Distributed power
Encyclopedia
In rail transport
distributed power refers to the placing of additional locomotives at intermediate points in the middle of the train, remotely controlled from the leading locomotive, to allow longer trains where operational considerations or economics require it. Distributed power thus describes the physical distribution throughout the length of a train of separate motive power groups. Such 'groups' may be single units or multiple consists.
This reduced drawbar pull will reduce the lateral force between wheel and rail on curves, thus minimizing wear on various components. Lower friction results in fuel savings and/or the capability of running heavier trains.
Another benefit is quicker application of standard air brakes. It can take several seconds for brake-pipe pressure changes initiated by the engineer to propagate to the rear of the train with all braking control at the front on a conventional train. When distributed-power locomotives are directed to set the brakes simultaneously, the desired air pressure change will reach more cars sooner. This is particularly true when the extra power units are in the middle of the train.
The main disadvantage, especially with mid-train units, is the time and track configuration required to add and remove additional locomotive consists. There are costs associated with equipping locomotives with the extra control apparatus. Operationally, loss of the telemetry signals is coped with in various fail-safe manners.
Global Signalling), who have manufactured and marketed a patented radio-control system known as Locotrol
that is the predominant (perhaps only?) wireless distributed power system in use today around the world.
With its origins in the early days of SCADA
technology for the remote control of pipelines and electric utilities, and from an early concept of Southern Railway President D.W. Brosnan, Locotrol was a product of the North Electric Company (Galion, Ohio) which was later purchased by Radiation Inc. (Melbourne, Florida) and—in turn—purchased by Harris Corporation (also headquartered in Melbourne, FL), and was first tested on the Southern Railway in 1963. The first production Locotrol was installed on the Southern Railway in 1965.
In the early years of this technology, Wabco also had—for a relatively brief period—a competing system called 'RMU' (Remote Multiple Uniter) which was installed on a few North American railroads. However this system did not prevail and soon went out of production. Prior to the advent by North Electric of the proprietary 'LOCOTROL' name, the product was referred to as 'RCE' (Radio Controlled Equipment) or 'RCS' (Radio Control System) and the lead and remote units as 'master' and 'slave'. The colloquial 'master' and 'slave' terms, though, were not formally used by the manufacturer. In some U.S. railroad parlance, Locotrol trains are referred to as 'radio trains'.
s.
There are two basic modes for over-the-road distributed power operation. Locomotive control can be synchronous (MU), whereby control commands made by the engineer in the Lead unit are transmitted instantly via radio telemetry to—and are followed immediately by—all Remote units in the train, or independent whereby the engineer may set up and independently operate the Remote locomotives as a 'front' and a 'back' group (or with Locotrol III and subsequent versions; as 'Lead', 'Remote-forward', Remote-intermediate', 'Remote-rear', and 'Remote-trail' groups—this latter at the rear of the train). The front group always includes the Lead locomotive, and all Remote locomotives in the front group follow the commands made by the engineer using the Lead locomotive controls. Which Remote locomotives are in the front or back groups are selectable by the engineer in real time. One DP train cannot affect another DP train or another individual DP-equipped locomotive not in a train; and an individual DP-equipped locomotive not in a train cannot affect any DP train or other individual DP locomotive regardless of proximity.
Distributed power was originally able to be provided at only one intermediate location within a train. These forerunner systems (Locotrol 102-105 and Locotrol II) required a radio-relay car to be attached via standard multiple-unit jumper cabling to the remote locomotive(s) to provide the radio-control commands and facilitate feedback signals. Later, Locotrol II evolved into the 'Universal' system in which the radio-control equipment was installed on the locomotives themselves, rendering the relay car (variously referred-to as an 'RCU' for remote control unit or 'LRC' for locomotive remote control) redundant.
Locotrol III was the next development—being compatible with both the Knorr-Bremse
/ New York Air Brake
CCB
and Wabtec's EPIC
electronic locomotive brake equipment, and permitting multiple Remote unit locations as described above. The latest incarnation of this equipment is Locotrol Electronic Brake (LEB), which integrates the GE Locotrol technology with K-B/NYAB's CCBII brake .
and Canada
, China
, and Australia
(Queensland, the Pilbara region of Western Australia
, and in the southwest of Western Australia), Brazil, Germany, and South Africa
. It is also (or has been) in regular unit-train operation in India, Mauritania, and Mexico, and almost made it into operation in both pre- and post-revolutionary Iran. In the south of Western Australia Locotrol is used in the 'top-and-tail' configuration rather than specifically for long-train operation. With the recent advent of electronically controlled pneumatic brakes
(ECP)—either hard-wired or radio-controlled—and integrated electronics for locomotive control and engineer's cab display systems, DP can now be provided via the ECP brake communication media, and other manufacturers are able to provide this capability. A recent DP system from Wabtec, called PowerLink (which can be either wired or wireless) is in use in Queensland on narrow-gauge coal trains and in the south of Western Australia on standard-gauge iron ore trains.
