Andrew Fayerweather

Rail Transportation Engineering majors pursue a curriculum based upon Civil Engineering, but with added courses related specifically to transportation and rail. Students will take three hands-on courses (which we call "practica") allowing them to work with real railroad equipment. One practicum relates to track, one to cars and locomotives, and one to the operation of trains. Students will use modern equipment to learn the fundamentals of train operations. They will work on the ground with real track and real locomotives, and will work to solve the real problems of active railroading. At the same time, students will be learning how to use the advanced mathematical tools expected of all engineers, and they will experience the full range of basic engineering courses. Topics include materials science, statics, dynamics, structures, and an array of offerings designed to teach how and why things work. Moreover, the Rail Transportation Engineering Program offers training in business fundamentals to enable the student to see how railroads connect with society at large and how and why railroads are useful. The student will take courses in the history and regulatory structure of railroads, accounting, and project management. Woven into these courses will be units on Labor Relations, the relationship between railroads and the federal, state, and local governments and an introduction to the real estate issues affecting railroads.