Forensic Engineering Analysis Of Railroad Event Recorders

Abstract

The Railroad Event Recorder, Which Is Commonly Known As A Speed Tape, Continuously Records Events That Are Occurring Throughout The Operation Of A Railroad Engine. The Railroad Event Recorder Was Mandated To Be Installed And Operational Within Every Railroad Engine By The Federal Railroad Administration Under Cfr 49 Part 229.135 Event Recorders. The Railroad Event Recorder Operates The Same Way As A Flight Recorder In An Airplane, Except That It Can Record Up To 48 Hours Continuously, While The Black Box In An Airplane Can Only Record The Last 30 Minutes. The Purposes For Placing The Event Recorders In Each Locomotive Are Twofold: First They Are Used To Help Maintenance Personnel Determine If The Engine Had Any Malfunctions When It Is Brought In For Emergency And/Or Planned Maintenance. Second, They Are Used By The Train Master To Determine If And When The Train Operator Applied The Brakes, And Sounded The Horn During An Incident. This Paper Will Address The Second Purpose For The Event Recorder As It Relates To An Incident And The Requirements Of The Data And Its Presentation.