Influence of mechanical inter-carriage coupling system of four-axle locomotive bogie frames on wheels and rails degradation on curved track

In the paper a proposition of extending the service life of the four-axle locomotive wheelsets has been analyzed. A simple mechanical system, that elastically connects the bogie frames in horizontal plane beyond a locomotive body, has been examined. The specialized Vi-Rail program, designed to test the dynamics of rail vehicles, has been used for numerical calculations. Some numerical results according to wheels wear and guide forces of the four-axes locomotive without and with mechanical system connecting the bogie frames have been analyzed. The lateral and torsional stiffnesses of the connecting element has been taken into account. The results of simulation tests concern the wear numbers of wheels and magnitudes of guiding forces for locomotive model moving at a permissible speed on a curved track with radius of 300 and 1000 meters. The drive torque characteristics have been selected in such a way that the vehicle, overcoming the resistance to motion, runs at a constant speed appropriate for a given track curvature. It has been demonstrated, that the MBS programme can be an effective tool for assessing rail traction vehicle possibilities in the category of expected wheel-rail wear and damage during operations on curved tracks.