Cordova Bay Station web pages require a JavaScript enabled browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5 or greater or Netscape version 4 or greater. Alternately, JavaScript may have been turned off in your browser. Open your browser preferences and enable JavaScript. You do not have to restart your computer or browser after enabling JavaScript. Simply click the Reload button. When enabled, JavaScript has no effect on your privacy settings and no cookies will be written to your computer - William C. Slim.


Home
 
1977-1981
  
Public Relations and Advertising Department
Windsor Station Montreal Que. H3C 3E4
 

Volume 7   Number 14

Nov. 2, 1977


Touring TDA First of Kind


Checking System:  Steve Shapka (seated), road foreman of engines for CP Rail, Calgary, and D.W. Alexander, manager, track/train dynamics from Montreal, check the operation of the newly acquired mobile Train Dynamics Analyzer.
 
 
 Calgary - CP Rail is using the first mobile computer facility of its kind in the country to learn more about the stress that occurs within a moving train.
 
Called a Train Dynamics Analyzer, the facility is housed in a van and consists of a computer, keyboard terminal, information read out screen, and a computer terminal reproduction of locomotive controls.
 
Designed to provide more than mere "seat of the pants" information about stresses created in a moving train, the TDA unit is capable of receiving information about any portion of track and train make-up currently used by CP Rail.
 
MOVING GRAPH
 
To operate the TDA an engineer describes the train consist on the keyboard terminal, adds a tape description of a section of track, and then "drives" the train over a moving graph on a cathode ray (television) screen.
 
Movement of the reproduced locomotive controls (brakes and throttle) produces appropriate movement of the graph line representing the forces within the train.
 
"This system mathematically depicts train handling information that has been difficult to gather. Until the development of this sort of computer even actual experience could not supply the type of information we wanted to have", said D.W. Alexander, manager of train/track dynamics for CP Rail, Montreal.
 
Alexander is currently travelling across the country with the TDA to gather information on a system-wide basis.
 
"We initially acquired a stationary TDA unit at Montreal to be used in training enginemen in more efficient methods of locomotive and train operation, but we have found it has many other uses as well", said M.M. Stroick, Superintendent for the Calgary Division.

This CP Rail News article is copyright 1977 by Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.

© 2005 William C. Slim       http://www.okthepk.ca