Technical Reports
Considerations for the Development of Alloys Suitable for Use in In-Line Hardening of Rails, Wheels, and Tank Car Plate having Lower Bainite Microstructures
In-line hardening of rails to produce a very fine pearlitic microstructure has become a commercial reality. A question that this report seeks to answer is whether or not it is possible to find an alloy composition that will permit the development of lower bainite microstructures by in-line...Safety of High Speed Ground Transportation Systems: Technical Descriptions of Advanced Braking Concepts for High Speed Ground Transportation
The objective of this study is to develop qualitative and quantitative information on the various braking strategies used in high-speed ground transportation systems in support of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The approach employed in this study is composed of two steps: first, build a...Investigation of Lateral Track Strength and Track Panel Shift Using AAR's Track Loading Vehicle
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is conducting extensive lateral track strength (track panel shift) tests using the AAR’s Track Loading Vehicle (TLV). The entire test program consists of three phases: (1) demonstration tests, (2) fundamental tests, and (3) off-site tests and is a joint...FAST Heavy Axle Load Ballast Test Results
A ballast experiment was performed at the Federal Railroad Administration’s Transportation Technology Center, Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST), Pueblo, Colorado, as part of the original series of tests designed to determine track performance under 39-ton axle loads. Four ballast...Crashworthiness of Passenger Trains: Safety of High-Speed Ground Transportation Systems
Studies were conducted evaluating the effectiveness of alternative strategies for providing crashworthiness of the vehicle structures and on the effectiveness of alternative strategies for protecting occupants in train collisions, including friendly interior arrangements and occupant restraints....Revenue Track Gage Widening Tests Using the Track Loading Vehicle
ABSTRACT Gage widening tests were conducted using the TLV on portions of tracks of nine Class I railroads in North America. The measured unloaded gage and loaded gage, along with the computed delta gage (the difference between - loaded and unloaded gages) and track compliance (delta gage per...
Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA: Final Environmental Impact Report, Supplement
This document is a supplement to the final environmental impact report (FEIR) published in October 1994 on the proposal by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to complete the electrification of the Northeast Corridor main line by extending electrification from New Haven, CT to...Modeling and Simulation of a Superconducting EMS-Type Maglev Vehicle/Guideway System
Computer simulation models are developed for predicting the dynamic performance of a magnetically levitated (maglev) vehicle with a superconducting (SC) electromagnetic suspension (EMS) traversing a flexible, multiple span, elevated guideway. A single Degree Of Freedom (DOF) vehicle model...High Productivity Integral Train Program - Iron Highway Phase II Evaluation
Evaluation tests of Iron Highway Phase II prototype show that the technical benefits predicted from the integral train design are attainable. The tests prove that the control and braking, loading and unloading, split ramp and platform suspension systems are ready to be engineered into production...