Design of a Crash Survivable Locomotive Event Recorder

The FRA is presently preparing a regulation covering the crash survivability of the Locomotive Event Recorder. This regulation will also specify the minimum number of parameters to be recorded and how this requirement will be phased-in on existing and new locomotives. The parameter selection reflects the more advanced control systems now in use or planned for use in the modern passenger or freight locomotive. In lieu of periodic inspection and test, the regulation will require the Event Recorder to incorporate internal self-monitoring. Self-monitoring will extend the inspection interval to one year and, based on good one-year results, extend the interval to three years. The crash survivability test levels and test methods are based on the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) documents, ED-55, “Minimum Operation Specification for Flight Data Recorder System,” and ED-56A, “Minimum Operation Requirement for Cockpit Voice Recorder System.” The tests, test levels and methods have been modified to reflect the lower speeds and heavier structure of the locomotives. The product of the crash survivability is the recorded data. Specifics covering the recovery of the data are not intended to be incorporated into the regulation. However, the rail system, like the airborne flight data recorders, must have provisions to recover the data down to the memory board and memory chip level.

• Record URL:
  http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/1999/RP9901.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594

  International Transportation Safety Association

  Apeldoorn,   Netherlands 
• Authors:
  • Stevens, Thomas
  • Onley, Robert E
  • Morich, Robert S
• Conference:
  • Transportation Recording: 2000 and Beyond. International Symposium on Transportation Recorders
  • Location: Arlington VA, United States
  • Date: 1999-5-3 to 1999-5-5
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 313-323
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Transportation Recorders. Transportation Recording: 2000 and Beyond, May 3-5, 1999, Arlington, Virginia

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash data; Equipment; Locomotives; Railroad crashes; Railroad safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Event recorders; Rail recorders; Survivability
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01088113
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 30 2008 12:31PM