THE SAFETY OF ELECTRONICS IN RAILROAD CONTROL SYSTEMS

Ever-increasing demands for increased safety and efficiency in railroad operations has caused the designers of railroad control systems to consider ever more seriously the use of electronic parts and sub-systems in formulating control systems to satisfy these demands. This paper reviews the evolution of railroad control systems, identifies the major design principles upon which they have been based, and addresses the applicability of these principles to underpin electronic control systems having acceptable safety and efficiency.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the 13th Annual Railroad Engineering Conference, Pueblo, Colorado, October 12-13, 1976, and included in the Conference Proceedings, "Railroad Challenges in America's Third Century--Improved Reliability and Safety," sponsored by the FRA's Office of Research and Development, U.S. DOT.
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Railroad Administration

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  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Boyd, R K
• Conference:
  • Presented at the 13th Annual Railroad Engineering Conference, Pueblo, Colorado, October 12-13, 1976, and included in the Conference Proceedings, "Railroad Challenges in America's Third Century--Improved Reliability and Safety," sponsored by the FRA's Offi
• Publication Date: 1977-7

Media Info

• Features: Appendices;
• Pagination: p. 7-15

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Control systems; Electronic components; Electronic control; Fail safe systems; Failure analysis; Reliability; Safety; Signaling
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163787
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FRA/ORD-77/13 Conf Paper
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 29 1977 12:00AM