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From page 49... ... 49 4 Rolling Stock The Rolling Stock Division's contract research portfolio is dedicated to examining and strengthening the performance and structural integrity of railcars and their components and to developing and improving defect detection technologies. The division seeks to further these outcomes through research on automated inspection technologies and techniques, improved equipment and component materials and designs, train occupant protection enhancements, and improvements to the safety of hazardous materials transportation. Read the entire page →
From page 50... ... 50 REVIEW OF FRA'S R&D PROGRAM significant safety concerns. The division's staff was then asked to explain other tools, methods, and criteria used for setting priorities and evaluating research results. Read the entire page →
From page 51... ... ROLLING STOCK 51 Several of these projects, such as research demonstrating the efficacy of advanced wayside detectors, seek to prevent a range of derailment causes. As evident from the list of more than 40 projects in Table 4A-1, the Rolling Stock Division's portfolio extends well beyond wheel and truck issues given the division's large purview over other rolling stock components such as locomotive and car crashworthiness and survivability; train makeup, braking and handling, tank car structural integrity, and safety devices; and locomotive and passenger car fire safety. Read the entire page →
From page 52... ... 52 REVIEW OF FRA'S R&D PROGRAM OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN PROGRAMMING RESEARCH The titles of the more than 40 projects in the Rolling Stock Division's portfolio show the breadth of subject matter covered. In addition to aforementioned projects on wheel, truck, and other suspension components, the portfolio contains a large program on tank cars and the safe transportation of energy projects, with some projects underway and others pending. Read the entire page →
From page 53... ... ROLLING STOCK 53 Research demonstrating the efficacy of advanced wayside detectors is an example of work that responds to the needs of FRA's RRS. The Rolling Stock Division is working with RRS to evaluate wayside detection technology implementation plans to enable expedited deployment of technologies that can improve detection of safety-critical defects to increase operational safety and enable railcar owners to make more cost-efficient repairs to their equipment. Read the entire page →
From page 54... ... 54 REVIEW OF FRA'S R&D PROGRAM FIGURE 4-2 FRA Rolling Stock Research Division budget by major program in millions of dollars, FY 2015 to FY 2019. SOURCE: Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research, Development, and Technology 2019d. Read the entire page →
From page 55... ... ROLLING STOCK 55 the design of the DOT-117 tank car for shipping ethanol and crude oil. At the same time, they expressed interest in even more collaborations of this type. Read the entire page →
From page 56... ... 56 REVIEW OF FRA'S R&D PROGRAM with RD&T and the railroad industry, such as by holding an annual technical review meeting so that researchers have a stronger understanding of industry needs and interests and so that all parties -- researchers, RD&T staff, and railroad officials -- are aware of ongoing research and recent research products. The researchers questioned the ability of FRA's website repository (eLibrary) Read the entire page →
From page 57... ... ROLLING STOCK 57 Stock Division's VSR research as having been particularly important in filling key knowledge gaps needed to improve wheels. Passenger Equipment Structural Crashworthiness Following a fatal 2011 accident in which a semi-trailer truck impacted the side of a passenger train traversing a grade crossing, NTSB recommended that FRA develop side impact crashworthiness standards for passenger railcars. Read the entire page →
From page 58... ... 58 REVIEW OF FRA'S R&D PROGRAM evaluation methods. In addition to serving these general purposes, the testing serves the specific purpose -- in the case of the DOT-113 impact test -- of informing an ongoing rulemaking proposal to allow LNG to be transported by railroad tank car. Read the entire page →
From page 59... ... ROLLING STOCK 59 desirable to better align RD&T's role and strengths with knowledge and technology gaps. RECOMMENDATION To better ensure that RD&T projects align not only with the most important safety problems but also focus on research needs that are best suited to the unique strengths of a government contract research program, the Rolling Stock Division should make industry consultations and collaborations a core feature of all research that will ultimately require industry acceptance and application of the results. Read the entire page →
From page 60... ... 60 REVIEW OF FRA'S R&D PROGRAM ANNEX TABLE 4-A1 Rolling Stock Division Projects, 2019 Rolling Stock Division Project Title Funding Project Duration Raking Impact Testing of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Fuel Tanks TBD September 2017–March 2019 Load Shedding -- Phase III, Concept Development & Prototype $65,700 July 2017–June 2019 Cost of Compliance for High-Speed Rail Noise $260,000 September 2018–July 2019 Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) Read the entire page →
From page 61... ... ROLLING STOCK 61 ANNEX TABLE 4-A1 Rolling Stock Division Projects, 2019 Rolling Stock Division Project Title Funding Project Duration Raking Impact Testing of Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Fuel Tanks TBD September 2017–March 2019 Load Shedding -- Phase III, Concept Development & Prototype $65,700 July 2017–June 2019 Cost of Compliance for High-Speed Rail Noise $260,000 September 2018–July 2019 Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) Read the entire page →
From page 62... ... 62 REVIEW OF FRA'S R&D PROGRAM TABLE 4-A1 Continued Rolling Stock Division Project Title Funding Project Duration Structural Crashworthiness of Tender for Liquefied Natural Gas $441,000 August 2017–August 2019 Tank Car Research $310,000 September 2018–September 2020 Structural Behavior Under Operating Conditions $150,000 August 2018–April 2020 Structural Behavior under Accident Conditions $150,000 August 2018–April 2020 Improving Safety of Tank Car Fittings in Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Service TBD 2016–2020 (previously funded at $150,000 in FY 2018) Read the entire page →
From page 63... ... ROLLING STOCK 63 Rolling Stock Division Project Title Funding Project Duration Structural Crashworthiness of Tender for Liquefied Natural Gas $441,000 August 2017–August 2019 Tank Car Research $310,000 September 2018–September 2020 Structural Behavior Under Operating Conditions $150,000 August 2018–April 2020 Structural Behavior under Accident Conditions $150,000 August 2018–April 2020 Improving Safety of Tank Car Fittings in Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Service TBD 2016–2020 (previously funded at $150,000 in FY 2018) Read the entire page →

From page 49...

... 49 4 Rolling Stock The Rolling Stock Division's contract research portfolio is dedicated to examining and strengthening the performance and structural integrity of railcars and their components and to developing and improving defect detection technologies. The division seeks to further these outcomes through research on automated inspection technologies and techniques, improved equipment and component materials and designs, train occupant protection enhancements, and improvements to the safety of hazardous materials transportation.