Into 2001 with Sydac...

Sydac - not a rail operator

Sydac is a company which has developed from a small team of people experienced in the field of computerised simulation of a range of activities, beginning with the aircraft field.

In 1998 they were succesful in bidding for the refurbishment of four existing 3000-class electric locomotive driving simulators for the Queenland Railways. Photographs taken of the first of the four simulators undergoing its final testing prior to acceptance by QR are able to be accessed here by clicking on the thumnail image; an extra browser page will then open with the full size picture on it. You may go via this link to see a brief description on these units.

More recently, Sydac obtained a new contract for an articulated road truck based simulator for the new 4000 class diesel electric locomotives on order by QR. The life expectancy of the truck simulator is about seventeen years, though an educated guess suggests that alternative software modules could be employed in the future to allow conversion of the simulator to a different model locomotive.

You can see a series of thumbnail images which you can click on to see the interior on the page about the unit.

It is expected that QR will move the simulator unit around a number of locations in Queensland's extensive rail network on a regular basis to enable enginemen to obtain "simulator time".

These locomotives were manufactured by Clyde Engineering at Granville for Queensland Rail, and are of the latest EMD technology. There are similarities with 2800 class units operated by QR, and the more recently delivered Westrail Q-class (the image is an artistit's impression from a brochure courtesy of Clyde Engineering and Sydac).

To rationalise the software modules used in both simulators, the contract for the 3000 series electric locomotives was later varied to permit upgrading to a common system which will result in better module interchangeability and more effective technical support for both systems.

Whereas the 3000 series simulator features a large video rear-projection screen (pictured on the left) showing the track in front of the driver seated at his "desktop" (see the image at the top of this page), the 4000 unit is in a genuine Clyde-built driver's cab with higher-tech digitally recorded footage rear-projected on to the windscreen.

Sydac have developed another trailer-mounted simulator, this time for Westrail; this simulates four classes of standard gauge and narrow gauge locomotives (P, Q, S and DB), operating over a route mileage of nearly 2500 kilometres, all of which have been accurately surveyed by Sydac as part of the contract requirements. The routes cover Perth - Geraldton, Perth - Bunbury and the South West, Perth - Kalgoorlie - Leonora, Kalgoorlie - Esperence and Northam - Albany. A link to go there is here.

This trailer construction is slightly different from the one supplied to QR, being a little shorter, and having a lower floor. While the 4000-series used a genuine steel driver's cab, weight in the Westrail unit was reduced by constructing an aluminium cab, still retaining dimensioning inside correct for an S-class cab.

A point made by Adrian Smith, Sydac's General Manager, is that using such simulation techniques, trainee drivers can find out what actually happens when one takes a turnout at too high a speed, or is unable to slow down in time to avoid a collison without actually doing any damage.

Watch this space for information about a generic simulator from Sydac which may become available on CD-ROM in the future.

If you are interested in other simulators, you may like to visit my simulator page on this site. It will open in a new window.