RAILROAD ACCIDENTS AND NONDESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION

Railroad accident data published annually by the Office of Safety in the Federal Railroad Administration are analyzed to indicate the most severe causes of railroad accidents. The severity is judged by viewing both the frequency of accidents and the dollar damage per accident. Most of the components or conditions in the groups found to be severe accident causes are amenable to non-destructive inspection. An analysis shows the maximum benefits of an extensive non-destructive inspection program to appear in the wheel and axle category followed in order by track geometric and dynamic conditions and rails and joints. A review is provided for non-destructive inspection methods in current railroad use and potentially useful for the future.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was contributed by the Rail Transportation Divison of ASME for presentation at the winter Annual Meeting, 17-22 November 1974, New York, New York.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • Bray, D E
• Publication Date: 1974-6

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Couplers; Crash causes; Crash data; Crashes; Defects; Derailments; Failure; Nondestructive tests; Rail joints; Railroad ties; Railroad tracks; Safety; Statistics
• Old TRIS Terms: Axle defects; Track failure; Wheel flaws
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00072658
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Report/Paper Numbers: No. 74-WA/RT-4
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 31 1976 12:00AM