event recorders

I'm new to this site. Do class 1 railroad locomotives carry data and voice recorders for accident investigations? Thanks!

Any locomotive used on railroad where track speed is 30 mph or more has to have a working event recorder, voice recorders are not used.

PART 229_RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents

Subpart C_Safety Requirements

Sec. 229.135 Event recorders.

(a) Duty to equip and record. Except as provided in paragraphs (c)
and (d) of this section, a train operated faster than 30 miles per hour
shall have an in-

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service event recorder, of the type described in paragraph (b) of this
section, in the lead locomotive. The presence of the event recorder
shall be noted on Form FRA F6180-49A (by writing the make and model of
event recorder with which the locomotive is equipped) under the REMARKS
section, except that an event recorder designed to allow the locomotive
to assume the lead position only if the recorder is properly functioning
is not required to have its presence noted on Form FRA F6180-49A. For
the purpose of this section, ``train'' includes a locomotive or group of
locomotives with or without cars. The duty to equip the lead locomotive
may be met with an event recorder located elsewhere than the lead
locomotive provided that such event recorder monitors and records the
required data as though it were located in the lead locomotive. The
event recorder shall record the most recent 48 hours of operation of the
electrical system of the locomotive on which it is installed.
(b) Equipment requirements. Event recorders shall monitor and record
data elements required by this paragraph with at least the accuracy
required of the indicators displaying any of the required elements to
the engineer.
(1) A lead locomotive originally ordered before October 1, 2006, and
placed in service before October 1, 2009, including a controlling remote
distributed power locomotive, a lead manned helper locomotive, a DMU
locomotive, and an MU locomotive, except as provided in paragraphs (c)
and (d) of this section, shall have an in-service event recorder that
records the following data elements:
(i) Train speed;
(ii) Selected direction of motion;
(iii) Time;
(iv) Distance;
(v) Throttle position;
(vi) Applications and operations of the train automatic air brake;
(vii) Applications and operations of the independent brake;
(viii) Applications and operations of the dynamic brake, if so
equipped; and
(ix) Cab signal aspect(s), if so equipped and in use.
(2) A locomotive originally manufactured before October 1, 2006, and
equipped with an event recorder that uses magnetic tape as its recording
medium shall have the recorder removed from service on or before October
1, 2009 and replaced with an event recorder with a certified crashworthy
event recorder memory module that meets the requirements of Appendix D
of this part and that records at least the same number of data elements
as the recorder it replaces.
(3) A lead locomotive, a lead manned helper locomotive, and a
controlling remotely distributed power locomotive, other than a DMU or
MU locomotive, originally ordered on or after October 1, 2006 or placed
in service on or after October 1, 2009, shall be equipped with an event
recorder with a certified crashworthy event recorder memory module that
meets the requirements of Appendix D of this part. The certified event
recorder memory module shall be mounted for its maximum protection.
(Although other mounting standards may meet this standard, an event
recorder memory module mounted behind and below the top of the collision
posts and above the platform level is deemed to be mounted ``for its
maximum protection.'') The event recorder shall record, and the
certified crashworthy event recorder memory module shall retain, the
following data elements:
(i) Train speed;
(ii) Selected direction of motion;
(iii) Time;
(iv) Distance;
(v) Throttle position;
(vi) Applications and operations of the train automatic air brake,
including emergency applications. The system shall record, or provide a
means of determining, that a brake application or release resulted from
manipulation of brake controls at the position normally occupied by the
locomotive engineer. In the case of a brake application or release that
is responsive to a command originating from or executed by an on-board
computer (e.g., electronic braking system controller, locomotive
electronic control system, or train control computer), the system shall
record, or provide a means of determining, the involvement of any such
computer;

