Technical Reports
Cognitive and Collaborative Demands of Freight Conductor Activities: Results and Implications of a Cognitive Task Analysis
This report presents the results of a cognitive task analysis (CTA) that examined the cognitive and collaborative demands placed on conductors, as well as the knowledge and skills that experienced conductors have developed that enable them to operate trains safely and efficiently. A secondary aim...Work Schedule Manager Gap Analysis: Assessing the Future Training Needs of Work Schedule Managers Using a Strategic Job Analysis Approach
This report documents the results of a strategic job analysis that examined the job tasks and knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) needed to perform the job of a work schedule manager. The strategic job analysis compared information from subject matter experts (SMEs)...An Examination of Railroad Yard Worker Safety
This report presents the methods, findings and recommendations from a multi-year research program that examined worker safety issues in railroad yards. The research program focused on human factor-related hazards and solutions to railroad yard worker safety. A broad range of issues were examined...Estimation of Rail Wear Limits Based on Rail Strength Investigations
This report describes analyses performed to estimate limits on rail wear based on strength investigations. Two different failure modes are considered in this report: (1) permanent plastic bending, and (2) rail fracture. Rail bending stresses are calculated using the classical theory of beams on...Risk/Benefit Assessment of Delayed Action Concept for Rail Inspection
A Monte Carlo simulation of certain aspects of rail inspection is presented. The simulation is used to investigate alternative practices in railroad rail inspection programs. Results are presented to compare the present practice of immediately repairing every detected defect with an alternative...Measurement of Vertical Track Deflection from a Moving Rail Car
The University of Nebraska has been conducting research sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Research and Development to develop a system that measures vertical track deflection/modulus from a moving rail car. Previous work has suggested the system can find critical...Railway Cognitive Radio to Enhance Safety, Security, and Performance of Positive Train Control
Robust and interoperable wireless communications are vital to Positive Train Control (PTC). The railway industry has started adopting software-defined radios (SDRs) for packet-data transmission. SDR systems realize previously fixed components as reconfigurable software. This project developed a...Next-Generation Foundations for Special Trackwork – Phase I
See Also:
Next-Generation Foundations for Special Trackwork – Phase II Next-Generation Foundations for Special Trackwork – Phase III