by Jeff Tuzik The 20th annual Wheel/Rail Interaction Conference drew a record number of attendees and speakers from around the world. They came to contribute to and draw from the growing body of knowledge on wheel/rail interaction. Since the conference began 20 years ago, the industry has come a …
By Hans-Georg Wagner • July, 2008 The transmission of noise and vibration associated with the close proximity of rail lines to houses and office buildings has become a significant issue in metropolitan areas. The operators of rail transit systems have begun turning to measures that mitigate noise and vibration and the …
By Bob Tuzik • January, 2008 All railways must deal with operating/engineering and vehicle/track interaction issues. But rail transit systems, which operate under the microscope of the urban environment, face special, often unique, challenges. Speakers at Rail Transit ’07, Advanced Rail Management and Interface Journal’s third seminar devoted to wheel/rail interaction on rail …
By Mark O’Hara • October 2007 The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) began as a collection of street railway companies in the 19th century. Teams of horses pulled “streetcars” through the streets of Boston, transporting groups of people more quickly and comfortably than they could ever travel by stagecoach. By today’s …
By Edgar Fischmeister, Markus Ossberger, Roman Pongracz and Paul Mittermayr • April, 2007 Measurement is an essential aspect of optimizing wheel/rail interaction on urban transit systems. After extensive research and development work, Wiener Linien, the Vienna (Austria) Urban Transit System, implemented an integrated wheel/rail measurement system that enabled the railway to closely monitor …
By Bob Tuzik • January, 2007 Friction control plays a major role in reducing wear, noise and vibration, and managing wheel/rail interaction on rail transit systems. Controlling friction has become more achievable with the advent of engineered friction modifiers and improvements to wayside and onboard application systems for both traditional lubricants …
By Roy E. Smith • March, 2006 The introduction of new, low-floor vehicles into existing North American transit systems has provided an attractive means of meeting current operating requirements. By the same token, their introduction has created a number of vehicle/track compatibility issues—particularly when these modern cars are introduced into older …
by Bob Tuzik • April 10, 2005 Rail Grinding has been used to solve a host of problems on transit systems. It recently was used in Boston to remove a new wrinkle. A specialized grinding program was initiated in 2002 on the heels of a series of light-rail derailments on the …
by Bob Tuzik, January 1, 2005 Any problem affecting the New York City Transit is by default a big problem. The process of transporting more than four million passengers per day in 6,000 vehicles on more than 700 miles of elevated, underground at-grade mainline tracks, on a system that operates 24 hours …
by Bob Tuzik 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 …