Vehicle event data recording systems comprised of digital video recorder units and event recorder units, data recording software for data download, retrieval, and analysis, digital video recording systems comprised of digital video recorder units and event recorder units, video recording software for data download, retrieval, and analysis, cameras, electric sensors, and removable storage media in the nature of USB portable digital electronic devices for recording, organizing, transferring, storing, and reviewing text, data, image, audio and video files, personal computer memory cards, compact discs, and DVDs to copy information extracted from the event recording systems' crash-hardened memory for transfer to a personal computer for data analysis and software used to extract data from data recording systems for the transportation industry to provide information for accident investigations, fuel conservation, vehicle performance, and preventative maintenance programs; electronic vehicle operating monitoring systems comprised of event recorders, digital video recorders, priority alarm monitoring systems, and electronic sensors for speed frequencies, electrical voltages, electrical current valves, air pressures, smoke detectors, and switch sensors for monitoring activation of train functions; horn sequencing control comprised of an event recorder unit that automatically sequences horn activation without manual assistance; auxiliary light control for turning crossing and ditch lights on and off to draw attention to a locomotive when it approaches a crossing where people or land vehicles may cross the track; speedometers; passenger train alarms, namely, passenger assist alarms, smoke detection alarms, heat detection alarms, and door open while moving alarms; calibration devices for speedometers, event recorders comprised of digital video recorder units and event recorder units, and electrical transition controllers for changing the configuration of the locomotive traction motors from a serial to parallel connection for maximum power application to the rails; odometers; true ground speed reading sensors, namely, rotational mechanical speed sensors and doppler microwave sensors for detecting true ground speed; electronic signal amplifiers; traction motor current monitors for monitoring very high currents and converting them to low level signals that can be input to an event recorder; electronic engine temperature controllers for activating radiator cooling fans when the locomotive engine reaches a specified temperature; [ electronic instrumentation electrical power filters; ] electronic digital locomotive transition controllers for changing the configuration of the locomotive traction motors from a serial to parallel connection for maximum power application to the rails; computer component testing and calibrating equipment, namely, frequency generators; and computer software for locomotive and rail transit vehicle instrumentation and control equipment, namely, for data download, retrieval, and analysis