Jim Venable
5839 Chili Avenue, Lot H-19
Churchville, New York 14428
Expertise
- Positive
Train Control Systems (PTC); ACSES
- Central Control Offices for Light Rail, Heavy Rail,
People Movers (APM, AGT) and Railroads
- Automatic Train Control Systems, including functions
and user interfaces
- SCADA System Design
- Data/Voice/CCTV Transmission System Design
- Systems Integration; Resolution of Interfaces
- Technical Writing, including Specification, Proposals
and Manuals
Professional Experience
Alstom
Transport, Rochester, NY
04/05 - Present
Senior Systems Engineer
- Positive
Train Control Systems (PTC); ACSES
Parsons Transportation Group, Inc.
05/99 - 05/04
Senior Systems
Engineer
·
Phase I
& II, DART Light Rail, Dallas, Texas Reviewed contractor
submittals for signal and communications systems. Helped
eliminate a backlog of Change Requests, Change Orders, and Supplemental
Agreements. Developed a Contract Management Database
application for tracking, alerting, and reporting project information,
payments, CDRL’s, RFI’s, correspondence, contract changes, and QA Verbal
Notices and NCR’s. These were highly integrated and cross-referenced as
a sophisticated, yet user-friendly package that exceeded requirements and
expectations.
·
Daejeon
Metro Line 1, Light Rail, Daejeon, S. Korea (for
Samsung) Identified systems interfaces for the signal and
communications systems.
·
RTD
T-Rex (Light Rail) Project, Denver, Colorado Coordinated
systems design integration and interfaces for the Project, upgraded the
Interface Database application, and developed the Systems Integration Plan and
draft Test Management Plan.
·
SEPTA
Subway, Elevated, and Light Rail SCADA, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Created a technical specification for a new SCADA system to monitor the
traction, signal, and facilities power for SEPTA’s Subway, Elevated, and Light
Rail transit systems. The system includes servers, workstations, overview displays and communications equipment.
·
Long
Island Rail Road East Side Access Project, New York Identified and managed the design interfaces for the massive effort to
route the Long Island Rail Road into Grand Central Terminal. Upgraded
the database application previously developed for Central Florida Light Rail.
The application can be used generically on many different projects, and is
being marketed by Parsons.
·
Jerusalem
Mass Transit System Project, Jerusalem, Israel Wrote the
signaling portion of the specification for the new
Jerusalem light rail system and subsequently reviewed the contractor signal
system proposals.
·
LYNX
Central Florida Light Rail Transit Authority N/S Corridor Project, Orlando Tracked systems interfaces to ensure compatible design requirements and
timely handoff of design information between parties. Developed
a database application to facilitate tracking and reporting the status of
design and construction interfaces. This was used later on five
different transit projects. Also developed a database
application for managing the test program for any type of transit installation.
It is now slated for use on the East Side Access project (LIRR) in NYC. It
helps track the status of test procedures, setting up test schedules,
monitoring the progress of tests, and tracking required resources in the test
environment.
07/89 - 05/99
Senior Systems
Engineer
- Metro-Dade Transit Agency, Miami, Florida. Deputy Project Manager
of the Miami Metrorail Central Control Center Modernization Project.
Executed the initial phase of the Project, including system configuration,
space and functional requirements, and alternatives analysis for the
replacement and upgrading of the signaling, SCADA, and communications
systems; which will include large-scale rear projection displays, new
workstations, and integration with existing systems. Ergonomic factors,
staffing, and other requirements were also determined. Responsibility for
the ongoing project also includes integration of the Metrobus,
Metromover, Metrorail, and Customer Service's
Transit Information Unit in the same area, resulting in a multi-modal
Control Center. With subcontractor assistance, wrote detailed
specifications for Metrorail's new OC-3 SONET fiber optics communications
and data transmissions system, which will transport all CCTV, audio and
data traffic throughout the Metrorail network.
- Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville,
Florida.
Created technical specifications for the design and installation of the
SCADA, control, power, communications and vehicle systems to expand and
complete Phase I of the Automated Skyway Express people mover, using automated,
driverless, grade separated, monorail vehicles. Provided expertise in
automatic train control, communications, power system design, contractor
system interfaces, design review and project management. Finalized the
specifications for the system CCTV and audio communications network, which
employs a fiber optic backbone. Reviewed system test procedures and
monitored system qualification and acceptance tests on-site for all
aspects of vehicle performance, onboard systems, and wayside systems.
- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles,
California.
Designed changes to the Fire Emergency Management and Intrusion Detection
systems for the North Hollywood extension of the Metro Rail Red Line
subway. Also helped design PLC I/O for the SCADA system, including tunnel
ventilation and other facility controls and indications.
- Orlando Circulator, Orlando, Florida. Designed communications
systems for tracking the location and ID of circulating LYMMO buses and
for control of variable message signs, audio message broadcasts, dynamic
mimic displays of the buses (located at each station stop), and station
driver information displays to help the buses maintain regular headways.
