Increasing Speeds through Turnouts

Travel through the diverging route of a turnout can produce high lateral forces and accelerations which require slower operating speeds and have adverse effects on ride quality and component life. The study was aimed at finding a low-cost means to reduce lateral forces and accelerations so that safe speeds through turnouts could be increased. Two No. 20 turnouts which have modified geometry, but conventional length and frog angle, were installed and tested. The current activity is to monitor wear and performance and then assess general cost and benefits.

• 
• Record URL:
  http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/42000/42800/42841/rr0610.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Program Information: Track-Train Interaction Safety

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Plotkin, Don

• Performing Organizations:

  New Jersey Transit Corporation

  1 Penn Plaza East
  Newark, NJ  United States  07105-2246

  ZETA-TECH Associates, Incorporated

  900 Kings Highway North, Suite 208
  Cherry Hill, NJ  United States  08034
• Start Date: 20120510
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 30814

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Frogs (Railroads); Operating speed; Railroad tracks; Ride quality; Turnouts; Wear
• Uncontrolled Terms: Acceleration; Train speed
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01465225
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Department of Transportation
• Files: RiP, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 2:57PM