The BNSF Air Force : Coming to a Railroad near you...

[tree68]

Euclid

With a drone, it could be flown along with the train and spot grade crossing violators.  Then it could swoop down, get their license plate, and call the cops.  Actually, you could record a continuous drone video maybe 200 feet above of the font of the train and looking on back. 

The drone could just be electronically tethered to the locomotive, and carried along as though it were on a long pole.  That way nobody would have to focus attention on “flying” it.  It would be an expanded version of the present locomotive cameras.  The drone's bird's-eye-view would capture a lot of important details in collisions and derailments.   

A good stiff cross wind and it's gonna be out in the hayfield.  I've got a small quadcopter.  I don't fly it on windy days.

Trees and angry birds might be an issue as well.  

And the crew has enough to do without keeping an eye on a spot in the sky.

I like the idea of using a drone for cursory track inspection.  As noted in the reference pieces, it doesn't replace boots on the ground, but could come in handy in places where problems are known to occur and/or are expected (slides, trees, etc).

An autonomous drone could cover a stretch of track in a fraction of the time a hi-rail could.  

[Euclid]

zugmann

 

Euclid

 

The drone could just be electronically tethered to the locomotive, and carried along as though it were on a long pole.  That way nobody would have to focus attention on “flying” it.  It would be an expanded version of the present locomotive cameras.  The drone's bird's-eye-view would capture a lot of important details in collisions and derailments.    

 

 

 

 

 

We run along the edge of several airports.  Probably wouldn't work out too well.

 

Well a drone is sort of like a robot, but I am talking about a programed, robotic operation of the drone.  So for airports, the drone would just be programed to move off to the far side as you go past airports, and then get back onto position once you are past the airport. 

The drone would have its own little air corridor above the railroad track.  

[zugmann]

trackrat888

"Union Drone Operators" Gonna take a few days to let this sink and make it work

 

 

Need a job?

[zugmann]

Euclid

 

The drone could just be electronically tethered to the locomotive, and carried along as though it were on a long pole.  That way nobody would have to focus attention on “flying” it.  It would be an expanded version of the present locomotive cameras.  The drone's bird's-eye-view would capture a lot of important details in collisions and derailments.    

 

 

We run along the edge of several airports.  Probably wouldn't work out too well.

[BroadwayLion]

Euclid

With a drone, it could be flown along with the train and spot grade crossing violators.  Then it could swoop down, get their license plate, and call the cops.  Actually, you could record a continuous drone video maybe 200 feet above of the font of the train and looking on back. 

The drone could just be electronically tethered to the locomotive, and carried along as though it were on a long pole.  That way nobody would have to focus attention on “flying” it.  It would be an expanded version of the present locomotive cameras.  The drone's bird's-eye-view would capture a lot of important details in collisions and derailments.    

 

 

GREAT IDEA.... Watch for Tunnels and overpasses.

RAORING

[Euclid]

With a drone, it could be flown along with the train and spot grade crossing violators.  Then it could swoop down, get their license plate, and call the cops.  Actually, you could record a continuous drone video maybe 200 feet above of the font of the train and looking on back. 

The drone could just be electronically tethered to the locomotive, and carried along as though it were on a long pole.  That way nobody would have to focus attention on “flying” it.  It would be an expanded version of the present locomotive cameras.  The drone's bird's-eye-view would capture a lot of important details in collisions and derailments.    

[trackrat888]

"Union Drone Operators" Gonna take a few days to let this sink and make it work

[mudchicken]

Type in Deer Trail, CO and drone.

(FWIW : CN has field engineers already trained and certified on those things for survey purposes. Been actively using them in Canada for 2 years.)

[Firelock76]

Man, that thing is SCARY looking!  Like something out of "Star Wars."

I wouldn't be surprised if someone living out in the boonies and worried about "Black Helicopters" shoots it down!

[Norm48327]

The FAA has not yet finalized rules for operating drones and are notorious for taking their time.

[Bruce Kelly]

A bit more stuff than fluff:

http://dronelawsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/BNSF_Railway_Company_-_Exemption_Rulemaking.pdf

Note the comment about patrolling remote areas in Montana, Idaho, and the PNW. Just last week, after days of heavy rainfall, the Kootenai River Canyon near Katka, Idaho, was once again the site of slide concern.

 

[zugmann]

Propaganda fluff piece.

[BroadwayLion]

 

The BNSF Air Force... with an intersting article about PTC, Remote Control, One-Many operation and a union that turned down the right to operate drones.

ROAR