
Address
55500 DOT Road
Pueblo, CO 81001
United StatesDescription
The Transportation Technology Center (TTC)
is a world class facility offering a wide range of unique
capabilities for research, development, testing, consulting, and
training for railway-related technologies. The site, 21 miles
northeast of Pueblo, Colo., is owned by the U.S. Department of
Transportation, and is operated and maintained by the
Transportation Technology Center, Inc., under a care, custody, and
control contract with the Federal Railroad Administration. A 52
square mile facility, TTC is isolated and secure with a vast array
of specialized testing facilities and tracks. The site also enables
testing of all types of freight and passenger rolling stock,
vehicle and track components, and safety devices.
Technology Disciplines
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7
Dynamometer
TTCI's unique single-ended inertia dynamometer is used to conduct research and tests on railroad wheels, axles, and brake shoes. The dynamometer has the capability to apply a wide range of normal and excessive thermal and mechanical loads to railroad wheels. A unique feature is the large circular...
Metallurgical Laboratory and Components Testing
In the field of metallurgy, TTC is equipped to run laboratory tests on track and rolling stock components and materials. The testing lab contains scanning-electron, stereo-optical, and x-ray microscopes. Specimens of rail, wheels, and other components are subjected to mechanical testing, micro,...
Rail Dynamics Laboratory - RDL
The RDL can test vehicles, simulating stresses from a long period of train operations in a very short time and make fatigue life predictions available in weeks instead of years. This one-of-a-kind test environment includes highly specialized engineers who use full-scale component laboratories to...
Roller Bearing Test Facility
The Roller Bearing Test Facility houses four full-scale bearing test devices. Each device is capable of simulating the in-service environment of roller bearings. Temperatures in the environmentally controlled rooms can be varied from +130 degrees to 50-degrees Fahrenheit. Research is conducted to...
Rolling Load Test Machines
TTCI maintains several rolling load test machines to simulate the effects of rolling loads of wheels on the rail. These computer controlled devices are capable of producing wheel surface traction allowing evaluation of wear and fatigue leading to plastic deformation. This provides better...
Track Loading Vehicle - TLV
The TLV is designed to apply forces close to the strength limits of the rails and other track structure components, such as ties, rail fasteners, and ballast, while moving or stationary. The TLV is a unique research tool that leads the industry's efforts in reducing the risk of derailment. The AAR-...
Train Air Brake Research Facility
TTCI's Train Air Brake Research Facility consists of 150 complete car sets of air brake equipment. Operated independently of the air brake manufacturers, the test rack is used purely for research. Capable of simulating a diverse range of train types and lengths, these simulations are used to...