William Shust, P.E.

Profession: Mr. Shust performs mechanical testing and analysis through his company, Objective Engineers Inc., in Naperville, IL.
Key Qualifications: Mr. Shust has more than 30 years of experience in mechanical and structural engineering and dynamics. His customers have included railcar, locomotive, and rail component manufacturers, railroad fleet owners and shippers, as well as other consultants in the rail industry.

Mr. Shust has been a technical consultant to AAR in matters related to railway standards, including M-205, M-976, RP-401, RP-585, S-233, S-344, S-467, S-2043, and pending standards related to friction-wedge wear testing and PTFE hose fatigue.  He is an AAR-approved inspector of test laboratories for M-202 truck bolster, M-203 truck side frame, and M-216 coupler static and dynamic testing.
Education and Licenses:
  • B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University
  • P.E. licenses in Colorado and Illinois.
Experience Record: 1995 – 2000, Program manager of Vehicle/Track Performance Research Transportation Technology Center, AAR, Pueblo, Colorado, oversight of following research programs:

  • Wayside detection of poor freight truck steering performance.
  • Wheel Climb Derailment Research including modeling and full-scale simulations
  • Track Strength Research Initiative including design and development of first automated track lateral and vertical strength measurement system
  • Neural network modeling of undesired vehicle responses to railway track geometry variations, and demonstration tests
  • Rail vehicle fatigue measurement and life prediction
  • Thermal hand mechanical stress analysis for railroad transit wheels
  • Freight car wheel lockup tests

1993-1995 Supervisor of Instrumentation at AAR’s Chicago Technical Center

1985-1993 Engineering Analyst, Navistar International Corp.

Mr. Shust spent 7 years with International Truck & Engine Corp. in the vehicle dynamics & endurance labs, and at their proving grounds.  In his highway truck career, he performed hand and FEA analysis of fatigue and vehicle dynamics problems, and operated multi-channel shaker rigs for heavy highway tractor/trailers and off-road construction trucks.
Publications: Mr. Shust has authored a number of technical papers, magazine articles, AAR research reports or technical digests, and many proprietary reports.

Full CV 2019 (linked here)