MAINTAINING ALERTNESS IN RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE CREWS

The problem of assuring alertness in railroad locomotive crews is defined. Principles for maintaining alertness are derived from the experimental literature on vigilance and several unresolved questions are explored through three experiments. The findings are summarized in a set of criteria for evaluating alerting devices and techniques, and devices currently in use on the railroads are evaluated against these criteria. Recommendations are offered for improving current devices and for exploring new techniques.

• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/maintaining-alertness-railroad-locomotive-crews
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Devoe, D B
  • Abernethy, C N
• Publication Date: 1977-3

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 68 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alertness; Attention; Evaluation; Human factors; Improvements; Locomotive engineers; Locomotive operation; Locomotives; Methodology; Motivation; Personnel management; Physiological fatigue; Psychological aspects; Psychological tests; Railroads; Recommendations; Safety equipment; Simulation; Technological innovations; Time; Vehicle cabs; Vigilance; Warning devices
• Old TRIS Terms: Locomotive engineer's tasks
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00155352
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-FRA-76-29 Final Rpt., FRA/ORD-77/22
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 19 1977 12:00AM