Freight Car Research Articles

Unveiling the Legacy of the Nineteenth Century Riotinto Mining Railway: From Historic Heritage to Thriving Tourist Attraction

The Riotinto mining railway is a remarkable construction. Stretching an impressive 348 km it was built between 1873 and 1875 to transport minerals from Riotinto’s mining operations to the international port of Huelva. At its height in the 1950’s, this monumental railway network had a fleet of 162 locomotives (mostly steam but also diesel and electric) and around 3,300 freight cars and carriages. Towards the end of the 1960’s the line began to fall into disuse, and it was closed entirely in 1984. Since the establishment of the Rio Tinto Foundation in 1987, dedicated efforts have been made to preserve this invaluable railway heritage and today, the fruits of their labor can be enjoyed at the Riotinto Mining Park where tourists can ride a fully restored 22 km section of this historic rail network. The park is highly successful and has recovered strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic attracting a record 96,935 visitors in 2022. The majority of the park’s tourists are from Spain but also a significant number are international (principally from Germany) highlighting the global importance of this site and the railway as a sustainable heritage tourism destination. Taking the restoration of the Riotinto mining railway as a case study, we aim to demonstrate the transformative power of the preservation and restoration of industrial heritage.

To Busan and Beyond: Mobilities of Korean War Trauma

The Korean War (1950-1953) leveled the peninsula, losing and displacing millions of its people. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans from North and South found themselves in refugee camps in Busan. This traumatizing event is carefully delineated in Yi Hochol’s “Far from Home” and Han Musook’s “The Fragment.” Through an analysis of these short stories using Kate Coddington’s theory of contagious trauma, the paper forwards that the trauma caused by the war spreads, compounds, and expands within the infrastructures—namely, freight cars and warehouse—that facilitate the movements of refugees. In “Far from Home,” during the outbreak of the Korean War, four North Koreans move southward and live in freight cars, but this movement to escape the horrors of war also exposes them to being further traumatized by their homelessness. The characters in “The Fragment,” on the other hand, are able to secure a space in a warehouse in Busan, but the atmosphere coupled with tension with residents over basic necessities is just as traumatizing. These indicate that the infrastructures and conditions within, which can be as ordinary as needing a shelter to sleep in and water to wash themselves, traumatize further the already traumatized. The war, as an extraordinary event, traumatized the refugees—but their movements to safety and refuge, in response to it, cut more traumas.

Differences in Perceptions Regarding the Causes of Accidents in Logistics Vehicles: Freight vs. Passenger Cars

What factors do truck drivers consider as the primary causes of accidents? Study 1 investigated whether there were differences in risk perception among drivers of freight and passenger cars regarding various accident causes. Truck drivers perceived lower accident risks due to external factors during longer distances compared to shorter distances. Conversely, passenger car drivers felt lower risks at closer distances than at longer ones. This discrepancy can be attributed to variations in risk perception for the same accident factor, influenced by psychological fluency and the fit of regulatory focus with psychological distance.
 Study 2 explored conditions where the interaction effect between driving distance and regulatory focus influenced by driver type (freight vs. passenger car), differed from Study 1. Participants indicated that, when anticipating driving long distances while intoxicated, the perceived risk of drunk driving decreased if they were identified as other truck drivers. However, when identifying themselves as truck drivers, the risk perception of drunk driving increased significantly. This pattern was also replicated in the context of drowsy driving.

Determining the influence of sandwich-type components on the load of a hatch cover in a universal open wagon

The object of the study reported here is the processes of occurrence, perception, and redistribution of loads in the improved structure of the hatch cover in a universal open wagon. In order to reduce the load on the cover of an open wagon hatch, and, accordingly, to improve its strength, it is proposed to improve its design by introducing sandwich components. The thickness of the sheets that form the hatch cover has been determined. The dynamic loading of the hatch cover in the vertical plane was studied. It was found that the accelerations acting on the hatch cover with the proposed improvement are almost 20 % lower than those acting on the typical structure. The basic strength indicators of the hatch cover under the operational modes of its load have been determined. The results of the calculation showed that the maximum stresses in the hatch cover are 22 % lower than permissible ones. In addition, within the framework of the study, the main indicators of the dynamics of the open wagon equipped with the proposed structure of hatch covers were determined. The movement of the open wagon under the condition of movement in an empty state is rated as "good". At the same time, the maximum accelerations in the center of mass of the supporting structure of an open wagon were 4.6 m/s2, and the coefficient of vertical dynamics was about 0.6. Special features of the results within the framework of this study are that the proposed improvement of the hatch cover helps improve its strength by reducing the dynamic load, and not by strengthening the structure. The scope of practical application of the results is the engineering industry, in particular, railroad transport. The conditions for the practical use of the research results are the use of energy-absorbing material in the sandwich-type components that form the hatch cover. The study reported here could contribute to devising recommendations for the construction of components in the structures of modern freight cars, thereby reducing the costs of maintaining them in operation, as well as increasing the profitability of railroad transportation

