Railway axles are among critical components ensuring safe and efficient train operations. They are particularly susceptible to damage mechanisms such as fretting wear and fatigue. Fretting induced by high contact pressure and microslip between contact surface can significantly deteriorate fatigue strength at the contact edge of the press-fit section. Recent research has been conducted to enhance axle strength and reliability. However, fretting wear or microcrack formation at the wheel-press-fit zone of axles is still an active area of investigation. Accurately analyzing fretting wear is challenging due to its sensitivity to numerous factors such as changes in friction coefficient, influence of wear particles, and selection of an appropriate wear model. This paper aimed to establish a comprehensive analysis method for fretting wear in interference-fitted axles using finite element analysis (FEA) and numerical analysis techniques. Two wear models were applied in simulations: an Archard wear model and an energy-based wear model. Analysis results were compared with experimental data from rotating bending fatigue press-fit specimens. This comparison will help validate the proposed analysis method and assess the effectiveness and accuracy of different wear models in predicting fretting wear in press-fit axles.

The repeated thermal load on the railway wheel for tread brakes has been remarkably tightened due to increase in speed of trains and increase of operation frequency. As overheating and cooling between the wheel and brake block are continuously repeated, the railway wheel is damaged. To understand the process, thermal cracks for wheel tread can be experimentally reproduced under the condition of cyclic frictional heat from brake blocks, through bench experiments using a railway wheel. Thermal cracks generated in the wheel were investigated to observe the cracks’ initiation processes using full-scale brake dynamometer. Results show that as braking energy and braking temperature continued to accumulate, a hot spot appeared on the wheel surface and 2 mm of thermal crack occurred in the wheel rim.

Usually, railway axles are designed for infinite life based on endurance limit of the material and the axle is not fractured immediately when a surface crack initiated. The railway axles have been inspected regularly by NDT such as ultrasonic testing, magnetic testing and eddy current testing and so on. Because the axle failure is profoundly influenced by the probability of missing a fatigue crack during an NDT inspection, it is necessary to evaluate the Non Destructive Interval of railway axle. In the present paper, the Non Destructive Interval of railway axle based on fracture mechanics and finite element analysis was investigated. It was shown that the Non Destructive Interval of railway axle can be evaluated using fracture mechanics approach and extended using NDT which a crack can detect clearly.

The thermo-mechanical interaction between brake block and wheel tread during braking has been found to cause thermal crack on the wheel tread. Due to thermal expansion of the rim material, the thermal cracks will protrude from the wheel tread and be more exposed to wear during the wheel/block contact than the rest of the tread surface. The wheel rim is in residual compression stress when is new. After service running, the region in the tread has reversed to tension. This condition can lead to the formation and growth of thermal cracks in the rim which can ultimately lead to premature failure of wheel. In the present paper, the thermal cracks of railway wheel, one of severe damages on the wheel tread, were evaluated to understand the safety of railway wheel in running condition. The residual stresses for damaged wheel which are applied to tread brake are investigated. Mainly X-ray diffusion method is used. Under the condition of concurrent loading of continuous rolling contact with rails and cyclic frictional heat from brake blocks, the reduction of residual stress is found to correlate well with the thermal crack initiation.

For the safety of railway, it should be evaluated for the running safety by measuring the derailment coefficient. Although railway has run the fixed and maintained rail, some of railway is derailed. This report shows the results that performed the static load test, main line running test on the basis of the derailment theory and experience. It is executed main line test into more than 90㎞/h for estimating the curving performance and running safety of depressed center flat car of 3-axle bogie. As the test results, could confirm the curving performance and running safety of depressed center flat car of 3-axle bogie from the results of the wheel unloading, lateral force, derailment coefficient etc. Derailment coefficient was less than 0.6, and lateral force allowance limit and wheel load reduction ratio were enough safe.

When a vehicle is running, wheel is generating vertical and lateral force on the rail, in addition to load of vehicle, through a complicated set of motions. The derailment coefficient refers to the ratio of lateral force to vertical force(wheel load), and if the value exceeds a certain level, a wheel climbs or jumps over the rail. That's why the value is used as a criterion for running safety. Derailment coefficient of rolling stocks alters according to shape of rail track. I measured threedimensional angular velocity and acceleration to use 3D Motion Tracker. Test result, derailment coefficient of rolling stocks and shape of rail track examined closely that have fixed relation. Specially, was proved that roll motion has the close coupling relation.

Railway wheel and axle is the most critical components in railway system. A wheel and axle failure can cause a derailment with its attendant loss of life and property. The service conditions of railway vehicles have become severe in recent years due to a general increase in operating speeds. Therefore, more precise evaluate of wheelset strength and safety has been desired. Fracture mechanics characteristics such as dynamic fracture toughness, fatigue threshold and charpy impact energy with respect to the tread, plate, disc hole of wheel and the surface of press fitted axle are evaluated. This paper describes the difference of fracture toughness, fatigue crack growth and fatigue threshold at the locations of wheel and axle. The results show that the dynamic fracture toughness, K_ID, is obviously lower than static fracture toughness, K_IC and the fracture mechanics characteristics are difference to the location of wheel tread and hole.