Modifications of a Rail/Wheel Wear Simulator to Measure Rail Curve Lubricant Performance

Abstract

Wear of railroad rolling stock and rails costs
millions of dollars each year in all rail systems
throughout the world. The rail industry has
attempted to address flange wear using lubricants.
The choice of rail curve lubricant is currently not
based on a standards approach. Measuring rail
curve lubricant performance in a laboratory
environment can address this information shortfall
and reduce wear in rail rolling stock and
infrastructure.
The equipment used to measure rail curve
lubricant performance consists of two dissimilar
disks, of matching contact profile, rotating in
contact with one another. The outcome from the
modifications was the ability to quantify rail curve
lubricant performance using three performance
criteria and to measure the changes in apparent
viscosity with respect to accumulated strain
damage.
This paper will provide a description of the
equipment and modifications to the rail/wheel
wear simulator and preliminary results to display
the outcomes of the modifications.