Title: Experimental investigation on the dynamic behaviour of a railway vehicle travelling through a turnout

Authors: R.S. Barbosa, G.F.M. Santos

Addresses: Polytechnic School of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Engineer in the Rolling Stock Division of the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce – VALE, Brazil

Abstract: Track critical locations with respect to the railway vehicle safety are the passages through the turnouts. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the safety of a railway vehicle crossing a turnout. In this study, the topography of a track turnout lay-out has been experimentally measured, and its geometric properties were synthesised. Results show that a constant wavelength vehicle oscillation occurs on the switches in the turnout and that the maximum lateral force at 65 km/h is almost 65% greater than those at low speeds (under 30 km/h).

Keywords: railway vehicles; vehicle dynamics; turnout crossing; safety; vehicle oscillation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHVS.2009.023860

International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems, 2009 Vol.16 No.1/2, pp.189 - 206

Published online: 17 Mar 2009 *

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