This text is intended to be useful for an introductory course on railroad vehicle dynamics suitable for senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students familiar with intermediate dynamics and basic vector and matrix algebra. The text presents computational multibody system formulations and discusses their computer implementation for developing programs for analyzing derailment and accident scenarios, design issues, and performance evaluation. It focuses on the development of fully nonlinear formulations, supported by an explanation of the linearized formulations that are frequently used in the analysis of railroad vehicle systems. Major topics addressed by the text's eight chapters include contact mechanics of vehicle/rail interaction, modeling of wheel/rail contact in multibody system formulations, and the use of trajectory coordinates for developing specialized formulations for railroad vehicle systems. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)