The effect of profiles on wheel and rail damage

This paper outlines the historical development of the wheel and rail profiles currently used on railway vehicles. It also presents the key damage mechanisms involved in wheel-rail contact and summarises the methods that have recently been developed by railway engineers to predict the level of wheel and rail damage from these mechanisms. Tools for predicting the key damage modes of wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) are explained.

Keywords:

Railway wheel , Railway rail , wheel-rail interaction , wheel-rail damage , Rolling Contact Fatigue