6 December 2004 CPR Installs "Smart" Sound Technology for Predicting Wheel Bearing Failure Canadian Pacific Railway (TSX/NYSE: CP) has installed "smart" technology that can predict failure in wheel bearings based on distinct sounds emitted by distressed bearings. The new technology, which is capable of reading the acoustic signatures of different defects, will contribute to safer operations and greater fluidity in Canada's busiest rail corridor.   Installed at trackside about 75 km east of Vancouver, it is the first of its kind in Canada and only the ninth in the world. It uses acoustic monitoring devices and intelligent analytical software to filter out background noise and identify the subtlest bearing sounds that signal a defect.   Defective bearings emit warning sounds well before they begin to overheat, the final stage leading to bearing failure.   Currently, the most widely used warning system - called a hot-box detector - is tripped by heat emitted from a defective bearing as the train rolls by. But hot-box detectors cannot measure a bearing's level of distress nor can they generate the data needed to predict how long a defective bearing is likely to last before failing and possibly causing a derailment. Without this predictive ability, a train must be stopped and the defective bearing inspected at every hot-box alarm.   The new smart technology, called Trackside Acoustic Detection System (TADS), detects defects in their earliest stages - well before the risk of bearing failure. These early warning sounds are analyzed to determine how far a train with a defective bearing can safely proceed. This predictive ability eliminates unnecessary and costly train stoppages, leading to improved fluidity of rail operations and higher productivity.   "We are very excited about the promise this smart technology holds for making rail operations safer and for generating higher train productivity in Canada's busiest freight corridor," Neal Foot, CPR's Senior Vice-President of Operations, said.   TADS was developed by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., a unit of the Association of American Railroads. Researchers isolated the acoustic signatures of different defects and programmed them into the detector. By reading these signatures, TADS can identify multiple defects in a single bearing and its data can be used to determine the severity of each of the flaws. Researchers expect the database of acoustic signatures will expand as use of the detector grows, further improving the system's predictive ability.   The TADS is located in an area where CPR and CN share each other's track through a directional running agreement. Under this agreement, CPR and CN run westbound trains over the CN line and run eastbound trains over CPR's line.   In a quid pro quo arrangement, CN will use CPR's TADS in return for CPR's use of a new CN image mapping device that takes digital images of wheels in passing trains and analyzes their condition. They will be located in the same area.   "In the marketplace, CPR and CN are intense competitors. But when it comes to safety, we are ready to put down the competitive swords," Mr. Foot said.   The cost of purchasing and installing the unit is about US$450,000.