A Review of the Department of Transportation's Plan for Analyzing and Testing Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes Letter Report (Phase 2) (2017)

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20 Appendix D Information-Gathering Activities of the Committee In accordance with institutional procedures, committee members witnessed field testing at the Norfolk Southern Corporation rail yard in Conway, Pennsylvania, on May 31–June 1, 2017, to measure the latency times associated with emergency brake application initiation by a radio signal in EOT and DP braking systems. Members witnessed laboratory testing at the New York Air Brake facility in Watertown, New York, on June 13–15, 2017, to measure brake cylinder buildup profiles and brake propagation of ECP, EOT, and DP braking systems. At a committee meeting held on July 6–7, 2017, in Washington, D.C., the members received a brief- ing from DOT on testing and analysis results. The committee also received comments during the meeting from representatives of the railroad industry and the American Petroleum Institute. The committee received written materials from DOT and other organizations and individuals. Materials submitted by Kevin Kesler (DOT):  Answers to committee questions on Field Test Plan, Revision 1.1.  AAR/Railroad Comments on FRA’s Field Test Plan, Revision 1 170410.  EOT and DP Emergency Transmission Field Test Plan, Revision 3.  ECP, EOT and DP Emergency Transmission Lab Test Plan, Revision 3.  DOT Response to NAS Letter Report on Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes: Review of Test and Simulations, briefing slides presented to the committee on July 6, 2017.  Graphs of ECP Overlay Brake Cylinder Propagation, Conventional Brake Cylinder Propagation, and DP/EOT Brake Cylinder Propagation, displayed to the committee on July 6, 2017.  DOT Response to NAS Letter Report on Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes: Total Brake Force Plots.  DOT Response to NAS Letter Report on Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes: Number of Cars Derailed and Punctured.  Worked Example of Puncture Probability Methodology.  Benefits of Advance Braking System: Comparison of Approaches.  Additional Validation of FRA Puncture Estimation Methodology.  Comparison of Model Features/Performance.

  21  DOT’s Analysis and Test Plan to Assess the Effectiveness of ECP Brakes in Reducing the Risks Associated with HHFT Trains, Version 0.9 with notes on status as of August 3, 2017. Materials submitted by Joseph Brosseau [Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI)]:  Additional data relating to AAR/TTCI modeling analysis.  Data from AAR/TTCI relating to the analysis presented in the report Analysis and Modeling of Benefits of Alternative Braking Systems in Tank Car Derailments (R-1007). Materials submitted by Michael Rush (Association of American Railroads):  Memo from Todd Treichel (RSI-AAR Railroad Tank Car Safety Research and Test Project), dated October 19, 2016, providing information on the effects of train speed at the time of derailment on the conditional probability of release for derailed railroad tank cars.  Comments of the Association of American Railroads from Louis Warchot and Michael Rush (AAR) before the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Docket No. PHMSA-2012-0082 (HN-251).  Safety Performance of Tank Cars in Accidents: Probabilities of Lading Loss (RA 05-02), Railway Supply Institute and Association of American Railroads, January 2006. Comments from Kevin Renze (consultant) concerning suggested data for the NASEM committee to request and review from FRA and AAR/TTCI. Letter from Robin Rorick, American Petroleum Institute, dated July 21, 2017.