Technical Reports

Amtrak Fuel Consumption Study

This report documents a study of fuel consumption on National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) trains and is part of an effort to determine effective ways of conserving fuel on the Amtrak system. The study was performed by the Transportation Systems Center (TSC) under the sponsorship of the...

Electronically-Controlled Pneumatic Brake Revenue Service Tests

This report, prepared by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), Pueblo, Colorado, a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), summarizes the findings of the service testing of electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, carried out between the spring of 1996 and...

Investigation of the Effects of Braking System Configurations on Thermal Input to Commuter Car Wheels

A heat transfer model, previously developed to estimate wheel rim temperatures during tread braking of MU power cars and validated by comparison with operational test results, is extended and appplied to cases involving several different blended brake system configurations. Preliminary and final...

Human Reliability Analysis in Support of Risk Assessment for Positive Train Control

This report describes an approach to evaluating the reliability of human actions that are modeled in a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of train control operations. This approach to human reliability analysis (HRA) has been applied in the case of a safety evaluation of the Communications-Based...

Railroad Dispatcher Communications Training Materials

Readback/hearback errors by railroad dispatcher and train crews or other track users can potentially result in accidents and derailments. The training materials developed under this project are designed to improve dispatcher communication skills with the goal of reducing the occurrence of readback/...

Selection of Railroad Dispatcher Candidates

This report presents the results of a study to explore approaches to railroad dispatcher trainee selection. The work was conducted in response to an indication from railroad industry representatives that there is a need for guidance in developing a dispatcher selection program, particularly with...

Human-Centered Incident Investigation Methods for the Railroad Industry: Conference Summary

This report presents a summary of a one-day educational conference on human-centered incident investigation methods for the railroad industry. Fifty-seven participants from the railroads, rail labor, government, and consulting/academia attended the one-day conference, held in Chicago, IL. Mr....

Maintaining Alertness in Railroad Locomotive Crews

The problem of assuring alertness in railroad locomotive crews is defined. Principles for maintaining alertness are derived from the experimental literature on vigilance and several unresolved questions are explored through three experiments. The findings are summarized in a set of criteria for...

Safety of High Speed Magnetic Levitation Transportation Systems: Thermal Effects and Related Safety Issues of Typical Maglev Steel Guideways

This report presents a theoretical analysis predicting the temperature distribution, thermal deflections, and thermal stresses that may occur in typical steel Maglev guideways under the proposed Orlando FL thermal environment. Transient, finite element heat transfer analyses are used to predict the...

Safety of High speed Magnetic Levitation Transportation Systems: German High-Speed Maglev Train Safety Requirements- Potential for Application in the United States

The safety of various magnetically levitated (maglev) trains under development for possible implementation in the United States is of direct concern to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This report is the second in a series of reports addressing the safety of high-speed maglev trains and...

« First
‹‹
…
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
…
››
Last »

USA Banner

Technical Reports