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Why Do Passenger Trains Run through Switches in the Rail Yard?

This study examined why crews working in yard operations run through switches in the wrong direction or run through damaged switches. Running through a switch in the wrong direction can damage the switch. Operating through a damaged switch can derail the train. The authors worked with a railroad to...

Conventional and Crash Energy Management Locomotive Coupling Tests

Crash energy management (CEM) components which can be integrated into the end structure of a locomotive were developed: a push-back coupler (PBC) and a deformable anti-climber (DAC). These components are designed to inhibit override in the event of a collision. The results of vehicle-to-vehicle...

Reporting Level Definitions

a. Individual Railroad An Individual railroad represents only those records reported under the selected railroad’s own FRA reporting code without any grouping.

b. System Railroad : A System railroad represents a grouping defined by the FRA of records reported by a parent railroad...