Vertical Split Rim (VSR) failures have become the leading cause of wheel failures in North American freight car service. VSRs are known to initiate from rolling contact tread surface shelling. Previous research suggests this failure mode is associated with high impact wheels and that wheel rim residual stress state may play a role in this type of failure. This paper covers the material aspects of the conditions considered necessary to promote the formation of VSRs. Specifically, mechanical property changes induced by cyclic deformation of the wheel tread surface, coupled with changes in the manufactured residual stress patterns result in stress states favorable for the formation of a Vertical Split Rim crack.
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