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Re: railroads: any comment from North, Milne, Hamasaki, or Sherman?
Author: cory hamasaki <kiyoinc@ibm.XOUT.net>
Date: 1999/01/19
Forum: comp.software.year-2000
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On Tue, 19 Jan 1999 06:21:21, someone@flubnutz.org (Ron Schwarz -- see sig to reply) wrote:
> On Mon, 18 Jan 1999 18:54:40 -0800, "Jim Maurer" <jim@specialix.com> wrote:
> >The signaling systems primarily use hardwired relay logic, or solid state
> >relay equivalent.
...
> >:-) Nobody knows how to "key" a mechanical interlocker bed anymore.
> >Imagine, all that complex logic implemented in metal rods!
>
> I guess you've never worked on an old IBM Selectric?
The rail "problem" is a systems problem, not a mechanical switch
problem, or a people problem.
We've had lots of good info from rail folk but like the banking, food
distribution, air travel, power, etc., it seems to be people who have
good expertise at a narrow part of the industry.
Here're my concerns.
The location, contents, ownership, destination, urgency of rail freight
boxcar contents are stored in a mainframe computer in Washington DC.
Years ago, I saw a portion of the source code to the system. It
belonged to a IT shop owned by a consortium of railroads. As reported
by others in c.s.y2k, this system is now owned by an entity calling
itself, Railinc.
Railinc was Y2K remediating the software last summer using contractors
from GEISCO, and was moving their operations center away from Washington
DC. They were also moving the programming work away from the operations
center.
There was some suggestion that they were converting to new technologies
at the same time. This may or may not be important or true.
The business rules contained in the Railinc system require current,
realtime information. The business rules drive the rail switches in
realtime.
There has been some discussion on the ability of track operators to
switch track and trains. I don't see that as the heart of the problem.
The problem is switching the cars within the trains. To do this, you
need accurate information in the central computer. This information has
three pieces, where is the car going, where is it in space, where is it
in time.
My concern isn't with the ability of brave strong workers to switch the
trains. They can do it.
The problem is, how do they know what and when to switch? Especially
when.
Certainly the issues of the telcos, power, finance, all apply but I'm
ignoring those. The question is, will the Railinc central database
process time dependent data correctly?
To know that, we need a first hand report from someone with current
experience with the code.
My guesses, and these are only guesses, are based on experience in other
industries. In these other industries, I have first hand experience
that while the systems are in very bad shape, as I read the status
reports bubbling up the management structure, the news gets
progressively better.
In one striking case, the organization's CIO reported to the press that
they had "solved the Y2K problem" but in reality, they had only
recognized that there was a Y2K problem. That organization is still
mulling over how big the problem is.
In the last week, they ordered a full court press on remediation
for a soon to be replaced system.
A few days later, they canceled the remediation because the contractor
building the replacement system scammed the CIO into thinking that the
replacement system was "absolutely going to be ready on time".
It's still about money, clueless management, wishing really, really
hard, and we're about to pay the price.
cory hamasaki 348 Days, 8,367 Hours
kiyoinc.com for WRP 108
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