Bud,
Funny you mention this. I am tasked to calibrate the speedo of the
locomotive I drive at the beginning of every run to see if the drive
wheel size corresponds to the measurement input into the computer.
It has to be correct within 1-2 miles per hour. The standard
practice prescribed in the rules is to time the locomotive at a
steady speed over a measured mile. Sometimes the computer on the
newer locomotives have a program for this where you push a button at
the beginning of the mile and a the end. The speed true speed will
display on the screen in front of me. I find it very difficult to
maintain an exact constant speed over the entire mile due to the
weight of the train reacting to ANY change in the grade of the land.
I use a Garmin Legend C to compare the actual speed to the indicated
in real time without worrying about any variables in the old method.
If the speedo is off I cannot proceed down the Cajon Pass as speeds
are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration and the Public
Utilities Commission here in California. If I over speed on the
hill, The company I work for pays a heavy fine to the state of
California and the county also.
5 miles an hour over the speed prescribed by the weight of the train
(usually 15-20 mph) over the 12 mile stretch of grade from Cajon Summit
to Baseline in San Bernardino requires me to place the train in emergency,
activating the air brakes through the entire train which will bring the
train to an immediate stop on the hill to avoid the over speed. Then I
get called on the carpet for "engineer induced" emergency. They will
initially blame me for losing control of my train unless an investigation
reveals a mechanical problem or something else out of my control. Yeah,
no pressure in my job.
Mike MacLean
60 Sprite
56 BN2
02 FLSTS
00 F-150
94 Miata
Bud Pazur
> A GPS is a cool way to check a speedometer. It's easier than finding a
> measured mile. I recently swapped out the non-working speedo in my street
> Bug
> with another one I de-munged w/ liquid penetrant and WD-40. Tonight I got
> a
> GPS speed of about 55 MPH vs. a speedo indication of 60 MPH. Which is good
> enough for me. Next step is to check the odometer and trip meter vs. the
> GPS.
>
> Bud
>
> Whitey - 1275 Street Bugeye
> Redd - 948 Race Bugeye
> SilverStreak - 1275 Race Sprite
> ************************************************************************
> "The Buddha... resides as comfortably in the gears of a...transmission as
> he
> does in the petals of a flower"
>
> - Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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