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(vii) Applications and operations of the independent brake;
(viii) Applications and operations of the dynamic brake, if so
equipped;
(ix) Cab signal aspect(s), if so equipped and in use;
(x) End-of-train (EOT) device loss of communication front to rear
and rear to front;
(xi) Electronic controlled pneumatic braking (ECP) message (and loss
of such message), if so equipped;
(xii) EOT armed, emergency brake command, emergency brake
application;
(xiii) Indication of EOT valve failure;
(xiv) EOT brake pipe pressure (EOT and ECP devices);
(xv) EOT marker light on/off;
(xvi) EOT ``low battery'' status;
(xvii) Position of on/off switch for headlights on lead locomotive;
(xviii) Position of on/off switch for auxiliary lights on lead
locomotive;
(xix) Horn control handle activation;
(xx) Locomotive number;
(xxi) Locomotive automatic brake valve cut in;
(xxii) Locomotive position in consist (lead or trail);
(xxiii) Tractive effort;
(xxiv) Cruise control on/off, if so equipped and in use; and
(xxv) Safety-critical train control data routed to the locomotive
engineer's display with which the engineer is required to comply,
specifically including text messages conveying mandatory directives, and
maximum authorized speed. The format, content, and proposed duration for
retention of such data shall be specified in the product safety plan
submitted for the train control system under subpart H of part 236 of
this chapter, subject to FRA approval under this paragraph. If it can be
calibrated against other data required by this part, such train control
data may, at the election of the railroad, be retained in a separate
certified crashworthy memory module.
(4) A DMU locomotive and an MU locomotive originally ordered on or
after October 1, 2006 or placed in service on or after October 1, 2009,
shall be equipped with an event recorder with a certified crashworthy
event recorder memory module that meets the requirements of Appendix D
of this part. The certified event recorder memory module shall be
mounted for its maximum protection. (Although other mounting standards
may meet this standard, an event recorder memory module mounted behind
the collision posts and above the platform level is deemed to be mounted
``for its maximum protection.'') The event recorder shall record, and
the certified crashworthy event recorder memory module shall retain, the
following data elements:
(i) Train speed;
(ii) Selected direction of motion;
(iii) Time;
(iv) Distance;
(v) Throttle position;
(vi) Applications and operations of the train automatic air brake,
including emergency applications. The system shall record, or provide a
means of determining, that a brake application or release resulted from
manipulation of brake controls at the position normally occupied by the
locomotive engineer. In the case of a brake application or release that
is responsive to a command originating from or executed by an on-board
computer (e.g., electronic braking system controller, locomotive
electronic control system, or train control computer), the system shall
record, or provide a means of determining, the involvement of any such
computer;
(vii) Applications and operations of the independent brake, if so
equipped;
(viii) Applications and operations of the dynamic brake, if so
equipped;
(ix) Cab signal aspect(s), if so equipped and in use;
(x) Emergency brake application(s);
(xi) Wheel slip/slide alarm activation (with a property-specific
minimum duration);
(xii) Lead locomotive headlight activation switch on/off;
(xiii) Lead locomotive auxiliary lights activation switch on/off;
(xiv) Horn control handle activation;
(xv) Locomotive number;
(xvi) Locomotive position in consist (lead or trail);
(xvii) Tractive effort;
(xviii) Brakes apply summary train line;
(xix) Brakes released summary train line;

