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Research Results

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Performance of No. 20 Frogs of Various Designs in Revenue Service

Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) tested and evaluated the performance of four No. 20 fixed-point frogs on the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) track as part of the jointly funded Association of American Railroads (AAR) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Heavy Axle Load (HAL)...

Full-Scale Shell Impact Test of a DOT-117 Tank Car

On September 28, 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted a full-scale shell impact test of a DOT-117A100W (DOT-117) tank car at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. The shell of the car was struck at the mid-length by a 297,000 pound ram car, which was...

Performance of Rail Fastening Systems on an Open-Deck Bridge

Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) monitored the performance of rail fasteners on an open-deck bridge and its approaches, located at Norfolk Southern Corporation’s (NS) eastern mega site. The project was co-sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Association of...

Railroad Track Inspector Wearable Technology Interface

Conducting railroad track safety inspections requires constant vigilance to detect defects that could have dangerous consequences. It also requires information to be received and sent during the execution of the inspection task. A Wearable Technology Interface (WTI) could prove helpful in...

Bridge Approach Remedies Implemented at Western Mega Site

As part of the heavy axle load (HAL) revenue service mega site testing program, the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) has worked closely with the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) to address bridge approach problems under HAL operations. The testing program targeted two bridge locations at...

Human performance and safety in highway, traffic, and ITS systems

The papers in this volume are evidence of the breadth of safety interests and research on highway and traffic systems. Advanced technology, particularly the role of humans in new ITS systems, roadway design and features, and more effective use of traffic research are paving the way to safer...

A Preliminary Design for a Heads-Up Display for Rail Operations

This research project designed a locomotive Heads-Up Display (HUD), a secondary display that helps the operator locate possible hazards in the surrounding environment while maintaining an awareness of the vehicle’s current state. HUDs are widely used in both military and commercial aviation and...

Industry Survey of Bolsters and Side Frames Removed from Service

Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) conducted an industry survey of defective bolsters and side frames removed from service. Scrapped components (approximately 70 bolsters and 55 side frames) from four railcar shops were analyzed, and the data collected was used to create a database...