Patent ID: 7941252

Claim:
A convertible system for controlling automatic starts and automatic stops of a locomotive engine, comprising: the locomotive being used in one of a yard region and road region, said convertible system being switchable between a yard mode and a road mode based upon said locomotive being respectively used in said yard region and said road region; at least one pressure sensor for sensing respective pressure supplied to at least one brake system of said locomotive and at least one brake system of a locomotive and train combination; a microprocessor coupled to each pressure sensor, each respective brake system and a locomotive engine, said microprocessor for causing one of said automatic start and automatic stop based upon sending one of a respective start up signal and a shut down signal to said locomotive engine; each of said respective start up signal and shut down signal based upon comparing said pressure received from said at least one pressure sensor and supplied to at least one brake system with at least one stored pressure threshold for each of said yard mode and said road mode, and further based upon comparing time-related data for said automatic stops during said road mode with at least one road mode threshold; and a switch coupled to said microprocessor for respectively switching said convertible system between said yard mode and said road mode.