​Brian Southon
Founder, Chief Engineer

Brian Southon has been involved in train detection systems, communications-based train control and wheel detector research and development for 20 years. He has been involved with product design and manufacturing for 35 years. Brian's projects include traffic control systems, FHSS communications systems, traffic preemption systems, pole-line elimination systems, train in-motion weighing systems, portable on-board computers, switch interlockings and vital controllers. He is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Brian founded Argenia Railway Technologies and is the Chief Engineer. 

Brian's History
 
CN Rail, Montreal, QB
Designed and built a vital communication system for CN which provided a RF link to provide advance signal-to-train updates of "track sinking conditions" over marsh territory. Wheel sensors measured train speed, direction, sensed problems and triggered advanced warning systems. 

Canadian Government Department of Transportation, Ottawa, ON
Developed a legal-for-trade in motion train weighing system for CN which they used on 6 main terminal yards in Canada. This system was the first of its kind in the world and was legal for trade accuracy to the .01 lbs. The system was certified by Measurement Canada.

Metro Toronto Traffic Control Systems, Toronto, ON
Developed real time software controls on QNX for the City of Toronto Traffic System - consisted of a 130 computer network running 1600 intersections which updated 32 times a second. All lights were synchronized across the city. This was the second largest traffic system in the world at the time.

CN Rail, Terrace, BC
Designed and built a Traffic Pre-Emption system using wheel counter technology to detect train and force change of nearby road traffic lights in order to clear the road of cars before train arrives. 

Ford Electronics, Toronto, ON
Developed statistical process control systems which improved plant automation by networking the HP 1000 to the factory machinery which gathered process control info, production rates and yields. Also implemented a continuous process improvement system.

Ontario Northland Railway, North Bay, ON
Communication systems developed to eliminate pole line wires which replaced 18 miles of downed signal lines.

Metro North, CT, USA
Developed a Zone Protection System to eliminate track switches which prevented the switch from actuating under a train and causing a derailment.