МЕТОДИКА АНАЛИЗА УСТАЛОСТНОЙ ДОЛГОВЕЧНОСТИ НЕСУЩЕЙ РАМЫ СПЕЦИАЛИЗИРОВАННОГО ВАГОНА ДЛЯ ПЕРЕВОЗКИ ШЛАКА

A technique to assess the strength and fatigue life of the welded load-bearing frame structure of a specialized slag carriage is proposed. This method provides for taking into account the specific operating modes of the carriage, which differ significantly from the operating conditions of mainline freight cars. For this car type, the fatigue life is determined by the modes associated with loading and unloading operations, as well as temperature loads acting on the bearing structure of the frame. The proposed method is based on mathematical and computer modeling of the dynamic loading of a car in operation. Dynamic loads are found on the basis of the developed solid car model. The structural strength is assessed using the finite element method. The fatigue life of the structure is estimated within the framework of a hybrid model that includes elements of low- and multi-cycle fatigue. The approbation of the technique is carried out using the example of a specialized car for transporting 16-VP slag. The results obtained confirm the operability of the studied car structure and correspond well with the results of field tests and analysis of bearing structures in operation.

Research on Vehicle Detection in Infrared Aerial Images in Complex Urban and Road Backgrounds

The detection of vehicle targets in infrared aerial remote sensing images captured by drones presents challenges due to a significant imbalance in vehicle distribution, complex backgrounds, the large scale of vehicles, and the dense and arbitrarily oriented distribution of targets. The RYOLOv5_D model is proposed based on the YOLOv5-obb rotation model. Firstly, we reconstruct a new vehicle remote sensing dataset, BalancedVehicle, to achieve data balance. Secondly, given the challenges of complex backgrounds in infrared remote sensing images, the AAHE method is proposed to highlight infrared remote sensing vehicle targets while reducing background interference during the detection process. Moreover, in order to address the issue of detecting challenges under complex backgrounds, the CPSAB attention mechanism is proposed, which could be used together with DCNv2. GSConv is also used to reduce the model parameters while ensuring accuracy. This combination could improve the model’s generalization ability and, consequently, enhance the detection accuracy for various vehicle categories. The RYOLOv5s_D model, trained on the self-built dataset BalancedVehicle, demonstrates a notable improvement in its mean average precision (mAP), increasing from 73.6% to 78.5%. Specifically, the average precision (AP) for large aspect ratio vehicles such as trucks and freight cars increases by 11.4% and 8%, respectively. The RYOLOv5m_D and RYOLOv5l_D models achieve accuracies of 82.6% and 84.3%. The Param of RYOLOv5_D is similar to that of the YOLOv5-obb, while possessing a decrease in computational complexity of 0.6, 4.5, and 12.8GFLOPS. In conclusion, the RYOLOv5_D model’s superior accuracy and real-time capabilities in infrared remote sensing vehicle scenarios are validated by comparing various advanced models based on rotation boxes on the BalancedVehicle dataset.

Классификация способов фиксации тормозных чек в башмаках тормозной рычажной передачи грузовых вагонов

The article is devoted to ensuring reliable fixation of brake checks in the shoes of the brake lever transmission of freight cars. It is shown that mainly the loss of brake checks occurs when unloading freight cars with car dumpers. The reason for the loss of brake checks is the imperfection of the way the brake pad is connected to the shoe. The scientific works, which present the designs of the brake check, brake shoe and pads, are analyzed, the advantages and disadvantages of such designs are considered. The author of the article proposes a classification of methods to prevent the loss of brake checks, improving the connection of the shoe to the shoe by upgrading the basic design of the brake check, as well as upgrading the brake check using a spring lock.

Анализ конструкций, параметров и перспективы развития инновационных грузовых вагонов

A retrospective and prospective analysis of the development and production of innovative freight cars was carried out. We considered approaches determining criteria for innovation on the part of regulatory authorities, all participants in the transportation process and representatives of the scientific and professional environment. The design solutions of companies producing seventh generation freight cars were studied in detail. The technical characteristics and economic efficiency of innovative cars are presented. The parameters of future innovative cars and their design solutions are considered. Fundamentally new innovative designs include six-axle articulated cars, high-speed platforms for container and piggyback transportation and cars with removable bodies. Proposals are given for the development of a single consolidated interpretation of the term «innovative car» with its subsequent consolidation in regulatory documents.

