Interface - The Journal of Wheel/Rail Interaction

FRICTION CONTROL

Drilling Down to Top-of-Rail Friction Control
February 1, 2005

There are two primary approaches to friction management on rail transit systems: onboard and wayside. The most effective method depends upon the demands of the system. A relatively small system with consistent degrees of curvature, for example, might lend itself to onboard application. A system with localized, site-specific problems, such as tight radius curves, may be better served by wayside treatment. Embedded track systems or areas with pedestrian traffic in which contamination is unacceptable may benefit from an alternate approach in which a small amount of lubricant or friction modifier is pumped to the surface through a hole drilled into the head of the rail.

Research into the potential benefit of a drilled-hole approach to friction control was performed by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., through the Transit Cooperative Research Program, an initiative funded through the Federal Transit Administration to leverage results from other segments of the industry.

Top-of-rail friction modifiers have been shown to effectively control friction and reduce noise in transit applications. Wayside gauge-face lubricators have been shown to reduce rail wear. Drilled-hole applications in some cases can be used to control friction at both the gauge face and top of rail. The drilled-hole system is designed to apply a very small amount of lubricant at site-specific locations. Initially designed and intended for paved track applications in which the use of typical wayside applicators is not feasible, the drilled-hole system requires a very small footprint. This is especially beneficial in that only a small section of the roadway must be disturbed in post-construction installations, Richard Reiff, Principle Engineer at the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., told delegates at Interface Journal and Advanced Rail Management's Rail Transit '04 Wheel/Rail Interaction Seminar. (See "Examining wheel/rail interaction on rail transit systems.")

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