Patent ID: 8421266

Claim:
A power distribution system for a rail vehicle, the system comprising: a propulsion alternator configured to be joined to an engine of the rail vehicle; a first bus joined with the propulsion alternator and configured to electrically couple the propulsion alternator with a propulsion electric load that propels the rail vehicle; a Head End Power (HEP) alternator configured to be joined to the engine; and a second bus joined with the HEP alternator and adapted to electrically couple the HEP alternator with a non-propulsion electric load of the rail vehicle, the propulsion alternator generating a first electric current to power the propulsion electric load and the HEP alternator separately generating a second electric current to power the non-propulsion electric load, wherein the HEP alternator and the second bus are electrically separate from the propulsion alternator and the first bus, wherein the HEP alternator is configured to generate the second electric current to power the non-propulsion electric load with a voltage that falls within a predetermined range that is sufficient to power the non-propulsion electric load to perform one or more operations when the engine operates at an idling speed.