Transportation: AC propuision and the use of microprocessors for locomotive control and diagnostics may help an ailing railroad industry retrack itself

In assessing the developments in 1985, it is pointed out that new generations of locomotives and railroad cars incorporating AC propulsion and microprocessors entered service last year, and the trend is destined to continue. Electronics is also making possible freight trains that rely on a telemetry unit at the rear to monitor airbrake pressure, instead of a manned caboose. Microprocessors are being used in locomotives not only to reduce energy waste through better regulation of traction motor currents and auxiliary devices such as cooling fans, but also to control engine speed, braking, and other functions. The improvements made in train identification systems are discussed, together with the reductions in crew size made possible by new electronic components.