Design Data on Suspension Systems of Selected Rail Passenger Cars

PDFTech ReportDOT-VNTSC-FRA-95-5DOT-FRA-ORD-96-1Car trucks (Railroads)Railroad carsPassenger carsVehicle designTwo axle carsUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Railroad AdministrationBing, Alan J.Berry, Shaun R.Henderson, Hal B.Arthur D. Little, Inc.Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & DouglasJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and DevelopmentAGR-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-RAIL TRANSPORTATIONNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Rail SafetyNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterThis report presents the results of an effort to compile data for the U.S. fleet of railroad passenger cars, and to describe the different passenger car truck designs and design features used in the United States. The report provides a detailed discussion of the functions of a rail passenger car truck, and how different truck designs and truck components are selected to perform the functions. Both the two-axle truck normally applied to rail passenger cars and truck designs with additional or alternative features (such as car body tilt, articulation, and single-axle trucks) are described. A full listing of passenger cars and truck designs in service in the United States is provided. Detailed descriptions and engineering data, to the extent available, are provided on 8 selected truck designs representative of the majority of trucks in service. The truck data include a general description of the truck, the mass and inertias of principal truck components (wheelset, truck frame, bolster), spring stiffness and damping rates, and the car body mass, inertia, and truck to car body interface characteristics. Information is also provided on the service environment in which the truck operates, and on maintenance history