Patent ID: 8231270

Claim:
A system, comprising: a server operable to: (a) receive over a network, from a plurality of consists, each consist comprising at least one rail vehicle, a plurality of sets of collected information, each of the sets of collected information comprising a consist physical location and weather conditions and rail temperatures in an area of the respective consist, wherein said weather conditions and rail temperatures are determined by at least one sensor mounted on the consist; (b) wherein the server is operable to process a predictive rail temperature algorithm for predicting a rail temperature and/or a trend in rail temperature for a selected section of track; (c) wherein the sets of collected information are used as part of the predictive rail temperature algorithm; (d) wherein weather forecast information is provided to the server and, said weather forecast information is used as part of the predictive rail temperature algorithm; (e) wherein the server, using historical data collected by a plurality of rail vehicles while traveling over the selected section of track at different times and in different ambient conditions, develops a track profile, the track profile comprising features surrounding selected sections of track that impact a rail temperature of the track, and said track profile is used as part of the predictive rail temperature algorithm; (f) wherein traffic volume data for the selected section of track is provided to the server and said traffic volume data is used as part of the predictive rail temperature algorithm; and (g) wherein the predictive rail temperature algorithm factors the information provided to it and provides, by local and/or remote access, a predicted rail temperature and/or trend in rail temperature for the selected section of track and provides an instruction to a user.