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TRANSIT
TCRP REPORT 71
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Sponsored by
the Federal
Transit Administration
Track-Related Research
Volume 5:
Flange Climb Derailment Criteria
and Wheel/Rail Profile Management
and Maintenance Guidelines
for Transit Operations
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TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2005 (Membership as of March 2005)
SELECTION COMMITTEE
(as of February 2005) OFFICERS
CHAIR Chair: Joseph H. Boardman, Commissioner, New York State DOT
SHARON GREENE Vice Chair: Michael D. Meyer, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Sharon Greene & Associates Georgia Institute of Technology
Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS
LINDA J. BOHLINGER MEMBERS
HNTB Corp.
ROBERT I. BROWNSTEIN MICHAEL W. BEHRENS, Executive Director, Texas DOT
Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc. LARRY L. BROWN, SR., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT
PETER CANNITO DEBORAH H. BUTLER, Vice Pres., Customer Service, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Subsidiaries,
Metropolitan Transit Authority--Metro North Atlanta, GA
Railroad ANNE P. CANBY, President, Surface Transportation Policy Project, Washington, DC
GREGORY COOK JOHN L. CRAIG, Director, Nebraska Department of Roads
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority DOUGLAS G. DUNCAN, President and CEO, FedEx Freight, Memphis, TN
JENNIFER L. DORN NICHOLAS J. GARBER, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
FTA ANGELA GITTENS, Consultant, Miami, FL
NATHANIEL P. FORD GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, Director, Metrans Transportation Center, and Professor, School of Policy,
Metropolitan Atlanta RTA
Planning, and Development, USC, Los Angeles
RONALD L. FREELAND
Parsons Transportation Group BERNARD S. GROSECLOSE, JR., President and CEO, South Carolina State Ports Authority
FRED M. GILLIAM SUSAN HANSON, Landry University Professor of Geography, Graduate School of Geography, Clark University
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority JAMES R. HERTWIG, President, CSX Intermodal, Jacksonville, FL
KIM R. GREEN GLORIA J. JEFF, Director, Michigan DOT
GFI GENFARE ADIB K. KANAFANI, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
JILL A. HOUGH HERBERT S. LEVINSON, Principal, Herbert S. Levinson Transportation Consultant, New Haven, CT
North Dakota State University SUE MCNEIL, Director and Professor, Urban Transportation Center, University of Illinois, Chicago
JOHN INGLISH MICHAEL MORRIS, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments
Utah Transit Authority CAROL A. MURRAY, Commissioner, New Hampshire DOT
ROBERT H. IRWIN JOHN R. NJORD, Executive Director, Utah DOT
British Columbia Transit PHILIP A. SHUCET, Commissioner, Virginia DOT
JEANNE W. KRIEG MICHAEL S. TOWNES, President and CEO, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
CELIA G. KUPERSMITH
LINDA S. WATSON, Executive Director, LYNX--Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway
and Transportation District
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
PAUL J. LARROUSSE
National Transit Institute MARION C. BLAKEY, Federal Aviation Administrator, U.S.DOT
DAVID A. LEE REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
Connecticut Transit GEORGE BUGLIARELLO, Chancellor, Polytechnic University, and Foreign Secretary, National Academy
CLARENCE W. MARSELLA of Engineering
Denver Regional Transportation District THOMAS H. COLLINS (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
FAYE L. M. MOORE
JENNIFER L. DORN, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation
Authority JAMES J. EBERHARDT, Chief Scientist, Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies,
MICHAEL H. MULHERN U.S. Department of Energy
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority STACEY L. GERARD, Acting Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
STEPHANIE L. PINSON U.S.DOT
Gilbert Tweed Associates, Inc. EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads
ROBERT H. PRINCE, JR. JOHN C. HORSLEY, Exec. Dir., American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
DMJM+Harris ROBERT D. JAMISON, Acting Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. DOT
JEFFREY M. ROSENBERG EDWARD JOHNSON, Director, Applied Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Amalgamated Transit Union RICK KOWALEWSKI, Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S.DOT
BEVERLY SCOTT WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association
Sacramento Regional Transit District MARY E. PETERS, Federal Highway Administrator, U.S.DOT
PAUL P. SKOUTELAS ERIC C. PETERSON, Deputy Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
Port Authority of Allegheny County SUZANNE RUDZINSKI, Director, Transportation and Regional Programs, U.S. EPA
KATHRYN D. WATERS
JEFFREY W. RUNGE, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
ANNETTE M. SANDBERG, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS WILLIAM G. SCHUBERT, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
WILLIAM W. MILLAR JEFFREY N. SHANE, Under Secretary for Policy, U.S.DOT
APTA CARL A. STROCK (Maj. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps
ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR. of Engineers
TRB
JOHN C. HORSLEY TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
AASHTO
MARY E. PETERS Transportation Research Board Executive Committee Subcommittee for TCRP
FHWA JOSEPH H. BOARDMAN, New York State DOT (Chair)
JENNIFER L. DORN, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MICHAEL D. MEYER, Georgia Institute of Technology
LOUIS SANDERS
APTA WILLIAM W. MILLAR, American Public Transportation Association
ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Transportation Research Board
SECRETARY MICHAEL S. TOWNES, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA
ROBERT J. REILLY C. MICHAEL WALTON, University of Texas, Austin
TRB LINDA S. WATSON, LYNX--Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP REPORT 71
Track-Related Research
Volume 5:
Flange Climb Derailment Criteria
and Wheel/Rail Profile Management
and Maintenance Guidelines
for Transit Operations
HUIMIN WU
XINGGAO SHU
NICHOLAS WILSON
Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI)
Pueblo, CO
S UBJECT A REAS
Public Transit · Rail
Research Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in Cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2005
www.TRB.org
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP REPORT 71: Volume 5
The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, Project D-7
environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public ISSN 1073-4872
transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need ISBN 0-309-08830-5
of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, Library of Congress Control Number 2001135523
and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is
© 2005 Transportation Research Board
necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new
technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into Price $25.00
the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program
(TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit
industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet
demands placed on it.
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special
Report 213--Research for Public Transit: New Directions,
published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass
