New Simulators Arrive at the Safe Performance Center

The Safe Performance Center (SPC) recently added six new FRA Type II locomotive simulators to its lab. These new training machines join two existing stationary simulators at the SPC and two portable versions that are regularly sent to Watco locations across the country for off-site training.

Existing stationary simulators were retrofitted to match the same capabilities of the new machines. One noticeable upgrade are the new motion seats. According to Senior Manager of Rail Safety Training Lucas Conrad, this new feature makes the training even more real for students.

“The motion seat helps immerse students into different scenarios,” Conrad said. “They learn the feeling of different train movements, whether it’s going around a curve, stopping on a descending grade, or something else.”

All 10 simulators now offer a new training exercise on the Austin Western Railroad. Educational scenarios on parts of the Stillwater Central Railroad, Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, and CSX are also available on simulators.

Student engineers attending training at the SPC can expect to spend up to 12 hours on a simulator. That’s an increase from previous years, which averaged 6-8 training hours per student.

Student Engineer Logan O’Connell recently returned to the Fox Valley & Lake Superior Railway after finishing training at the SPC. He said: “My time in the simulation lab was valuable. The exercises prepared me to respond to real-world scenarios.”