MIL-T-52953C APPENDIX
TEST PROCEDURE FOR RAIL SHIPMENT
Step 1. From one to five rail cars shall be positioned on a level section of track. The following conditions shall be satisfied:
a. The total weight of the car(s) shall be at least 114,000 kilograms
(250,000 pounds).
b. The couplers between cars shall be compressed to take up any slack.
c. All of the air and hand brakes on the car(s) used shall be set. d. Any load in or on the car(s) shall be secured to prevent sliding
or shifting; any movement greater than 5 cm shall be justification for retest.
e. The end of the buffer car to be struck must have a standard draft gear.
Step 2. Mount the test item on the test car. The test car shall be equipped with standard draft gears and conventional underframes. Mounting of the test item shall incorporate the standard loading and bracing method as shown in section 6 of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) "Rules Governing the Loading of Department of Defense Materiel on Open Top Cars." No exotic or unusual tiedown methods shall be used; any non-standard loading and bracing must be approved by the Military Traffic Management Command Transportation Engineering Agency (MTMCTEA), ATTN: MTT-TR, P.0. Box 6276, Newport News, VA
23606-0276 prior to testing. Substitute (dummy) test items must be of equal weight and weight distribution as the actual test item and similar in shape. The arrangement of the test item and its blocking and tiedown to be tested shall be identical to that proposed and approved by MTMCTEA (if non-standard).
This requirement is mandatory for all equipment developed for use in the U.S. Equivalent European standards may apply for non-U.S. commodities.
Step 3. Situate the test car between the buffer cars and the locomotive, and pull the test car at least 65 meters (200 feet) from the buffer car(s) along a level section of track (a minimum distance to achieve the required locomotive speeds).
Step 4. Position the knuckles of the buffer and test cars for coupling.
Step 5. Install a timing device to measure the test car speed (± .1 km/hr) just prior to impact with the buffer car(s). Suggested methods include electronic timing (microswitches) and radar. The use of torpedoes and a stopwatch is permissible but not recommended because of the inaccuracies involved.
Step 6. Push the test car toward the buffer car(s) and, by using the locomotive's speedometer or other means, release the test car when the desired test speed is reached, thus allowing the test car to freely impact the buffer car (s).
Step 7. Repeat step 6 until the test car(s) has impacted the buffer car three times at the same end, once each at speeds of 6.4, 9.7 and 13.0 km/hr (4, 6,
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