Rail lubrication and its impact on the wheel/rail system

Abstract

As the effectiveness of Transnet Freight Rail's current hi-rail lubrication strategy cannot be adequately quantified, an investigation into the level of surface protection between application cycles was initiated. Influencing factors such as the tracking performance of rolling stock, the number and type of locomotives and wagons in a train, axle load, train speed, and the coefficient of friction on the gauge face have, thus, been considered. After a brief literature review of international experiences with respect to friction management, a detailed description is given of the tests that were conducted by Transnet Freight Rail. Conclusions from these tests indicate that the increase in rail gauge face temperature on the high rail is dominated by the duration and the magnitude of the flange forces.

Keywords

lubrication wheel/rail interaction rail temperature flange forces

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Venter

J. P.

Investigation into the abnormally high wear rate of AC electric locomotive wheels on the Ermelo – Richards Bay coal line when replacing UIC-A rail with chrome-manganese rail. In Proceedings of the 4th International Heavy Haul Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 11–15 September 1989, pp. 551–556.

Tournay

H. M.

Experiences with design of wheel and rail profiles for wear control. In Proceedings of the 5th International Heavy Haul Conference, Beijing, China, 6–13 June 1993, pp. 178–186.

Scroba

Oldknow

Dashko

Roney

Canadian Pacific Railway 100% effective friction management strategy. In Proceedings of the 8th International Heavy Haul Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14–16 June 2005, pp. 85–102.

Roney

CPR boosts adhesion with 100% effective friction control. Railway Gazette International 2004, 144–146.

Kalousek

Hou

Magel

Chiddick

The benefits of friction management – a third body approach. In Proceedings of the World Conference on Railway Research, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, 17–19 June 1996, pp. 461–467.

Pasta

Reiff

Jorge

Nobre

Filho

J. E. A.

CVRD-EFVM railway system improvement through lubrication and grinding practices. In Proceedings of the 8th International Heavy Haul Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14–16 June 2005, pp. 103–110.

Dunseth

B. D.

Goldblatt

T. E.

Joerms

M. W.

Steele

R. K.

Remote site monitoring station for rail lubrication and wear studies. In Proceedings of the Rail and Wheel Lubrication Symposium, Association of American Railroads and American Railway Engineering Association, Memphis, Tennessee, 2–4 June 1987, pp. III-5-1-III-5-44.

Stresses in the track, ballast and formation as a result of rolling loads, Stresses in rails, part 2: calibration and measuring procedures (Utrecht, Holland: 1965) Question D71, Report No. 1, Utrecht, Holland, 1965.

Harrison

McCanney

Cotter

‘Recent developments in coefficient of friction measurements at the rail/wheel interface’

Wear 253 (2002): 114–123.