By Bob Tuzik • July, 2007 You’ve heard it before, you’ll hear it again. Delegates to the 13th Annual Wheel/Rail Interaction Seminar presented by Interface Journaland Advanced Rail Management heard it time and again over the course of the seminar: The wheel/rail interface is a system. And when there are problems, as …
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 …
By B. McGuire, R. Sarunac, R. B. Wiley and P. Klauser • April, 2007 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 (WRLD) on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), the trend …
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 Robert Masar • March, 2006 Significant increases in high-speed international traffic throughout Europe have led European railways to establish new comprehensive technical rules to ensure acceptable parameters for vehicle/track interaction. Current measuring systems and data collection and processing capabilities have made it possible to test and homologate new railway vehicles …
By Gary Wolf • January, 2006 Railroad engineering managers have been struggling with the problem of how much elevation to place in a curve since the first steam engines started turning a wheel. While the physics and calculus of the matter seem straightforward, the application of those formulas is where problems …
by Peter Klauser • October 2005 Cant deficiency has a significant effect on curving performance of vehicles in both passenger and freight service. The forces due to centrifugal acceleration through a curve must ultimately be reacted at the wheel/rail interface. Curve lateral acceleration and the compensating effect of track superelevation can …
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 …
By Bob Tuzik • May 26, 2005 The Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Research and Development is not the best known R&D organization in the industry, but it is one of the most important. It’s work figures prominently in rulemaking and the regulatory process for the industry. That role is …
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 …