EFFECTS OF TRUCK DESIGN ON HUNTING STABILITY OF RAILWAY VEHICLES

A general model of a dual-axle railway vehicle truck is derived. By suitable choices of primary suspension elements, this general model may be specialized to become (1) a roller-bearing freight truck, (2) a plain-bearing freight truck, (3) a roller-bearing truck with primary suspension elements, (4) a passenger truck, (5) a generic model of a freight truck with interconnected wheelsets, or (6) a rigid truck. The truck model is combined with a car body capable of lateral and roll displacements. The effects of the various design parameters on the critical speed for hunting are examined for each configuration.