Experimental Determination of Wheel and Guiding Forces on the Tracks

Force interaction between a railway track and a vehicle affects the safety, comfort, and last but not least, economical maintenance. Train of wagons incidence on track in both transversal and vertical direction is simplified by qualifying of force wheel (FQ), guiding (FY) and perpendicular and transverse acceleration. An experimental basis for dynamic determination of vertical, FQ, and lateral, FY, forces at the wheel using strain measures in the foot of the rail is given. Measurements of the dynamic forces during passing train are normally very costly and uneasy. These method consists of measuring strains at selected points of the rail profile is very simple and therefore interesting.