Wheel Rail Interaction 2015 Atlanta, Georgia MAY 18-21, 2015 1 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Wheel Rail Interaction 2015 Atlanta, Georgia MAY 18-21, 2015 1 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Wheel Rail Interaction 2015 Atlanta, Georgia MAY 18-21, 2015 1 Introduction Railroads strive to maximize performance Increased axle loads Rail grinding Lubrication Wheel grinding Rail life exceed 2,500 MGT and is

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Wheel Rail Interaction 2015 Atlanta, Georgia MAY 18-21, 2015

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Introduction

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  • Railroads strive to maximize performance
  • Increased axle loads
  • Rail grinding
  • Lubrication
  • Wheel grinding
  • Rail life exceed 2,500 MGT and is projected to

reach 5,700 MGT

  • Rail life is beginning to exceed the life of welds
  • Fatigue defects are becoming prominent
  • Options are being researched and

implemented that will be able to extend rail/weld life

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AAR initiates Heavy Axle Load (HAL) Research Program in 1988

  • Guidance to NA RR industry on increasing axle loads
  • Determine most economic payload consistent with safety
  • Research showed
  • Technically feasible
  • Economically desirable
  • Technology able to mitigate adverse effects
  • 1991
  • Industry accepts 286k GVW cars in interchange service
  • 2010
  • 100% of coal traffic
  • 30% of general freight
  • 2013
  • 90% of equipment acquired is rated for 286k GVW

Introduction of Heavy Axle Loads by the North American Rail Industry by Carl D. Martland

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Extent of HAL Implementation in 2012

(Commodities with an average of more than 104 tons/load

  • n at least two Class I railroads)

Iron Crushed Sand Hydraulic Corn Wheat Ore Coal Stone Gravel Cement BNSF 106.1 107.3 105.6 119.2 106.7 101.5 106.5 CSX 105.0 104.6 106.2 113.9 101.3 99.0 108.5 GTW 100.8 103.8 78.3 117.5 84.9 103.0 111.5 KCS 103.0 102.4 120.2 110.1 110.2 104.0 NS 104.4 102.4 94.7 111.9 103.8 101.7 107.0 SOO 100.1 100.8 118.7 106.2 107.7 UP 106.9 104.4 97.4 118.3 104.6 104.3 107.2 Average 104.8 105.1 86.1 116.7 102.4 102.9 107.3 % Implmt 0‐40% 0‐40% 0‐50% 90‐100% 0‐20% 0‐25% 20‐60%

Source of Data: STB Quarterly Report of Freight Commodity Statistics, Third Quarter 2012.

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Rail Improvements

  • Rail is getting longer
  • 1831 – 16 foot lengths
  • 1880 – 39 foot lengths
  • 1940 – 78 foot lengths
  • 1988 – 80 foot lengths
  • 2002 – 480 foot lengths
  • Rail is getting harder and stronger
  • Tensile Strengths at 200,000psi
  • Hardness at 430 HB

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Different Types of Defects are Becoming Prominent

  • Fatigue related defects
  • Reverse TDs
  • SSC – Shelling, Spalling & Cracking

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One Class I’s Problem

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Track Issue Caused by HAL

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Rail/Weld Issue Caused by HAL

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Rail/Weld Issue

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SSC – Shelling, Spalling, Cracking

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High Stresses Generated at Wheel/Rail Contact

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Contact Patch Can Not Bridge Softened Zones of Weld

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Weld Hardness Profile

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Spherodized Soft Zones

  • Rail steel has a hard pearlitic microstructure
  • The weld zone becomes austenitic +1300 degrees F
  • Moving away from the weld, the maximum rail temperature has

never reached a temperature high enough for the material to re-austenitize.

  • Soft zones are caused by time at temperature in locations

where the rail has remained pearlitic. The plates of pearlite become soft (annealed) rounded spheres.

  • There is no way to avoid this

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Solution One Address the Weld Making Process

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Weld Making Process Options

  • Reduce the size of the spherodized zones
  • Less heat input
  • Potential weld hardness issues
  • Potential high residual stress issues in the weld
  • Welding process changes
  • Reduce heat to a minimum while avoiding too

high of a hardness or undesirable microstuctures

  • Slow down cooling in the web to mitigate residual

stresses

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Reduce the Spherodized Zones

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Contact Patch Can Better Bridge the Softened Zones of the Weld

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Solution Two Minimize the Population of Welds in Track

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Benefit of Long Rail

  • Rail is traditionally 80 ft in length
  • Rail produced 480 ft in length

requires fewer welds

  • Rail welds per mile 5280 / 480 = 11
  • Rail welds per mile 5280 / 80 = 66
  • 480 ft lengths require 17% of the welds per

mile as 80 ft lengths

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Railroads and Suppliers Working Together

  • Class I railroad
  • Rail Suppliers
  • Rail Welding Company

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Long Rail in North America

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Start with a Greenfield Site Port of Stockton

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Method to Transport Rail to NA

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LRC 480

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Hold to Carry the Rail

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View Around the Ship

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Method to Load/Unload the Rail

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Method to Bring the Rail to the Ship

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Concept to Store/Weld the Rail

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Facility to Store/Weld the Rail

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Constructing the Facility

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Train to Transport the Rail from the Ship to the Welding/Storage Facility

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Rail Can go to Welding Feed Tables

  • r in to Storage

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Storage Facility

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Welding Facility Layout

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Welding Facility

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Automatic Quench

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Post Weld Heat Treat Station

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PWHT to Reduce Residual Stresses

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Lead Out Stands

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In Conclusion

  • Heavy axle loads appear to be shortening

the potential life of the rail

  • Technology and methods exist to address

the rail issues caused by HAL

  • Railroads are looking for and implementing

new technologies and methods to prolong the life of rail assets

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Wheel Rail Interaction 2015 Atlanta, Georgia MAY 18-21, 2015 Questions Thank You

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