As part of an effort to apply damage tolerance concepts to railroad tank cars, the fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior of two lots of TC-128B steel was investigated. In addition to the material lot difference, variables assessed include: load ratio, orientation, environment, and crack growth test technique. The two material lots yielded essentially identical FCG properties for low and high stress ratios. The influence of stress ratio was slight, except in the near-threshold regime.

Under sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research and Development, the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center performed an evaluation of the four-quadrant gate/obstruction detection system at the School Street crossing in Groton, CT. The primary objectives of this evaluation were to assess the safety benefits and to document the operational performance provided by this non-standard technology. Highway-railroad grade crossing risk mitigation research in the United States has historically focused on the safety benefits...