Riding herd on iron horses, with fiber optics; electronic 'eyes' in Omaha watch over trains across the West
Article Abstract:
The Union Pacific Railroad's Harriman Dispatching Center in Omaha, NE is reputed to be one of the world's most sophisticated command-and-control systems for freight trains. Set up in Apr 1989, the center uses fiber-optic communication cables and two-way radio links to monitor the movement of the 800 to 1,000 Union Pacific trains in transit daily. The control center itself cost about $50 million to set up; upgrading communications along the tracks cost hundreds of millions more. The Harriman center now is electronically linked to nearly two-thirds of the railroad's 21,000 miles of track. Union Pacific is currently sharing its expertise with other railroads, such as CSX Transportation Inc and Burlington Northern, because rail carriers depend on each other to complete many hauls.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1991
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Just waiting for a great big blackout
Article Abstract:
Comdisco Disaster Recovery Services Inc specializes in backup operations for mainframe computers and personal terminals and is getting increased business after the Aug 13, 1990, blackout in New York city. Comdisco is the biggest company in the computer system backup business and had revenue of $86.9 million in 1989. The New York city blackout, which is the largest computer crash in US history, increased business by 50 to 75 percent. The computer system backup industry has experienced growth in the 1980s and into the 1990s because many companies are becoming dependent on their computer systems. There are 93 vendors in 1990, and the number is growing at a rate of 40 percent per year.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1990
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