BN STUDIES RETARDER NOISE ABATEMENT

Burlington Northern has conducted tests at three retarder yards to determine sound levels and effective means to reduce those sound levels produced by cars moving through retarders. Screech produced by cars being pulled through inert retarders is a major source of noise. Noise levels indicated that the average retarder screech must be reduced by about 60 db to fall below the average background noise. Ductile iron strips into the retarder shoe eliminated the noise but proved expensive due to short shoe life. Screech appears to be produced by a slip-stick mechanism similar to that by which the violin bow works. BN conducted tests as follows: (1) a vertical sound barrier, (2) sand damping on the retarder, (3) wheel dampers, (4) water saturation, and (5) various types of lubricants. The vertical sound barrier provided between 20 and 23 db attenuation. The sand damping had little effect. The wheel damping tests were not conclusive. The water saturation test was negative, but was believed to be inconclusive, because of previous experience with moisture. Lubrication was found to be effective in eliminating screech. Another series of tests were also reported.

• Corporate Authors:

  Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

  P.O. Box 350
  Bristol, CT  United States  06010
• Publication Date: 1972-11

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 14-20
• Serial:
  • Railway System Controls
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Business Press International Limited

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Car wheels (Railroads); Damping (Engineering); Noise; Noise barriers; Railroads; Retarder control
• Identifier Terms: BNSF Railway
• Old TRIS Terms: Retarder noise; Retarder noise/damping; Wheel screech noise
• Subject Areas: Environment; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00041219
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Railway System Controls
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 2 1973 12:00AM