Abstract: Example embodiments relate to implementing self-contained power sources for railcars. A railcar may include an air turbine that comprises a generator. The air turbine converts mechanical energy received from air to electrical energy by way of the generator. In some implementations, the air turbine is selectably coupled to the air brake system of the railcar and can convert mechanical energy received from pressurized air of the air brake system. The railcar can further include a pneumatic valve and a controller that can cause the pneumatic valve to open when the air pressure of the air brake system is at or above a predetermined level. Opening the pneumatic valve provides pressurized air to the air turbine from the air brake system and/or an exhaust pipe. The air turbine is a Wells turbine or a ram air turbine in some examples.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to train data recorder and event notification systems and techniques for using such systems. An example device includes a housing configured to attach onto a train with multiple sensors located in the housing, such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a camera that can capture images of an environment outside the housing. The device also includes a memory and a processor located inside the housing where the processor is configured to receive sensor data from at least one of the sensors and store the sensor data on the memory. A central computing system can aggregate location-based data generated by train data recording devices positioned on one or multiple trains and map the data to the network of train tracks to detect trends and provide insights to operators.