Today, primary motive power unit employed by United States railroads is diesel engine; until recently, trend was against further extension of electrified operation because of high initial costs; further, diesel locomotive can be operated throughout railway system in both electrified and nonelectrified zones; with advent of extensive electric power grids, rectifier locomotives, and ambitious plans for extensive rapid-transit systems, electrified operation has obtained new lease on life; signal system development has brought notable improvement in railroad safety and operations; most important in this category is centralized train control, by means of which single tower can control all switches and signals over more than 1000 km of mainline track; with automatic train stop equipment and speed control, train running through stop signal or exceeding speed limit can be electronically stopped or slowed, thereby eliminating possibility of human failure; two-way radio communications have done much to expedite freighttrain operations; many locomotives, cabooses, and signal towers are equipped to permit train conductors to talk to engineers or tower personnel, and to receive orders while enroute.
Railroad electrification -- Past, present, and future
IEEE -- Spectrum
IEEE Spectrum ; 5 , n 8
1968
11 pages
Article (Journal)
English
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Railroad electrification -- Past, present, and future
Engineering Index Backfile | 1968
|Railroad electrification -- Past, present, and future
Engineering Index Backfile | 1968
|Engineering Index Backfile | 1931
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