Out-of-round railway wheels

Book chapter, 2009

Out-of-round railway wheels can have a detrimental influence ontrack and vehicle components, contributing to increased risks of rail breaks, sleeper cracking, high-cycle fatigue of wheels and axles and bearing damage. Environmental consequences are rolling noise and impact noise, ground vibrations and passenger discomfort. Causes of different types of out-of-round wheels are surveyed. Experimental equipment and assessment procedures for quantification of out-of-roundness are explained. Results from field tests illustrating consequences of out-of-round wheels are presented. Wheel impact load detectors and examples of alarm limits used in different countries for detection of detrimental wheel defects are listed. Mathematical models and computer programs for simulation of the influence of out-of-round wheels on wheel-rail contact forces and vehicle/track responses are described. © 2009 Woodhead Publishing Limited.