Event recorder
Encyclopedia
A Train event recorder is similar to the flight data recorder
found on aircraft
. It records data about the operation of train
controls and performance in response to those controls and other train control systems.
Data storage is provided by magnetic tape
, battery-backed
RAM
and, most recently, nonvolatile EEPROM
or Flash Memory
overwritten in a FIFO
continuous loop. The data is mainly used in the investigation
of accidents and incidents but can also be used to monitor traction unit performance and the competence of drivers.
In the United States:
From CFR 49 Ch II 229.5 Definitions.
(g) Event recorder means a device, designed to resist tampering, that monitors and records data on train speed, direction of motion, time, distance, throttle position, brake applications and operations (including train brake, independent brake, and, if so equipped, dynamic brake applications and operations) and, where the locomotive is so equipped, cab signal aspect(s), over the most recent 48 hours of operation of the electrical system of the locomotive on which it is installed. A device, designed to resist tampering, that monitors and records the specified data.
In Canadian Regulations:
Locomotives Design Requirements (Part II)
12. Event Recorders
12.1 Controlling locomotives other than in designated and/or yard service, shall be equipped with an event recorder meeting the following minimum design criteria:
The event recorder shall record time, distance, speed, brake pipe pressure, throttle position, emergency brake application, independent brake cylinder pressure, horn signal and Reset Safety Control function.
In the UK the term on-train monitoring recorder (OTMR) is also used in GM/RT 2472 "Design Requirements for Event Recorders on Trains.”
s (FRA) "Final Rule 49 CFR Part 229", (revised June 30, 2005) requires that Event recorders be fitted to the leading locomotives of all US, Canadian and Mexican trains operating above 30 MPH on the US rail network including all freight, passenger and commuter rail locomotives but does not apply to transit
running on its own dedicated tracks.
The new ruling applies to locomotives either ordered before Oct 1, 2006 or placed in service after Oct 1, 2009 and included:
controlled infrastructure are required to be fitted with an Event recorder complying with GM/RT 2472. Ireland has also adopted this regulation.
Crash protection requirements:
The UK approach is similar to US requirements, but the list of required signals is more comprehensive. This reflects, in part, the prevalence of passenger trains and the inevitable possibility of incidents involving access doors.
Signals to be recorded include:
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
found on aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
. It records data about the operation of train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
controls and performance in response to those controls and other train control systems.
Data storage is provided by magnetic tape
Magnetic tape data storage
Magnetic tape data storage uses digital recording on to magnetic tape to store digital information. Modern magnetic tape is most commonly packaged in cartridges and cassettes. The device that performs actual writing or reading of data is a tape drive...
, battery-backed
Non-volatile memory
Non-volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, NVM or non-volatile storage, in the most basic sense, is computer memory that can retain the stored information even when not powered. Examples of non-volatile memory include read-only memory, flash memory, ferroelectric RAM, most types of magnetic computer...
RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
and, most recently, nonvolatile EEPROM
EEPROM
EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory and is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other electronic devices to store small amounts of data that must be saved when power is removed, e.g., calibration...
or Flash Memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
overwritten in a FIFO
FIFO
FIFO is an acronym for First In, First Out, an abstraction related to ways of organizing and manipulation of data relative to time and prioritization...
continuous loop. The data is mainly used in the investigation
Accident Analysis
Accident analysis is carried out in order to determine the cause or causes of an accident or series of accidents so as to prevent further incidents of a similar kind. It is also known as accident investigation. It may be performed by a range of experts, including forensic scientists, forensic...
of accidents and incidents but can also be used to monitor traction unit performance and the competence of drivers.
Definitions
In English speaking countries the term event recorder is used in documents requiring their use and defining specifications.In the United States:
From CFR 49 Ch II 229.5 Definitions.
(g) Event recorder means a device, designed to resist tampering, that monitors and records data on train speed, direction of motion, time, distance, throttle position, brake applications and operations (including train brake, independent brake, and, if so equipped, dynamic brake applications and operations) and, where the locomotive is so equipped, cab signal aspect(s), over the most recent 48 hours of operation of the electrical system of the locomotive on which it is installed. A device, designed to resist tampering, that monitors and records the specified data.
In Canadian Regulations:
Locomotives Design Requirements (Part II)
12. Event Recorders
12.1 Controlling locomotives other than in designated and/or yard service, shall be equipped with an event recorder meeting the following minimum design criteria:
The event recorder shall record time, distance, speed, brake pipe pressure, throttle position, emergency brake application, independent brake cylinder pressure, horn signal and Reset Safety Control function.
In the UK the term on-train monitoring recorder (OTMR) is also used in GM/RT 2472 "Design Requirements for Event Recorders on Trains.”
History
The earliest event recorders were the mechanical TEL (abbreviation of "Telegraphenwerkstätte von G. Hasler") speed recorders of 1891, which recorded both time and speed.United States
The Federal Railroad AdministrationFederal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
s (FRA) "Final Rule 49 CFR Part 229", (revised June 30, 2005) requires that Event recorders be fitted to the leading locomotives of all US, Canadian and Mexican trains operating above 30 MPH on the US rail network including all freight, passenger and commuter rail locomotives but does not apply to transit
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
running on its own dedicated tracks.
