Locomotive Testing Laboratory

Formally dedicated in 1913, this lab was one of three research facilities in the U.S. at the time.

Now being decommissioned, most recently the building housed an aeronautical lab complete with a wind tunnel.

June 2018: The old Locomotive Testing Laboratory on campus, originally built in 1912, is slated for demolition this summer due to structural concerns. This once state-of-the-art laboratory was previously a star attraction on campus. The building was recently featured in a News-Gazette column by journalist Tom Kacich. Click here to read the entire article. Current Illinois rail research is conducted at the 3,500 sq. ft. Research And Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) in the Harry Schnabel, Jr. building on the CERL campus, while the administrative offices are in Newmark Lab.

2018 International Crosstie and Fastening System Symposium

Attendees of the Symposium listen to Riley Edwards, RailTEC Research Scientist and Senior Lecturer, give his welcome and safety briefing.

May 2018: The 2018 International Crosstie and Fastening System Symposium on May 15 - 17, 2018 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was bigger and better than previous symposiums. Over 150 attendees represented 11 countries and 26 states. The objective of the symposium was to further international communication and collaboration on design and performance challenges and solutions for crossties and fastening systems. The symposium included technical presentations, research discussion topics and technical tours that focused on the state of the art in timber, concrete, steel, and composite crosstie and fastening system design, performance, research, modeling, and inspection.

RailTEC at JRC

Pictured: Senior Research Engineer, Conrad Ruppert, Jr., and graduate student, Yubing Liang.

April 2018: RailTEC faculty and students attended the 2018 Joint Rail Conference (JRC) in Pittsburgh, PA on April 18 – 20. In addition to current and former RailTEC faculty and students giving almost 30 presentations, they also held four of the ten Technical Program Committee spots, four of the 11 Organizing and Planning Committee seats, and were three of the Track Organizers. JRC is an international conference and the premier technical event in the U.S.A. including all disciplines for freight and passenger rail transportation; mechanical, electrical, civil, and systems engineering, as well as rail safety, planning, design, manufacturing, financing, operations, and management. Please click here to see photos from the event.

RailTEC Student Wins Fulbright Award

April 2018: RailTEC Graduate Research Assistant Tom Roadcap was recently awarded a prestigious Fulbright Research Award. Fulbrighters have the opportunity to meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, and at home. Tom's work will be carried out at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) under the guidance of Professor Stephan Freudenstein, and will focus on railroad track infrastructure research. During the 8-10 month study period Tom will live in Munich, Germany and will attend lectures at TUM and build relationships in academia and within the European rail industry.