- Mass Rapid Transit System, Taipei, Taiwan. Played a key role in
developing signaling system specifications for the Taipei Municipal
Government's Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS) over a period of
four years. Responsible for the specification, proposal evaluation and
design review of all aspects of the Central Control Facility. Performed
systems integration for ATC, SCADA and communications systems and design
review and supervision of the ATC and switchgear control systems, data
transmission systems, hardware, displays, and layouts in the central
control and equipment rooms. Was involved with the heavy rail ATP, ATO and
ATS signaling subsystems. Wrote computer programs to aid in the analysis
of block design and implemented a computer database system for tracking
thousands of design submittal documents. Was actively engaged in
technology transfer and made several presentations and reports for that
purpose. Received a Company promotion while working on the Project.
General
Railway Signal Corp., Rochester, NY (Now – Alstom Transport)
03/81 - 07/89
Systems Engineer
Designed central and office control systems for railroads, including control machines, display panels, system software, subsystem interface details, wiring, energy distribution, and data transmissions systems. Used mainframe and microcomputers for software development. Responsible for entire projects including system definition, estimating engineering time and materials, detail design of system software and hardware, factory testing, on-site installation and testing, production of system manuals, customer training and ongoing product support. Interacted extensively with clients and earned an excellent record of customer satisfaction. Developed pioneering design concepts which were reused on subsequent projects by other engineering groups. Projects include the following:
- Metro-North Commuter Railroad, New York City, NY. Developed, tested, and
installed central control NX/CTC software, microprocessors and display
hardware for the system which controlled all three lines of the
Metro-North commuter railroad, and provided customer support for changes,
additions and extensions. Much of the work was done on-site in downtown
Manhattan.
- Central Vermont Railway. Estimated costs,
created system definition, developed software and tested a personal
computer based NX/CTC control system governing traffic on well over 100
miles of main line railroad. Software was derived from the original
design, described below, developed for the Southern Pacific Transportation
Company.
- Southern Pacific Transportation Company, West Oakland,
California.
Defined and designed the pioneer application software for a new IBM PS/2
desktop computer based central control system, featuring end-to-end NX
with automatic route prioritizing and CTC functions. Also performed
factory and on-site system tests and provided customer training, including
verbal instruction and system manuals. Responsibility included the
complete project from the estimating stages through the final commissioning
of the system.
- Richmond, Fredricksburg &
Potomac Railroad, Richmond, Virginia. Designed an NX/CTC microprocessor based control system
to replace a portion of an aging relay based system in the Richmond
office. The new components controlled three interlockings
in Quantico, Virginia. Panels, with pushbuttons and indicators, and the
software design mimicked the older relay control system to preserve
operational compatibility. Completed all office wiring, integration of the
data transmission system, software design, and factory and on-site
testing.
- Amtrak, Washington Terminal, Union Station, Washington,
D.C.
Designed a complete microprocessor based control system with pushbutton
NX/CTC panel controls and a data transmission system for a complex
interlocking. Performed factory test, field test, and commissioning in the
heart of busy Washington D.C.
- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority,
Cleveland, Ohio.
Designed software for a hot standby microprocessor based NX control system
governing GCRTA's new depot and the portion of the mainline connecting the
depot with downtown Cleveland. The six microprocessor units were mounted
in a twelve foot long control console in the depot tower. This was a
pioneering design for GRS and was the basis for subsequent NX designs.
Also designed the wiring for the depot control machine, remote mainline
control panels, interfaces to the data transmission system and other
related equipment. The design included a train describer for automatic
routing. Performed factory tests, installed, field tested, and
commissioned everything except the vital signaling circuits.
- Missouri Pacific Railway (Houston Belt & Terminal),
Settegast Yard, Houston, Texas. Designed the
application software for GRS' first microprocessor based automatic classification
yard. Featured automatic "catchup"
correction, yard simulation, and diagnostic capabilities. Also designed
the control machine, some of the other system circuits, and conducted
factory and field tests, installation and commissioning.
General
Railway Signal Corp., Rochester, NY
10/79 - 03/81
Technical Writer
'A'
Created operator and maintenance manuals, technical proposals, catalogs, and other company publications. Was responsible for their progress from conception through printing and initial distribution. Some of the proposals resulted in multimillion dollar contracts for the Company. Coordinated each project with engineers, illustrators, typists and printers. Cleaned up an extensive backlog of publications.
Lyell Avenue
Baptist Church, Rochester, NY
05/71 - 10/79
Senior Pastor
Became adept at public speaking while gaining leadership, administrative, and clerical skills in an informal setting. Wrote considerable amounts of inspirational material.
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
01/66 - 08/68
Programmer
In a university environment, developed system software in assembly language to create a hybrid computer system, joining an IBM 7700 Data Acquisition System mainframe to a large analog computer. The system was used several years thereafter for graduate research. Also developed some of the hardware interface between the two computers and performed computer maintenance and repair on the mainframe.
Education
- The Eastern Baptist
Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA Master of
Divinity, 1971
- University of
Rochester, Rochester, NY Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering, 1968
Contact via 
jim@royaldomain.com
