Technical Reports

Six-Axle Locomotive Mini-Test on FAST

This report is the fifth in a series of technical notes proceeding from the Rail Lubrication Study conducted by the Association of American Railroads on the FAST track (Facility for Accelerated Service Testing) at the Transportation Test Center (TTC). A comprehensive summary report of the study...

MARTA "C" Standard Profile Energy Consumption

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) "C" Car underwent energy consumption testing as part of a broader array of characteristic tests. The test objectives, procedures and profile data from the energy consumption test are presented here, representing "standard" run performance

Evaluation of Rail Wear at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing

The rail metallurgy experiment at the Facility for Acceleration Service Testing (FAST) is intended to provide information on the wear and failure behavior of a variety of rail metallurgies under unit train operations. Results from two metallurgy experiments are presented; the demarcation between...

Track Structures Performance - Comparative Analysis of Specific Systems and Component Performance.

This report presents analyses of data, up to 50 million gross tons of traffic, from the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST). These analyses include concrete and wood tie track system performance and component performance, rail wear comparisons, ballast depth and type performance,...

High-Security Fencing for Rail Right-of-way Applications: Current Use and Best Practices

The Volpe Center investigated how high-security fencing is used to prevent right-of-way (ROW) trespassing at several urban transit and commuter rail agencies in the United States. Interviews, operations documentation, and site visits were used to gather information for this research, and it was...

Quantification of the Effectiveness of Low Solar Absorptivity Coatings for Reducing Rail Temperature

Due to the thermal expansion properties of steel, the risk that a track will buckle increases as the temperature of the rails increase. Therefore, it is desirable to keep rail temperature as low as possible, especially on hot summer days. Empirical data and modeling has shown that on such days, the...

Accident Report of Chicago Metra Commuter Train Derailment on September 17, 2005

On Saturday, September 17, 2005, Metra commuter train 504 was heading north from Joliet to Chicago on the Rock Island District Line operated by the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, which is the commuter rail system that serves northeast Illinois. The train traversed a 10-...

Locomotive Emissions Test Stand with Particulate Matter Measurement Integration

This project builds upon previous research efforts, in which a complete instruction manual and bill of materials was developed for a blueprint that allows any organization in the railroad industry to build their own locomotive emissions measurement setup. A full scale emissions test was conducted...

Full-Scale Dynamic Testing of Locomotive Crashworthy Components

The Office of Research, Development, and Technology of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Volpe Center are evaluating new occupant protection technologies to increase the safety of passengers and operators in rail equipment. In view of the importance of override prevention in train-...

Aerodynamic Forces on Maglev Vehicles

The results of four separate tasks are documented: (1) minimization of front-end drag, (2) effect of fineness ratio (ratio of length to diameter) on drag, (3) design of aerosurfaces for control purposes, and (4) control and dynamics of maglev vehicles with aerodynamic control surfaces. Task 1...

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Technical Reports