Investigations of Boxcar Vibrations

This report has yet to be scanned by Contrails staff

Report Number: FRA-RT-70-26
Author(s): Luebke, Robert W.
Corporate Author(s): Chesapeake and Ohio Railway/Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Laboratory: Office of High Speed Ground Transportation
Date of Publication: 1970-08
Pages: 175
Contract: DOT-FR-9-0038
DoD Task:
PB Number: PB185341
Identifier: PB195351

Abstract:
The vibration environment within a 50 Foot - 70 ton boxcar and its running gear was measured by accelerometers and recorded on magnetic tape. The accelerometers were mounted on the car body over the center plate and on the un-sprung mass of the trucks. The test consisted of operating a train over specially prepared track at speeds between 10 and 60 mph. The boxcar was run empty, with half load, and finally with a full 70-ton load for each series. The full test program included evaluations designed to determine the effect of load, speed, track irregularities, flat wheels, friction damping, variable rate springs, spring travel, and truck design, on the vibration environment within the car body. The results of these tests are presented in the form of vibration spectrograms, Power Spectral Density Curves, Transmissability Curves, and plots of acceleration versus speed. It was concluded that an increase in load and spring travel reduced the vibration levels in the car body. All of the new truck designs tested produced reductions in the car body vibration levels. Friction damping levels presently used in freight car trucks were found to be nearly optimum. Flat Wheels produced a tremendous increase in truck vibrations and a smaller increase in car body vibrations.

Provenance: S. Kumar

Other options for obtaining this report:

Via the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC):
A record for this report, and possibly a pdf download of the report, exists at DTIC

Via National Technical Report Library:
The NTRL Order Number for this report is: PB195341
A record for this report, and possibly a pdf download of the report, exists at NTRL

Indications of Public Availability
A PB Number, PB185341 , exists for this report, indicating public availability of the report at time of publication

No digital image of an index entry indicating public availability is currently available
There has been no verification of an indication of public availability from an inside cover statement



Export