' is a phrase used to describe an operation where there is a locomotive at each end of the train; usually to make it easier to change direction at a terminal location where it is not possible to run the motive power 'around' the train (i.e. swap the locomotives from one end of the train to the other); this arrangement is not used specifically to operate longer or heavier trains.
The description should not be confused with 'push-pull', which refers specifically to a train configuration in which the motive power is located at one end of the train only. In this latter configuration, the train is able to be operated from the 'non-powered' end by use of a engineer's control position (the 'cab-car') located at that end of the train. Push-pull operation is usually associated with suburban commuter passenger trains.
'Top-and-Tail' is not, strictly speaking, a Distributed Power operation although such a configuration could, conceivably, be used as such. The remote control of a Top-and-Tail configuration is mentioned above (Western Australia) in which Locotrol technology is utilised to provide a solution although not in the context of increasing the train size. The term 'Distributed Power' has been specifically coined to convey the generic concept of removing some of the motive power of a train from its head-end and distributing it within or throughout the length of the train to reduce coupler forces (and, when competently operated; in-train dynamics) and permit the operation of longer, heavier trains. Use of this term ensures that the brand-name 'Locotrol', which is the property of one company, is not itself used generically to refer to the technology of distributed power.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
distributed power refers to the placing of additional locomotives at intermediate points in the middle of the train, remotely controlled from the leading locomotive, to allow longer trains where operational considerations or economics require it. Distributed power thus describes the physical distribution throughout the length of a train of separate motive power groups. Such 'groups' may be single units or multiple consists.
Advantages and disadvantages
The obvious benefit is reducing drawbar pull on the front cars of a train versus what would be required if all the power exerted were at the head end. On an undulating track profile, a skillful engineer can manipulate the relative power outputs (as well as dynamic and air brake applications) to minimize run-in and run-out of the coupler slack throughout the train."This reduced drawbar pull will reduce the lateral force between wheel and rail on curves, thus minimizing wear on various components. Lower friction results in fuel savings and/or the capability of running heavier trains.
Another benefit is quicker application of standard air brakes. It can take several seconds for brake-pipe pressure changes initiated by the engineer to propagate to the rear of the train with all braking control at the front on a conventional train. When distributed-power locomotives are directed to set the brakes simultaneously, the desired air pressure change will reach more cars sooner. This is particularly true when the extra power units are in the middle of the train.
The main disadvantage, especially with mid-train units, is the time and track configuration required to add and remove additional locomotive consists. There are costs associated with equipping locomotives with the extra control apparatus. Operationally, loss of the telemetry signals is coped with in various fail-safe manners.
History
Since the 1960s, railroad distributed power technology has been dominated by one company, Harris Controls (originally Harris Corporation—Controls and Composition Division, later purchased by General Electric, and now known as GE Transportation SystemsGE Transportation Systems
GE Transportation, formerly known as GE Rail, is a division of General Electric. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine...
Global Signalling), who have manufactured and marketed a patented radio-control system known as Locotrol
Locotrol
Locotrol is a product of GE Transportation Systems that permits railway locomotives to be distributed throughout the length of a train...
that is the predominant (perhaps only?) wireless distributed power system in use today around the world.
With its origins in the early days of SCADA
SCADA
SCADA generally refers to industrial control systems : computer systems that monitor and control industrial, infrastructure, or facility-based processes, as described below:...
technology for the remote control of pipelines and electric utilities, and from an early concept of Southern Railway President D.W. Brosnan, Locotrol was a product of the North Electric Company (Galion, Ohio) which was later purchased by Radiation Inc. (Melbourne, Florida) and—in turn—purchased by Harris Corporation (also headquartered in Melbourne, FL), and was first tested on the Southern Railway in 1963. The first production Locotrol was installed on the Southern Railway in 1965.
In the early years of this technology, Wabco also had—for a relatively brief period—a competing system called 'RMU' (Remote Multiple Uniter) which was installed on a few North American railroads. However this system did not prevail and soon went out of production. Prior to the advent by North Electric of the proprietary 'LOCOTROL' name, the product was referred to as 'RCE' (Radio Controlled Equipment) or 'RCS' (Radio Control System) and the lead and remote units as 'master' and 'slave'. The colloquial 'master' and 'slave' terms, though, were not formally used by the manufacturer. In some U.S. railroad parlance, Locotrol trains are referred to as 'radio trains'.
Technology
A locomotive that has been fitted with Locotrol DP equipment may be set up as either a Lead or Remote 'active' unit; the Lead unit being the controlling locomotive. Only one distributed power-equipped locomotive in any Lead or Remote consist (group) is active. Other locomotives MU-coupled to this 'active' unit operate conventionally as multiple unitMultiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
s.
There are two basic modes for over-the-road distributed power operation. Locomotive control can be synchronous (MU), whereby control commands made by the engineer in the Lead unit are transmitted instantly via radio telemetry to—and are followed immediately by—all Remote units in the train, or independent whereby the engineer may set up and independently operate the Remote locomotives as a 'front' and a 'back' group (or with Locotrol III and subsequent versions; as 'Lead', 'Remote-forward', Remote-intermediate', 'Remote-rear', and 'Remote-trail' groups—this latter at the rear of the train). The front group always includes the Lead locomotive, and all Remote locomotives in the front group follow the commands made by the engineer using the Lead locomotive controls. Which Remote locomotives are in the front or back groups are selectable by the engineer in real time. One DP train cannot affect another DP train or another individual DP-equipped locomotive not in a train; and an individual DP-equipped locomotive not in a train cannot affect any DP train or other individual DP locomotive regardless of proximity.