Transportation Administration--now the Federal Transit Admin-
istration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation NOTICE
Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative
for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the
longstanding and successful National Cooperative Highway approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such
Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities approval reflects the Governing Board's judgment that the project concerned is
in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National
TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including plan- Research Council.
ning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and
resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The
Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency
authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate
Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum by the technical panel, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation
agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by Research Board, the National Research Council, the Transit Development
the three cooperating organizations: FTA, The National Academies, Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of
acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and Transportation.
the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel
educational and research organization established by APTA. according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation
TDC is responsible for forming the independent governing board, Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National
designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Research Council.
Committee.
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically
but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the
responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research Special Notice
program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the
The Transportation Research Board of The National Academies, the National
evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and
Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit
expected products. Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein
appointed by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the
project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and project reporting.
provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the
project. The process for developing research problem statements and
selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing
cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activ-
ities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail Published reports of the
to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on
disseminating TCRP results to the intended end users of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB are available from:
provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice,
and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA Transportation Research Board
Business Office
will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other
500 Fifth Street, NW
activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural
Washington, DC 20001
transit industry practitioners.
The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can and can be ordered through the Internet at
cooperatively address common operational problems. The TCRP http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
results support and complement other ongoing transit research and
training programs. Printed in the United States of America
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol-
ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology
and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in
1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni-
cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration
and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for
advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs
aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve-
ments of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the
services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining
to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of
Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative,
to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the
Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate
the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and
advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad-
emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences
and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the
scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and
the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair,
respectively, of the National Research Council.
The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the
National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board's mission is to promote
innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting,
the Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and
practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical
excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research
results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board's varied activities annually engage more
than 5,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and
private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is
supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of
the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the
development of transportation. www.TRB.org
www.national-academies.org
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 71, VOLUME 5
ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, TCRP Manager
EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications
BETH HATCH, Assistant Editor
TCRP PROJECT D-7 PANEL
Field of Engineering of Fixed Facilities
ANTHONY BOHARA, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Philadelphia, PA (Chair)
MICHAEL O. BROWN, Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, CA
STELIAN CANJEA, New Jersey Transit Corporation, Bloomfield, NJ
LANCE G. COOPER, West Palm Beach, FL
EARLE M. HUGHES, Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems, Audubon, PA
JEFFREY G. MORA, Washington, DC
JAMES NELSON, Wilson, Ihrig & Associates, Inc., Oakland, CA
JOSEPH A. ORIOLO, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Jamaica Plain, MA
CHARLES L. STANFORD, PB Transit & Rail Systems, San Francisco, CA
TERRELL WILLIAMS, FTA Liaison Representative
LOUIS F. SANDERS, APTA Liaison Representative
GUNARS SPONS, FRA Liaison Representative
ELAINE KING, TRB Liaison Representative
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This report includes the results of a research task carried out under TCRP Proj-
FOREWORD ect D-7, "Joint Rail Transit-Related Research with the Association of American
By Christopher W. Jenks Railroads/Transportation Technology Center, Inc." The report includes flange climb
TCRP Manager derailment criteria for transit vehicles that include lateral-to-vertical (L/V) ratio limits
Transportation Research and a corresponding flange-climb-distance limit, and it offers guidance that transit
Board agencies can follow in their wheel and rail maintenance practices. This report should
be of interest to engineers involved in the design, construction, maintenance, and oper-
ation of rail transit systems.
