A modular hydraulic braking system for a rail vehicle includes a medium that transmits to an electronic unit of a vehicle. The braking system includes at least one functional module, and one universal interface for transmitting control data via a signal channel, to the transmission medium between the at least one functional module and the vehicle electronic unit.

A method for improving the adhesion of a rail vehicle by conditioning selected axle(s), detects whether a higher total brake force can be achieved by changing the manipulated variable of the wheel slip at at least one unit from a current starting wheel slip to a forced wheel slip, and, if so, changes the wheel slip at at least one unit from the current starting wheel slip to the forced wheel slip by regulating the manipulated variable of the brake application force at the unit, whereby the friction ratios between the wheel and the rail changes at the subsequent units, and regulates the manipulated variable of the brake application force at the subsequent units to regulate the wheel slip, which is likewise changed by the changed friction ratios, at the units back to the unchanged manipulated variable of the starting wheel slip, optimized brake forces being produced at the units.

A monitoring and measuring device for an air supply system of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes a compressor which is designed to provide compressed air; a defined volume which is situated downstream of the compressor; a shut-off valve which is situated downstream of the defined volume; a pressure sensor which is provided at any desired position on the pressure line between the compressor and the shut-off valve and is configured to measure the pressure that builds in the defined volume. A first or second air drying device, for example, is used as the defined volume. The pressure curve measured by the pressure sensor can indicate whether there is a fault or a leak. A method for monitoring and for measuring parameters of an air supply system of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle is also provided.

Systems for monitoring brake systems on railway assets include a load measuring device. The load measuring device includes an instrumented coupling configured to be connected to the rigging of a brake system of the railway asset; and to an underframe of the railway asset. The load measuring device also includes a data collection unit configured to process an output of a sensor of the instrumented coupling and, based on the sensor output, determine the force being transmitted between the brake rigging and the underframe.

A brake health monitoring system and method measure pressures in different components of a brake system of a vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system. Two or more of the pressures that are measured in the different components are compared with each other to select a health monitoring mode. One or more allowable pressures are selected based on the health monitoring mode that is selected. A state of health of the brake system is determined by comparing one or more of the pressures that is measured with the one or more allowable pressures that are selected.

A vehicle control system includes a first controller configured to communicate a first brake command to one or more brake devices of a vehicle system via a communication pathway. The system also includes a second controller configured to monitor the communication pathway to determine whether the first brake command from the first controller is communicated via the communication pathway to the one or more brake devices. The second controller also is configured to implement a backup brake command to the one or more brake devices based on a presence of the first brake command and a level of brake application dictated by the first brake command.

An exemplary lantern comprising a signal member which serves as a safety feature to warn workers operating in a railyard of dangerous or potentially dangerous conditions. An exemplary lantern comprising a breakaway handle mechanism that allows the handle of the lantern to break away from the body of the lantern. An exemplary lantern may comprise a ratcheting mechanism that allows the handle to rotate relative to the body of the lantern, thereby allowing the lantern to be arranged on the ground in a variety of different positions.

An emergency braking extension device includes an emergency braking extension loop, a first emergency braking extension train line and a second emergency braking extension train line. The emergency braking extension loop has a protective circuit breaker, a normally open contact of an emergency braking button, and an emergency braking extension relay, which are sequentially connected in series. A normally open contact of the emergency braking extension relay is connected in series to a pantograph lowering control loop. A first normally closed contact and a second normally closed contact of the emergency braking extension relay are connected in series to a return line and a power supply negative loop of a train emergency braking control loop, respectively. A third normally closed contact of the emergency braking extension relay is connected in series to a control loop of a bypass cut-off circuit of a train emergency braking execution loop.

The method comprises the steps of generating speed signals indicative of the angular speed of the wheels of said axle; generating an error signal indicative of the error or difference between a set point speed for the wheels, determined by means of a reference model, and the speed indicated by said speed signals; and generating a driving signal for torque-controlling apparatuses applied to the wheels of said axle, by adaptive filtering of an input signal which is a function of said set point speed, modifying parameters of the adaptive filtering as a function of said error signal, such as to make such speed error or difference tend to zero.

An electronic control system of emergency and service braking comprises an emergency brake module and a service brake module, each module including an independent and segregated electronic architecture. The service brake module receives a deceleration/service braking demand signal and generates a service braking pressure signal. The emergency brake module connected to the service brake module to receive the service braking pressure signal, receives a signal indicative of an emergency braking demand, generates a respective intermediate braking pressure signal indicating an emergency braking, generates a signal corresponding to the higher value between the service braking pressure signal and the intermediate braking pressure signal indicative of an emergency braking, which is converted to braking pressure.