Distributed power was originally able to be provided at only one intermediate location within a train. These forerunner systems (Locotrol 102-105 and Locotrol II) required a radio-relay car to be attached via standard multiple-unit jumper cabling to the remote locomotive(s) to provide the radio-control commands and facilitate feedback signals. Later, Locotrol II evolved into the 'Universal' system in which the radio-control equipment was installed on the locomotives themselves, rendering the relay car (variously referred-to as an 'RCU' for remote control unit or 'LRC' for locomotive remote control) redundant.
Locotrol III was the next development—being compatible with both the Knorr-Bremse
Knorr-Bremse
Knorr-Bremse is a manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles that has operated in the field for over 100 years. The company also produces door systems for rail vehicles and torsional dampers. In 2009, the Group's workforce of over 14,000 achieved worldwide sales of EUR 2.761...
/ New York Air Brake
New York Air Brake
The New York Air Brake Corporation, located in Watertown, New York, is a manufacturer of air brake and train control systems for the railroad industry worldwide.-History:-Establishment 1876-1900:...
CCB
CCB
CCB may refer to:In Asian economics:* China Construction Bank, one of the 'big four' banks in the People's Republic of China* China Construction Bank , a licensed bank incorporated in Hong KongIn Australian schools:...
and Wabtec's EPIC
EPIC
-Technology:* Explicitly parallel instruction computing, a design philosophy based on VLIW used in Itanium CPUs* EPIC , Executive-Process/Interactive Control, for artificial intelligence studies* Electromagnetic Personal Interdiction Control...
electronic locomotive brake equipment, and permitting multiple Remote unit locations as described above. The latest incarnation of this equipment is Locotrol Electronic Brake (LEB), which integrates the GE Locotrol technology with K-B/NYAB's CCBII brake .
Users
Distributed power is used in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Queensland, the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and in the southwest of Western Australia), Brazil, Germany, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is also (or has been) in regular unit-train operation in India, Mauritania, and Mexico, and almost made it into operation in both pre- and post-revolutionary Iran. In the south of Western Australia Locotrol is used in the 'top-and-tail' configuration rather than specifically for long-train operation. With the recent advent of electronically controlled pneumatic brakes
Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes
Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes are a type of modern railway braking system which offer improved performance compared to traditional pneumatic brakes.- Overview :...
(ECP)—either hard-wired or radio-controlled—and integrated electronics for locomotive control and engineer's cab display systems, DP can now be provided via the ECP brake communication media, and other manufacturers are able to provide this capability. A recent DP system from Wabtec, called PowerLink (which can be either wired or wireless) is in use in Queensland on narrow-gauge coal trains and in the south of Western Australia on standard-gauge iron ore trains.
Other similar operations
'Top and tailTop and tail
A top-and-tail railway train has locomotives at both ends, for ease of changing direction. This is a British term. It is normal for only the leading locomotive to power the train when in top-and-tail mode, cf push pull operation with both locomotives powering.It is properly distinct from a...
' is a phrase used to describe an operation where there is a locomotive at each end of the train; usually to make it easier to change direction at a terminal location where it is not possible to run the motive power 'around' the train (i.e. swap the locomotives from one end of the train to the other); this arrangement is not used specifically to operate longer or heavier trains.
The description should not be confused with 'push-pull', which refers specifically to a train configuration in which the motive power is located at one end of the train only. In this latter configuration, the train is able to be operated from the 'non-powered' end by use of a engineer's control position (the 'cab-car') located at that end of the train. Push-pull operation is usually associated with suburban commuter passenger trains.
'Top-and-Tail' is not, strictly speaking, a Distributed Power operation although such a configuration could, conceivably, be used as such. The remote control of a Top-and-Tail configuration is mentioned above (Western Australia) in which Locotrol technology is utilised to provide a solution although not in the context of increasing the train size. The term 'Distributed Power' has been specifically coined to convey the generic concept of removing some of the motive power of a train from its head-end and distributing it within or throughout the length of the train to reduce coupler forces (and, when competently operated; in-train dynamics) and permit the operation of longer, heavier trains. Use of this term ensures that the brand-name 'Locotrol', which is the property of one company, is not itself used generically to refer to the technology of distributed power.
See also
- Remote control locomotive
- Control Car Remote Control LocomotiveControl Car Remote Control LocomotiveA Control Car Remote Control Locomotive is a stripped diesel locomotive body with remote control equipment installed. The term and the units are a creation of the Union Pacific Railroad, which is widely adopting remote control of locomotives in switching service...
- LocotrolLocotrolLocotrol is a product of GE Transportation Systems that permits railway locomotives to be distributed throughout the length of a train...