Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF PTC patch causing problems

BNSF added a patch or update to their PTC, so that every lead unit that comes into Needles wants to download the patch before it will load. Everyone is calling in and they're instructed to recycle the PTC breaker and reboot. Some downloads and reboots aren't going well, so many trains are being delayed. One had to tie down it's train (on a grade), causing considerable delay, several eastbounds held up. Are other terminals having this problem?

mapboy

Welcome to the new norm.

Guess who’s going to bear the added costs on these delays. It won’t be the Government, it won’t be the Share Holders, I know Pass it on to the shippers.

Valleyman

Control-Alt-Delete

We had a track database update last night on the Kansas Division but that didn't cause any problems that I heard of. The fried PTC computer in the nose of the GE I had did though...

What is so unusual about this?

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Heard it in Winslow today. Same remedy by the PTC desk--flip the breaker. Reach into your crew pack and remove aluminum foil hat.

Posted from Android

It was happening quite often in Dunsmuir, they seem to simply try it once now and then get a number from the dispatcher to run without it.

A few months ago there was a glitch where the map for the area was not part of the 'new' download. After somebody figured it out everybody had to tie down the train and take the download, cycle those famous switches on the rear panel, release the handbrakes, do an airtest and away they go, like a herd of galloping turtles.

What no WIFI in the area, its all down hill now.

Set the air, close the angle cock behind the engines and then start your breaker cycling and PTC downloading fun.

Posted from iPhone

Not too much different than aircraft computer problems early on either. One little item rears its ugly head after working fine for months and poof all is lost. At least these are not flying for whatever that's worth. Oh but the public thinks it just takes a snap of your fingers and it all works fine. They forget about the blue screen days of Windows.

BAB Wrote:
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> They forget about the blue screen
> days of Windows.

You can still get the blue screen of death on the newer EMDs...

jointauthority Wrote:
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> Set the air, close the angle cock behind the
> engines and then start your breaker cycling and
> PTC downloading fun.

This. Then collect OT.

The PTC desk mentioned you had to be stopped because the process dumped the air. On a grade or blocking other trains makes it a problem.

mapboy

trainjunkie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jointauthority Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Set the air, close the angle cock behind the
> > engines and then start your breaker cycling and
> > PTC downloading fun.
>
> This. Then collect OT.


Don’t forget your level S for bottling the air:)

SD45X Wrote:
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> Don’t forget your level S for bottling the air:)

It's not bottling the air where I work unless you close BOTH angle cocks and then you cut away. Maybe different on BNSF.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/18 13:28 by trainjunkie.

When has the threat of a level S ever stopped anybody?

Go set the trailing engine up as lead then

SD45X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> trainjunkie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > jointauthority Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Set the air, close the angle cock behind the
> > > engines and then start your breaker cycling
> and
> > > PTC downloading fun.
> >
> > This. Then collect OT.
>
>
> Don’t forget your level S for bottling the air:)

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/18 19:14 by jointauthority.

That's Genius hope they don't make it a general order..lol

ENGINEER MIKE HERNANDEZ
Diamond Bar, CA

They just issued a Form C about the latest update...if prompted to download the latest update you'll be required to stop and cycle the breakers, etc.

Milw_E70 Wrote:
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> They just issued a Form C about the latest
> update...if prompted to download the latest update
> you'll be required to stop and cycle the breakers,
> etc.

Thursday, as the day wore on, the PTC instructions got more detailed on making sure you cycled the correct breakers.  Obviously some were doing the wrong breakers.  And now somebody must have cycled before stopping.  That had to be interesting!

mapboy