EMD s digitalization of diesel engines

EMD has started off with a new concept of remote tracking and maintenane called the intellitrain which most of us are aware of..... news is that EMD also has invested into the sensor technology for the same by which it is coming up with remote tracking systems... these systems can remotely check the health of the locomotive, the heat level if it reaches critical temperature creates alerts, you can even monitor the fuel level remotely for a locomotive..... this system has been upgraded to such an extent that remote shutdown of locomotive is also possible... so the diesel engines are on to digitalization..... further there are sensors which are being put into a diesel engine which constantly update the central server from where the health is tracked and also helps in the preventive maintenance........ and the best part is that the hardware is being made compatible with WINDOWS XP..... so we can expect a fully computerized diesel locomotive in the near future........ whats bothering me is if such a complex locomotive system happens to breakdown how would EMD provide the repair service .... as such the loco sheds for EMD repairs dont see much of business cos not much of maintenance contracts are being taken up by EMD ........ an engine fitted with ten sensors would likely to be more complex and succeptible to failures or complications than a simple one ...... the repair of such engines would require serious technical know how too.......

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... _n13471616
http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/1a/0c039c1a.asp

I don't think you understand the components of the locomotives. The EMD's have been completly "fly-by-wire" for the last 15 years. The "ten sensors" (actually many more than that) have been running the locomotive. The only difference is now the raw data and/or values can be easily and quickly downloaded to the internet and sent off for anyone to study. There aren't any rheostats and switches - the signals from the engineers console go through coax cable nowadays. The computers take those signals and figure out what the engineers intent is and make it happen. Yes everything is more electronic, but just hook up a laptop and you can see what is good, what isn't and what was going on for the last 60 days, on a minute by minute basis, if you have the time to inspect the data. There are plenty of nebulous problems, technicans stepping on connectors, causing intermittant failures, but the sensors, components & parts have been proven reliable or replaced with those that are, for lower costs.

Some sensors are to monitor critical conditions such as exhaust temperature, Rack positions, etc. There are also sensor that aid in the control of the locomotive. Many of these give a feedback that can be accessed when needed to check the condition at a given time This aides in maintenance and repairs. Shope forces use this as a tool to help them pinpoint where problem aras are.

As far as needing an electronics degree to work on the locomotive, I dont think thats needed (yet). There are plenty of the same mechanical components that require nearly the same work as it did twenty years ago but the tools have changed. Many times I pulled on the handle of a "Sweeney Wrench" to torque heads and power assemblies. Now its hydraulic (thank God). Sometimes change is GOOD>

Robert Federle