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Metroliner Truck Improvement Program

This report summarizes the results of design and ride testing procedures followed in developing a Metroliner Truck Improvement Program. The Metroliner cars had been used in high speed Corridor service for nearly ten years and upgrading the truck suspension to modern standards for improved passenger...

Measurements of Wheel/Rail Loads on Class 5 Track

Measurements have been made on two tangent test sections and a curved test section to characterize the wheel/rail load environment on Class 5 track. The tangent-track test sections included a 3-mile length of bolted-joint rail under a 3-mile length of continuous welded rail. Wayside measurements...

Mathematical Modeling of DODX Railcars

This report presents the results of a project conducted to determine the roll stability characteristics of large capacity freight cars, 100 to 200 ton, loaded with high center of gravity containers. The model, obtained from AAR, is a 22 degree-of-freedom, non-linear, time domain model of railcars...

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Blue Line Vehicle Evaluation

The report presents the results of engineering tests carried out on a pair of rapid transit cars for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The tests were performed at the Transportation Test Center, Pueblo, Colorado, from April 1979 through October 1979. The scope of the test program...

Laboratory Investigation of Track Gauge Widening Characteristics

This report describes test procedures and results of the AAR track gauge widening tests. The tests included static and dynamic lateral rail loadings under various vertical and longitudinal loads, relative effects of single and double axle gauge widening and single axle dynamic gauge widening under...

Laboratory Investigation of Lateral Track Shift

This report describes test procedures and results of the AAR lateral track shift tests. The tests included static and dynamic lateral track loadings under various vertical loads, relative effects of single and double axle loading, panel shift tests and single tie tests. These tests, which were...

Issues and Dimensions of Freight Car Size

This study presents a review and evaluation of the relationships between the safety and efficiency of rail transportation and the size of railroad freight cars. The study concludes that most larger cars can be operated safely over well-maintained track, but that large-capacity cars tend to exert...

Issues and Dimensions of Freight Car Size: A Compendium

An investigation is made into the effects of the size, weight, and length of freight cars on the safety and efficiency of U.S. rail transportation. A review is made of the historical and present population and usage of the U.S. freight car fleet. Distinct trends toward the purchase of larger,...