The GE test track is about 4 1/2 miles of std gage track. Other gages stop short of the end of track. (meter, 5 ft, etc)
One place to find loco cra***est video would be to track down old episodes of the Addams Family.
I thought I remembered seing videos of self propelled cars being crashed at the AAR Test Track in Colorado? Are those the tests that are no longer performed?
I worked for EMD from '95 to '98 in Service and Engineering and never heard of any cra***ests in LaGrange, London, or Pueblo. You are right, its too expensive to do so and it is not a requirement. I think the AAR ran tests in Pueblo on older equipment (with new cabs) as someone pointed out.
The new frames and cabs are the big variables; at that time the 80/90MACs, which is also the basis for the new ace’s. We had to go to an “I” beam frame due to the length, and I have seen pictures of real crashes where the frame and cabs faired very well. (railpictures.net has some) Too bad real crashes are used as data, but they must be. I road a lot of trains early on and the subject of “jump” vs. “ride-it-out” came up often. Too many crew members have been injured unnecessarily by jumping, but sometimes its the best option. Trust me safety is on everyone’s mind, in LaGrange, in Erie, and on the railroad.
Sorry, I spent a lot of time in the London test shed but not the track, I do not know how long the test track is.
Was it CP or CN who introduced the safety cab design? There would be less variables in a train collision than in a car crash(I guess).
Bacurcio, where did the crew jump from 'usually"[2c]
While not exactly cra***ests for locomotives, the latest issue of Steam World (a British magazine) mentions deliberate derailments that were done in Britain in the 1950’s to test the durability of concrete ties. One of the rails would be bent out to the side a few inches and then a train would be run at speed to that spot.
I hope that they were cra***esting those “Cattle Cars” that the Reading ran for so long! I rode them a lot and I can tell you that they were noisy and starting up they shook and shivered and sounded like they were shorting out. ANd it smelled and the linolium floor was pealing and the seat covers stank. And the ride was well like my uncles 64 Buick. No shocks going down the Black Horse Express way at 65 MPH! We bounced so much, that my head nearly punched through the roof. No seat belts. Smash away!
From Flat Wheel Junction John Bacon
i wihey did do craests…i would want to be an employee!!![:D][2c]
- Builders don’t do cra***ests but they do perform a “Buff” test for federal certification of new models. The buff test involves the use of strain gauges mounted to the underframe, cab, and other places on the loco. The loco is then placed under extreme pressures using hydraulics to make sure they will be able to withstand the pressures of pulling a train.
- The LaGrange test track consists of two parallel tracks about 7/8 mile long. One track is partially under cantenery. There is a sand pile at one end and the Indiana Harbor Belt at the other end. If you know what JK Junction is you can email me for old times sake.
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The Budd Company, when they were making RR cars, had a cru***ester in their Hunting Park Ave plant in Philadelphia. They would submit the passenger cars to the required buff, or longitudinal, load. They would only do this for the first of a new design, not every car made.
A story I tell when the subject is safe behavior around railroad tracks:
I understand that several years ago a study was made on the effects of locomotive-automobile crashes at the Pueblo test track. They got an old U25B and several old cars, parked the cars on the track at various orientations, and ran the locomotive into them at various speeds. The result was a long,detailed report discussing the consequences of altering each of the variables studied, but you and I need to know only one point from the summary and conclusions: after each cra***est, the locomotive was re-usable.
I recall seeing footage of various types of cra***esting at the Pueblo test track using surplus MRS-1 unit(s).
Jimmy
Hi,I do have some footage you are looking for,it is spectacular indeed!Since I have no website and I"m not allowed to attach anything I cannot hyperlink and stuff.If you have an interest you can mail me at railmanbart@NOSPAMyahoo.com,and I will send ém to you,NO SPAM![8D]
As arailfan (i suppose) you will like these brutal impacts[}:)]I once ran a train which hit a car on a streetlevel crossing,and it ended tragically for the motorist.However these footage is much more spectacular and less deadly!So mail me if yuo like and I’ll be happy to send it to you.
Cheers,railmanbart.