I haven't seen too many of them yet...since there are not the easiest to spot , unless the locomotive happens to stop in front near you... I would imagine...much like their police car counterparts....they must activate at the sounding of a horn/bell?
I have read that many railroads, bus companies, and large trucking companies are installing these cameras. Apparently this is proving to be less expensive than having a fleet of lawyers continuously in court trying to defend against stupid people who go around gates or pull in front of busses and trucks. I believe the cameras record on a continuous loop for 30+/- minutes, similar to aircraft Black Boxes.
NS has been using them for several years now on most new units. Like most new gizmos, I don't even notice them much anymore except as part of an inspection. The camera and control box are considered safety appliances and have to work if installed so I always take note. They record anytime the engine is set up as a leader and actually operating. I'm not sure how long the video loop is but I know they capture other data similer to the event recorder for quite a long stretch.
I wish SRT install camera into its loco fleet. Why? SRT has lost many engineers and firemen in grade crossing incident involving trucks and tractor-trailer rigs and we have problems with unauthorized grade crossings According to local fan at Rotfaithai webboard I've talked, SRT sometime file lawsuits against the culprits for damage. You can see the results of truck VS train at Yimsiam webboard for thai railfans
