BNSF signs with Trainyard Tech for Routemaster process control system
Written by Railway Age StaffTrainyard Tech, LLC has signed a contract with BNSF Railway to install its Routemaster™ NX process control system at Cherokee yard in Tulsa, Okla.
“This entrance/exit route control system will be the first to utilize Trainyard Tech’s new Universal Device I/O Interface Box (UDI² Box),” the company said. “The UDI² Box offers exceptional flexibility, leveraging a Data Radio and Antenna to provide I/O point data for any field device. In Cherokee Yard specifically, Trainyard Tech’s Routemaster™ system will interface via these new UDI² Boxes to switches, derailers, and blue flags, eliminating the need for direct cabling. This will cut costs and improve lightning resistance throughout the yard.”
The Routemaster™ System includes a custom graphical user interface, displaying the real-time status of all yard devices. Multiple user workstations located throughout the terminal “provide consistent, accurate data points and/or direct control to all operators and supervisors,” Trainyard Tech noted. “For safety and efficiency, two hosts operating in hot-standby ensure constant up-time and redundancy. System event logs store all I/O and process control events for up to two years, and Trainyard Tech offers an optional workstation playback system.”
Trainyard Tech said it is currently in the final stages of installation and testing of the newest Classmaster™ system at CSX Queensgate Yard in Cincinnati, Ohio. This latest system utilizes bi-directional wheel detectors at all switch points and retarder entrance/exit points. The bi-directional wheel detectors allow the system to determine direction and velocity of a rolling car, “giving the system more precise presence detection than is possible with track circuits. The increased speed and acceleration measurements also lead to improved control performance through better handling/detection of rolling anomalies such as brakes-on or other issues. This system will integrate seamlessly with Trainyard Tech’s Routemaster™ system, already in service at Queensgate.”
