Don’t RCO locomotives have the equipment permantly installed? Could video equipment be installed to give a view on a screen w/ the beltpack (or separate tablet) - this would have been fesible by the turn of the century, let alone nowadays. Maybe something like a Fred unit for the freight cars (I guess this would need to be hung off the side ladders for flat-yard switching).
The idea being to offer a continous view of fore and aft to the RCO operator - actually, does this already exist in RCO?
My carrier is using RCO platforms. Pieces of equipment without engines that can be coupled to any engine that has a MU connection. The Platform contains all the electronics for RC operations and operates the locomotive through the MU cable just like it would be operated in a multiple unit engine consist. Makes any locomotive on the property into a RC locmotive.
To my knowlege, remote control “slugs” (i.e., non powered remote control units that interface with conventional non-RC locos through the MU connections)have been in use for many years. AS Balt ACD notes, these units will effectively make any non-RC loco into an RC loco. Some roads (e.g., UP) use old locomotive hulks. I understand that some others use old cabooses.
I think it was a report on here (Ms. Kube at some rail expo?) that showed one of the RCO companies is making a box that attaches to the pilot of an engine that contains all the magical RCO gear/smoke (about the size of a gym locker it looked like).
Not something that you want to lug around all day, but I could see it useful for smaller places that only have one or 2 RCO engines. That way when the engine is MI due or shopped, you could slam the box to another engine instead of trying to beg, borrow, or steal another RCO-equipped motor.
Give the Wizards of RCO time they will have it Shrunk down to the size of an EOT in less than 10 Years. Think how big a Computer was 30 years ago for how little Memory. My Phone has more Memory than my First PC did and a Faster Processor.
Toy trains don’t weigh as much or move as quickly. And they sure don’t impact as hard as model trains. Thankfully, I don’t work in yards much because it is an uncomfortable feeling working near RCO operations. I don’t like having unmanned locomotives (Which, of course, aren’t giving us plenty of bell and whistle) moving around only a few feet away from me.
The problem is that this “box” doesn’t appear to have have the other bells and whistles FRA requires for remote control operations. For example, FRA requires some kind of active warning that a unit is in remote control mode, which is typically done with flashing lights. The remote control “slugs” (whether loco hulks or something else) are equipped with these devices. Of course, FRA could change its rules.
I’m not sure if it’s what Zug is talking about, but I’ve seen ads in the past for a type of plug and play RC gear. I think with these, the engines are already equipped with some of those other bells and whistles. The modules just contain the electronics/comm gear. Kind of like the DP Harris control boxes that are used on some engines that don’t have that already integrated into the onboard computer. (I know some like the integrated controls better, but I prefer the Harris box.)
Jeff