THE FRA TEST CARS--WHAT ARE THEY DESIGNED TO DO, HOW THEY ARE BEING USED, NEW CAPABILITIES IN THE OFFING

The Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration is using automated Rail Research Track and Vehicle Response Measuring Cars for rapid and thorough track inspection and vehicle behavior evaluation. The DOT Track Geometry Measuring System on board the DOT Test Cars is one of the many innovations in progress or in the planning stage at FRA. Equipped with computers and electronic measuring devices, the test cars offer opportunity for on-site analysis of track conditions. At the request of the managements of several railroads scattered throughout the country, the cars have already been used extensively in a variety of track geometry and vehicle performance tests. The measuring system of car T2 is described along with a demonstration of a long-range program with the Bessemer and Lake Erie and Denver & Rio Grande Western and tests at the DOT High Speed Ground Test Center in Pueblo, Colorado.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1763403
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This article was prepared exclusively for Railway Track and Structures by the Public Affairs Department of the Federal Railroad Administration.
• Corporate Authors:

  Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

  P.O. Box 350
  Bristol, CT  United States  06010
• Publication Date: 1973-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: p. 26-28
• Serial:
  • Railway Track and Structures
  • Volume: 69
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
  • ISSN: 0033-9016

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Inspection; Maintenance of way; Railroad cars; Railroad tracks; Structural design; Test facilities; Vehicle performance; Vehicle tests
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Railroad Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Track geometry
• Old TRIS Terms: Fra test cars; Test car program; Track inspection
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00044434
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Railway Track and Structures
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 15 1976 12:00AM