembly, a vehicle frame coupled with the bogie assembly, and a control unit to control one or more operations of the one or more motive systems. The autonomous rail vehicle also includes a trailer that is coupled with the one or more motive systems. The trailer includes surfaces defining a cavity that can receive a cargo container. The trailer includes powered footing assemblies that are controlled by the control unit of the one or more motive systems. The powered footing assemblies are controlled to move between a first position and a second position to change a vertical position of the trailer relative to a position of the motive systems.

A communication architecture of a train in which at least one central processing unit arranged in a train carriage is interconnected through a communication network of the train with a plurality of peripheral processing units. The central processing unit is provided on a single board with: a processor designed to process data associated with an SIL 0 safety level; a coprocessor designed to process data associated with an SIL 1-SIL 2 safety level; an internal bus built on the board and configured to allow a two-way data communication between the processor and the coprocessor; an interface for the communication network of the train. The coprocessor is designed to be programmed in a reconfigurable manner with a software that allows the validation and encoding of data coming from the processor according to a safety protocol.

A event recorder system carried on-board a locomotive may include a controller configured to receive data from one or more of a train management system, a cab signaling system, an energy management system, an exhaust aftertreatment monitoring system, a braking system, a communications management system, and an operator fatigue or distraction monitoring system. The data may include one or more of video data, audio data, sensor output data, GPS map data, scanned image data of an operator in a cab of the locomotive, and operational data associated with operation of the locomotive during a trip. The controller may be configured to synchronize the data based on a common attribute associated with all of the data received by the controller, receive from a user one or more customizable parameters predetermined to be indicative of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior associated with any one or more of the systems from which the controller receives data, and generate a system notification based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior that one of falls outside of a predetermined range of system-determinable parameters, or indicates a trend in one or more system-determinable parameters that deviates from an expected trend in the one or more system-determinable parameters.

A method and an apparatus for a train control system are disclosed, and are based on virtualization of train control logic and the use of cloud computing resources. A train control system is configured into two main parts. The first part includes physical elements of the train control system, and the second part includes a virtual train control system that provides the computing resources for the required train control application platforms. The disclosed architecture can be used with various train control technologies, including communications based train control, cab-signaling and fixed block, wayside signal technology. Further, the disclosure describes methodologies to convert cab-signaling and manual operations into distance to go operation.

A control system for remotely facilitating a lead change among a plurality of locomotives in a train is disclosed. The control system may include a user input device, a display device, a communicating device configured to exchange information with the plurality of locomotives, and a controller in electronic communication with the user input device, the display device, and the communicating device. The controller may be configured to generate on the display device a graphical user interface configured to receive a plurality of user inputs in conjunction with the user input device, wherein the plurality of user inputs includes an isolation switch selection, a distributed power selection, and a lead/trail selection. The controller may also be configured to generate configuration commands communicable to the plurality of locomotives via the communicating device based on the user inputs.

A system and method provide seamless control switchover through an input coupled to a power line and a safety apparatus that actuates if the input remains de-energized for a first time interval. Each of a plurality of subsystems has a control unit that controls a power source to energize the power line and is capable of transitioning between master and slave states. A first switch or second and third switches in series couple the power source to the power line. The first switch is closed during master state operation. The second switch is closed during slave operation and the third switch is open if any subsystem control unit is in master state. The system is configured to open or close the first switch, the second switch, or the third switch responsive to a transition of a control unit to or from master state within the first time interval.

A train control system of the present invention capable of controlling a train in a plurality of drive modes by a single on-board device, includes an on-board device 4 mounted on a train 2 traveling on a predetermined track 1; a continuous ATP processing unit 11 and an intermittent ATP processing unit 10 that is provided in the on-board device 4 and simultaneously performs processes in a continuous ATP drive mode by a continuous ATP system and an intermittent ATP drive mode by an intermittent ATP system; and a drive mode determining unit 12 that selects either one of process results to be used in a travel control, of the continuous ATP processing unit 11 and the intermittent ATP processing unit 10.

A method for determining the speed of a vehicle is described. In this method, at least one object present in the environment of the vehicle is detected and a relative speed of the detected object in relation to the vehicle is measured. In addition, the speed of the vehicle is determined on the basis of the relative speed of the object.