Engineer Scenarios for Simulation Study

[selector]

In the Vancouver, BC, area, there's comms traffic between at least one bridge operator and the trains needing to cross it.

[BaltACD]

MsRailroad

Hi Community:

I am trying to build scenarios for my simulation study and I can't think of any other scenarios where an engineer would be paying attention visually (on the road)-can you think of anything?

I currently have: Interlockings, grade crossings, gate malfunctions, trespassers, work areas, signal drops, station stops, station blow-throughs.

The goal is to use eye tracking to determine if the engineer looked at the thing we wanted him/her to look at while going through the simulation. This is a passenger rail.

Any help would be appreciated!

Train messages with multiple Work Area's, temporary Speed Restrictions.  Inspection of his own train on cuves when geography permits.  Noticing the approach of Defect Detectors and listening for their reports concerning the individuals train.  Initiating and/or responding to radio communications with the Train Dispatcher.  Initiating and/or responding to contact with the train's conductor about any variety of train operating situations.  Making arrangements to copy a 'mandatory directive' being issued by the Train Dispatcher (person at the controls of a moving train is prohibited from being the person that copys the directive.)  Observing and communicating with train's passing and being passed as to the visual condition of those trains and the visual condition of the End of Train device, as well as receiving those train's visual inspection report of the train being operated.

Engineer, to be situationally aware, have more to look at than most people realize.  Looking, thinking, hearing and reacting are all part of the actual on the road job.  Radio is to be on the Road Radio Channel for the territory the train is operating.  On some properties Engineers are to announce over the Road Channel the indications and locations of the signals being passed by the train as well as identification of the train he is operating (Amtrak #92 Engine 82 Clear #2 track North at Wide Water); they also listen to the Road Channel to understand the traffic they will be overtaking or passing.  

[RME]

Equipment or roadway fouling.  Slow orders, and their possible enforcement or checking via your operational equivalent of banner tests.  In-cab distractions like alerters and possibly excited radio chatter.  Problems with the train equipment or instrumentation -- both pre-existing and emergent.  More than one event or failure mode at a time.

Something interesting you might do is to put extraordinary details into the simulation, both as distractions and to see whether 'rote focus' on expected tasks blunts recognition of unusual and perhaps significant events (remember the ads that tell you to count the number of players as the gorilla dances in the background?)

Only the very early part of simulation involves programmed responses to canned stimuli.  And an extensive 'later' part involves throwing impossible situations at them, to see how they respond in extremis.  (I still chuckle at the story in one of the old flying-story books about the fellow who bailed out of his Link trainer...)

Glad you asked us - and welcome to the community!

 

[MsRailroad]

Hi Community:

I am trying to build scenarios for my simulation study and I can't think of any other scenarios where an engineer would be paying attention visually (on the road)-can you think of anything?


I currently have: Interlockings, grade crossings, gate malfunctions, trespassers, work areas, signal drops, station stops, station blow-throughs.


The goal is to use eye tracking to determine if the engineer looked at the thing we wanted him/her to look at while going through the simulation. This is a passenger rail.


Any help would be appreciated!