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In my conversations with many of you regarding this well-respected publication, I have mentioned that the reason for why it has become so successful is because you are the ones who play an integral role with making it happen. Today's column will, to a larger extent, outline one of them. I am the recipient of many questions regarding a variety of topics; some of them I got right before I submitted this to the Editor-In-Chief (who in a previous editorial he authored, referred to the position as the publication's lightening rod). Hopefully, to your satisfaction, I will have answered your inquiries. The questions I have chosen will also address issues which you may encounter one of these days (as always, we hope we don't, but we must stay prepared). So without further delay, let's go into the program; this episode starred your writer while he was at the controls of a 115 car DPU loaded coal train.
SITUATION:
After having made a minimum brake pipe reduction, there now occurs a Communications Interrupt light on the control box console. At the time the light came on, the consists were in throttle 3, synchronous mode operations. In order to get the remote unit to idle down, I made a 10 pound total additional reduction, in split service increments. However, upon physically, going back to the remote unit to double check things, I came to find it way still kicking it in the Run 3 throttle position I had before the radio break occurred.
Eventually I was able to get it to idle down and go into Lead-Cutout status, the normal condition it will go to whenever this happens under radio break circumstances. So my question was: why didn't the locomotive do this when the first brake pipe reduction after the communications loss idle down the remote?
Answer: The key factor was with the way the follow up brake pipe reduction was
made. If you have a brake pipe reduction in effect, and then afterwards, you
incur a communications loss between the consists, the second brake pipe
reduction has to be at least 10 pounds or more, straightaway, to insure the
brake pipe signal will be strong enough to be detected by the remote consists
and idle it down. If you will recall from simulator classes, whenever a follow
up split reduction to the minimum reduction already in effect is done, you get
a nice, smooth, even air flow in the brake system. But if the communications
loss occurs, and no brake pipe reduction is in effect, the minimum reduction
will be strong enough and sufficient enough to trigger the idle down process;
this is because from the initial brake pipe reduction, the preliminary quick
service activity which takes place can be detected as a system miscompare,
thereby setting the correction system into action. To conclude this story: In
the case that you feel you are going to get into real trouble (like let's say,
the radio break occurred and the remote consists were in a high throttle
position like Run 7 of Run 8 throttle), and the remote unit would not shut
down, the best recourse is to go to emergency position and give it up. Even if
you are out of communication, the remote unit will always respond to an
emergency.
SITUATION NO. 2
This one is also based upon DPU train operations: An engineer related to me an
experience of another fellow engineer having a communication loss condition
with a DPU loaded coal train. In his case, he was performing a release of the
brakes, only to see as the result his train go into emergency. It was the
belief that they felt under radio break conditions, that everything would
still be like normal for them to operate the train for the one hour time limit
that happens with this condition. Question: Why did the gentleman's train keep
going into emergency?
Answer: In this case, these was a misinterpretation of what transpires with
DPU equipment whenever radio breaks occur between locomotive consists. But
since we are dealing with this, let me also bring you up to date on a change
which was made since those of us in Fort Worth attended the DPU simulator
classes. Whenever you have a communication break, the remote locomotive is
going to continue what it was last told to do for 90 minutes (the previous
software version used had only a 60 minute time limit). This change was made
in order to better facilitate operations in long, uphill grade operations in
the mountainous territories when operations at high throttle settings and low
speeds under radio break situations, should and when they occur, would still
permit the train to navigate to a point where they could reestablish
communications pretty quick, thereby avoiding a premature train shutdown. With
the case of the emergency brake applications occurring during a radio break
situation; yes, the system did as it was supposed to. The increase of brake
pipe pressure by 2 or more pounds within two seconds during this situation is
detected as a system miscompare, and will activate a feature called Brake Pipe
Rise Emergency. So if possible, try to get the train out of the radio break
zone before you attempt to release the brakes. Otherwise, you will see your
train coming to a stop.
SITUATION NO. 3
Yes, you guessed it. This one is another which deals with a DPU coal train.
