In the final semester of the Rail Transportation Engineering (RTE) program at Penn State Altoona, students work in teams to conduct research, design, and build a final project which showcases their four years of railroad engineering education. The capstone course is designed to foster students’ ability to design a railroad-related system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability by using the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. It also serves to enhance students’ ability to function on multidisciplinary teams and communicate effectively.
Students meet with a technical adviser throughout the semester, submit project proposals, complete weekly reports, give formal presentations including a final presentation and demonstration at the end of the semester, which is open to the public, and finally submit a final project report. Some examples of past student projects are shown below.
Past Projects
Use of Polarized Light to Identify Causes of Failure in Rail
Shelby Stigers, Nathan Harris, George Mukai
Rail Transportation Engineering
Penn State Altoona
Figure 1. Students Harris and Mukai working to construct the stress analysis device
Figure 2. Completed Stress Analysis Device
Figure 3. Comparison of SolidWorks FEA (left) to Device Results (right)
Figure 4. Students Harris, Stigers and Mukai Demonstrating Final Project
Freight Car Airbrake System Demonstration Model
Brice Barrett, Ross Bernard, Danielle Cyran
Rail Transportation Engineering
Penn State Altoona
Figure 1. Schematic of Project Layout
Figure 2. Freight Car Setup
Figure 3. Students Barrett, Cyran, and Bernard Presenting Final Project
Figure 4. Students Bernard, Cyran, and Barrett Demonstrating Final Project
Modeling the Triple Valve Braking System
Aaron Ballish, Danny Belles, Andrew Giardina
Rail Transportation Engineering
Penn State Altoona
Figure 1. CAD Model of Triple Valve
Figure 2. Triple Valve Fail-Safe Brake System Model (K-Type Triple Valve Donated by Steamtown National Historic Site)
Figure 3. Students Belles and Giardina Presenting Final Project
Figure 4. Students Ballish, Belles and Giardina Demonstrating Final Project
