A vehicle control system includes a brake system onboard a vehicle, a first actuation component, an automatic control system, and a second actuation component. The first actuation component is operably coupled to the brake system and is configured to cause actuation of the brake system to brake the vehicle when the first actuation component is activated. The automatic control system is onboard the vehicle and is configured to generate a first control signal for controlling the first actuation component to activate to upon occurrence of one or more designated conditions. The second actuation component is operably coupled to the brake system and is configured to cause actuation of the brake system to brake the vehicle upon receipt of one of the first control signal or a second control signal generated by the automatic control system.

A simulation platform may receive equipment information regarding ride equipment. The equipment information identifies a first location of a first end of the ride equipment on a travel path and identifies a second location of a second end of the ride equipment. The simulation platform may determine, based on the equipment information, that the first location is at a first distance from a starting location on the travel path and indicates that the second location is at a second distance from the starting location. The simulation platform may execute a computer model to perform a simulation of a movement of a passenger vehicle along the travel path. The simulation platform may determine, during the simulation, that the passenger vehicle is located at a particular distance from the starting location. The simulation platform may determine whether the particular distance corresponds to a location between the first location and the second location.

A locomotive air brake control system that responds to penalty braking requests from external systems by applying a varying amount of train brake level based on monitored and calculated parameters in order to enforce a defined train condition. The system may include a minimum acceptable train braking, a condition to be achieved to prevent further application of train brakes, and a maximum train brake level to be applied in response to the request. Alternatively, the system may apply braking in stepped levels according defined thresholds for a train behavior variable of interest such as speed or deceleration. The system may be configured to incrementally apply and release train brakes during the adaptive penalty, and may also adjust the level of braking according to calculated braking capacity of the train.

A simulation platform may receive equipment information regarding ride equipment. The equipment information identifies a first location of a first end of the ride equipment on a travel path and identifies a second location of a second end of the ride equipment. The simulation platform may determine, based on the equipment information, that the first location is at a first distance from a starting location on the travel path and indicates that the second location is at a second distance from the starting location. The simulation platform may execute a computer model to perform a simulation of a movement of a passenger vehicle along the travel path. The simulation platform may determine, during the simulation, that the passenger vehicle is located at a particular distance from the starting location. The simulation platform may determine whether the particular distance corresponds to a location between the first location and the second location

Embodiments herein disclose an electric railroad retarder having a plurality of retarder modules. A retarder module comprises a gear cam assembly disposed between a first brake unit and a second brake unit. The gear cam assembly comprises a first position arm plate and a second position arm plate that are connected to a cam using a first positioning arm and a second positioning arm. The cam rotates to perform one of: compress a first brake spring, a second brake spring, a third brake spring and a fourth brake spring to hold wheels of a railcar; decompress the first brake spring, the second brake spring, the third brake spring and the fourth brake spring to release the wheels of the railcar; and separate the first position arm plate from a first spring base plate, and the second position arm plate from a second spring base plate to allow insertion of a shim.