Overdue waiting of wagons on railway branch tracks: problems and solutions

The purpose of the study: to prevent wagons from being waited aimlessly by freight owners (Railway customers) on the branch roads of freight cars in rail transport, and to improve wagon turnover indicators Method of study: on the basis of statistical data, comparisons were made on the example of regional railway nodes of the railway in the case of the fact that cars remain standing due to the fault of Railway customers on Branch roads for more than a specified period. The history of the occurrence of the coefficient of the amount of the current fine was studied. it was studied to what extent the statement of the indicators of the amount of fines on the main myory cells was correctly interpreted on the secondary myory cells, and analyzed by comparing the definition of fines for leaving wagons waiting for myory abroad. The main result from the research. The amount of the fine levied for the time of waiting for railway-owned wagons without a goal is obtained as a result of increasing their effectiveness in relation to Railway customers, the wagons on the branch roads received a traffic jam. The number of re-releases of wagons decreases, Efficient use of shunting locomotives and freight fronting over-unloading machines. The station leads to a mutadillation of the operating mode, in a word, by increasing the turnover of wagons, an improvement in the indicators of the effective use of wagons is achieved.

Математическая модель организации обслуживания и ремонта грузовых вагонов

The strategic brand of any company is based on customer orientation. With regard to the carriage component of the transportation process, the consumer expects to meet the needs for technically sound rolling stock on constant basis. Timely high-quality maintenance and repair of freight cars guarantee the quality of transport services. The elimination of losses in the technological process of rolling stock maintenance significantly increases the competitiveness of railway transport and has a positive effect on state economic stability. The controllability optimization of the technological complex of freight cars maintenance and repair inevitably increases the efficiency of the transportation process due to a systematic approach to the organization of work related to the maintenance of the life cycle of rolling stock. Mathematical support tools, including the complex of mathematical methods, models and algorithms applied to solve the problems of rational technological processes organization, and can significantly narrow the search for optimal output and eliminate unnecessary losses when updating technology.

Assessment of the strength of elements in a freight car automatic coupling device

The article examines the influence of car dynamics on the safety of rolling stock. When moving, loads are transferred to the components and parts of the car, which change during the movement and depend on many factors, including the operating mode of the rolling stock. Quasi-static forces of tension and compression that work when transmitting locomotive traction to the train as a whole, determine the main dynamic parameters during operation. To determine loads during movement, a specialized software device is required that allows to retrieve data while moving. To calculate loads on components and parts, it is necessary to carry out discrete analysis, which can determine stress-strain states when assessing strength. Simulation using the Femap software package can identify the initial stages of node destruction, as well as simulate the interaction of several nodes with each other. To determine the dynamic impact of an automatic coupler on a car or two cars coupled to each other, it is necessary to first consider the loads acting on the individual components and parts of which it consists, as well as conduct a study of stress concentration on the surfaces of selected components, in this case on the inner surface of the absorber mechanism’s neck.

К ВОПРОСУ ВЛИЯНИЯ НЕМЕТАЛЛИЧЕСКИХ ВКЛЮЧЕНИЙ И ХИМИЧЕСКОГО СОСТАВА СТАЛИ 20ГЛ НА УДАРНУЮ ВЯЗКОСТЬ ГРУЗОВЫХ ВАГОННЫХ ОТЛИВОК

On the basis of statistical and micro-X-ray spectral analyses the issues of various relationships between the results of the impact strength of KCV-60 for the whole period 2020-2022, non-metallic inclusions (NMI) in samples and the chemical composition of low-alloy casting steel 20GL obtained in electric arc furnaces and used for trucks of freight cars, in particular for critical castings: «side frame» and «spring beam» are discussed

Information Utilization of Digital Couplings

The paper addresses the introduction of a digital automatic coupler and the technical requirements for an innovative rail freight car that will be the basis for a smart train. The truck must meet lower noise emissions, optimal weight, low operating costs, electropneumatic brake and logistics potential. A train assembled from such cars will achieve cost savings for operating professions, the processing of accompanying documents such as the vehicle report, braking report, technical inspection report of the car will be carried out automatically. The overall operating costs of rail transport will be competitive with road freight transport.

