David Mattoon '76
David W. Mattoon
Special Collections Research Associate, part-time (volunteer)
Elliott Donnelley Railroad Collection
Donnelley and Lee Library,
Library and Information Technology
Lake Forest College
555 North Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045-2399
Contact via Art Miller:
847-735-5064; amiller@lakeforest.edu
Professional
Alion Science and Technology (2002-2004) and predecessor company IIT Research Institute (IITRI) (1995-2002). In Transport Technology division, Developed railroad simulators to train and test train crews. Modeled various train and locomotive systems including air brakes, tractive effort, and radio control of remote locomotives in a train. Simulators varied from simple workstations to the top of the line half-cab or full-cabs mounted on a six-degree-of-motion motion base (similar to aircraft simulators). Alion and IITRI simulators are used by railroads and mass transit systems world-wide. Also did train handling studies for railroads and locomotive manufacturers.
Association of American Railroads, Research and Test Department, Chicago Technical Center (1978-1995). Data collection operator on board AAR-100 in-train data collection vehicle. Maintainer of the mainframe Train Operations Simulator (TOS) program. Co-developer and co-maintainer of the personal computer Train Operations and Energy Simulator (TOES). Both programs were/are used by railroads for accident investigations and train handling studies. Conducted accident investigations and train handling studies for member railroads and the NTSB. Co-validater of the TOES air brake model with Westinghouse Air Brake (WABCO) test rack data.
Education
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. M.S. Computer Science. 1978. Electives taken in Railroad Engineering and Transportation Simulation.
Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL. B.A. (Math-Computer Science) 1976. Computer Science done under the College Scholar (independent study) program with advisor Dr. Edward Packel. College Scholar Thesis: Digital Computer Simulation in the Railroad Industry.
Affiliations
Mid-Continent Railway Museum (1972-present) brakeman, fireman, conductor, and steam and diesel engineer (1986-present, on leave of absence for care of mother since 2004).
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (1982-present). Past secretary of Chicago and Skokie Valley (sub)sections at times during 1982-2004. Chaired committee and wrote brochure for the successful nomination of Mid-Continent Railway Museum’s Montana Western 31 gas-electric car as an ASME Historical Mechanical Engineering landmark: http://www.asme.org/Communities/History/Landmarks/Great_Northern_2313_Montana.cfm
Center for Railroad Photography and Art (Madison, WI), (2005 to present)
Lake Forest Lake Bluff Historical Society, (2004-present)
Lake Forest Preservation Foundation (2006-present)
Operation Lifesaver (2006-present)
Member: (circa 1978 to present) Air Brake Association, International Association of Railway Operating Officers.
Past member (circa 1982-2004) of Car Department Association and Locomotive Maintenance Officers Association.
Member and observer of U.S. (X3J3) and ISO (SC-22) Fortran Standards committee. Was a member of the committee that voted Fortran 90 a standard. (circa. 1987-1994)
Publications
Brake Fade and other Modeling Improvements to IITRI Simulators, Graydon Booth and.., International Association of Railway Operating Officers, Pontoon Beach, IL, Presentation, 1998, Proceedings published 1999
Development of Practical Techniques for the Simulation of Train Air Brake Operation, Milton Johnson, Graydon Booth and…,86-WA/RT-4 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), New York, NY. Presentation 1986, publication 1987.
Presentations (other than Professional Presentations)
Center for Railway Photography and Art conferences: The Railroad Collection in the Special Collections and Archives of the Donnelley and Lee Library Lake Forest College (2005), Archiving the Ted Rose Photograph Collection (2006), William Lee’s Collection Of Railroad Stereoviews At Lake Forest College (2008)
Lake Forest Lake Bluff Historical Society – video on railroad hand signals in connection with the 2007-8 All Aboard: Railways and the Growth of a Community
Operation Lifesaver presentations to Lake Forest High School drivers education (2006-9), Lake Forest Hospital Pediatric Fair (2007-8) and Lake Forest Public Safety open houses (2007-8).
September 19, 2009