USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

eLibrary

eLibrary
Subscribe to RSS

Final Rule: Securement of Unattended Equipment

The version of the final rule being posted to FRA’s website is not intended to constitute the official version of the final rule.  The official version of the final rule will be the version published in the Federal Register in the near future and may appear slightly different than this website...

Tunnel Safety Analysis

In May 1987, a New Jersey Transit Rail Operations, Inc., passenger train, en-route from New York City to New Jersey, pulled the catenary down behind itself and came to a stop in the North River Tunnel under the Hudson River. After a delay, some 700 passengers were evacuated from the train, led for...

Maglev Cost Estimation: Annual Operating & Maintenance Cost Elements

This report describes a proposed cost estimating approach and presents annual operating & maintenance (O&M) cost factors for use in conjunction with VNTSC's Scenario Assessment Models for planning and evaluating super-speed (250-33mph) magnetic levitation (maglev) transportation systems...

High-Speed Non-Electric Locomotive Noise Measurements

This report summarizes the methods and results of train noise measurement carried out on August 30, 2001 at the Transportation Test Center in Pueblo, Colorado. The measurements were performed by Harris Miller Miller & Hanson, Inc on behalf of the Federa lRialroad Administration, under...

The Sound Environment in Locomotive Cabs

Measurements of the sound environment in locomotive cabs including audible warnings perceived by crew members are described. Data was collected during two different test runs under diverse conditions, one on the Long Island R.R. and the other on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. The crew's...

Flywheel Energy Storage Switcher

An indepth study of the application of flywheel energy storage to the railroad switchyard locomotive was conducted to determine the practicality and viability of such a system. The system, as originally conceived, required the use of separately excited fraction motors, and a major task of the study...

An Assessment of Railroad Locomotive Noise

Measurements of the noise generated by an SD40-2 diesel electric locomotive are described. The noise was measured in three types of moving tests: the first with the locomotive passing a 6-microphone array while under maximum power acceleration, the second with the locomotive simulating the...

Parametric Analyis of Railway Line Capacity

The problem of analyzing the capability of a rail line to absorb additional traffic has become increasingly important recently as various means of consolidating and expanding usage of the rail systems have been proposed. This report develops a systematic procedure for evaluating the potential...

Human Factors Survey of Locomotive Cabs

Purpose of the investigation was to review design of locomotive cabs from the human factors point of view. The following areas of human factors engineering are discussed: construction of cab interiors; design of controls and displays; atmospheric conditions in the cab; noise and vibration; seat...