MEASUREMENT OF WHEEL/RAIL FORCES AT THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY. VOLUME I. ANALYSIS REPORT

Under the direction of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA), measurements of wheel/rail forces were made in August 1979 by the Transportation Systems Center (TSC) with the assistance of Battelle Columbus Laboratories to determine the causes of excessive wheel/rail wear experiences by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail System during its first three years of operation. In addition to measuring the absolute magnitude of the wheel/rail forces, it was the intent to compare alternative methods for relieving wheel/rail wear at WMATA and other transit properties. Measurements of the wheel/rail forces were made at the Washington National Airport Test Site and the Brentwood Shop Test Site. This report describes the results of that effort.