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An Examination of Railroad Yard Worker Safety

This report presents the methods, findings and recommendations from a multi-year research program that examined worker safety issues in railroad yards. The research program focused on human factor-related hazards and solutions to railroad yard worker safety. A broad range of issues were examined...

Estimation of Rail Wear Limits Based on Rail Strength Investigations

This report describes analyses performed to estimate limits on rail wear based on strength investigations. Two different failure modes are considered in this report: (1) permanent plastic bending, and (2) rail fracture. Rail bending stresses are calculated using the classical theory of beams on...

Risk/Benefit Assessment of Delayed Action Concept for Rail Inspection

A Monte Carlo simulation of certain aspects of rail inspection is presented. The simulation is used to investigate alternative practices in railroad rail inspection programs. Results are presented to compare the present practice of immediately repairing every detected defect with an alternative...

Measurement of Vertical Track Deflection from a Moving Rail Car

The University of Nebraska has been conducting research sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Research and Development to develop a system that measures vertical track deflection/modulus from a moving rail car. Previous work has suggested the system can find critical...

Rail Industry Job Analysis: Passenger Conductor

This document describes the results of a job analysis that was conducted for the position of railroad Passenger Conductor. Key aspects of the position were identified, including main tasks and knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) required to perform the job successfully....

Fatigue Status of the U.S. Railroad Industry

This report draws on the results of several prior studies, all conducted with similar methodology, to characterize the prevalence of employee fatigue in the U.S. railroad industry. Data from logbook surveys of signalmen, maintenance of way workers, dispatchers, and train and engine service...