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(xx) Cruise control on/off, if so equipped and used; and
(xxi) Safety-critical train control data routed to the locomotive
engineer's display with which the engineer is required to comply,
specifically including text messages conveying mandatory directives, and
maximum authorized speed. The format, content, and proposed duration for
retention of such data shall be specified in the product safety plan
submitted for the train control system under subpart H of part 236 of
this chapter, subject to FRA approval under this paragraph. If it can be
calibrated against other data required by this part, such train control
data may, at the election of the railroad, be retained in a separate
certified crashworthy memory module.
(5) A locomotive equipped with an event recorder that is
remanufactured, as defined in this part, on or after October 1, 2007,
shall be equipped with an event recorder with a certified crashworthy
event recorder memory module that meets the requirements of Appendix D
to this part and is capable of recording, at a minimum, the same data as
the recorder that was on the locomotive before it was remanufactured.
(6) An event recorder originally manufactured after January 1, 2010,
that is installed on any locomotive identified in paragraph (b)(1) of
this section shall be an event recorder with a certified crashworthy
event recorder memory module that meets the requirements of Appendix D
to this part and that is capable of recording, at a minimum, the same
data as the event recorder that was previously on the locomotive.
(c) Removal from service. Notwithstanding the duty established in
paragraph (a) of this section to equip certain locomotives with an in-
service event recorder, a railroad may remove an event recorder from
service and, if a railroad knows that an event recorder is not
monitoring or recording required data, shall remove the event recorder
from service. When a railroad removes an event recorder from service, a
qualified person shall record the date that the device was removed from
service on Form FRA F6180-49A, under the REMARKS section, unless the
event recorder is designed to allow the locomotive to assume the lead
position only if the recorder is properly functioning.
(d) Response to defective equipment. Notwithstanding the duty
established in paragraph (a) of this section to equip certain
locomotives with an in-service event recorder, a locomotive on which the
event recorder has been taken out of service as provided in paragraph
(c) of this section may remain as the lead locomotive only until the
next calendar-day inspection. A locomotive with an inoperative event
recorder is not deemed to be in improper condition, unsafe to operate,
or a non-complying locomotive under Sec. Sec. 229.7 and 229.9, and,
other than the requirements of Appendix D of this part, the inspection,
maintenance, and testing of event recorders are limited to the
requirements set forth in Sec. Sec. 229.25(e) and 229.27(d).
(e) Preserving accident data. If any locomotive equipped with an
event recorder, or any other locomotive-mounted recording device or
devices designed to record information concerning the functioning of a
locomotive or train, is involved in an accident/incident that is
required to be reported to FRA under part 225 of this chapter, the
railroad that was using the locomotive at the time of the accident
shall, to the extent possible, and to the extent consistent with the
safety of life and property, preserve the data recorded by each such
device for analysis by FRA. This preservation requirement permits the
railroad to extract and analyze such data, provided the original
downloaded data file, or an unanalyzed exact copy of it, shall be
retained in secure custody and shall not be utilized for analysis or any
other purpose except by direction of FRA or the National Transportation
Safety Board. This preservation requirement shall expire one (1) year
after the date of the accident unless FRA or the Board notifies the
railroad in writing that the data are desired for analysis.
(f) Relationship to other laws. Nothing in this section is intended
to alter the legal authority of law enforcement officials investigating
potential violation(s) of State criminal law(s), and nothing in this
chapter is intended to

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alter in any way the priority of National Transportation Safety Board
investigations under 49 U.S.C. 1131 and 1134, nor the authority of the
Secretary of Transportation to investigate railroad accidents under 49
U.S.C. 5121, 5122, 20107, 20111, 20112, 20505, 20702, 20703, and 20902.
(g) Disabling event recorders. Except as provided in paragraph (c)
of this section, any individual who willfully disables an event recorder
is subject to civil penalty and to disqualification from performing
safety-sensitive functions on a railroad as provided in Sec. 218.55 of
this chapter, and any individual who tampers with or alters the data
recorded by such a device is subject to a civil penalty as provided in
appendix B of part 218 of this chapter and to disqualification from
performing safety-sensitive functions on a railroad if found unfit for
such duties under the procedures in part 209 of this chapter.

Wow! Great answer. Thanks!

That being said, the in cab camera's in use, besides recording the view of the trakcs ahead, also record the sounds in the cab, as heard by the crew. This is the horn, the bell, and the conversations, in the cab. This is done, in the name of "safety"..........

thanks to drn, for copying and pasting entire pages from a copyrighted manual, instead of posting a link to it.......

Dutch -
Do they emit a signal that can be picked up by a homing device, a la the one's installed in aircraft ?
and...
Can they be read remotely while installed under normal operating conditions ?

no there is no homing device, The reader is normally in cab of locomotive.
on some equipment like MNCR M-7's the event recorder can be looked at live from certain computers.

The UP has equipped many of their locomotives with a RF device which allows the recorder to be downloaded to various download points across the UP system. This allows Omaha to conduct "spot checks" of locomotive engineers compliance to fuel conservation methods, use of horn/bell, speed, dynamic vs. air for slowing/stopping, etc. This came about in the latter part of 2005. Both UP and Amtrak have the ability to "locate" a unit (if so equipped) via GPS/Qualcomm.

GA - your point about posting a link rather than an entire page of text is valid. However, Dutch took that from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) which is a government document for all and sundry to read, copy and distribute. No copyright involved.

3rdrail wrote:Dutch -
Do they emit a signal that can be picked up by a homing device, a la the one's installed in aircraft?

