ABSTRACT
For effective and economical railway operation, important tribological issues must be addressed at the wheel/rail interface, within the engines of locomotives and, for electric trains, at the current collection point (Figure 34.1). In this chapter, the authors present the background to these issues and follow this with a brief discussion of some recent developments in wheel/rail tribology and related research. Important tribological issues also affect other systems involved in rail transport, and some of these aspects are discussed toward the end of this chapter.
