LOCOMOTIVE TO AUTOMOBILE BASELINE CRASH TESTS

Four Locomotive to Automobile Crash tests were performed by the Dynamic Science Division of Ultrasystems at DOT's High Speed Ground Test Center under contract to the Transportation Systems Center, which is conducting the work for the Federal Railroad Administration. This report documents these four tests, which will provide baseline data for evaluation of future locomotive front structure modifications designed to attenuate the severity of the grade crossing accident. The automobiles were all 1973 standard size sedans of the same model with similar options. For each test, a 130-ton Alco locomotive impacted a stationary automobile at a nominal 50 mph. The first two tests contained no instrumentation on either the locomotive or automobile except for high-speed cameras. The last two tests were instrumented repeats of the first two tests which also involved a direct side impact and a side impact centered on the automobile front fender. The last two tests had an anthropomorphic dummy in the automobile and over 50 accelerometers installed in it. Each test had extensive high frame rate photographic coverage.

• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/locomotive-automobile-baseline-crash-tests
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsorship was from Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.
• Corporate Authors:

  Ultrasystems, Incorporated

  Dynamic Science Division, 1850 West Pinnacle Peak Road
  Phoenix, AZ  United States  85027
• Authors:
  • Anderson, R L
• Publication Date: 1975-8

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 150 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Instrumentation; Locomotives; Measuring instruments; Railroad grade crossings; Traffic crashes; Vehicle design
• Identifier Terms: Transportation Technology Center
• Old TRIS Terms: Crash attenuation devices; Grade crossing accidents; Locomotive design
• Subject Areas: Design; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00129263
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FRA-OR&D-76-03 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-700
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 19 1976 12:00AM