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Technical Reports

A Preliminary Description of Stresses in Railroad Rail

One portion of the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Track Performance Improvement Program is the development of engineering and analytic techniques required for the design and maintenance of railroad track of increased integrity and safety. Under the program management of the Transportation...

Track and Track-Side Video Survey Technology Development

Researchers at HiDef/Createc have completed prototype development and testing of a novel railroad track video surveying technology called Track and Track-Side Video Survey (TTVS). TTVS is designed to capture clear video images of the track and track side areas from a moving platform at speed. This...

Tread Buildup on Railroad Wheels

Based on the results of wheel slide tests and an inspection of wheels, the root cause of tread buildup (TBU) was identified as wheel slide caused by excessive brake force. During the tests, TBU accumulated to the greatest heights under dry conditions, at longer slide distances, and under heavier...