Loading and damageability of wheels and rails

Abstract

Friction, rolling resistance and durability of rails and wheels at operation, belong to a number of the most important problems of railway transportation because they have strong impact on derailment, energy consumption and restorative maintenance. Various aspects of these problems are insufficiently investigated, have only partial solution. The sources of creep and slipping of a wheel on a rail and ways of its reduction are specified in the work. These approaches alongside with the traditional methods (lubrication, radial steering bogie, etc.) will ensure the reduction both the power and the thermal loading of the contact zone and wear rate of rails and wheels