This report presents the results of the second phase of a program to develop innovative concepts for locomotive crew egress following a crash that damages the cab. The roof-mounted hatch system was fabricated as a working prototype and installed in a full-scale mockup of a toppled locomotive. Usability testing with experienced train crewmembers and emergency responders demonstrated the system's usability. Crewmembers exited the cab in under 20 seconds when uninjured. Two secondary egress systems were also designed and fabricated. A windshield that can be removed from the cab interior employs double looped cutting wires to sever the window gasket, thus allowing the glazing to be pushed out. A proof-of-concept prototype was installed and tested in the locomotive mockup. A removable door hinge, the other secondary egress system, employs a lever-actuated mechanism that releases the hinge leaf from the door, allowing a jammed door to be removed and allowing the crew to escape the cab. Easily removable hinge pins provide a means for emergency response personnel to easily remove the door from the exterior. A training video for emergency responders explains the structure and features of a locomotive and suggests techniques for removing crewmembers from the cab following a crash.
Design and Evaluation of Advanced Systems for Locomotive Crew Emergency Egress
2006
107 pages
Report
No indication
English
Evaluation of Concepts for Locomotive Crew Egress
NTIS | 2003
|Design of an emergency egress system for locomotive cabs
Tema Archive | 2003
|Design of an Emergency Egress System for Locomotive Cabs
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|