A fleet of diesel locomotives at Corus Group's Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant is now set to benefit from several recently-installed features, including a new data logging and remote radio control system and additional safety features. Three locomotives have already been successfully fitted with the new systems, with 13 more locomotives to follow.

The locomotives, which are used to transport large molten iron containers (torpedoes) weighing around 350-700 tonnes, are currently operated remotely using radio control equipment known as 'Phase 1 TH-MP' systems.

These systems are now being replaced by new 'ECLO' systems from Hima-Sella, which incorporate several additional safety features and a data logging/monitoring system, which can be used for the monitoring and diagnostic interrogation of up to 32 locomotive signals - including digital, analogue, frequency and relay inputs and outputs.

The installation of the new systems is being carried out jointly by CNES' Electrical and Process Control Workshops and Teesside Cast Products' (TCP) Locomotive Repair Workshop.

The equipment supplier, Hima-Sella, assisted in the installation work on the first locomotive - Corus will complete the other 15 locomotives itself.

Chris Burnett, manufacturing engineer at CNES' Electrical and Process Control Workshops at Teesside, comments: 'We are responsible for project managing the upgrade work'.

'Three locomotives have already been commissioned safely and are now in full operation'.

'The upgrades will enable us to look at data trends, which will help us improve preventative maintenance and the overall safety of the locomotives'.

'We can log multiple signals, including brake pressure, engine speed, road speed, throttle power, air reservoir pressure, emergency stop, passive stop and lone worker/man-down alarms'.

The data logging system, which is incorporated into the radio control system, uses a global positioning system (GPS) to provide regular, real time updates for date and time.

The system is not a true GPS, but there are plans to incorporate full global positioning capability in the near future, which will enable each locomotive to be tracked around the Teesside site, improving logistics at the site.

The new radio control systems meet the latest European safety standards (EN50239) for radio controlled locomotives and have additional safety features such as 'standstill detection' and 'overspeed prevention', providing automatic controlled braking.