Evaluation of cab car crashworthiness design modifications

A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of structural modifications to rail cab cars for increased crashworthiness protection in train collisions. The crashworthiness benefits were calculated based on a particular design´s ability to preserve the space occupied by the operators and the passengers during a collision. The influences of the modifications on vehicle weight and cost to manufacture were also estimated. The focus of the study was a collision scenario in which a cab car-led consist traversing a switch onto mainline track obliquely collides with a locomotive-led consist traveling in the opposing direction on the mainline track. Modifying the strength of the end-structure members up to the load limits implied by the support structures-800000 pounds-increases the collision speed at which all the occupants are expected to survive to ~20 mph from ~10 MPH for the baseline design. Within the allowable spaces of the baseline design, potential modifications have been developed which increase the end beam strength to nearly three times the baseline design strength, and increase the side sill strength to 11/4 times the baseline strength. Such design modifications, along with commensurate corner post and door post designs, made to the leading end of the cab car would add 670 lbs (~0.7%) to the weight of the cab car and about $2000 (~0.1%) to the purchase price