RAIL WEAR TESTS ON THE ST. LOUIS-SAN FRANCISCO RAILWAY

Two curves on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway were selected for rail wear tests. The section having a slightly lower rate of wear in past service was not lubricated. The other curve had a "Meco" single rail lubrication using graphite grease at the far end of its two curves. The effectiveness of the lubrication was gaged by taking rail profiles at various intervals of time. These profiles show the amount of steel worn from the heads of the rail gage. Elevation and curvature of the high rail were measured at each point where a profile was taken. Seven sets of profiles were taken of the rails undergoing the tests. The profiles show significantly less wear on the curve with the track lubricator than on the curve with no lubrication. The effectiveness of molybdenum-disulphide was tested as a rail lubricant. Its application showed less wear rate. These service tests definitely show that track lubricators are effective and can double the life of the outer rail in the presence of heavy sanding.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Railway Engineering Association

  59 East Van Buren Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Publication Date: 1961-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 17-25
• Serial:
  • AREA BULLETIN
  • Volume: 63 N
  • Issue Number: 566
  • Publisher: American Railway Engineering Association

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Curves (Geometry); Lubricants; Lubrication; Railhead; Railroad rails; Railroad tracks; Wear
• Identifier Terms: St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
• Old TRIS Terms: Rail head profile; Track lubricators
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00052319
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1976 12:00AM