DEVELOPMENT OF: HAND GAUGES FOR INSPECTION OF SWITCH POINTS TO PREVENT WHEEL CLIMB

摘要

Wheel climb in switches remains a frequent cause of derailments on freight, passenger and transit rail operations in the United States. While some causes are relatively straight forward, such as over speed entering or leaving the switch, or a broken point, most wheel climb derailments are a combination of poor or degraded switch point condition and a worn or degraded wheel profile. While some guidelines and standards for switch condition exist, there are currently no easy-to-use gauges available for track inspectors to identify switch points that have the potential for allowing wheel climb.