Yard tracking system

A method for identifying and determining the position of rolling stock within a railyard using a system that includes a video imaging device adjacent an entrance to the railyard, constituting an entry video imaging device, for capturing images in electronic data of the external appearance of each piece of rolling stock generally at the time of entry of the piece of rolling stock into the railyard, a plurality of video imaging devices at spaced locations in the railyard, constituting railyard-wide video imaging devices, for capturing images in electronic data of the external appearance of the pieces of rolling stock in the railyard, a database with data representative of a map of the railyard and a tracking computer in communication with the database and the entry and railyard-wide video imaging devices, the rolling stock includes a plurality of railcars and a plurality of locomotives, said method comprising:

• recording a video image of the shape of each piece of rolling stock generally at the time each piece enters the railyard;
• transmitting imaging data from the entry video imaging device to the tracking computer;
• recording video images of the shape of the pieces of rolling stock located in the railyard via the railyard-wide video imaging devices at timed intervals;
• transmitting imaging data from the railyard-wide video imaging devices to the tracking computer;
• processing the imaging data from the entry and railyard-wide video imaging devices in the tracking computer to associate the image of each piece of rolling stock as said piece of rolling stock enters the railyard with subsequent images of the said piece of rolling stock as it moves through the railyard;
• and
• determining the position of each piece of rolling stock in the railyard as the rolling stock moves within the railyard.