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Very Long Trains – Phase IV - Moving Train Test
In the final phase of this research project, a team from Sharma & Associates, Inc. conducted moving train tests on a 228-car, Distributed Power (DP) configured train consist traveling from Minot, ND, to Vancouver, WA, using a Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) train and crew. This...
Very Long Trains – Phase III - Stationary Train Tests
In Phase III of this research, FRA sponsored Sharma & Associates, Inc. (SA), with significant assistance from Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, to conduct a series of tests to evaluate air brake system performance on a stationary train consisting of 200 cars in BNSF’s railroad...
Very Long Trains – Phase II - Rack Tests
In Phase II of this research project, FRA sponsored Wabtec to perform train air brake tests on long trains at their facility in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, between January 2021 and March 2021. The air brake rack simulated trains with up to 200 control valves using a conventional (i.e., head-end...
Aerodynamic Assessment and Mitigation – Design Considerations for High-Speed Rail
This report presents the means to identify and assess impacts and mitigation methods for aerodynamic effects of high-speed trains on high-speed rail corridors for designers, operators, and other affected parties. It provides descriptions of basic concepts, criteria, standards, and examples...
Advanced Modeling of Wheel-Rail Friction Phenomena
From 2017–2019, the Federal Railroad Administration sponsored VORtech and its project partners to develop advanced physics-based modeling of wheel-rail friction. Sub-models were established for the elastic and plastic shearing of third body layers, heating of the contacting surfaces, and effects...