Authors: David Tyrell, Kristine Severson, Brian Marquis, Eloy Martinez, Ron Mayville, Robert Rancatore, Richard Stringfellow, Randolph Hammond, A. Benjamin Perlman

Date of Publication:  April 1999

Sponsoring Agency:  U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Railroad Administration

Performing Organization:  USDOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Tufts University - Department of Mechanical Engineering, Arthur D. Little Inc.

Report No:

Abstract:

A study has been conducted of locomotive crashworthiness in a range of collision scenarios to support the efforts of the Locomotive Crashworthiness Working Group of the Federal Railroad Administration's Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) to develop locomotive crashworthiness requirements.  The RSAC is a government/industry committee including all segments of the rail community, with the purpose of developing solutions to safety regulatory issues.  This paper presents the results of a study of the crashworthiness of conventional and modified locomotive designs in five collision scenarios.  The five collision scenarios studied are:

• in-line collision of two locomotive-led trains with trailing locomotive overriding leading locomotive
• in-line collision of two locomotive-led trains with one colliding locomotive overriding the other
• locomotive grade crossing collision with highway vehicle hauling logs, with principal impact on locomotive window area
• oblique collision, locomotive with intermodal trailer
• oblique collision, locomotive with freight car

Results of the study show that shelf couplers are not effective in preventing one locomotive from climbing another; the Canadian National (CN) anti-climber design is not more effective than the conventional anti-climbed design in preventing one locomotive from climbing another; increased window structure strength is effective in increasing locomotive crashworthiness in a collision with logs; increased short hood strength is effective in increasing locomotive crashworthiness in a collision with an intermodal trailer; and modifications to the locomotive front plate and plow designs will not influence the consequences of an oblique collision with a side-sill design covered hopper car.
 

No. of Pages:   10