Effect of non-metallic inclusions and chemical composition of 20GL steel on impact strength of freight car castings

Effect of non-metallic inclusions and chemical composition of 20GL steel on impact strength of freight car castings

Socialization of the use of APC (Light Reflecting Devices) on Freight Cars in the Kintamani-Bali Tourist Area

Safety when driving can be improved by fulfilling complete roadworthiness requirements. One example of additional equipment for freight vehicles is a light-reflecting device that functions to indicate the presence of a vehicle if the driver of another vehicle flashes its lights. In field conditions carried out in the Kintamani tourist area, many drivers were found not to install additional equipment, which is very useful when the road conditions are dark or the installation was not in accordance with the provisions. In this community service activity, the Bali Land Transportation Polytechnic provided outreach regarding the use of light-reflecting devices in freight vehicles, which was carried out in Kintamani. Apart from discussing the use of light-reflecting devices on freight vehicles, the participants also actively participated in the process of installing light-reflecting devices on freight vehicles. The results of socialization also showed positive results based on an increase in post-test results from pre-test results.

Дослідження міцності вантажних вагонів з хребтовою балкою зварної конструкції

Due to the severe shortage of rolled zeta profile of increased strength class in the country as a result of the armed aggression of the russian federation, domestic enterprises were forced to manufacture freight cars with welded center sills. This article deals with the topical issue of researching the strength of freight cars with welded center sills. The models of freight cars with welded center sills that were subjected to scientific and experimental studies to assess strength are given. A comprehensive scientific and experimental studies of the strength of freight cars with center sills was carried out beams of a welded structure, which included execution of static strength tests, wedge tests within the tolerance range. Based on the results of the carried out tests types, the experimental and calculated value of the coefficient of fatigue safety factor in the structural elements of freight cars with welded center sills was obtained. The most stressed places in the metal structures of freight cars with welded have been determined. The service life of the researched freight cars with welded center sills installed by the manufacturing companies was confirmed based on the obtained values of fatigue safety factor in the structural elements of these cars. It has been established that the strength qualities of freight cars with welded center sills comply with the current regulatory requirements. Based on the results of comprehensive scientific and experimental studies, it is recommended to inspect the condition of structures and welds of center sills as part of each type of scheduled repair of freight cars.

ФОРМУВАННЯ ВАНТАЖНИХ ПЕРЕВЕЗЕНЬ ЗАЛІЗНИЧНИМ ТРАНСПОРТОМ УКРАЇНИ В УМОВАХ ВОЄННОГО СТАНУ

The article analyzes trends in freight traffic within 2022-2023 years. The data on the number of dispatched freight cars and volumes of cargo transportation have been processed. Changes in the logistical component since the beginning of the invasion of the aggressor country are considered. An important logistical component should include the change of routes due to the destruction of railway tracks and fixed track structures, blockouts of ports. Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine railway logistics has undergone drastic changes, i.e., a large number of cargoes went to western cross-overs instead of ports. As reported by the State Customs Service, the export of goods from Ukraine in 2022 decreased by 35% to 44.2 billion dollars. As usual, the agro-industrial and mining and metallurgical complexes, which provided more than ⅔ of goods and more than half of total exports, became the leaders in terms of export volumes under the martial law period. The leaders in export value among goods are grain crops, sunflower oil and ferrous metals. Based on the results of 2022, the export of metal collapsed more than three times, to 4.5 billion dollars. The mining and metallurgical complex of Ukraine suffered from the war much more than other sectors of the economy. About 40% of metallurgical capacities were captured or destroyed in Mariupol, namely, metallurgical plants of the MMK named after Ilich and PrJSC «Azovstal», the average loading of other capacities in 2022 was at the level of 30%. Plus, unlike the grain market, which has the opportunity to export its products through large ports even despite the unstable operation of the «grain corridor», the main routes for the mining and metallurgical complex still remain the western cross-overs and the Danube. It was determined that, against the background of the above-mentioned factors, the railcar-building industry in Ukraine underwent changes in the production of freight wagons in 2022-2023, that is, fewer orders for open-top wagons, and the active construction of platforms and other special-purpose wagons, as well as the production of bogies for the European track. Despite the difficulties, some of the domestic enterprises quickly found their way in today's realities and even managed to increase production. It has been established that the main domestic manufacturers of freight cars during the war were PrJSC «Dniprovagonmash», PJSC «Kryukiv Carriage Building Plant», LLC «DMZ «Karpaty», JSC «Ukrzaliznytsia», the Aurum Group company, and concerning repairsб the company «Lemtrans» should be singled out.

