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Wheel/Rail Interaction
Studs: Squat-Type Defects that are Misunderstood and Mismanaged
by Jeff Tuzik Squats and studs (squat-type defects) are a topic of discussion and debate in the world of wheel/rail interaction. Their similarity in appearance leads many experienced track people to misidentify them, and the urgency with which they need to be addressed. As previously reported in Squats & Studs: Emergent …
Mike Roney Receives the 2025 Worth Award
by Jeff Tuzik Wheel Rail Seminars named Mike Roney, Principal of Iron Mustache Consulting, and retired General Manager, Track and Structures and Chief Engineer with Canadian Pacific, the recipient of the 2025 Worth Award. The award, presented at the annual Wheel/Rail Interaction Heavy Haul conference, is named for Art Worth, the …
Digging Into Cause Codes for Track-Related Derailments
by Jeff Tuzik Derailments have many causes. Some are fairly simple and straightforward, others involve a complex combination of factors and circumstances. Determining the root causes is what keeps derailment investigators busy, and what helps railroads avoid such derailments in the future. Over the years, and over the course of …
Taking Stock of 30 Years of Wheel/Rail Interaction
by Jeff Tuzik As Wheel Rail Seminars prepares to host it’s 30th annual Wheel/Rail Interaction Conference in Kansas City, it’s worthwhile to look back on how the “narrow” field of wheel/rail interaction has broadened and matured over the decades. The field of wheel/rail interaction is highly targeted; focusing on the …
Better Track Geometry Through Better Ballast Maintenance
by Jeff Tuzik Maintenance is a balancing act. Time is limited, budgets are limited, resources are limited. These limited resources and the pressure to make the most out of tight maintenance windows often drives an ethos that places a premium on the speed and performance of maintenance actions, personnel, and …
Assessing the Findings of a Derailment Investigation: Was the Right Cause Found?
by Jeff Tuzik The Great Dismal Swamp. An ominous name. And in June of 2019, it was the site of a Norfolk Southern derailment. At NS, all derailments are investigated to determine the cause(s) and to provide data that could help prevent future incidents. Brad Kerchof, formerly Director of Research …
Wheel/Rail Profile Optimization on Wiener Linien’s Vienna Underground line U6
by Jeff Tuzik One of the surest and most common signs that something is amiss at the wheel/rail interface is accelerated wear of the wheels, rail, or both. Occasionally the solution to the problem is straight-forward and site-specific. But more often, abnormal wear appears as a symptom of fundamental, systemic …
Examining the Role of Wheel/Rail Interaction in a Unit Train Derailment
by Jeff Tuzik Derailments happen. The minor ones cause damage and disruption; the big ones make the news. While there are derailments attributed to a single vehicle or track cause, often, the cause is the result of a combination of vehicle- and track-related contributing factors, underscoring that vehicle/track interaction is a …
Friction Management: Implementation and State of Good Repair
By Jeff Tuzik This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of Mass Transit. Friction management is a well-established technology in the rail transit industry. Its significance is such that it is considered one of the five pillars of wheel/rail interface management Davey Mitchell, Commercial Manager of Friction Modifier at …