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TRANSIT
TCRP REPORT 71
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Sponsored by
the Federal
Transit Administration
Track-Related Research
Volume 7:
Guidelines for Guard/Restraining
Rail Installation
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TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2009 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
SELECTION COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
Ann August
Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority CHAIR: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
VICE CHAIR: Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of
MEMBERS Governments, Arlington
John Bartosiewicz
McDonald Transit Associates EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
Michael Blaylock
Jacksonville Transportation Authority MEMBERS
Linda J. Bohlinger
HNTB Corp. J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Raul Bravo Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
Raul V. Bravo & Associates Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
John B. Catoe, Jr.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation,
Gregory Cook Norfolk, VA
Veolia Transportation William A.V. Clark, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
Terry Garcia Crews David S. Ekern, Commissioner, Virginia DOT, Richmond
StarTran
Kim R. Green Nicholas J. Garber, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of
GFI GENFARE Virginia, Charlottesville
Angela Iannuzziello Jeffrey W. Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
ENTRA Consultants
John Inglish
Edward A. (Ned) Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
Utah Transit Authority Randell H. Iwasaki, Director, California DOT, Sacramento
Jeanne W. Krieg Susan Martinovich, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
Jonathan H. McDonald
Stantec Consulting Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
Gary W. McNeil Pete K. Rahn, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
GO Transit Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Michael P. Melaniphy Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Mandeville, LA
Motor Coach Industries
Frank Otero Rosa Clausell Rountree, CEOGeneral Manager, Transroute International Canada Services, Inc.,
PACO Technologies Pitt Meadows, BC
Keith Parker Steven T. Scalzo, Chief Operating Officer, Marine Resources Group, Seattle, WA
VIA Metropolitan Transit Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
Peter Rogoff
FTA C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Jeffrey Rosenberg Linda S. Watson, CEO, LYNXCentral Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
Amalgamated Transit Union Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
Richard Sarles
New Jersey Transit Corporation
Michael Scanlon EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
San Mateo County Transit District Thad Allen (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Beverly Scott
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Peter H. Appel, Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
James Stem J. Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
United Transportation Union Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
Frank Tobey George Bugliarello, President Emeritus and University Professor, Polytechnic Institute of New York
First Transit
Matthew O. Tucker University, Brooklyn; Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC
North County Transit District James E. Caponiti, Acting Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT
Pam Ward Cynthia Douglass, Acting Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Ottumwa Transit Authority Administration, U.S.DOT
Alice Wiggins-Tolbert
Parsons Brinckerhoff LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the
Interior, Washington, DC
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
William W. Millar
APTA John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Robert E. Skinner, Jr. Officials, Washington, DC
TRB Rose A. McMurry, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
John C. Horsley Ronald Medford, Acting Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
AASHTO
Victor Mendez U.S.DOT
FHWA Victor M. Mendez, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Louis Sanders Peter M. Rogoff, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
APTA Joseph C. Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S.DOT
SECRETARY
Christopher W. Jenks Robert L. Van Antwerp (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General,
TRB U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of June 2009. *Membership as of October 2009.
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP REPORT 71
Track-Related Research
Volume 7:
Guidelines for Guard/Restraining Rail Installation
Xinggao Shu
Nicholas Wilson
TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.
Pueblo, CO
Subject Areas
Public Transit · Rail
Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2010
www.TRB.org
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP REPORT 71: VOLUME 7
The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, Project D-7/Task 16
and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current ISSN 1073-4872
systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand ISBN 978-0-309-11817-0
service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve Library of Congress Control Number 2001135523
these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to © 2010 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to intro-
duce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative
Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by
which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
to meet demands placed on it. Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report
published or copyrighted material used herein.
213--Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation
publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
Administration--now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA,
report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product,
Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem- method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for
educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of
solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and success- any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission
ful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes from CRP.
research and other technical activities in response to the needs of tran-
sit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit
research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment,
NOTICE
facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and
The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research
administrative practices.
Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Pro- Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing
posed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was autho- Board's judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the
rized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act purposes and resources of the National Research Council.
of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement out- The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review
lining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooper- this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration
for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions
ating organizations: FTA, the National Academies, acting through the expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and
Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not
Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research orga- necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council,
nization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the the Transit Development Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and
Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to
procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.
may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research
of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identi- Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit Administration
fying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or
Committee defines funding levels and expected products. manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are
considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting.
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed
by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project state-
ments (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide techni-
cal guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process
for developing research problem statements and selecting research
agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research pro-
grams since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve
voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to
reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on dissemi-
Published reports of the
nating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: tran-
sit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other support- are available from:
ing material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for Transportation Research Board
workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure Business Office
that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry 500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
practitioners.
