by Bob Tuzik, January, 2008 The wheel/rail interface must be managed in order to increase the life of rail and rolling stock components and to reduce in-service failures. This was one of the primary messages delivered at the Association of American Railroads/Transportation Technology Center, Inc.’s 14th Annual Research Review. The research …
By Arthur Clouse Part 1 of this article examined the mechanisms that cause rail seat abrasion on concrete ties. Part 2 looks at existing standards for concrete ties and the systems that can be used to measure their performance. The Federal Track Safety Standards prescribe minimum track geometry and track structure requirements for specific track …
by Bob Tuzik, January, 2009 Rail seat abrasion on concrete ties has plagued railroads for nearly two decades, now. Abrasion ranging from less than 0.02 inches to more than 1 inch began appearing on curves on several of the major North American user railways in the early 1990s. The problem, which …
By Jeff Tuzik • October, 2008 Part 1 of this article examined efforts to optimize vehicle and track component performance through various testing, monitoring and simulation programs. Part 2 continues on the theme of “data to information,” further exploring such programs and the operational benefits they engender. Maintaining a Safe Neutral Temperature (SFT) on …
By Arthur Clouse • October, 2008 In response to accidents, unregulated causal factors and the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendation (NTSB R-06-19), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Safety together with the Office of Research and Development initiated a study to identify and evaluate the safety of concrete crossties. …
By Bob Tuzik • July, 2008 As research into wheel/rail interaction has evolved, the emphasis has moved toward implementation of available technology and conversion of data into information. Such was the case at Wheel/Rail Interaction ’08, the 14th annual seminar produced by Advanced Rail Management and sponsored by Progressive Railroading magazine. Railroaders, researchers …
By Bob Tuzik • July, 2008 Any examination of the systems in use to measure and monitor wheel/rail interaction requires a discussion of the challenges associated with implementing new and emerging technology. Several industry practitioners participated in such a discussion at Advanced Rail Management and Progressive Railroading magazine’s Wheel/Rail Interaction ’08, the 14th …
By Norman Hooper • January, 2008 This article reflects observations made while serving as Chief Engineer of BC Rail, a Class II railway (now owned by Canadian National) during a period in which the railway reduced service failures and broken rail derailments in dark territory by 60% — an improvement …
By Gary P. Wolf • July, 2007 Much has been written and said about the need to optimize the interface between the wheel and rail, but with the growth of heavy axle load traffic, the mandate for optimum performance is greater than ever. Balancing the wheel/rail equation and optimizing interaction can …
By B. McGuire, R. Sarunac, R. B. Wiley and P. Klauser • April, 2007 Part 1 of this article examined ways in which the use of vehicle performance detectors is steadily growing on North American freight and high-speed passenger railways. With the installation of a Wayside Wheel/Rail Load Detector on …