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Abstract:The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development initiated a research project to develop and evaluate innovative concepts for locomotive crew egress in the event of a crash that makes the normal means of egress unusable. Locomotive operating crews and rescue workers need improved means of cab egress and access in the event of an accident. Although present regulations and practices address this need in a limited way, further measures could provide substantial improvements in the survivability of crews. This program has focused on three innovative egress concepts that would be of particular use following a crash that toppled the locomotive or prevented use of the front and rear doors. These concepts are 1) roof-mounted escape hatch with hand/foot holds to facilitate reaching the hatch 2) easily removable door hinges and 3) windshield that is removable from the cab interior. A fourth concept, automated collision notification (ACN), determines that a crash has occurred and places a phone call to report the crash. The roof-mounted hatch system was fabricated as a working prototype and installed in a full-scale mockup of a toppled locomotive. Usability testing with experienced train crewmembers and emergency responders demonstrated the usability of the system under 90° and 45° toppled scenarios. The removable door hinges have been fabricated and installed in a crash test locomotive. A prototype hatch egress system is being installed in a demonstration locomotive. A prototype windshield system is ready for installation in a demonstration locomotive.
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