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Short Line Data Systems ROCStm Update – August 2007 Website: www.sdsrocs.com Greetings – The dog days of summer are upon us, and unfortunately some personal goings on that have prevented the preparation of this update until now. We’ll go into more details later on as to what has happened. In spite of this, we still have a full slate of updates on our products and some more information about our newest product, the TRACCURATEtm AEI scanning system. Without further adieu, let’s get going on the news… TRACCURATEtm Many of you have seen the hardware portion of the TRACCURATEtm system, the SLT-100 scanner, at either the CSX or NS Short Line meetings, or at the ASLRRA Annual Meeting, and have expressed interest in this ground-breaking product. Our technology suppliers Short Line Technologies have been working at licensing the scanner, and the first production run of scanners is in the works right now. We hope to have systems available for delivery in late September. If you are interested in purchasing the first low-cost AEI scanning system designed specifically for the needs of a short line, please contact us for more information. ROCStm Version 11 Development of Version 11 is continuing, with a couple of new features being tested at the M&E. First of all, we have refined the form we previously added to the downloaded data processing system to better show the user what messages have been received. We are also evaluating the new version of WS_FTP Pro, which is the off the shelf data transmit and receive program that we have been using for a number of years. There are a couple of changed functions in the new version which do not work the same way as the version that we have been using. We are going to proceed slowly until we can seamlessly change over to the new one. Another new feature is a set of sub-forms on the Search for a Car screen that shows the user if the car record in question has a full set of EDI waybill records. We use multiple files to store a waybill (there is a ton of information in a waybill, and this is the only way we can make sure we have room for everything), and once in a while we have seen issues with manually added cars missing EDI waybills. We have also added a function button that will create a bill if one is missing. ROCSDispatchtm Version 7 We have started formulating the changes that will be released in Version 7, which should be ready for release early in 2008. We intend to have the previously mentioned GPS integration in this version. \ We have also been working on direct production of the FRA mileage reports from the system. Other planned features include new crew scheduling features, and further refinements to the locomotive mileage computation system.
NS Short Line Meeting Thanks are due to Rob Robinson, Bob Gentzel, Brenda Taylor and the rest of the NS Short Line Department for putting on the best short Line meeting they have ever held. The program content was timely and informative, and the compressed schedule kept everyone busy. We had a ton of traffic at the trade show, and are looking forward to attending next year’s event. ASLRRA Regional Meetings As fall approaches, it’s regional meeting time again. We will be in Portland, OR for the Central/Pacific meeting September 9-11, and Burlington, VT for the Eastern Region meeting September 23-25. If you would like a demo of any of our products or any product information, please find us and we’ll be happy to oblige. Sometimes Life Gets in the Way As mentioned above, I’ve had a crazy month. My usual schedule for these updates is to write the update during the first week of the month, and get it out no later than the second Monday. Well, on August 4, my eldest son, Andrew (age 8) had an emergency appendectomy. Unfortunately, the appendix was perforated, so he earned a one week stay in the Goryeb Childrens Hospital at Morristown Memorial Hospital, which fortunately is one of the top pediatric facilities in the state. Following a week of intravenous antibiotics, bed rest, and hospital food (which was excellent), he is home and fully recovered, with a new scar to show off to his friends at school this year. We do need to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and best wishes when Andrew was in the hospital and our customers with their patience when it took us a little longer to get back to them during the week. We’re Moving! We are moving to a new house. The new digs are at 5 Westminster Place, Morristown (only the street address is changing, the phone numbers remain the same). The good news is that the house is about two miles from our current address, and will afford all of us a lot of space. The bad news is that we have to move, which is a huge life disruption. Fortunately we already have phone and internet service at the new house, so there should be minimal disruption. Our original schedule had us moving on September 4, but there have been some delays in some work that needed to be done on the house, so the current planned moving date is September 13. Vacation We will be on vacation August 25-September 1 (no, I did not plan on taking a vacation in the middle of moving, but that’s another story). You will be able to reach us through normal channels while we are on the road (cell phone and email), and we will respond as quickly as possible. Well, that’s all for now. Enjoy the waning days of summer, and we’ll be back next month with all of our latest news. Stay safe, Steven Friedland President |
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