By Gary Wolf No other type of derailment causes as much angst among railroaders as the switch point derailment. The switch point derailment can take several forms, but it generally boils down to a disagreement between the Mechanical Department that blames the switch point, and the Engineering Department that blames …
by Eric E. Magel • September 20, 2004 Wheel wear is an inevitable byproduct of wheel/rail interaction. Excessive wear, however, indicates an imbalance in some aspect of the wheel/rail interface. Amtrak’s high-speed Acela trains, running on track with much greater curvature than other high-speed systems, were quickly found to exhibit very …
By Gary P. Wolf • November 1, 2004 Part 1 of Truck Warp: Causes and Cures covered the three primary causes of truck warp: Part 2 of this article explores these causes in more detail and, more importantly, what can be done to prevent trucks from warping. Lack of sufficient …
By Huimin Wu and Semih Kalay • October, 2009 Wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) of rails and wheels are common problems under heavy-haul operations. Increasing axle loads can increase the capacity of a railway system, but also can increase the stress state of the system. A root cause of RCF …
By Huimin Wu and Semih Kalay • January 2010 See Part 1 of this article here. What are the differences between rail shapes that produce higher contact conicities and those that produce lower contact conicities? The profiles shown in Figures 1a and 1b illustrate the differences that can result in significant …
By Jeff Tuzik • July 2010 Wheel/rail interaction is complex, variable and difficult to manage—especially on rail transit systems where noise, vibration and ride quality present daily challenges. As a result, managing the wheel/rail interface requires constant attention and innovation. Speakers at Advanced Rail Management’s Rail Transit 2010 seminar on …
By Norman Hooper • July 2010 See Part 1. Experience has shown that an efficient and cost-effective rail grinding program requires attention to basic track inspection and maintenance procedures. This includes attention to “hot spots,” such as joints, welds and road crossings. Figure 1 shows a rail joint at the end …
By Mike Roney • July, 2009 Canadian Pacific has taken a unique approach to reducing the stress state in its western corridor. The approach includes the implementation of distributed power and the implementation of friction management. It also includes examination of their combined effects — something that is relatively new. Looking at …
By Norman Hooper • January 2010 It behooves railways to periodically review tie, fastener and surfacing maintenance practices, particularly as they relate to the planning and quality of rail grinding procedures. The use of technology, enhanced inspections, regular grinding cycles and friction modification can improve rail surface quality. The safety rationale …
By Mike Gilliam and Russell Rohlfs • July 2010 The Union Pacific Railway has 30,000 mainline miles of track over 23, primarily, western states. It has more than 6,500 miles of curves, which require significant maintenance efforts, such as rail grinding and lubrication. It’s a challenge to manage the rail assets, …