Train Simulator Project Title: LETS - Locomotive Engineer Train Simulator Project Customer: United States Army

United States Army Locomotive

LETS Training Controls

Project Overview: The US Army maintains a large fleet of locomotives and rail vehicles throughout the United States to facilitate the movement of equipment and supplies.  It also provides engineers for overseas operations.  Before LETS, the Army was forced to use simulators owned by commercial railroads, or even take equipment off the line to provide training and certification for their engineers.  The decision was made to procure training devices owned, operated, and dedicated to training Army personnel.  For the Transportation Command’s school at Ft. Eustis, VA, this was particularly advantageous in that the locomotive cab, trains, and locomotives could be tailored to Army specification, rather than just taking what was available and often mis-matched in the civilian world.  Additionally, the Army collaborated with the Department of Transportation’s Volpe research center throughout the project.  Volpe was able to leverage the procurement to obtain a system designated specifically for research in their Cambridge facility.  That research, largely centered on human factors/man-in-the-loop aspects is aimed at increasing the safety of railroad operations throughout the US.

ACME Services Used: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering and Development, Fabrication, Documentation, and on-site Customer Training.

Project Details: ACME delivered both the FT. Eustis and Volpe systems on time and on budget.  The systems include Army specifications, locomotive configurations, specialized cars, and more than 50 miles of simulated track and rail yards specifically designed for their training and certification needs.  Using projection video systems, both simulators provide a realistic, out-the-window view of the track and its environmental features to optimize the training and research experience.  ACME teamed with CORYS TESS, a world-class provider of software for train simulators to ensure that the complex and dynamic train behavior models represented real world behavior—from traction and braking to coupler reaction and aerodynamics of the train as configured.  Actual AAR-105 control stands were used, along with both simulated and stimulated instrumentation, interfaces, and controls to give the engineer the necessary learning experience.  The system also incorporates a large variety of programmable train malfunctions for emergency and operational training.  Special features of the system include a rear view display that allows the engineer to train and rehearse complex coupling operations, a interior mockup of the locomotive cab, and video and data recordings of engineer input and train reaction for playback during post-training review sessions--as well as input to Volpe’s human performance research laboratory.  The Army has also ordered a long-term maintenance/support contract for the Ft. Eustis system. The Army’s Reserve component has ordered an additional training system for it operations headquartered at Ft. McCoy, WI.

Delivery Date: Original Training Systems:  September, 2004.  Follow-on, Transportable Trainers: On or before August, 2005

Customer Comments: N/A