By Bob Tuzik For three years running, New York City Transit and the Federal Transit Administration have kicked off the annual Wheel/Rail Interaction – Rail Transit conference with discussion of the NYCT/FTA research project to explore integrated wheel/rail analytics on MTA-NYCT’s No. 7 Flushing Line. It’s a fitting start to …
By Jeff Tuzik The railroad is a system. The holistic approach is the optimal approach. This is a maxim often repeated at the Wheel Rail Interaction (WRI) conference, and at railroads around the world. It’s a simple concept but it belies great complexity. At WRI 2017, a number of …
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 …
By Jeff Tuzik The concept of big data is something the railroad industry has been aware of for many years. The Federal Railroad Administration, for example, has been involved in research and development projects involving big data, neural networks and machine learning since as early as 2002. The prevalence and proliferation …
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 …
WRI 2016, Heavy Haul Part 1 See Part 2 By Jeff Tuzik The Railroad Industry isn’t known for rapid change. Slow and steady progress has generally characterized the industry approach to new technologies, maintenance strategies and operational practices. That’s beginning to change. Some of the changes the industry is grappling …
Big Data – it’s more than a buzzword. Big data represents a challenge and an opportunity that every industry is looking into. The railroad industry is no exception. How to manage, harness and exploit big data has become a regular part of railroad conferences around the world. In 2015, Dr. …
By Jeff Tuzik Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) is an issue every railroad, and many transit systems, around the world must contend with. Despite its ubiquity, RCF is not perfectly understood. There are many researchers, railroad operators and suppliers, experts in their field, working to understand and eliminate RCF and its attendant …
By Jeff Tuzik It’s easier now than ever to collect data on wheel/rail interaction. The number of measurement tools, the number of parameters that can be measured, and the accuracy of those measurements have changed the way wheel and rail systems are designed, monitored and maintained. While all of …
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 …