Basic Experiments on Longitudinal Creep Force in Model Wheel and Rail

Abstract

Tangential forces caused by micro slippage between the wheels and rails of a railway vehicle are referred to as creep forces. Creep forces play a significant role in the dynamics of rolling stock, and therefore must be properly understood. Scale model wheel machines can simply measure the creep forces, however the problem is that the scale model rules of the creep force characteristics between the real and the model vehicles has not yet been established. In this study, longitudinal creep forces were measured using scale model wheels and rails as a basic study for establishing dynamically similar creep force characteristics in scale model wheels and rails. A device was developed to add micro running resistance torque by connecting a motor or electrical resistance to the axle, and the relationship between longitudinal slip rate and longitudinal creep force in the micro-slip region was investigated and is reported.