This time the job is an empty coal train. In this instance, the engineer,
whenever he would release the brakes for departure, would a few moments
afterwards, have his train go into emergency. Being as I was nearby working a
yard job, I called him on the radio and asked him to tell me what type of a
message he had on the SYSTEM display screen; he indicated it said Emergency
Valve Fail-A. Later during the trip, the DPU control system went into gave off
a FAIL light, and went into emergency. Question: Was the SYSTEM screen message
condition the cause for this situation?
Answer: Yes. On the EPIC brake system, there are two magnet valves used; they are labeled EM1 and EM2. The EM1 is dedicated to conventional operations (this also includes when it is set up for trailing operations in a DPU consist), and the EM2 is dedicated to DPU train operations. Should you have an EM2 valve failure, it will result in an immediate emergency brake application, as the EPIC system is a "slave" to the DPU control system. With the Emergency Valve Fail message, the letter which follows will identify which consist has the problem (A is the lead consist, B is the first remote consist, and so on). The FAIL light came as a result of the wiring to the EM2 being burnt off, so the communication loss between it and the DPU system produced this result. Unless the problems can be corrected, you must either replace the defective DPU unit with a new one and relink the train, otherwise, you must unlink the DPU control system and set the train up as a conventional format. In any case, when you have a FAIL light, notify the road failure desk at the first available opportunity.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Q. On GE locomotives equipped with the DID panel, does the message Ready Fault Message Stored mean that the locomotive is still not fully ready for operation?
A. No. Any kind of Ready message means that all locomotive systems are functioning properly. There might on occasions be with it a Reset? displayed on the screen; this is asking if you are wanting to reset a fault. Reset without the question mark will allow you to reset the fault. Doing this will then display the message Ready Work Report Stored.
2. Q. If the DID panel is left in the Level 2 setup, will the locomotive still produce load output?
A. Yes. The system has a timer which will eventually return it to the Level 1 status.
3. Q. On the GE AC Traction locomotives, when it becomes necessary to cutout an inverter, does it also require that you also cutout the speed sensor and/or locked axle protection systems?
A. Not unless the problem is speed sensor related.
4. Q. With the GE AC Traction locomotives, if you have a DID panel or VID screen display messages of Reduced Dynamic Brake: Auto or Manual Motor(s) C/O, along with TE Limited: Auto or Manual Motor(s) C/O, what affect will this have on the locomotive's operation?
A. It will result in the tractive effort development rates being slower. In dynamic braking, for each inverter cutout , your dynamic braking effort will be reduced by 1/6th (Real life example: with an inverter cutout, in the peak output zone, a C44AC will put out 81,000 pounds of effort).
5. Q. Why do the IFD screens on the C44AC brighten up by themselves after so long a period of operating time?
A. This is a problem which is believed to be software related. It is a situation which is not involving the display screens, but with the back lighting for the screens. There are ten steps that causes the fluorescent lighting to have a scale by which they can go brighter or dimmer. It is not at any specific step that this phenomenon is occurring.
6. Q. On a BU train summary, what is the meaning of the projected tons readout?
A. This is a figure which LMS derives; it is based upon the last five week history of what tonnage amounts have been handled by that particular train symbol. The scheduled tons figure you see on the BU is what derives the projected tons figures. You can bring this history by using the following TCS code: =TH (Train Symbol), so for an example: =TH NPHO.
7. Q. A fellow engineer had an alarm bell to go off in the consist. His lead unit was an SD90/43AC; he couldn't find the alarm bell silence soft key. What do you have to do to get it?
A. Since the right ICE screen contains the function under regular operations, if it is not immediately displayed, select the More Menu soft key to take you on the roadmap to the screen which contains the selection.
The last question is based upon my trip last year in which I had an SD90/43AC locomotive as a lead unit. I observed that whenever you used the horn button on the control stand, you would get a blue HORN ON indicator light on the right ICE screen. But if you used the programmed horn sequencer, the indicator light would not be activated. Here is the reason why: The horn button on the control stand is sending a signal to the EM2000 computer to blow the horn. This command is then sent by EM2000 to the ICE system. The horn sequencer is controlled by a system other than the EM2000 system, so the result is that EM2000 is bypassed, thus you do not get a HORN ON light.
Well folks, there you are. I hope that you got the answers you were hoping for or expecting. Thank you for your interest, and feel free to consult with me at anytime in the future.