Railway braking and throttle guidance user interface

A railway train user interface apparatus, comprising:

• a visual display including a speedometer display having:
• an analog speed scale;
• an analog speed pointer aligned with and in relative motion with the speed scale, indicating actual
• an analog target speed indicator aligned with and in relative motion with the speed scale, indicating a specific suggested target operating speed for conforming the train to anticipated up-track speed restrictions;
• and the speedometer display displays a suggested control setting band on the analog speed scale and which displays to the user a suggested control setting for brake control, throttle control or combination of both in a digital readout.

A railway train speed control system, comprising:

• an onboard control unit for controlling a railway train drive control and brake control units;
• a human machine interface coupled to the onboard control unit, having:
• throttle and brake controls actuated by a human operator;
• and
• a visual display including a speedometer display having:
• an analog speed scale;
• an analog speed pointer aligned with and in relative motion with the speed scale, indicating actual train speed on the speed scale;
• and
• an analog target speed indicator aligned with and in relative motion with the speed scale, indicating a specific suggested target operating speed for conforming the train to anticipated up-track speed restrictions;
• wherein a train operator actuates brake and throttle controls to align the analog speed pointer with the analog target speed indicator;
• the speedometer display displays a suggested control setting band on the analog speed scale and which displays to the user a suggested control setting for brake control, throttle control or combination of both in a digital readout.

A computer software storage medium apparatus, comprising:

• non-transient software stored in a non-volatile storage medium for operating a railway train human machine interface (HMI) visual display that is controlled by a processor coupled to a memory device, the HMI capable of retrieving and storing a copy of said software from said medium and causing said processor to execute said software to control the visual display by generating a visual display of a train speed control actuator selected from the group consisting of brake actuator, throttle actuator or combination of both, comprising:
• a visual display including a suggested speed control actuator setting guide, having:
• an analog control actuator setting scale;
• an analog suggested control actuator setting indicator aligned with and in relative motion with the control actuator setting scale, indicating a suggested control actuator setting for conforming the train with anticipated
• an analog actual control actuator setting indicator aligned with and in relative motion with the control actuator setting scale, indicating the actual control actuator setting on the control actuator setting scale;
• and a recommended control setting band on the analog control actuator setting scale and having an outermost extreme edge of the band indicating an optimal recommended control setting for the brake actuator, the throttle actuator or combination of both.