The invention provides a track sensor system for a railroad. The track sensor system includes a track sensor device has, in its interior, a first actuator coupled to a first inductor via a first actuator shaft, and a second actuator coupled to a second inductor via a second actuator shaft. A power system provides power distribution to the actuators and inductors. An input/output communications and railroad computing device provide independent or additional functionality to the track sensor system.

Examples relate to digital context aware (DCA) data collection. In some examples, a DCA start location component is positioned at a first location along a travel route, and a DCA end location component is positioned at a second location along the travel route. In response to using a wireless interface to detect the DCA start location component, data collection of measurements by a sensor are initiated. In response to using the wireless interface to detect the DCA end location component, the data collection by the sensor is halted.

A system and method obtain first image data of a route at a location of interest from a first optical sensor disposed onboard a vehicle system moving along the route. The first image data depicts the route at the location of interest prior to passage of the vehicle system over the route at the location of interest. Second image data of the route at the location of interest is obtained from a second optical sensor disposed onboard the vehicle system. The second image data depicts the route at the location of interest after passage of the vehicle system over the route at the location of interest. A determination is made as to whether a change in the route has occurred at the location of interest by comparing the first image data with the second image data.

The invention relates to a portable device for measuring vertical rail measurements under service to record and report excessive vertical rail movement to prevent a train from derailing. The device may be pivoting with a tilt sensor and light-weight. The device may include a microprocessor, sensors, and a display. The device may be installed on the rail. The device may sense an approaching train, automatically turn on the device, and measure the real-time vertical displacement and the maximum/minimum vertical movement of the rail while the train is operating over the rail at all speeds.

Method for controlling altitude of a vehicle moving along a segmented track. The method including receiving, at a controller, data generated by one or more sensors and determining, at the controller, an altitude of the vehicle relative to the segmented track. The method then receives, at the controller, data relating to the length of a track segment between two or more supports and the weight of the vehicle and determining, at the controller, a speed of the vehicle relative to the length of the track segment. The method also calculating, at the controller, the deflection of the segmented track between two supports based on the length of the track segment, the weight of the vehicle, and the speed of the vehicle. The controller adjusts the altitude of the vehicle relative to the segmented track by an offset equivalent to the deflection of the segmented track thereby maintaining a constant altitude.

A method includes obtaining one or more images of a segment of a route from a camera while a vehicle is moving along the route. The segment of the route includes one or more guide lanes. The method also includes comparing, with one or more computer processors, the one or more images of the segment of the route with a benchmark visual profile of the route based at least in part on an overlay of the one or more images onto the benchmark visual profile or an overlay of the benchmark visual profile onto the one or more images. The one or more processors identify a misaligned segment of the route based on one or more differences between the one or more images and the benchmark visual profile and respond to the identification of the misaligned segment of the route by modifying an operating parameter of the vehicle.

A route examination system includes a thermographic camera configured to be logically or mechanically coupled with a vehicle that travels along a route. The thermographic camera is also configured to sense infrared radiation emitted or reflected from the route and to generate a sensed thermal signature representative of the infrared radiation that is sensed. The system also includes a computer readable memory device configured to store a designated thermal signature representative of infrared radiation emitted from a segment of the route that is not damaged. The system also includes an analysis processor configured to determine a condition of a first portion of the route relative to other portions of the route at least in part by comparing the sensed thermal signature and the designated thermal signature.

The invention relates to a measuring arrangement for monitoring a railway track having rails fastened to sleepers, wherein a fibre optic cable is connected to a measuring device in order to detect a strain acting on a rail. In this, the fibre optic cable is clamped in a detachable manner into at least one rail fastening. In this way, a strain transmitted from the rail via the rail fastening to the sleeper acts directly on the fibre optic cable.

In various embodiments, techniques are provided for determining a connection between a rail turnout and another rail turnout or other rail element by a geometry connection process of rail network design software, by reducing the actual complex geometry of the rail turnout to a simplified arc, which at one end is tangent to the geometry of a connecting element at end of the rail turnout and at the other end is tangent to the geometry of a parent base element of the rail turnout. The simplified arc is utilized instead of the actual complex geometry of the rail turnout by a connection computation engine to determine the connection in the model (e.g., by fitting a connection solution using least squares).

A track displacement measurement device is a track displacement measurement device that measures displacement of the track on which a railroad car runs, and determines first displacement of the track by performing processing including an integration operation based on motion detection signal responsive to motion of the railroad car due to displacement of the track, determines second displacement of the track based on the rotational movement detection signal responsive to rotational movement of the railroad car, and determines combined displacement of the track based on the first displacement and the second displacement.