Amfleet
Engineer
This may seem like an odd question, but do locomotives have pedals (like on a car) and throttles or is it all throttle control? I ask this because in the movie "Silver Streak" it shows the engineer controling the loco with a pedal.
Locomotive Control Question
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Well I'm not an expert, and I've never really been in the cab of a modern loco, but no I don't believe that there are any pedals.Amfleet said:
They use a throttle to control train speed. One reason for that pedal that you saw in the movie was the need for a dead man's feature. A dead man's feature was something that required constant pressure, like a pedal. If there is no pressure on the pedal or handle, then the train is immediately thrown into BIE (Brakes In Emergency). Here in the NYC subway system, the dead man’s feature requires constant downward pressure on the controller or throttle.
Today modern loco's no longer use that type of dead man's feature. Instead they use a combination of things. The computer looks to see if the engineer is obeying the signals, via cab signaling; it looks to see if the engineer is blowing the horn regularly; in some places it can also check to see if the engineer is following the speed limit; plus it periodically requires the engineer to hit a button to acknowledge that he's still there and awake.
If the engineer fails to properly acknowledge any alarms, or violates any signal indications, then the train is immediately thrown into BIE. Once the train has reached a full stop, then and only then can the engineer recharge the brakes and attempt to start moving the train again. Of course he's also got some explaining to do later on to management about why he allowed the BIE to happen.
Hope that helps, and is clear enough.
Amfleet
Engineer
Yes, so it's like in Train Simulator when the "Alerter" warning goes on and you don't shut it off within 10 seconds the train automaticly goes into emergancy.
More or less, yes.Amfleet said:
However MSTS only monitors the train's speed VS the allowed speed on that section of track. The dead man's feature, as I mentioned, monitors other types of normal routines in addition to the speed. Plus there is the constant need every so often to just acknowledge the alerter for no other reason, except that it's just checking that the engineer is still there and alive.
I rode in the head of the CZ on my last trip this summer, and I can confirm that there are no pedals. I think Alan is right....that would only be the old style of alerter. Now, the engineer just has do do SOMETHING within 30 secs or the alerter will go off. In fact, at one point, he had me honk the horn, just so we could silence the thing.
Amtrak Watcher
Lead Service Attendant
battalion51
Engineer
Watch out, scuse me, expert coming through, well I'm sort of an expert. The Genesis series locomotives have a built in Alerter that comes on every 30-45 seconds. The countdown starts at 25 seconds, and is silent for the first five. Then it sounds an audible alarm designed to wake the engineer up if he is asleep. The alarm grows progressivle louder until it reaches 0 and the train goes into emergency. As for other road locomotives it varies by manufacturer and the type of control system used. The Amtrak DASH 8's have an EMD style display, so their alerter just starts as the audible alarm, and waits to be turned off. As Alan said other factors can be used to determine how often the the alerter goes off, horn and bell movement, use of airbrakes, dynamic brakes, throttle use, switching screens on the computer, etc. This is why when an engineer slows down for a station stop (which can sometimes take a minute or two depending on the engineer and speed) the Alerter does not go off because he is constantly using airbrakes, reducing throttle speed, and so on
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