Technical Reports
Acoustical Warning Devices as Emergency Warning Signals (EWS) Phase 3: Performance Evaluation on a Locomotive
Emergency warning signal (EWS) sounds have been developed to improve safety for railroad workers and warn trespassers. Researchers conducted a literature review that addresses the need for a new EWS sound, the types of warning sounds used in railroad and non-railroad settings, and fundamental...
Categorizing Track Mud Spot Risk by Measurement of Vertical Track Deflection
This report presents the concluding results related to Phase 1 of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) project Categorizing Track Mud Spot Risk by Measurement of Vertical Track Deflection. The overall goal of the project was to develop a means of using...
Retrofit and Full-Scale Testing of a State-of-the-Art End Structure on a Budd M1 Cab Car
This report describes the results of a program to modify the existing state-of-the-art end structure design for a Budd Pioneer cab car so it can be installed on a Budd M1 car and used to test the performance of end frames built to meet current APTA and proposed Federal Railroad Administration (...
Monitoring and Analysis of the Integrated Network (MAIN): Phase II Final Report
Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) developed, tested, and implemented a tool to support Interoperable Train Control (ITC)-compliant Positive Train Control (PTC) monitoring and troubleshooting. The tool, called the Monitoring and Analysis of the Integrated Network (MAIN)-Core Data...
Onboard Monitoring and Control – Wireless Sensor Networks Systems Integration
A practical wireless train network (WTN) for freight trains is defined. A hybrid technology network utilizing ZigBee within each railcar and WiFi to create an ad hoc train network is researched. Motes and PAN-coordinators have been fabricated for demonstration testing. Network software were...
Study of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology for Rail Propulsion and Review of Relevant Industry Standards
Alternatives to conventional diesel electric propulsion are currently of interest to rail operators. In the U.S., smaller railroads have implemented natural gas and other railroads are exploring hydrogen technology as a cleaner alternative to diesel. Diesel, battery, hydrogen fuel cell, or track...
High Accuracy Global Positioning System Test: Phase II
The High Accuracy Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (HA-NDGPS) is a prototype position location service that uses carrier phase and code measurement data to obtain precise geolocation information. This project was established to assess the feasibility of improving upon the...
High Accuracy Global Positioning System Tests: Phase I
Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) constructed a prototype High Accuracy Global Positioning System (HA-GPS) base station at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) under contract by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to broadcast carrier code and phase measurement data at 1...
Reducing Hazards Associated with Visual and Automation-Aided Track Inspections
Railroads are increasingly using automated track inspection technologies to augment the work of track inspectors in support of safety and productivity. The current study documents a human factors hazard analysis intended for both railroads and others interested in understanding hazards...