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General

Structure and Properties of Thermite Welds in Premium Rails

Thermite welds were used to join combinations of premium rails and AREA Controlled Cooled Carbon rails (i.e., standard rails). The premium rails comprised head-hardened rails and CrMo, CrV and Cr alloy rails. A major objective was to determine the feasibility of joining premium rails to each other...

Control of Wheel/Rail Noise and Vibration

This report presents the results of a program to develop and evaluate techniques for the control of wheel/rail noise in urban rail transit systems. The first part of the program included a literature review and a cost-benefit analysis to select, for further study, the most cost-effective wheel/rail...

Study of Braking Operations Using a Locomotive Simulator

The Volpe Center is currently supporting the Federal Railroad Administration in developing revisions to the safety standards for train air brakes. As part of the program, one of the tasks was to evaluate the effects certain operating parameters have on the performance and response of braking...

Evaluation of Rail Rollover Derailment Study

Research conducted by the Association of American Railroads at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Test Center, Pueblo, Colorado, led to an understanding of the gage widening behavior exhibited by several 125-ton gondola cars and locomotives in a 6-degree curve of the Facility for...