DELIVERABLE 2.8 - urban track

0.6. CONCLUSIONS
D0208_STIB_M24.doc
TIP5-CT-2006-031312 Page 5 of 44
URBAN TRACK Issued: August 13, 2008
Quality checked and approved by project co-ordinator André Van Leuven
Flange lubrication is beneficial in reducing wear on wheels and rails.
Vignol rails of Q900 are recommended in non-embedded curves (they have a lower wear rate) where
exchanging the rail is easy.
Grooved rails of Q700 are recommended on embedded curves (it is possible to build them up 8 times
and to bend them without special difficulties) where exchanging the rail is difficult and expensive).
This restriction is possible with some special heat treatment on site. The first treatment can be done
in the workshop before installation in order to reduce squeal noise in the curve, or it can be done after
the first wear cycle (up to 16 mm wear is accepted in practice). After treatment, the rails of Q700 have
the same hardness as Q900 rails. Grooved rails of Q900 are recommended on tangent track.
New developments proposed by the rail manufacturers such a use of head rail in curves with a
specific wear restoration procedure are still in prototype development phase.
Specific track designs, such as the Viennese curve, are promising for wear reduction but not
applicable for embedded tram applications.
No further research or validation is required concerning this topic.
0.7. RELATION WITH THE OTHER DELIVERABLES (INPUT/OUTPUT/TIMING)
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