It is common practice in many specifications for passenger rail vehicle
projects, to use industry standards from various standards organizations
to provide a common level of manufacturing, safety, reliability, and
quality for the components and materials used in their manufacture.
However, many of the standards quoted have become outdated due to; new
materials, obsolete material, material unavailability, new manufacturing
techniques, and general obsolescence (canceling, replacement of standards,
or adopting other industry standards). Additionally, many standards
have been cited incorrectly, or cited with incomplete information, resulting
in confusion as to the actual intent and/or requirements of the specification.
The purpose of this site is to discuss some appropriate standards
for passenger rail vehicle construction. The following pages list these
commonly cited standards, suggest alternative standards, provide a brief
explanation of each standard, and the proper criteria for the standard
citing. In many cases, additional information has been provided for
background, to support or explain the standard citing, as well as common
usage and cross-references (where applicable).
Note: The standards listed here are intended for US based contracts,
or contracts where US standards are specifically called for. UK based
contracts please use: http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/
|