Advanced Technology Improves Safety, the Environment and Operations
26 July 2006 - 1:22AM
PR Newswire (US)
OMAHA, Neb., July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ever since its first
rail was laid in 1865, Union Pacific Railroad has been a leader in
developing and applying new technology to enhance safety, protect
the environment and improve operations. Technological advances in
freight cars, locomotives, track and communications have enabled
Union Pacific to improve safety, while handling increasing freight
volumes that support the nation's economy. Freight cars For
decades, train crews rode in cabooses to watch for problems that
rail cars might develop during their trip. Crews kept an eye out
for sticking brakes, dragging items or fires resulting from
wheel-bearing failures. Advancements in electronic and
communication technologies ended use of the "little red caboose" in
the 1980s, replaced by an End-Of-Train (EOT) device positioned on
the last rail car of each train. The device's radio transmitter
sends information on train movement and status to the engineer via
a display panel in the locomotive's cab. The EOT also illuminates
the back of the train, providing a visible light to train crews
aboard following trains. Union Pacific has more than 2,600 other
electronic monitoring devices along its track to check rail cars
for: * hot wheel bearings, * dragging items, * shifted goods, *
flat spots on wheels that can damage the rail, * proper wheel
profiles, * audio indications of wheel bearing failures prior to
heat build up, and * loads that are too wide or high to "fit"
through tunnels, bridges or overpasses. Union Pacific continues
testing and developing new technology, including a monitoring
device to detect cracked wheel axles and wheel temperature
"trending" by having several detectors "share" their information.
Technological advances have also found their way into rail car
designs. Fruits and vegetables move across the country in new
refrigerated boxcars with energy efficient cooling units, new types
of insulation to ensure a constant temperature. Global Positioning
Satellites (GPS) technology monitor and track shipments alerting
the railroad -- and the customer -- to changes in the car's
temperature. Locomotives Locomotive technology has changed
dramatically over the years and more rapidly during the mid-1990s.
On-board computers constantly monitor locomotives' vital functions
and can be synchronized with GPS so that real-time system
diagnostics can be performed. The ability to monitor the various
systems helps ensure locomotives are available to pull trains
efficiently. One example of a computerized monitoring system is
engine stop/start technology. It automatically reduces locomotive
idling, which saves fuel and improves the environment by lowering
diesel emissions. New engine designs, coupled with on-board
computer enhancements, also have reduced diesel exhaust. The use of
alternating current (AC) motors has improved engine efficiency,
enabling more rail cars to be pulled with fewer locomotives. Nearly
2,500 of Union Pacific's fleet of more than 8,000 locomotives have
AC motors. Additionally, Union Pacific Railroad was the first
railroad to test a prototype locomotive used in rail yard service
that generates lower emissions compared to traditional locomotives.
The new locomotive uses two or three small diesel engines that
produce fewer emissions, while providing the same amount of pulling
power as a standard yard locomotive. The railroad has ordered or
will acquire a total of 159 of these locomotives and 13 of another
model of low-emission yard locomotive. Union Pacific also has
tested and is acquiring 21 battery-powered hybrid locomotives. The
introduction of remote control technology to operate locomotives in
and around rail yards has had a direct effect on safety
improvements. Since 2002, operators on the ground use a handheld
device to send digital signals directly to a computer onboard a
locomotive. These signals select the locomotive's speed and
direction. With conventional technology, train service employees
direct locomotive operations either through hand signals or radio
communications with the locomotive engineer. The remote control
technology has improved safety by reducing the possibility of
miscommunication. Track With more than 32,400 miles of track making
up the Union Pacific network, track maintenance and inspections are
vital to ensure safe operations. The railroad has invested more
than $1 billion each of the last six years in new rail, ties and
ballast. To make sure the track remains in safe condition after it
has been built or renewed, track inspectors frequently inspect the
main lines using many technological tools to assist them with their
craft: * inspection devices much like an ultrasound machine that
look "inside" rail to determine if there are hidden flaws in the
steel; * track geometry cars that use lasers, optics and powerful
computer systems to ensure the track is in the proper alignment and
position; * portable "ultrasound" devices to look inside rail
joints and other track parts; and * devices that measure the
stability of the ground under the tracks. Track design and the
parts that make up the track -- rail, ties and fasteners that hold
the rail to the ties, to name a few -- also continue to be tested,
many of which are being studied at the railroad industry's testing
facility near Pueblo, Colo. To detect rock slides, Union Pacific
has monitors or "slide fences" that are strategically placed along
the track in mountainous areas systemwide to warn the railroad's
dispatching centers when rocks or boulders roll down the hillside
and fall onto the track. Train Operations Southern Pacific
Railroad, one of the railroads that make up today's Union Pacific,
was the first to begin using computers in the mid-60s to assist
with day-to-day operations. Train schedules and assigning rail cars
to customers were two of the first computer applications designed
to streamline train operations. Today, Union Pacific and several
other railroads have been testing GPS technology to determine its
various uses in a technology-rich train-control system that would
reduce the number of human-caused accidents. Train-control systems
being tested combine the use of satellite and ground-positioning
systems with computer hardware on the locomotive and in train
dispatching centers, using extremely complex software programs. In
theory, the train-control system monitors a train's movement,
compares that movement to what the dispatcher has approved and sets
parameters for a particular rail line, such as maximum speed. If
there is any deviation to these parameters, then the locomotive and
train can be stopped remotely. Union Pacific is enhancing public
safety beyond traditional devices through new technology --
installing Track Image Recorders (TIRs) aboard locomotive cabs to
digitally record an engineer's view of the track, crossings and
signals directly in front of a train as it travels over the rails.
The TIR is a valuable tool in assisting with the investigations of
pedestrian or grade-crossing incidents. TIR video images and
locomotive event recorder data can be synchronized to provide
detailed information about what occurred prior to an incident.
Technological advances in the rail industry have and will continue
to enhance safety, protect the environment and improve operations.
And Union Pacific Railroad strives to be a rail-industry leader,
testing those technological advances to improve safety while
improving operations to better move the nation's growing freight
shipping demands. Jobs at Union Pacific Currently, Union Pacific
has job openings at many locations throughout its 23-state
operating system. Opportunities are available in train service,
skilled disciplines (e.g., diesel mechanics and electricians) and
management. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit
http://www.up.com/ and click on "Jobs at UP." About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading
transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union
Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the
country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers.
Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural
Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and
Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from
all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways.
Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only
railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North
America's premier rail franchise. For more information, contact
Mark Davis (402) 544-5459. DATASOURCE: Union Pacific Corporation
CONTACT: Mark Davis of Union Pacific Corporation, +1-402-544-5459
Web site: http://www.up.com/
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