INFLUENCE OF TRACK IRREGULARITY & RUNNING PART DEVIATION COMBINATION TO FREIGHT CARS DERAILMENT

In the summer of 2001 on the Russian railways there was an increase in the number of derailments of empty freight cars in comparison with previous years. The principal cause of the derailments is described as rolling wheels on the rail. VNIIZHT and the Ministry of Railways carried out the analysis of the circumstances leading to derailments of rolling stock which showed the following. The derailing vehicles were mostly tanks and hoppers (37% and 35% accordingly). Empty vehicles of these types have an increased propensity to derailment at on curves and skews in the track because of the action of longitudinal forces on the train. The probability of derailment of empty cars increases with deterioration in the technical condition of moving parts. Derailments of empty cars occurred in rear half of trains. 94 % of derailments took place on jointed track. Derailments were most likely in curves of radius 850 m and less at speeds of over 60 km/h during June - August in dry weather. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123761.