The new ruling applies to locomotives either ordered before Oct 1, 2006 or placed in service after Oct 1, 2009 and included:
- Improved crash worthiness by means of a “hardened” memory module able to withstand:
- Fire resistanceFire-resistance ratingA fire-resistance rating typically means the duration for which a passive fire protection system can withstand a standard fire resistance test. This can be quantified simply as a measure of time, or it may entail a host of other criteria, involving other evidence of functionality or fitness for...
of 750 C for 1 hour, this test simulates the temperature of burning diesel fuel - Impact shockShock (mechanics)A mechanical or physical shock is a sudden acceleration or deceleration caused, for example, by impact, drop, kick, earthquake, or explosion. Shock is a transient physical excitation....
of 55 gG forceThe g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall.It may also refer to:* G-Force , a 2009 film by Disney** G-Force , a 2009 video game based on the film... - Static crush of 110kN for 5 minutes, this test simulates a locomotive derailment and blunt object impact
- Fluid immersion in Diesel, water, salt water or lube oils for 2-days
- Hydrostatic pressureFluid staticsFluid statics is the science of fluids at rest, and is a sub-field within fluid mechanics. The term usually refers to the mathematical treatment of the subject. It embraces the study of the conditions under which fluids are at rest in stable equilibrium...
equivalent to immersion to a depth of 15 m in water for 2-days
- Fire resistance
- Recording of additional information to enhance the quality of information available for post-accident investigations including the following “safety-critical” signals:
- Speed
- Direction of travel (Forward or Reverse)
- Time
- Distance
- Throttle position
- Operation of brakes
- Status of Headlights and Marker Lights (On or Off)
- Operation of Horn
- Status of Cab signalsCab signallingCab signalling is a railway safety system that communicates track status information to the cab, crew compartment or driver's compartment of a locomotive, railcar or multiple unit, where the train driver or engine driver can see the information....
- Store the last 48 hours of safety-critical train data. This is to prevent over-writing of the crash data if the loco is used for the subsequent "clean-up" of the crash scene.
- The phasing out of the old magnetic tapeMagnetic tapeMagnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
models over a four year period due to their vulnerability to data loss in the event of a crash.
United Kingdom and Ireland
All trains operating on Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
controlled infrastructure are required to be fitted with an Event recorder complying with GM/RT 2472. Ireland has also adopted this regulation.
Crash protection requirements:
- Fire resistance of 700 C for 5-minutes
- Impact shock of 100 g, three times on each of its six sides
- Static crush of 20kN for 1-minute, to all edges and faces
- Fluid immersion in water, AFFF or R134A1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane, R-134a, Genetron 134a, Suva 134a or HFC-134a, is a haloalkane refrigerant with thermodynamic properties similar to R-12 , but with less ozone depletion potential...
for 1-hour - Magnetic fieldMagnetic fieldA magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
produced by a current pulse of 0 to 64kA, rising at 107 A/sec, at a distance of 1-meter
The UK approach is similar to US requirements, but the list of required signals is more comprehensive. This reflects, in part, the prevalence of passenger trains and the inevitable possibility of incidents involving access doors.
Signals to be recorded include:
- Brake demand including operation of all Brake Controls and other brake activations
- Power notch
- Wheel speed
- SpeedometerSpeedometerA speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
, both signal sent to speedometer and indication displayed to driver - AWSAutomatic Warning SystemThe Automatic Warning System is a form of limited cab signalling and train protection system introduced in 1956 in the United Kingdom to help train drivers observe and obey signals. It was based on a 1930 system developed by Alfred Ernest Hudd and marketed as the "Strowger-Hudd" system...
operation - DRADriver reminder applianceThe Driver's Reminder Appliance is a manual switch in the driving cab of a passenger train. When operated it glows bright red and prevents the driver from being able to take power...
operation - VigilanceDead man's switchA dead man's switch is a switch that is automatically operated in case the human operator becomes incapacitated, such as through death or loss of consciousness....
Operation - PES - Passenger Emergency Systems
- Override of any Safety System
- Horn
- Door signals
- Door inter-lock
- WSPWheel slide protectionWheel slide protection and wheel slip protection are railway terms used to describe automatic systems used to detect and prevent wheel-slide during braking or wheel-spin during acceleration. Analogous to ABS and traction control systems used on motor vehicles....
- TiltTilting trainA tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...
, if fitted - Speed supervision & ControlTASSTASS or Tass may refer to:* Telluride Association Sophomore Seminar, a six-week educational opportunity for minority high school students* Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union, TASS is the transliteration of the Russian abbreviation for it...
, if fitted
Switzerland
Speed recording equipment has been used by Swiss Federal Railways for many years.See also
- Black box (transportation)Black Box (transportation)The term black box is a placeholder name used casually to refer to a collection of several different recording devices used in transportation: the flight recorders in aircraft, the event recorder in railway locomotives, the event data recorder in automobiles, message case in ships, and other...
- TachographTachographA tachograph is a device fitted to a vehicle that automatically records its speed and distance, together with the driver's activity selected from a choice of modes. The drive mode is activated automatically when the vehicle is in motion, and modern tachograph heads usually default to the other work...
- largely defunct, used on locomotives and automobiles - Flight recorderFlight recorderA flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of an aircraft accident or incident. For this reason, flight recorders are required to be capable of surviving the conditions likely to be encountered in a severe aircraft...
, Flight data recorderFlight data recorderA flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
and Cockpit voice recorderCockpit voice recorderA cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
- used on aircraft - Event Data RecorderEvent Data RecorderAn event data recorder or EDR is a device installed in some automobiles to record information related to vehicle crashes or accidents. In modern diesel trucks, EDRs are triggered by electronically sensed problems in the engine , or a sudden change in wheel speed. One or more of these conditions...
- used on automobiles - Voyage Data RecorderVoyage Data Recorderthumb|A fixed Data Capsule of VDR mounted on a [[container ship]].Voyage Data Recorder, or VDR, is a data recording system designed for all vessels required to comply with the IMO's International Convention SOLAS Requirements in order to collect data from various sensors on board the vessel...
- used on ships - Data loggerData loggerA data logger is an electronic device that records data over time or in relation to location either with a built in instrument or sensor or via external instruments and sensors. Increasingly, but not entirely, they are based on a digital processor...