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And again about the mistakes of the machinist

Cabin interior and equipment. What should they be?

The article "Mistakes of the machinist" was published in the magazine "Locomotive" No. 10 for 2005. How to avoid them?", which received a response from VNIIZHTA employee A.G. IOFFE. In my opinion, he says, its author, V.I. Shelkov, an instructor engineer at the Barnaul depot of the West Siberian Railway, raises very important issues directly related to the main problem in transport — traffic safety. At the end of the article, the editors asked the readers to continue this conversation on the pages of the magazine. I would like to take advantage of this offer and, in turn, give an assessment of the main factors that affect the quality of work of the locomotive crew.

As you know, it is human nature to err and make mistakes. The task is to eliminate actions that can cause serious consequences. Due to the specifics of my work, I have to visit depots, where I see that the situation in this matter is far from favorable. New measures aimed at improving traffic safety are being introduced every year, and the results, as we can see, are disappointing. Most often, emergency situations reveal the most primitive, long-known causes: distraction from monitoring signals, violation of the rules of negotiations, loss of vigilance.

What should be done to avoid such mistakes? Of course, a lot depends on the driver himself, his self-discipline and responsibility. I think that among people of this profession it is rare to find those who intentionally make mistakes in retaliation for the boss who offended him, as V.I. Shelkov writes. After all, every marriage committed by a machinist, first of all, casts a shadow on his reputation, and then the memory of such cases lives for a long time in the team. Of course, the vast majority of fatal mistakes with serious consequences are committed unintentionally.

Thus, the main task is to help the driver maintain his health, efficiency and mood. To do this, it is necessary to ensure optimal conditions both in his work and in full rest. Let's start with the driver's workplace, the cab. There is a lot of activity for designers here. What about the main series of locomotives that are in operation today? All of them were created in the 60 — 70s of the last century. At that time, steam locomotive crews, who had only recently switched to diesel and electric locomotives, perceived the latter as the limit of technical perfection and comfort, despite the existing inconveniences. The machinists were confident that these shortcomings would be eliminated over time.

But, as they say, there is nothing more permanent than temporary difficulties. Time passed, and seemingly inconspicuous, but annoying little things were not eliminated. Moreover, the interior of the locomotive crew's workplace continued to deteriorate. Gradually, the cabin space was increasingly filled with various equipment. Radio operators placed blocks of new radio stations in it, and ALSN specialists placed security devices. What kind of innovations have you come up with lately! These are variable-speed fans on electric locomotives, comb lubricants, fire alarm and extinguishing systems, and a wide variety of automatic and protective devices. And every developer of such equipment strives to place its controls in the cabin, preferably directly in front of the driver.

Look at what the cabins of the locomotives have become, which have undergone a comprehensive modernization. These are more like storage rooms for equipment, where the machinist barely fits, resting on all sides against the housings of blocks and apparatuses. There is no need to talk about the cabin design at all. During the entire trip or shift, a person is surrounded by a chaotic jumble of blocks, panels, and a tangle of wires. This alone increases the fatigue of the locomotive crew, and, consequently, provokes errors.

It seems that the cabin designers represent the driver as a standard-sized and heavy mannequin that sits in the same position all the time. Maybe for a passenger car, in which its owner gets to work in the morning in twenty minutes, and returns home in the evening in the same time, this approach is acceptable. But the driver spends 12 hours in the cabin. Therefore, he should be able to change the position of his legs, arms, and body. And on a shunting locomotive, in addition, you need to be comfortable when moving in both directions.

As an example, let us consider the generally remarkable 2TE121 diesel locomotive, the design of which was developed and completed in the 80s of the last century. Among other things, a fundamentally new, spacious and bright capsule-type cabin was created for the locomotive. However, the workplace for the driver was provided not at the right window, as in the older series (TEZ, 2TE10L, M62), but closer to the middle of the cabin. Accordingly, the steering wheel of the controller was positioned under the left arm. And brake control valves No. 395 and No. 254 were installed traditionally — against the right wall.

When the driver takes his designated place, his feet end up in a rather narrow niche under the console. Now he just won't be able to change his position. In addition, if the steering wheel of the controller is at hand, then the brake tap is on the right, at arm's length! And this control device requires respect. Naturally, the machinists preferred to have a crane at hand, so they shifted to the right, put their left foot in a niche, and put their right foot on the lock housing No. 367. I had to reach for the controller, but the cranes of the driver and the auxiliary brakes were at hand. That's it: we spent so much effort and time creating a capsule cabin, but it turned out to be not quite comfortable.

It seems that all the efforts of the designers are aimed at meeting the formal requirements of the current regulatory documents, technical specifications, GOST standards. Naturally, this approach leads to serious mistakes. In previous years, well-known locomotive designers, such as L.S. Lebedyansky, often went on trips, so they knew the work of the machinists firsthand. The leading specialists of the Ministry of Internal Affairs also visited the locomotives. And they did this not only to identify violations, as is now customary, but to know how locomotive crews work.

Even compared to existing, far from ideal locomotives, newly created ones are often striking in their lack of functionality. I would like to express my opinion that the developers of the new type of diesel and electric locomotives are primarily concerned with making a favorable impression on the distinguished guests during the presentation. However, the adjustable seat and the original design, as well as the LCD monitor on the control panel, do not make the cabin comfortable for the driver. Let's compare his workplace on a shunting locomotive, which was created in the 60— 70s of the last century, with the one built in recent years. We must pay tribute to the fact that, taking into account the capabilities of 30 to 40 years ago, locomotives such as CHMEZ and TEM2 are quite convenient.

In the late 70s, specialists from the Bryansk Machine-Building Plant, together with employees of the Leningrad branch of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics (VNIITE), created a project in which they transformed the exterior and cabin of the TEM2 locomotive. Soon such locomotives went into production under the designation TEM2U, then TEM2UM and TEM18. Compared to the previous design, the driver's crane and controller were positioned much more conveniently here, and the shape of the control panel was improved. Yes, the cabin interior does not impress with its extravagance and fashionable solutions, but taking into account the technological capabilities of the plant, it provides maximum convenience to the driver.

First of all, the controls (toggle switches and buttons) on the remote control are distributed on separate panels and arranged in strict accordance with the frequency of their use. So, directly in front of the driver there is a panel with the most "running" toggle switches and buttons, which have to be used constantly. This includes controlling floodlights, blinds and a refrigerator fan, and turning on a white light at a locomotive traffic light. A vigilance handle is installed nearby. Also, directly in front of the driver, but separately, in order to avoid accidental pressing, are the front and rear automatic coupling buttons.

The other controls are positioned so that the less frequently they have to be used, the further away they are from the driver. Control and measuring devices are also functionally placed. In one row, and in the center of the driver's field of view, there are brake pressure gauges. All of them are single—line, more easily readable. Below them is the required minimum of electromanometer and electrothermometer indicators.

Conventional serial devices are used for the locomotive, but they are selected so that if the controlled parameters are within the normal range, then the arrows of all devices occupy a position close to vertical. As a result, the driver does not have to be distracted from driving the locomotive. He just sees the instruments with his peripheral vision, and if one of the arrows shifts from its usual position, it immediately attracts attention.

In addition, the control panel is structurally simple. It provides access for inspection and repair of the equipment located under it. The driver's seat on TEM2 diesel locomotives is primitive and unstable, but it allows the driver to turn in the direction of movement. Of course, the cab design of this locomotive is not without drawbacks: the auxiliary brake valve is not very conveniently located, the direction of movement of the reversible handle of the controller does not correspond to the direction of movement of the locomotive, the opening angle of the doors is limited, access to the control chamber is difficult.

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