Abstract: A system for verifying a route segment that a vehicle is traveling along includes a magnetic sensor and a control unit. The magnetic sensor generates an output signal based on an orientation of the sensor relative to an external magnetic field. The control unit receives an operator-designated route segment. The operator-designated route segment represents a selected route segment of the route segments that is identified by the operator as being the route segment on which the vehicle is traveling. The control unit identifies a directional heading of the vehicle based on the output signal from the magnetic sensor and determines an actual route segment of the routes segments in the network that the vehicle is actually traveling along based on the directional heading of the vehicle. The control unit verifies that the actual route segment on which the vehicle is actually traveling is the selected route segment.

Abstract: In a rail track system having transition points, a locomotive having a navigation system (such as a combined inertial/GPS location system) moves along an initially known track and enters the “halo” surrounding a track transition to begin data collection/logging to accumulate successive position information data points as the locomotive moves into, progresses through, and exits the “halo.” The collected data for movement within the “halo” is then subject to a best fit assessment relative to the data pre-stored in the track database.