Patent ID: 7343314

Claim:
A method of operating a locomotive having an on-board processor for controlling the operation of the locomotive to move an attached train in compliance with a movement plan over a planned track route to arrive at a planned location at a planned time, the method comprising: (a) determining a position of the locomotive along the track; (b) determining a time of the locomotive corresponding to the determined position of the locomotive; (c) communicating a train movement plan to the locomotive for at least a next segment of track toward the next planned location; (d) accessing at least one track parameter for the next track segment, the track parameter including at least the topography of the next track segment; (e) simulating the motion of the locomotive and attached train by advancing the time and position of the locomotive to the next track segment as a function of the track parameter; and (f) using the on-board processor to calculate throttle and brake settings for the locomotive based on the track parameter and simulation to enable the locomotive to move an attached train in accordance with the train movement plan, wherein the on board processor simulates the motion of the locomotive and attached train over a physical detailed model of the track.