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"This report presents the results of the first phase of a program to develop innovative concepts for
a locomotive crew egress system. The program targeted rollover derailment accidents, where the options for crew egress are most limited.In Phase I of this program, Foster-Miller conceptualized an...
This report describes the tests conducted at the Transportation Test Center (TTC) on the first production AEM-7 locomotive, AMTRAK 900. These tests, which were conducted between April 1980 and May 1981, were to evaluate the locomotive characteristics on 25 kV 60 Hz and 12.5 kV 60 Hz voltage...
Models used to analyze locomotive crashworthiness are modified for application to control cab cars of the types used for intercity and commuter rail passenger service. An existing control cab car is analyzed for crashworthiness based on scenarios developed from two accidents. The peak strength of...
Previously developed computer models (see Volume 1) are used to carry out additional calculations for evaluation of road freight locomotive crashworthiness. The effect of fewer locomotives (as would be expected after transition from DC motor to higher-traction AC motor locomotive) is investigated...
The results of the study, summarized in this report, suggest that a cost-effective improvement in locomotive crashworthiness is feasible, at least for a few of the features. In particular, a performance specification that requires ductile collision posts with greater strength appears to yield the...
The overall approach to the project included information gathering on locomotive design and crashworthiness; the development of computer models to evaluate crashworthiness; and the generation, evaluation, and prioritization of design concepts that could potentially improve locomotive cab...
The model developed to simulate the head-on collision of two lead locomotives, each in a multi-locomotive, multi-trailing-vehicle train, appears to provide a good simulation of the resulting extent of override and crush in the lead locomotives. Results of this study show that trailing vehicles (...
This report documents a study of fuel consumption on National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) trains and is part of an effort to determine effective ways of conserving fuel on the Amtrak system. The study was performed by the Transportation Systems Center (TSC) under the sponsorship of the...
This report, prepared by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), Pueblo, Colorado, a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), summarizes the findings of the service testing of electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, carried out between the spring of 1996 and...
A heat transfer model, previously developed to estimate wheel rim temperatures during tread braking of MU power cars and validated by comparison with operational test results, is extended and appplied to cases involving several different blended brake system configurations. Preliminary and final...