According to Southern Pacific "This is my Railroad" documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SspN6D3uF3s
There are references to the uses of "advanced electronics" . Advanced by the 50s standards. Including the uses of Computers.. yes! i'm talking about pre-IC computers that works with punch cards and paper tapes. but I can't really figure out how can those computers manage consists? except that it designs to work with switchyard 'bureaucracy'.
Let me guess how the digitalized consists management of the 50s works
1. RR company recieves shipping orders from various clients (in this case.. industry)
2. RR company sorts out shipping orders. shipping orders destinated anywhere within the same route goes to the same train.
3. RR company relays its order to the switchyard, ones at the beginning of the shipping route.
4. At the switchyard. switching operation begins.
5. Yard clerk reads ref. codes of every cars in the same consists.
6. Another staff (I don't know how to call him/her) records all ref numbers in the same order as Yard Clerk calls.
7. The same dude hands over the said paper to station master, and then to the computer room.
OK at the computer room. I can't really figure out how consists paperworks becomes an input to the computer? i think another clerk works at the encoding device and key all codes via keyboard. the device translates the input into 'digital language' and the output is either punch card or tape thing. this thing entered the computer and processed.
Or how does it really works? I only know that the computer is also hooked into Corporate network systems. data/info of the consists always showed up in every computers installed to every stations along the route the train is assigned to.
Also as the time progresses so does the technology. Of course! Desktop computers eventually replaced the room-sized ones. But i'm not really sure.
1. Whether does Barcode systems being used alongside the ref. no. thing? if so. has it been upgraded into RFID systems once the said technology becomes available?
2. Does the yard clerk today reqired to carry a corporate-issued I-Pad? i.e. does the consists management are now worked with I-Pad? or any smartphones?
3. Does RR company uses X-ray apparatus to scan any freigh cars? there are chances that something nasty may sit inside a container car :P a dangerous terrorist may plant a bomb there! Gangsters may do smuggling operations using trains (I don't think they use trains in such operations anymore! they use other smuggling techniques instead!)