Autonomous Pod Train - intermodal

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~Z~
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Autonomous Pod Train - intermodal

Unread post by ~Z~ »

So a company called Parallel Systems is trying to revolutionize how containers get from ports to the businesses that consume them. Plans to use small battery powered boogies to move the containers without use of a locomotive. Here's the video from the company:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5IUUx1t-ms

Two railfans that have reviewed it just poke all sorts of holes in this plan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJNvpG5gktM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roGvwDGfE70

I like the idea, in general, of railcars autonomously getting to their destinations without a lot of human intervention. Watching when a railcar goes past the spur to its business because it's part of a larger train, getting resorted at some yard a hundred miles away, to then get put on a local that then does the pickup/dropoff, and repeat, just doesn't seem efficient at times. Would be nice if the cars that need to be dropped off could be done so easier. Some sort of way to get all cars sorted easily in the correct order out of a yard, and quickly dropoff/pickup cars without utilizing more crews would be nice.
Thoughts?
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AARR
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Re: Autonomous Pod Train - intermodal

Unread post by AARR »

This sucks. I just want to go back to the 50's when railroading was at its pinnacle and cancel out everything afterwards :lol:
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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Racer
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Re: Autonomous Pod Train - intermodal

Unread post by Racer »

This looks like another one of those ideas that goes into testing to get a lot of investors hooked in then the reality sets in of all the regulations and requirements to operate that leads to little to no business development. This would work at ports or plant-owned operations but there’s no way railroads will allow these to operate on their trackage with the liability risks of these autonomous vehicles at grade crossings and other hazards. Insurance companies and liability risks are the biggest killers of all these concepts we’ve been seeing on the news such as unmanned vehicles in general as many companies are refusing to insure them.
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Re: Autonomous Pod Train - intermodal

Unread post by mach69 »

So Someone Reinvented Trains (Again...)
Racer wrote:
Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:09 am
This looks like another one of those ideas that goes into testing to get a lot of investors hooked in then the reality sets in of all the regulations and requirements to operate that leads to little to no business development. This would work at ports or plant-owned operations but there’s no way railroads will allow these to operate on their trackage with the liability risks of these autonomous vehicles at grade crossings and other hazards. Insurance companies and liability risks are the biggest killers of all these concepts we’ve been seeing on the news such as unmanned vehicles in general as many companies are refusing to insure them.
Actually, that's EXACTLY what this is. Vapourware designed to lure in gullible people and get them to cash in.

That's not even touching on the fact that, if those batteries have the same energy density as gasoline or Diesel, then once they are fully charged they become GIANT POTENTIAL BOMBS sitting on the rails. Or thermite, AT BEST. This is why battery-electric locomotives are a terrible idea, and why North American railways should electrify their mainlines with something like 150kV AC power.

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