Evaluation of cab car crashworthiness design modifications

Details

• Creators:
  Tyrell, David C. ; Severson, Kristine J. ; Mayville, Ron A. ; Stringfellow, Richard G. ; Berry, Shaun ; Perlman, A. Benjamin
• Corporate Contributors:
  John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Crashworthiness
  • Railroad trains
  • Locomotives
  • Cabs (Vehicle compartments)
  • Freight cars
  • Collisions
  • Structural analysis
  • Vehicle design Oblique collision
• Resource Type:
  Research Paper
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration
• Abstract:
  A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of structural ; modifications to rail cab cars for increased crashworthiness protection in train collisions. The crashworthiness benefits were calculated based on a particular design's ability to preserve the space occupied by the operators and the passengers during a collision. The influences of the modifications on vehicle weight and cost to manufacture were also estimated. The focus of the study was a collision scenario in which a cab car-led consist traversing a switch onto mainline track obliquely collides with a locomotive-led consist traveling in the opposing direction on the mainline track. Modifying the strength of the end-structure members up to the load limits implied by the support structures 800,000 pounds increases the collision speed at which all the occupants are expected to survive to ; ~20 mph from ~10 mph for the baseline design. Within the allowable ; spaces of the baseline design, potential modifications have been ; developed which increase the end beam strength to nearly three times ; the baseline design strength, and increase the side sill strength to 1< ; times the baseline strength. Such design modifications, along with ; commensurate corner post and door post designs, made to the leading ; end of the cab car would add 670 lbs (~0.7% ) to the weight of the cab ; car and about $2000 (~0.1%) to the purchase price.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8518/dot_8518_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 301.87 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Volpe Center ; Federal Railroad Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:85d9e13f3e09a44d4e209e40bfccba893d52309cbad49a0c80fbd9a26062a1a77ce2109a9c9e5ad8b94b928984f27434b55672e068f6100e84e9a0f81173dcc1