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FAST Heavy Axle Load Ballast Test Results

A ballast experiment was performed at the Federal Railroad Administration’s Transportation Technology Center, Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST), Pueblo, Colorado, as part of the original series of tests designed to determine track performance under 39-ton axle loads. Four ballast...

Phase I Literature Search and Evaluation - Final Report

[From the Introduction] Since 1985, the AAR/TTC and other organizations have utilized a set of guidelines developed by the AAR in the late 1970's to teach emergency response personnel how to make judgements in the field as to the severity of damage to tank cars involved in accidents. These...

Locomotive Crashworthiness and Cab Working Conditions

The Rail Safety Enforcement and Review Act (RSERA) mandated that the Secretary of Transportation conduct a proceeding to determine the need for action on locomotive crashworthiness and cab working conditions. This mandate followed frequent expressions of concern by employee organizations,...

Economics of Increased Axle Loads: FAST/HAL Phase II Results

Based upon the cases analyzed to date, the use of heavier cars, with attendant increased axle loads, may be a viable tool for achieving significant total savings in cost for specific rail operations. The potential net benefits for operations with 286,000 gross vehicle weight (GVW) cars are in the...