Wab794 Restoration Progress - 2002 LocoLog

Back in 1977 Peter Clark the Director of Otari Electronics, then an employee for the NZR saw the need for a black box data recorder. Peter set about designing a recorder using microprocessor technology. See Otari Website for more details. Once designed Peter worked for Production Engineering in Marton and sold data loggers to the NZR for their mainline locomotives. The PEC built the LocoLog that was fitted to every NZR mainline locomotive in the 1980's. These were sold to the New Zealand Railways, STA of South Australia, Queensland Railways, and Canadian Pacific Railway for about 10 years.

The LocoLog was constructed to last even the most terrible accident. Its construction was a twin walled 5mm steel box, lined with heat protecting insulation. Every LocoLog data recorder was shake tested for 24 hours before being sold.

A data recorder is a legal requirement if a rail vehicle is self propelled and can archieve more than 55Km/Hr.

Since the mid 1990's Tranz Rail have has been fitting the Kaitiaki data recorder. Recently Tranz Rail have approached Otari Electronics to make the next generation of Data Recorder, the Tranzlog V4 .

The intention is to slowly remove the LocoLog data recorders from service and replace them with the Tranzlog V4.

The locolog is capable of logging brake pipe air pressure, brake cylinder air pressure and speed, all versus time.

The data is stored on memory chips within the data recorder and can be downloaded by an extractor unit ready for printing to a printer.

	Marketing photo taken of the Locolog when it was brand new. Brochure about the LocoLog
	In order to calibrate the LocoLog and the speedo we need to know the exact diameter of the front wheel that the speedo generator is bolted to. Here you can see the webmaster barring the Wab along flat rail, there are another three other people doing the same thing in order to move the Wab about 2.5 metres and we found that the circumference was 2.355 metres.
	This Wab was never fitted with a speedo so we fitted a Westinghouse Speedo. We needed to make a new display as the one we acquired was in Miles Per Hour. The new display looks great and it is accurate. From this point the speedo wiring continues to the back of the Cab were the Locolog is installed.
	The Locolog in its new home in the back of Wab 794. This locolog will operate whenever the steam Pyle National Turbine is running, although the Locolog will only log data once the Wab is travelling at 6 KPH.
	Dr Nick Body and the webmaster calibrated and tested the LocoLog and speedo. Here you can see Nick operating the control that turned the speedo generator (shown below) so we could be sure the locolog would work accurately over all speeds.
	This is the jig that spins the Westinghouse speedo generator, as we could not drive the loco at 70Kph in the yard. John Rodes made this and its fitted with a Universal 240V motor that was controlled by a mains power Variac. This allowed the speedo and LocoLog to be calibrated correctly. We modelled this jig on a similar one developed by Graeme Clover from Steam Inc.

Accident Investigation Report of Queensland Rail Train fitted with a LocoLog

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