A constant question gets asked by large and small fleets across the globe: “What do we do with our aging locomotives?”
The frustration is universal. As locomotives age, their control systems—whether they are 20-year-old electronic systems or even older relay-based setups—become liabilities. Finding replacement parts is often hard, if not impossible, leading to extended downtime and frustrated maintenance teams.
Often, the only perceived solutions are:
A) A full, expensive remanufacture.
B) Purchasing entirely new locomotives.
C) Ignoring the problem until it causes a catastrophic failure.
At Integral, we believe there is a better way. You don’t need to scrap your fleet to get modern performance. By installing a new, modern control system, you can upgrade your locomotive with a low-cost path available and still see a massive leap forward in operational capability.
A Foundation of Modern Reliability
Developed in the early 2020s, our Locomotive Control Computer (LCC) is built on modern architecture. This ensures your system is responsive, functional, and (most importantly) supported. While most legacy system components have been phased out years ago, our LCC components are readily available and will remain in production for the foreseeable future.
Maximize Efficiency with AESS
Sustainability and cost-savings go hand-in-hand. Integral’s LCC can be equipped with Automatic Engine Start/Stop (AESS). This device intelligently monitors systems including engine temperature, brake air pressure, and battery charge to determine when it is safe to power down the engine during periods of inactivity.
Save Fuel: Reduce the ~5 gallons of diesel wasted per hour during idling.
Lower Emissions: Decrease exhaust and noise pollution for your staff and the surrounding community.
Reduce Maintenance: By cutting down idle hours, you extend the overall life of the engine.
[Learn more about AESS here]
Simplified Maintenance & Diagnostics
We believe the right tool makes the job easier. The LCC features a 12.1” full-color touchscreen display that offers a significant leap in usability:
Faster Troubleshooting: The GUI displays all warnings and alarms clearly in real-time.
On-Board Schematics: Technicians can access full system schematics directly on the device, allowing for faster, more accurate repairs.
Modular Design: The LCC utilizes a chassis designed to hold up to six slide-in circuit boards. If a board fails, the touchscreen identifies it, allowing for rapid replacement and minimized downtime. Customers can even store spare boards on-site to eliminate lead times.
Superior Tractive Effort
Performance is where the LCC truly differentiates itself. By replacing finicky axle generators with ground-speed radar and advanced algorithms, the LCC provides a dramatic improvement in reliability and tractive effort (tractive effort improvements as compared to relay-based systems) . The system detects and reacts to wheel slips in fractions of a second, maximizing pulling power.
Optional Independent Axle Control (IAC): For maximum performance, our DC Choppers/AC Inverters allow for full independent axle control—enabling each axle to respond individually to maximize pulling effort (similar to moving from 2WD to AWD).
[Learn more about IAC here].
Seamless Integration & Data Access
Upgrading shouldn’t mean a total overhaul of your wiring. The LCC features sensor and wiring requirements similar to many existing systems, which may allow you to reuse your existing wiring and significantly reduce installation costs. (Note: Reusability is subject to a physical inspection and schematic review).
Furthermore, we’ve made data your ally. The LCC can store up to 6 months of logged data on board your locomotive, allowing you to better understand the utilization of your fleet, and identify places that may require proactive maintenance.
With a standardized USB connector, you can download operation data up to 30x faster than older connectors. Data can be exported as .csv files for easy analysis in your own 3rd-party software and, where required, an optional crash-hardened memory (CHM) module is available.
The Integral Advantage
Why trust Integral? We aren’t just a hardware company; we are a team of engineers who have been designing and implementing control systems since the 90s. We combine deep legacy knowledge with modern engineering advancements. We offer an industry leading warranty, and pride ourselves on being a responsive and customer-driven organization.
Ready to modernize your fleet?
Contact us today, and we would be happy to walk you through the benefits and costs of using the LCC to keep your fleet operational, efficient, and powerful.