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  • I-ETMS Question - Please help

  • General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment
General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment

Moderator: John_Perkowski

 #1412465  by samcevoy
 
I am a rail transportation engineer working for a commuter railroad that will be using ACSES.

I have a few simple questions about I-ETMS and am hoping that there are some BNSF engineers or other knowledgeable railroaders on here who can answer these questions.

1 - Does I-ETMS monitor or control throttle setting or propulsion power? Does I-ETMS ever take propulsion power away, and if yes, how quickly and under what conditions?

2 - Does I-ETMS permit bail-off of the engine brake(s). I am assuming that I-ETMS permits bailing off the engine brake as long as the train stays below the governing profile!? Does I-ETMS ever prevent engine-brake bail-off, and if yes, under what conditions?

E-mail answers will be fine, and a telephone call will also be fine.

Thanks in advance.

Steve McEvoy

AECOM (Ex New Haven, Penn Central and LIRR railroads)

610-399-3412

[email protected]
 #1413478  by John_Perkowski
 
Moved by an Admin to General Discussion: Locomotives, Rolling Stock, and Equipment...

Also, made a Forum sticky.
 #1508509  by Engineer Spike
 
I-ETMS pretty much lets a train run the way it always has. It is somewhat like the countdown on the old LSL. It gives a time to get the speed down coming into a speed change. The speed change could be either a permanent or temporary restriction, or a restrictive signal. The braking points are calculated based on the line’s grade, tons per brake, dynamic brake availability..... I have noticed that the system gets nervous sometimes. A couple of places we have speed changes in downhill areas. They system requires speed reduction well before where I’d normally start braking, with a decent handling train. Pulling to a stop signal on a downgrade is a chore. The system makes one crawl to the signal. Otherwise, there is no change in train handling technique.
 #1512177  by Railjunkie
 
A little more to add unlike the ACSES system ( uses pucks for location) which beeps at you for every speed change I-ETMS (uses GPS) will only sound when as spike put "when the computer gets nervous" and the its only a couple of beeps. If you should really screw up then its very similar to the ACSES system. The cool thing with I-ETMS is we have a map that shows the route ahead. It contains all the info one would ever need, temporary and permanent speed restrictions, track speeds, curves, grades, work areas, route to be taken through an interlocking ect ect. Its extremely accurate I'd say within 30 or so feet. It is the better system I think as I work with both.