Aircraft "Black Boxes" (CVR's and FDR's) do not have any sort of homing or tracking device. The only thing they have that is even remotley like that is a "pinging" device that is used to find the recorders when they are underwater using listening devices. But it is an audible device. It does not use any sort of electronic tracking system that pinpoints the device. It's a small metal cannister affixed to the outside of the recorder case that turns on when submerged in water. It is not an integral part of the recorder and serves no purpose whatsoever when the device is not submerged.

Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorders are found at crash sites on land simply by looking for them visually. They are mounted in the tail section of an aircraft, the statistically safest location for such a device. In underwater situations, the pingers are designed to make them easier to locate, but in many cases, the pingers do not work or are destroyed because as mentioned above, they are not built into the super rugged recorders. They are clamped to them on the outside.

Locomotive Data Recorders only recently have been hardened against major impact and fire. The vast majority of the recorders in use today would be destroyed in a fire after a few minutes and have minimal impact protection. The new models that have been introduced have come along way. But the toughness is still pale in comparison to aircraft recorders. Aircraft recorders see an insanely harsh array of scenarios. Jet Fuel burns MUCH hotter then diesel fuel so those recorders have special paint and extra thermal insulation, aircraft fly over bodies of water that can be MILES deep as opposed to railroads who cross bodies of water that are at absolute most, a 100. Deeper water not only means higher pressure that can cause water to penetrate a recorder case or simply crush it, but it also means an often longer time to locate the device, adding possibly weeks in saltwater till a device is found. Aircraft fly at heights well over a mile and at speeds of in some cases over 600mph meaning crash impacts will be hundreds, if not thousands of times more severe then a train will see. So the impact and piercing strength has to be increased accordingly. But the new RR recorders are designed to withstand most any modern day crash. Most use a memory similar to a flash memory that has no moving parts like early magnetic tapes.

slchub wrote:The UP has equipped many of their locomotives with a RF device which allows the recorder to be downloaded to various download points across the UP system. This allows Omaha to conduct "spot checks" of locomotive engineers compliance to fuel conservation methods, use of horn/bell, speed, dynamic vs. air for slowing/stopping, etc. This came about in the latter part of 2005. Both UP and Amtrak have the ability to "locate" a unit (if so equipped) via GPS/Qualcomm.

CSX has the Remote Download systems as well. It's part of the Wabtec Track Trac system. It uses the exsisting AEI tags on the locomotive. Instead of the standard "Dummy" RF tag (A passive tag), these use a wired Active tag that not only provides locomotive identification at AEI sites, but it can transmit fuel readings and any paramaters the system is programmed for to any AEI site. CSX can randomly do checks, but what they have setup is a list of "offenses" that if any take place, it will transmit them to the next AEI site and the Road Foreman will get an alert.

As for actual Locomotive locating systems that give exact locations, moving or stopped, they are a stand alone system unrelated to Event Recorders. As mentioned, they use a GPS antenna, not an AEI tag. These systems exsist in packages as small as a hand held 2 way radio body and a 2" GPS Antenna for simple location systems and they are larger for more complex systems such as the Communications Managment Unit that can not only transmit exact location, but fuel readings, engine status and water tempature. Union Pacific actually owns a company who makes these systems.


And to clarify to part of the thread starters question...., while the Data Recorders are mandatory, Video Recorders are NOT. They are a 100% OPTION for a railroad to install. Most class 1's are having them installed on all new loco's and are adding them to exsisting road units. CSX has plans to have the whole fleet done by 2010 i believe. I cant speak for all the class 1's, but CSX, BNSF and NS install there microphones under the cab floor (This may be changing and may have begun to change) so you pick up only Horn, Bell and air brake/throttle noise. NS units for example have the micrphone mounted on the radio pack rack on most units under the Left side of the cab. Video and Audio can be an excellent tool against nonsense lawsuits as well as aid in cases of signals being called into question. Cameras dont lie.

Railroads will ultimatley save alot of money having cameras considering what some lawsuits have paid out for grade crossing incidents where event recorder data and crew testimony alone is not enough. Without video, it's still a "poor victim" against a million dollar company where many jurors seem to think they have deep enough pockets and will often side with the "victim". It's happened. A victim will ignore the crossing protection for whatever reason and swear the gates or lights were not working but the crew will insist they were. With color camera footage, there is no case. It's indisputable proof. Considering many of these cases end in judgements or settlements in the millions of dollars, think of just how "cheap" a $20,000 camera system in a loco costs?