21st Century Data Mining: AEI/Defect-Detection Technology is Making Data Management Life Simpler for Railroads, Shippers, Terminal Operators and Repair Shops

Nearly 20 years after the first Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) reader went online in 1989, Global Positioning System (GPS) and "smart car" technologies are enabling railroads, shippers, repair shops, marine terminal operators and intermodal yard managers to mine more and more data. It is being collected from trackside and handheld readers, onboard locomotive devices and integrated systems. Challenges in ways to best sort through all the information are discussed, as are ways to improve its quality and timeliness. New GPS Locomotive Monitoring Units (LMUs) are capable of tracking speed, direction and engine run status as well as fuel consumption and overspeed events. Experiences with these and other devices at a number of locales are discussed, as are an array of new tools and technologies, which can deliver real-time information.