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 …
By Ryan McWilliams and Eric Eberius Gage corner cracking (GCC) of the rail from rolling contact fatigue (RCF) is a dangerous and costly form of rail damage. Unfortunately, it’s also notoriously difficult to measure. And as GCC becomes more prevalent on rail systems around the world, accurate measurement is an …
by Brad Kerchof and Huimin Wu Railroad track people know that track degradation is a complex and constant problem. Because so many variables affect track strength, correcting problems when they arise, and correcting them effectively, is no easy task. Norfolk Southern’s Research and Tests Department recently concluded a series of tests …
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 James R. Hornaday, Jr. In many ways, rail is the most important component in a railroad system. The economic value of installed rail is usually the most costly asset listed in any railroad’s financial accounts. The financial stability of a railroad is often determined by how well that installed …
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 Stephen S. Woody Part 1 of this article examined the results of a six-sigma project that Norfolk Southern initiated to improve the efficiency of its grinding program. Part 2 illustrated some the data analysis-related problems that NS experienced and learned from during other six-sigma projects. Part 3 describes two ideas …
Part 1. Metallurgy, Wheel/Rail Profile Design and Maintenance. by Bob Tuzik, January 2014 Ask a group of railroaders, researchers or suppliers what the essential aspects of understanding wheel/rail interaction have been over the past 20 years, and you’ll get a host of answers. But among them, major categories consistently emerge: …
By Robert Madderom Technology has changed the ways in which railroads plan most of their maintenance programs over the past 30 years. But one aspect of maintenance planning has remained static. Railways still select ties for replacement and plan a significant portion of their maintenance budgets based on visual inspections by …
By James R. Hornaday, Jr. See Part 1 of this article. Contrary to many railroaders’ and rail mills’ opinions, there are no innocuous inclusions in rail. Any simple oxide particle, any complex oxide particle, any sulfide particle, or any complex oxide-sulfide particle in a rail will initiate a crack in …