Simplified diagnostics of drive systems in the operation of railway vehicles

A special case of rail vehicle failures, often related to maintenance levels with partial disassembly of components, include damage to the drive system components, which is only manifested during driving. These cases are difficult to detect with standard stationary methods. The use of selection methods or diagnostic advanced for the location and identification of these failures can contribute to a significant increase in the service cost, which measurably affect the overall cost of vehicle operation. In such a case, it becomes necessary to minimize them, by determining only the degree of disruption to the functioning of individual elements of the vehicle’s propulsion system. This will allow for locating the area of damage and take further service decisions. This article presents the results of the test implementation of a simplified control diagnostics of drive systems in the operation of a selected type of rail vehicle. The results of experimental studies based on vibration measurements of drive system components are presented. Based on them, it is possible to develop standard indicators of disturbance of the vehicle’s propulsion system components for use in rolling stock control diagnostics.