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Future advanced Positive Train Control systems may allow North American railroads to introduce moving blocks with shorter train headways. This research examines how closely following trains respond to different throttle and brake inputs. Using insights from connected automobile and truck...
Researchers collaborated with a railroad advisory group to demonstrate the validity of a track circuit concept that supports the Quasi-Moving Block (QMB) method of train control. They performed proof-of-concept testing, capacity analysis, hazard analysis, and requirements development. ...
This report presents the results and findings from a testing program conducted to investigate how wheel temperature may affect wheel surface performance, i.e., the development of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) and wear from November 2019. Under this testing program, a twin disc test machine was...
Researchers developed a model to predict the life of a freight railroad car wheel due to rolling contact fatigue, crack initiation and growth leading to fracture. The Phase I effort includes a literature survey, an estimation of hoop residual stress from manufacturing process, and the effects of...
An impact test with a F40 locomotive and a M1 passenger car was conducted to evaluate the performance of the vehicles under dynamic conditions. The locomotive was retrofitted with crash energy management (CEM) components – including a push-back coupler (PBC), deformable anti-climbers, and a...
The focus of this effort was to confirm the capability of the scaling laws to predict full-scale fully-developed compartment fire heat release rates (HRR) based on reduced-scale experiments. A total of 17 compartment fire tests were conducted in this effort consisting of 14 unique configurations...
On June 11, 2020, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted a side impact test on a surrogate DOT-113 tank car filled with water at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) to (1) evaluate its performance under dynamic impact conditions and (2) provide data for the verification and...
Failures of glazing retention mechanisms on passenger trains have led to multiple injuries and fatalities in rollover-type accidents over the last several decades. This research effort reviewed global standards for glazing system design and performance, as well as modes of retention failures...
The mission of the Smart Track research project is to improve the rail industry’s ability to answer critical safety- and maintenance-related questions on track infrastructure by monitoring and predicting track health. This mission will be accomplished through the development and...
Under the safety mandate for wayside detection technology, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has contributed to the development and deployment of various such technologies under its wayside detection research program. The goal of this project was to assess the state of major wayside...