Technical Reports
Acoustic Detection of Railcar Roller Bearing Defects: Phase III, System Evaluation Test
In July 1999, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), conducted a system evaluation test as part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Improved Freight Car Roller Bearing Inspection Program (Task Order 122). at the...Acoustic Detection of Railcar Roller Bearing Defects: Phase II, Field Test
The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Research and Test Department, conducted a series of simulated revenue service tests with a train of eight cars containing wheel sets with specific roller bearing defects and wheel sets...Acoustic Detection of Railcar Roller Bearing Defects: Phase I, Laboratory Test
A series of tests were performed at the Bearing Test Facility at the Transportation Technology Center,Inc. (TICI) in Pueblo,Colorado, to gather acoustic and acceleration emissions for a number of roller bearing defect types designated by the rail industry as a priority. This database will be used...A Preliminary Description of Stresses in Railroad Rail
One portion of the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Track Performance Improvement Program is the development of engineering and analytic techniques required for the design and maintenance of railroad track of increased integrity and safety. Under the program management of the Transportation...Prototype Design of a Collision Protection System for Cab Car Engineers—Fabrication and Test
Advancements in the structural crashworthiness of passenger rail cars now make it possible to preserve the compartmentalized space occupied by a cab car engineer during a train collision. In order to translate this additional protection into improved survivability and mitigate injuries, it is...Campaign Monitoring of Railroad Bridges in High-Speed Rail Shared Corridors using Wireless Smart Sensors
This research project used wireless smart sensors to develop a cost-effective and practical portable structural health monitoring system for railroad bridges in North America. The system is designed for periodic deployment rather than as a permanent installation to enable campaign-style bridge...Track and Track-Side Video Survey Technology Development
Researchers at HiDef/Createc have completed prototype development and testing of a novel railroad track video surveying technology called Track and Track-Side Video Survey (TTVS). TTVS is designed to capture clear video images of the track and track side areas from a moving platform at speed. This...Highway-Rail Intersection Crash Taxonomy for Connected Vehicle Safety Research
This report characterizes the frequency, severity, and costs of highway-rail intersection (HRI) collisions, and the estimated potential reductions in these metrics resulting from the implementation of Connected Vehicle HRI safety applications. Multiple data sources were accessed with a focus on...