by Jeff Tuzik Seattle’s Link Light Rail, operated by Sound Transit, is a fairly young system. And by most standards, a small system. But it’s also a sophisticated system, and it’s growing fast. The system currently operates 25 miles of track and is in the midst of expanding to 50 …
by David C. Lester Dave Peltz is literally a rocket scientist. Although he is now Chief of Global Technology for GE Transportation’s (now Wabtec’s) Intelligent Control Systems Division in Melbourne, Fla., he spent time with the U.S. Air Force as a satellite communications systems engineer for the Mill Star satellite …
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 2016, Heavy Haul Part 2 See Part 1 By Jeff Tuzik The worst time to explore the complexities of contact mechanics, lubrication, metallurgies, carbody behavior or other aspects of wheel/rail interaction is at a derailment site. But it’s often the most instructive. As George Fowler, Senior Investigator at …
By Jeff Tuzik (See Part 1) The benefits of taking a proactive approach to wheel/rail interface management are well known. Year after year at Wheel Rail Interaction conferences, speakers have extolled the benefits of moving away from costly reactive maintenance strategies. The “firefighting” method of moving from one critical exception to …
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 …
Part 2. Friction Management, Vehicle Suspension and Measurement Systems By Bob Tuzik, April 2014 Part 1 of this article explored advances in metallurgy, wheel/rail profile design and maintenance practices. Part 2 continues the theme, examining the technologies and techniques that have shaped our understanding of wheel/rail interaction. While the practice of …
By Gary P. Wolf Whether you are primarily interested in the track or the vehicle side of the wheel/rail interface, the effects of “truck warp” should be of interest to you. This two-part article examines the impact of warp in the overall operating environment. Part 1 examines what truck warp …
By Matthew Dick, Gary Wolf and Jack Chislett • October, 2008 Reducing fuel costs and consumption are at the top of every railroad’s agenda. The drive to reduce fuel-related costs has launched an array of proposed techniques, modifications and new practices. Rail Sciences, Inc., simulated a number of potential fuel-saving options …
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 …