RCF and wear in theory and practice—The influence of rail grade on wear and RCF

This paper investigates the wear and RCF behaviour of several pearlitic and bainitic rail steels on a full scale test rig at voestalpine Schienen GmbH and also in several track tests. On the test rig a clear dependence between hardness of the pearlitic grades and the resistance against wear and RCF is seen. The same is found in track tests however the results especially in low wear regimes concerning higher hardness grades are not as distinct as on the test rig. Track behaviour also indicated the improved RCF resistance of higher hardness steels. Bainitic steels show a slightly different behaviour – the wear resistance is reduced compared to a pearlitic steel with the same hardness level though the RCF resistance is higher (both on the rig and in track if data available). Although the trends are consistent on the rig and in track, the absolute values concerning wear and RCF differ. Finally an outlook concerning modifications and upgrades for the test rig to shorten this gap is given.