Over the years, a number of track-related research problem statements have been
submitted for consideration in the TCRP project selection process. In many instances,
the research requested has been similar to research currently being performed for the
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the freight railroads by the Transportation
Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), Pueblo, Colorado, a subsidiary of the Association of
American Railroads (AAR). Transit track, signal, and rail vehicle experts reviewed the
research being conducted by TTCI. Based on this effort, a number of research topics
were identified where TCRP funding could be used to take advantage of research cur-
rently being performed at the TTCI for the benefit of the transit industry. A final report
on one of these efforts--Flange Climb Derailment Criteria and Wheel/Rail Profile
Management and Maintenance Guidelines for Transit Operations--is presented in this
publication.
A railroad train running along a track is one of the most complex dynamic systems
in engineering due to the presence of many nonlinear components. Wheel and rail
geometries have a significant effect on vehicle dynamic performance and operating
safety. The wheel/rail interaction in transit operations has its own special characteris-
tics. Transit systems have adopted different wheel and rail profile standards for differ-
ent reasons. Older systems with long histories have wheel and rail profile standards that
were established many years ago. Newer systems have generally selected wheel and rail
profiles based on an increased understanding of wheel/rail interaction in recent years.
Transit systems are typically operated in dense urban areas, which frequently results
in systems that contain a large number of curves with small radii that can increase wheel
and rail wear and increase the potential for flange-climb derailments. Transit systems
also operate a wide range of vehicle types, such as those used in commuter rail, light
rail, and rapid transit services, with a wide range of suspension designs and perfor-
mance characteristics. Increasing operating speed and the introduction of new vehicle
designs have posed an even greater challenge for transit systems to maintain and
improve wheel/rail interaction.
Under TCRP Project D-7 Task 8, TTCI was asked to develop flange climb derail-
ment criteria derived from wheel profiles found in various types of transit vehicles. In
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addition, TTCI was asked to develop guidelines for the maintenance and management
of wheel/rail profiles for transit vehicles. In meeting these objectives, TTCI first iden-
tified common problems and concerns related to wheel/rail profiles through a survey of
representative transit systems. Based on this information, flange climb derailment cri-
teria were developed using wheel profiles identified during the survey. TTCI then val-
idated the flange climb derailment criteria using test track data and computer simula-
tion. Finally, TTCI developed guidelines for the management and maintenance of
wheel/rail profiles for transit operations based on problems and concerns identified dur-
ing the transit agency survey and current transit practice.
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CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY
3 CHAPTER 1 Introduction
1.1 Background, 3
1.2 Structure of This Report, 3
1.3 Summary of Phase I Work, 4
6 CHAPTER 2 Flange Climb Derailment Criteria
2.1 Wheel L/V Ratio Criteria, 6
2.2 Flange-Climb-Distance Criteria, 6
2.3 Determination of Effective AOA, 7
2.4 Definition of Flange Climb Distance, 8
2.5 A Biparameter Technique to Derive Flange Climb Distance, 9
2.6 Effect of Speed on Distance to Climb, 10
2.7 Application of Flange Climb Criteria, 10
2.8 Examples of Application of Flange Climb Criteria, 10
12 CHAPTER 3 Recommended Management and Maintenance Guidelines
of Wheel/Rail Profiles for Transit Operations
3.1 Requirement for New Wheel Profile Drawings, 12
3.2 Wheel/Rail Profile Measurement and Documentation, 14
3.3 Wheel/Rail Profile Assessment, 16
3.4 Understanding Important Stages of Wheel/Rail Contact
in a System, 23
3.5 Wheel Re-Profiling, 24
3.6 Wheel Profile Design, 25
3.7 Ground Rail Profile, 26
3.8 Effect of Gage and Flange Clearance on Wheel/Rail Contact, 28
3.9 Wheel/Rail Profile Monitoring Program, 30
31 CHAPTER 4 Glossary of Technical Terms
33 REFERENCES
A-1 APPENDIX A Effect of Wheel/Rail Profiles and Wheel/Rail
Interaction on System Performance and Maintenance
in Transit Operations
B-1 APPENDIX B Investigation of Wheel Flange Climb Derailment
Criteria for Transit Vehicles (Phase I Report)
C-1 APPENDIX C Investigation of Wheel Flange Climb Derailment
Criteria for Transit Vehicles (Phase II Report)
