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II think that the article made a little confusion. There were two different things mixed together: - Yard and switching service - Normal train service. We live in year 2003 and the computer and RC technologies are at such a high level that it is 100 % possible to run a train complete under RC. BUT: <center>Who enters a plane when he knows that the pilot is sitting in a room at the ground ? Who enters a train when he knows that the engineer is a computer ?</center> <center>I think nearly nobody!</center> So the answer for a remote controlled train system is easy. It will not work because of psychological effects! There is a limit what a human person allows a computer to do without human control! Behind this limit, there must be a last instance that agree the work of the computer: A pilot in the cockpit or the engineer in the cab! And this is also the reason for the, let me say so, „dooropener“ at BART and so. A plane fly its route by autopilot. But there are two pilots in the cockpit and they agree or disagree the job of the autopilot. And they starts and make the landing because this phases are so dangerous. When something happens there is no time for a computer to find an answer and make a reaction, the reaction must come in the moment. And this is only possible with a human pilot! A computer needs first input from sensors than he makes a decision. Here in Germany we run our highspeed passengertrains (ICE) at the new lines under full centralized computer control. When an ICE enter a so called LZB district (LZB is the name of the centralized com-puter system) the engineer notch the trottle to the position „AFB“ that means that dri-ving and breaking is now under centralized computer control. The computer then knows the exact position of a train at every time, there is a permanent data transfer between train and computer. Not via radio, because of the too many tunnels that will not work. A half inch black cable in the middle of the track is the „transmitter“. The computer „says“ the train when it´s time to „give speed“ and when it is time to break. And this works well and comfortable for the passengers. The computer will stop a train exact at the platform ! But the work of the computer is under control by an engineer at every time and he is the real final instance ! When everything is okay he has an fine job in a airconditioned cab. But when something will happen he can handle immediately! And there are many other questions: What will happen when the computer become a defect? What will happen when an engine got a defect? An engineer can run the loco at every time and he knows what he had to do when something will not work, can make little repairs. The opposite side are switching- and yard jobs. In Germany today it´s normal that at a yardtrain was under RC with only one man. He is not an engineer, he is a not so expensive yardman only with the permission to drive the yardlocomotive in the yard ! He has no permission to drive a train to another station, this job must be done by a regular engineer ! And he has no permission to drive a normal road engine. And this brings real more safety! Here is a different non automatic coupler system with sidebuffers, so a personal must duck under the buffers for reaching the coupler. And because of misunderstandings there were many accidents with killed switching-men. But now the worker at the coupler is the same that controls the engine and nothing will happen. By the way: All our trains are manned with only one engineer ! A second was only needed in some extreme rare situations when the safetysystem not works. As joke: Because of this, in former times the cabs are equipped with two seats but the newest highspeed equipment (ICE3) has one comfortable chair for the engineer and a „tortu-re chair“ for a second person. 10 minutes and your rear hurts well. [^]
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