A digital computer simulation of single-track railroad operation

IMPROVED SIGNAL SYSTEMS such as Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) have enabled railroads to move train traffic on a single main track with passing sidings that formerly required two tracks or the general use of train orders and timetable authority. A digital computer program has been designed to aid railroad management in selecting the proper siding locations and signal spacing when considering a CTC system. Using an IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) 650 computer the traffic pattern of up to ten trains operating at one time on a 100¿150-mile division of a railroad may be predicted. Initial information stored in the computer memory describes the grades, curve speed restrictions, signal locations, and track layout of the railroad. Also, data for each train are available to the computer. This information includes the number, weight, and type of cars, the power of the locomotive, the origin and destination, and the time of departure.