198408 – Nobbs – The LIC System: Location Identification & Control

The Location, Identification and Control (LIC) System is a distributed intelligence system for tracking and controlling train movements from a central dispatch office.

Digital processing equipment is used on board the locomotive and at the dispatch office. Central dispatch polls all trains and obtains complete operating data. This is used to generate an information display for the dispatcher. Train movement instructions from the dispatcher appear on a plain-language display in the locomotive cab.

The train equipment provides:
– positive train location using DIGITRACQ transponders,
– plain-language display in the locomotive,
– speed and location displayed in the cab,
– overspeed protection,
– built-in self-testing for safety and reliability,
– high-speed communication by digital radio.

The communications subsystem includes:
– a wayside-to-dispatcher trunk,
– complete radio coverage using selected trunk drop repeaters,
– high-speed and highly secure communications transaction’s.

The central dispatch equipment features:
– a continuous polling cycle for train data collection,
– automatic selection of the radio site for train communications,
– automatic odometer calibration,
– automatic detection of damaged or missing transponders,
– video display of track diagram, track usage and train locations,
– computerized train sheets,
– supplementary information displays,
– provision for connection to a larger host computer or computer network.