The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively and can be ordered through the Internet at
address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. Printed in the United States of America
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 71: VOLUME 7
Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
S. A. Parker, Senior Program Officer
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
Maria Crawford, Assistant Editor
TCRP PROJECT D-7/TASK 16 PANEL
Field of Engineering of Fixed Facilities
Anthony Bohara, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Philadelphia, PA (Chair)
Steven Abramopaulos, PATH Corp., Jersey City, NJ
Michael O. Brown, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, CA
Michael K. Couse, DMJM Harris AECOM, St. Paul, MN
James Dwyer, Consultant, Wexford, PA
William H. Moorhead, TRAMMCO, LLC, Smithfield, VA
Jeffrey G. Mora, Consultant, Washington, DC
James Nelson, Wilson, Ihrig & Associates, Inc., Oakland, CA
Jerome M. Nery, RTD Fastracks, Denver, CO
Terrell Williams, FTA Liaison
Louis F. Sanders, American Public Transportation Association Liaison
Gunars Spons, Federal Railroad Administration Liaison
Elaine King, TRB Liaison
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FOREWORD
By S. A. Parker
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
This report includes the results of a research task carried out under TCRP Project D-7,
"Joint Rail Transit-Related Research with the Association of American Railroads/
Transportation Technology Center, Inc." The report includes comparisons of two guard rail
installation philosophies and the effects of vehicle types, wheel flange angle, wheel/rail
(W/R) friction coefficient, curve radius, cant deficiency, and track perturbation on flange
climb derailments that have been investigated through simulations. It offers guidance that
transit agencies can follow in their W/R maintenance practices for both transit rail cars and
light rail vehicles. This report should be of interest to engineers involved in the design, con-
struction, maintenance, and operation of rail transit systems.
Over the years, a number of track-related research problem statements have been sub-
mitted for consideration in the TCRP project selection process. In many instances, the
research requested has been similar to research currently being performed for the Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) and the freight railroads by the Transportation Technology
Center, Inc. (TTCI), Pueblo, Colorado, a subsidiary of the Association of American Rail-
roads (AAR). Transit track, signal, and rail vehicle experts reviewed the research being
conducted by TTCI. Based on this effort, a number of research topics were identified
where TCRP funding could be used to take advantage of research currently being per-
formed at the TTCI for the benefit of the transit industry. A final report on one of these
efforts--Guidelines for Guard/Restraining Rail Installation--is presented in this publication.
A railroad train running along a track is one of the most complex dynamic systems in
engineering due to the presence of many nonlinear components. Wheel and rail geometries
have a significant effect on vehicle dynamic performance and operating safety. The W/R
interaction in transit operations has its own special characteristics. Transit systems have
adopted different W/R profile standards for different reasons. Older systems with long his-
tories have W/R profile standards that were established many years ago. Newer systems have
generally selected W/R profiles based on an increased understanding of W/R interaction in
recent years.
Transit systems are typically operated in dense urban areas, which frequently results in
systems that contain a large number of curves with small radii that can increase W/R wear
and increase the potential for flange climb derailments. Transit systems also operate a wide
range of vehicle types, such as those used in commuter rail, light rail, and rapid transit ser-
vices, with a wide range of suspension designs and performance characteristics. Increasing
operating speed and the introduction of new vehicle designs have posed an even greater
challenge for transit systems to maintain and improve W/R interaction.
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Under TCRP Project D-7 Task 16, TTCI was asked to compare the effects of two guard
rail installation philosophies on vehicle performance and to develop guidelines for the
application of guard/restraining rails based on vehicle type, track geometry, and operations
conditions. Simulations show that Philosophy I (shared contact between the high-rail flange
and the guard rail on the low-rail wheel) leads to better vehicle dynamic performance than
Philosophy II (no high-rail flange contact with the guard rail contact on the low-rail wheel)
in terms of lower lateral forces on rails, lower vehicle rolling resistance, and lower leading
axle wear.
The effects of vehicle types, wheel flange angle, W/R friction coefficient, curve radius,
cant deficiency, and track perturbations on flange climb derailments have also been inves-
tigated through simulations. From this study, TTCI developed guidelines for guard/
restraining rail installation in terms of vehicle type and track geometry.
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CONTENTS
1 Summary
3 Chapter 1 Introduction
3 1.1 Philosophy I
3 1.2 Philosophy II
5 Chapter 2 Literature Review
6 Chapter 3 Comparisons of Two Guard Rail
Installation Philosophies
6 3.1 Transit Rail Cars (Type 1)
8 3.2 Light Rail Vehicles (Type 1)
12 Chapter 4 Transit Vehicle Flange Climb
Derailment Simulation
12 4.1 Simulation Cases
12 4.2 Transit Rail Cars
19 4.3 Light Rail Vehicles
22 4.4 Summary of Flange Climb Derailment Simulations
24 Chapter 5 Conclusions
26 References
