MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY BLUE LINE VEHICLE EVALUATION

The report presents the results of engineering tests carried out on a pair of rapid transit cars for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The tests were performed at the Transportation Test Center, Pueblo, Colorado, from April 1979 through October 1979. The scope of the test program included an evaluation of performance, ride quality, and interior and wayside noise, using standardized test procedures; special engineering tests were made to evaluate energy conservation methods and three types of experimental brake shoes. The tests showed that the vehicles met their design specification requirements with some deficiencies, notably in emergency braking rates. An energy conservation technique was evaluated, in which response characteristics of the vehicle propulsion system were modified to reduce energy needs due to aerodynamic drag at high speeds. Several potential energy-saving configurations were identified, with minimal impact on round-trip times. The experimental brake shoes tested were found to give performance comparable to the original equipment at normal operating speeds for the MBTA Blue Line, but were inferior at higher speeds.

• Record URL:
  https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/massachusetts-bay-transportation-authority-blue-line-vehicle-evaluation
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Transportation Test Center, P.O. Box 11008
  Pueblo, CO  United States  81001

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  Office of Tech Development & Deployment, 400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Balaster, A
  • Arnold, G
  • Simmonds, K
  • Francis, K
• Publication Date: 1980-7

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 241 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brake shoes; Braking performance; Design; Drag; Noise; Passenger cars; Performance tests; Rapid transit; Rapid transit cars; Ride quality; Sound level; Specifications; Tests; Vehicle design
• Identifier Terms: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria; Requirement
• Old TRIS Terms: Noise sound; Passenger car design; Rapid transit railways
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00326305
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FRA/TTC-80/05 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FR-67001
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 11 1981 12:00AM