Technical Reports

High-Security Fencing for Rail Right-of-way Applications: Current Use and Best Practices

The Volpe Center investigated how high-security fencing is used to prevent right-of-way (ROW) trespassing at several urban transit and commuter rail agencies in the United States. Interviews, operations documentation, and site visits were used to gather information for this research, and it was...

Quantification of the Effectiveness of Low Solar Absorptivity Coatings for Reducing Rail Temperature

Due to the thermal expansion properties of steel, the risk that a track will buckle increases as the temperature of the rails increase. Therefore, it is desirable to keep rail temperature as low as possible, especially on hot summer days. Empirical data and modeling has shown that on such days, the...

Accident Report of Chicago Metra Commuter Train Derailment on September 17, 2005

On Saturday, September 17, 2005, Metra commuter train 504 was heading north from Joliet to Chicago on the Rock Island District Line operated by the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, which is the commuter rail system that serves northeast Illinois. The train traversed a 10-...

Locomotive Emissions Test Stand with Particulate Matter Measurement Integration

This project builds upon previous research efforts, in which a complete instruction manual and bill of materials was developed for a blueprint that allows any organization in the railroad industry to build their own locomotive emissions measurement setup. A full scale emissions test was conducted...

Full-Scale Dynamic Testing of Locomotive Crashworthy Components

The Office of Research, Development, and Technology of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Volpe Center are evaluating new occupant protection technologies to increase the safety of passengers and operators in rail equipment. In view of the importance of override prevention in train-...

Aerodynamic Forces on Maglev Vehicles

The results of four separate tasks are documented: (1) minimization of front-end drag, (2) effect of fineness ratio (ratio of length to diameter) on drag, (3) design of aerosurfaces for control purposes, and (4) control and dynamics of maglev vehicles with aerodynamic control surfaces. Task 1...

Conceptual Design and Analysis of the Tracked Magnetically Levitated Vehicle Technology Program (TMLV). Repulsion Scheme. Volume II - Appendices A-F

This report summarizes the studies of a program to establish the technology of magnetic suspension for ultimate use in a passenger-carrying high-speed ground transportation (HSGT) system - at speeds on the order of 134 m/s (300 mph). Magnetic Levitation (MAGLEV) is one of the advanced vehicle...

Conceptual Design and Analysis of the Tracked Magnetically Levitated Vehicle Technology Program (TMLV). Repulsion Scheme. Volume I. Technical Studies.

The Aerodynamic Analysis of Single and Multiple Vehicles Entering and Traveling in Open Tunnels

The analyses required to calculate the aerodynamic effects of tunnel entry, tunnel venting, and multiple vehicle motions in open ended tunnels are presented. Results for several cases of open ended tunnel travel and various entry configurations are presented and described. The effects of an earlier...

Fracture Resistance of Railroad Wheels

The effects of manufacturing method, chemical composition, heat treatment, temperature, and loading rate on the plane strain fracture toughness KIC of railroad wheels have been determined. Carbon content of the wheels is shown to be the principal factor which controls their toughness. One...

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Technical Reports