Currently browsing category
Vehicle Design
Protected: Vehicle Design: Managing Wheel/Rail-Generated Noise and Vibration from the Ground Up (Part 1)
Vehicle/Track Interaction from a Car Design Perspective
by Jeff Tuzik Wheel/rail interaction doesn’t end at the wheel and rail. Sometimes it doesn’t even begin there. The lateral and vertical forces that affect the wheel/rail interface owe much to the design of cars and couplers — design choices that might seem ancillary to the subject, but are in …
WRI 2017 – Transit: System Optimization and Better Asset Management
By Jeff Tuzik Optimization, modernization and asset management are critical to the efficient running of a rail transit system. While each program is beneficial in its own right, the importance of asset management has taken on new significance with the recent Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) rule making on the State …
WRI EU 2015, Part 2: Theory to Practice, Laboratory to Track
By Jeff Tuzik See Part 1 A thorough understanding of the forces contributing to wheel/rail interaction requires a grasp of both theoretical concepts and operational practices. Speakers at the 2015 Wheel Rail Interaction Conference, European Union (WRI EU) addressed both, presenting findings from the lab and operating environment of vehicles …
The truck bolster bowl: Is it a bowl or a bearing?
by Gary Wolf • October 2005 Like many aspects of the three-piece truck, performance issues surrounding the truck bolster bowl and body centerplate are often misunderstood. One of the biggest misunderstandings is that the bolster bowl is actually a bearing. Years ago at a meeting where truck performances issues were …
Making the Case for Long Travel Constant Contact Side Bearings
by Bill O’Donnell • July 4, 2005 As part of its efforts to reduce the stress state on North American railroads, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) mandated that all new cars ordered after January 1, 2002, must be equipped with constant contact side bearings. Constant contact side bearings (CCSBs) raise the threshold …
Vehicle Side Bearings: Function, Performance and Maintenance (Part 2 of 2)
By Gary Wolf • May 04, 2005 Part 1 of this two-part article explored the importance of roller style side bearings in maintaining proper vehicle performance and how improper maintenance of side bearings can directly affect wheel/rail forces. Part 2 examines the purpose, types of designs and maintenance of the …
Reducing Noise and Vibration on NYCT
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 …
Vehicle Side Bearings: Function, Performance and Maintenance (Part 1 of 2)
By Gary Wolf • April 04, 2005 Side Bearings serve as support elements on the truck bolster and are located to the side of the centerplate. The function of the side bearing is to support the underside of the car body bolster in the event the car leans to one side …