Technology Digests / Rail Grinding Template Performance Evaluation

TD23-016

October 9, 2023
Authors
  • Ulrich Spangenberg
  • Alexander Keylin
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Key Findings

  • Based on simulation results, improved wear and rolling contact fatigue performance was achieved for:
  • High rail profiles with less significant relief of the gage shoulder and gage corner, and low rail profiles with relief on the field side.
  • Crown radius of the high rail between 6 and 8 inches.
  • Crown radius of the low rail less than 10 inches.
  • Conformity of the high rail to the unworn AAR-2A profile less than 0.005 inch, in addition to the requirement of the high rail crown radius.

Rail Grinding Template Performance Evaluation

MxV Rail analyzed the performance of open track rail grinding templates used by Class 1 railroads in North America. MxV Rail engineers assessed the performance of these rail profile templates with respect to rolling contact fatigue (RCF) initiation and expected wear in order to provide guidance to the industry on template profile designs that will ensure longer rail service lives. This work was performed under the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Strategic Research Initiatives program. BACKGROUND Rail sections are manufactured and supplied with an as-rolled transverse rail profile. The transverse rail profile shape is determined by the rail section type, such as the commonly used 136RE. The wear and RCF performance of a transverse rail profile is determined by the interaction between the rail profile and the wheel profile. As the rail running surface wears, rail profiles may no longer provide adequate performance when contacting worn wheel profiles. Therefore, railroads…