Passenger Trains > Display screens "freezing" on ACS-64 Cities Sprinters

"We have received and are investigating isolated reports (of) non-responsive TOD screens..."

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GenePoon Wrote:
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> "We have received and are investigating isolated
> reports (of) non-responsive TOD screens..."

hmmmm ... could this have been a complicit issue with Brian Bostian and train 188 ???

Don't know, but his earlier southbound trip on an Acela had serious cab signal or speed control issues,which caused lateness, stress, and he did not get an hour's rest in DC.
I just got PTJ, but did not read it yet. It has an article on that wreck.
 

To quote a bigwig from the CSX: "electronics never need calibration, they never have problems" (said in front of the FRA), which was refueted by an electronics manufacturer shortly afterwards.

Keep this ATK alert in mind as you worship at the PTC altar because it's not the first of it's kind at the National Streetcar Company.

Edited to add:

To clarify the above, it's not the first such alert related to electronic system (computer) problems and freezes in various types of locomotives.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 15:52 by EtoinShrdlu.

EtoinShrdlu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To quote a bigwig from the CSX: "electronics never
> need calibration, they never have problems" (said
> in front of the FRA), which was refueted by an
> electronics manufacturer shortly afterwards.
>
> Keep this ATK alert in mind as you worship at the
> PTC altar because it's not the first of it's kind
> at the National Streetcar Company.
>
> Edited to add:
>
> To clarify the above, it's not the first such
> alert related to electronic system (computer)
> problems and freezes in various types of
> locomotives.

Yes, all PTC does is move the responsibiity for future accidents on to
the supplier / signal department food chain.  I would much rather have
the man at the front desk of the moving locomotive, who will be first at
the collision site, responsible for my safety than some programmer working
on this laptop next to a swimming pool.  One engineer on another thread
stated how having the Trip Optimizer is already dulling the edge of vigilance.

BTW what is a TOD ?
Along with all the required nonsense, now the engineer has to watch the seconds display
to know if something is working. Great.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 16:08 by Englewood.

EtoinShrdlu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
"To quote a bigwig from the CSX: "electronics never
need calibration, they never have problems" (said in front of the FRA),"

people voicing opinions based on ignorance only wind up making statements full of stupidity ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 18:07 by Out_Of_Service.

TOD = Train Operator Display

Cab control video at 2:25 minute.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbHIUFajhbM

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
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> Cab control video at 2:25 minute.
>  
> Pueblo test track

Thank you for the link.  It was good to see Amtrak Joe enjoying himself out
on the line of road at about 1:10 minutes.  Really awe inspiring.  It reminds me of the
video of Illinios Governor Quinn and Senator Durbin pointing at the speedometer showing
111mph on the Illinois HIgh Speed demonstration run.  Since that photo op the
110 mph territory has not been extended by an inch.

Back to the subject of this thread.  So this Train Operator Display, this gives the ENGINEER vital info such as speed ??????
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 19:30 by Englewood.

Photos of the ACS-64 displays are in the slideshow at:

Amtrak's New Siemens Locomotive With Digital Controls Cruises Rails



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 19:40 by GenePoon.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Photos of the ACS-64 displays are in the slideshow
> at:
>
> Amtrak's New Siemens Locomotive With Digital
> Controls Cruises Rails

Thanks for the link.  I saw mulitple display screens.
I assume that collectively they are termed the "TOD" and this
does include the speedometer

 

Note that the document says, "TOD screens (plural)" and specifies the different circuit breaker involved for each one of three in the cab on each end, total six.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/15 07:01 by GenePoon.

All these fancy electronic screens are TMI, a huge distraction to looking out the window to see where you are at any given time. Compouning this are the complex ones where you have to hunt around in the vistual clutter to find the info you need.

Regading that slide show, where it says:

"This is the braking console for the ACS64. The big, red lever on the left side of the console is for applying the brakes for the entire train, and it's not digital. In fact, this is the only analog control in the locomotive, and it's tied directly to the train's airbrakes. You can't risk a blown fuse with the train's brakes. The black knob to the right of the console is an electronic control for the locomotive itself.",

it's totally incorrect (and it has a circuit breaker). That's an Knorr, CCB (computer controlled brake) "electronic brake valve controller", to use Knorr's own termonology, which uses digital signals sent by fiber optic cables to the air brake control apparatus under the cab floor for operating the brakes, BOTH the train brakes and the engine brakes. It does have a mechanical, non-digital valve, but it's only for emergency train air applications, which was insisted on by the FRA.

Also from the slide show is this frightening info:

"It's designed to stay in constant communication with Amtrak's servers allowing real-time
remote monitoring of the machine's critical systems via machine-to-machine communications
through the cellular phone network using equipment from Wi-Tronix. The monitoring system
alerts technical support staff to impending problems so they can reconfigure the locomotive
to keep it running. In some cases, the ACS64 can reconfigure itself and it can recommend
courses of action to the engineer and remote technical staff. It can do all this while traveling
along the rails with a full passenger load."

Just the thing you would want to happen as you prepare to set the air for an upcoming curve restriction.
It also brings up the question on how secure these are from outside hacking.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/15 15:37 by Englewood.

Amtrak, Siemens: no problems with ACS-64 screens
TRAINS Newswire
September 4, 2015

> After extensive testing, Amtrak and Siemens say there are no
> problems with locomotive engineer display screens in the ACS-64
> locomotive...

> Upon learning about the reported screen freezes, Amtrak and Siemens
> say they inspected the entire ACS-64 fleet...

> ...(We have had) no further reports of this occurring."

Full story:

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2015/09/04-acs-64

Full story:

Amtrak, Siemens: no problems with ACS-64 screens

Move along folks, nothing to see here, move along.

It would be interesting to know what prompted the Notice if there was not problem

To me the fact that "the ACS64 can reconfigure itself and it can recommend
courses of action to the engineer and remote technical staff. It can do all this while traveling
along the rails with a full passenger load." is as worrisome as the screen freezing.

Why all this fascination with computerized gauges?  Did the Train Operators not like or
trust analog gauges?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/15 20:27 by Englewood.