ON BOARD LUBRICATION SYSTEMS FOR LUBRICATING TOP OF RAIL FOR CARS amp; RAIL GAGE SIDE/WHEEL FLANGE FOR LOCOMOTIVES

摘要

In railroad applications, a new method of simultaneously lubricating the rail gage side (RAGS) and wheel flanges ahead of a locomotive's tractive wheels and lubricating the top of the rail (TOR) behind the tractive wheels to reduce the resistance of the trailing cars and reduce the locomotive wheel flange wear. The method involves controlling both lubricating units with the same computer controller when a single locomotive is used and tWo controllers located in two different locomotives in the case of a locomotive consist. The rail gage side lubricant spray is applied on curves of 2 degrees or more only on the high rail. For the top of rail lubrication at the trailing end of the locomotive or locomotive consist this invention requires that the angle of the lubricant jet on the rail from the vertical be betWeen 0 and 80 degrees from the vertical, with the angle increasing in the rear or trailing direction. It further requires that the lubricant jet be a solid jet without breaking into a spray cone.