TECHNICAL PAPERS
Jan 1, 1997

Upgrading Railroad Test Track, Pueblo, Colorado

Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 123, Issue 1

Abstract

The railroad test track (RTT) at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colo., was constructed in the early 1970s to support high-speed testing of new railroad rolling stock. Through the years it has been used to test a wide range of railroad passenger and freight cars and locomotives. Now, 20 years later, a new high-speed train set is being procured by Amtrak for service in the improved Northeast Corridor. The test facilities at Pueblo will play an important role in acceptance and safety testing of new high-speed train sets in the United States. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) commissioned a study to review the existing condition of the test track and to make recommendations as to possible improvement options so that the facility would be able to test current and future generations of high-speed rail equipment. This paper describes the condition of the test track and explores ways in which it may be modified to accommodate the testing of high-speed train technologies in the near future and into the next century.

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References

1.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). (1981). “AEM-7 electric locomotive testing at transportation test center.”Rep. No. FRA/TTC-81/08, U.S. Dept. of Transp., Washington, D.C.
2.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). (1993a). High cant deficiency test of the F40PH locomotive and the prototype banking amcoach (Appendix B). Washington, D.C.
3.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). (1993b). X-2000 U.S. demonstration vehicle dynamics tests. Ofc. of Res. and Devel., Washington, D.C.
4.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). (1994). “Problem Deficiency Analysis, Railroad Test Track, Transportation Test Center, Pueblo, Colorado,” U.S. Dept. of Transp., Washington, D.C.
5.
Hutcheson, T. B., and Rougas, M. (1992). “AAR transportation test center, tie replacement plan.”
6.
National Railroad Passenger Corporation. (1994). Summary of test track requirements for high speed trains. Philadelphia, Pa.
7.
Scott, P. R., and Rothman, M. (1974). “Computer evaluation of overhead equipment for electric railroad traction.”IEEE Trans. on Industry Appli., 1A-10, (Sep./Oct.).
8.
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). (1975). Transportation test center—facilities master plan. Washington, D.C.

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Go to Journal of Transportation Engineering
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 123Issue 1January 1997
Pages: 12 - 19

History

Published online: Jan 1, 1997
Published in print: Jan 1997

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Authors

Affiliations

Kenneth Briggs III
Profl. Assoc., Railroad Operations and Maintenance, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc., Boston, MA 02115.
Kenneth Chamberlain
Vice Pres. (Retired), Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc., Boston, MA.

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