Проблематика оценки ресурса и усталостной прочности при постановке на производство инновационного подвижного состава

Purpose: In accordance with the requirements of section 3.17 of the Regulations on the System of Maintenance and Repair of Freight Cars Admitted to Operation on General-Use Railway Tracks in International Traffic (STOIR), when assigning a service life for a car different from that specified in the document, it is necessary to conduct resource tests of the car until destruction. But since there is a reserve in the structure, then with the same regulatory spectrum of impacts, the estimated number of cycles until destruction exceeds the number of cycles during resource tests by 2-10 times, depending on the selected coefficient of the fatigue resistance of the structure 1.15-1.8. Thus, if the results obtained by calculation are reliable, then the resource tests until destruction will take place with the number of cycles and damage 2-10 times greater than defined by GOST 33788. Resource tests have a high degree of reliability, as they are carried out on natural samples and under real operational loads. The exception may be testing on prototypes; in such cases, it makes sense to introduce a margin for the ‘non-naturality’ of the sample and its loading. Methods: Ways to reduce the safety factor for fatigue resistance have been explored. An analysis of regulatory documents, the requirements of which lead to exceeding the calculated number of cycles until failure over the number of cycles in resource tests by up to 10 times, has been conducted. Results: A series of actions, including innovative approaches, has been proposed to address the issue arising during the testing of loaded freight cars on the resource during collisions. Practical significance: The implementation of the recommended series of actions will eliminate the exceedance of the calculated number of cycles until destruction over the number of cycles in resource tests by up to 10 times. This will significantly reduce the time and financial investments in the process of conducting these tests.

Профіль ободу коліс вантажного вагона з перспективними візками для умов спільної експлуатації на українських і європейських залізницях

To solve the important problem of speeding up the integration of Ukraine into the European railway transportation, an interest has recently grown in the introduction of automatic car transfer from one track gauge to another using gauge-changeable wheelsets, thus dispensing with truck exchange or transshipment and thereby significantly shortening the delivery time. However, the combined operation of trains on the Ukrainian (1,520 mm gauge) and European (1,435 mm gauge) railways calls for the compatibility of the wheel-rail contact pair on both railways: R65 rails and a cant of 1/20 in Ukraine and UIC60 rails and a cant of 1/40 in Europe. The goal of this work is to develop a wheel profile for a freight car with prospective 18-7020 trucks for combined operation on the Ukrainian and European railways and predict the ride performance of a car with that wheel profile and its dynamic interaction with rails on both railways. An investigation was conducted into the wheel?rail interaction indices and the ride performance of a freight car with prospective 18-7020 trucks and wheels with existing profiles. It was shown that it is expedient to develop a new wheel profile to improve the service compatibility of the Ukrainian and European networks. A number of new wheel profiles were constructed, the efficiency of each profile in terms of dynamic stability at service speeds and wheel flange wear on the Ukrainian and European railways was calculated, and a compromise profile, ITM-73ES, was chosen. It was shown that the use of the chosen profile in a car with 18-7020 trucks will offer a high dynamic performance and improved indices of wheel?rail interaction for both truck gauges.

APPLICATION OF VIBRATION DIAGNOSTICS OF AXLE BOXES OF FREIGHT CARS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FAILURES

The research presented in this study advocates for the adoption of vibration diagnostics as a method to mitigate the risk of axle box failures in freight cars, emphasizing its significant impact on enhancing the safety of railway transportation. The authors assert that employing vibration diagnostics for axle boxes in freight cars results in a noteworthy 2.5-fold reduction in risks within the realm of railway transport.The practical implications of the developed diagnostic method extend to its capacity for assessing the safety of railway transport, offering a valuable tool for risk evaluation. Experimental studies conducted as part of this research further validate the effectiveness of the method, revealing a substantial decrease in the risk of axle box failures by a factor ranging from 1.125 to an impressive times. This empirical evidence solidifies the credibility and applicability of vibration diagnostics in averting potential failures in axle boxes.From an economic standpoint, the implementation of vibration diagnostics for axle box units demonstrates a tangible impact, with cost savings ranging from 13 to 44 thousand UAH corresponding to the operational mileage of a freight car. This underscores not only the safety benefits but also the economic advantages associated with the utilization of vibration diagnostics in the maintenance and operation of railway transport.The findings of this research contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the capabilities of vibration diagnostics as a powerful and effective tool in ensuring the safety of railway transportation. By highlighting the practical applicability of the method and supporting its success through empirical data, the authors advocate for its widespread adoption as a means to bolster the safety and efficiency of freight transportation by rail. In essence, this study provides a robust foundation for the integration of vibration diagnostics into routine maintenance practices, offering a proactive approach to minimizing risks and optimizing the performance of axle box units in freight cars.