Known powered vehicle systems may include one or more powered units (for example, locomotives) and one or more non-powered units (for example, freight cars or other rail cars). The powered units supply tractive force to propel the powered units and non-powered units. The non-powered units hold or store goods and/or passengers, and generally are not capable of self-propulsion. For example, some known powered vehicle systems have locomotives and rail cars for conveying goods and/or passengers along a track. Some known powered rail vehicle systems include several powered units. For example, the systems may include a lead powered unit, such as a lead locomotive, and one or more remote powered units, such as trailing locomotives, that are located behind and coupled with the lead powered unit. The lead and remote powered units supply tractive force to propel the system along the track.
The remote powered units may be organized in motive power groups referred to as consists. The lead powered unit can control the tractive efforts of the remote powered units in a consist.
When a powered vehicle system, such as a train, is to be stopped at a particular location, one or more handbrakes of the train are typically set by an operator. In general, train cars and other rail vehicles are required to include handbrake systems. For example, each powered unit, such as a locomotive, may include a handbrake, and each non-powered unit, such as a freight car, includes a separate and distinct handbrake that may be manually engaged by the operator in order to ensure that the train is stopped.
Handbrakes are set in order to prevent a train from moving. Existing regulations require that a train may not hold itself on a grade by using air brakes alone. When a particular grade becomes too steep for the handbrakes of a locomotive to hold the train in a stopped or parked position, an operator is typically required to leave the locomotive to set handbrakes on one or more of the non-powered units, such as freight cars. When a train is parked on a grade, if an operator does not set a sufficient number of handbrakes, the train may begin to roll down the grade, pick up speed, and cause damage to the train and/or surrounding area. If the train picks up enough speed, the train may derail and/or crash into one or more other vehicles that happen to be on tracks in front of the train.
Accordingly, train operators are responsible for securing standing or parked trains with handbrakes to prevent undesired movement. Before the operators leave a train unattended, a sufficient number of handbrakes are to be set to ensure that the train remains securely parked. After setting the handbrakes, the operators typically check to ensure that the force exerted by the handbrakes is sufficient to ensure that the train remains stationary, whether on a level surface or a graded incline. For example, after setting the handbrakes, an operator may release air brakes of a train to see if the train begins to move. If the train remains stationary, the operator may then determine that a sufficient number of handbrakes have been set. If, however, the train begins to move, the operator may then set additional handbrakes.
As can be appreciated, the process of determining a number of handbrakes to set and then verifying that the train is in fact securely stopped and parked may be time and labor intensive. Further, the process is generally determined by human operators, and may be subject to human error. As such, a system and method for more accurately determining a number of handbrakes to set is desirable.