STRESSES IN DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE WHEELS RESULTING FROM BRAKE SHOE HEATING

This investigation was made to determine stresses in diesel locomotive wheels resulting from brake shoe heating. The report covers the comparison of measured stresses in wheel plates on a standard or regular production type A-40 diesel locomotive wheel and stresses in the wheel plates on a special machined A-40 wheel. Each wheel was tested at identical combinations of speed, brake shoe pressure, and number of stops. The brake shoe and wheel test machine is expecially adapted to the type of tests covered in this report. The results of this study show that there was no stress concentration in the plate of the rolled production A-40 wheel. Machining the wheel plate to uniform thickness resulted in an increase in stress at the outside hub location and a decrease in stress at the inside rim location. The highest stresses were measured at the outside hub on the machined wheel where a maximum stress of 53,000 psi was recorded under conditions of braking from 80 miles per hour, 5,000 pounds brake shoe pressure and a temperature gradient of 400 degrees F. The comparable stress for the production wheel was 47,000 psi, a decrease of 11.5 percent.

• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Publication Date: 1963-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 52 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brake shoes; Braking; Deformation curve; Diesel locomotives; Equipment tests; Locomotives; Size; Stresses; Technology; Temperature; Thermal stresses; Wheel rims; Wheels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Temperature distribution
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Test equipment
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040795
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: AAR MR-436 Res Rpt
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM