Patent ID: 6937925

Claim:
A method of controlling slow speed operations of a railroad locomotive consist comprising a control locomotive and at least one controlled locomotive, with each locomotive having an engine with discrete throttle settings, an electric generator driven by the engine and traction motors for propelling the locomotive driven by power from the electric generator, the method comprising: receiving a signal indicative of a desired consist travel speed; configuring a processor on the control locomotive for selecting a respective throttle setting from a plurality of throttle settings of the control locomotive, the selected setting configured to produce a first tractive effort from the control locomotive; issuing a throttle setting command at the control locomotive; remotely controlling a throttle setting of the at least one controlled locomotive to produce a predetermined second tractive effort corresponding to the throttle setting of the at least one controlled locomotive, with the first and second tractive efforts together constituting a total consist tractive effort for achieving a consist travel speed; receiving a signal indicative of an actual consist travel speed; determining if the actual consist travel speed is different from the desired consist travel speed; and when the actual consist travel speed differs from the desired consist travel speed, adjusting an excitation voltage of the electric generator of the control locomotive to achieve a first tractive effort nd a resultant total consist tractive effort for propelling the consist at the desired consist travel speed.