Friction Control Methods Used by the Transit Industry (2005)

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T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H B O A R D WASHINGTON, D.C. 2005 www.TRB.org T R A N S I T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M TCRP REPORT 71 Research Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in Cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation SUBJECT AREAS Public Transit • Rail Track-Related Research Volume 4: Friction Control Methods Used by the Transit Industry RICHARD P. REIFF NICHOLAS RUUD SEMIH F. KALAY Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) Pueblo, CO

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Admin- istration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including plan- ning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA, The National Academies, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research organization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activ- ities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners. The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. TCRP REPORT 71: Volume 4 Project D-7 ISSN 1073-4872 ISBN 0-309-06701-3 Library of Congress Control Number 2001135523 © 2005 Transportation Research Board Price $22.00 NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Published reports of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America Special Notice The Transportation Research Board of The National Academies, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad- emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board’s mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, the Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board’s varied activities annually engage more than 5,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 71, VOLUME 4 ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, TCRP Manager EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications NATALIE BARNES, Associate Editor BETH HATCH, Assistant Editor TCRP PROJECT D-7 PANEL Field of Engineering of Fixed Facilities ANTHONY BOHARA, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, PA (Chair) MICHAEL O. BROWN, Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, CA STELIAN CANJEA, New Jersey Transit Corporation, Bloomfield, NJ LANCE G. COOPER, West Palm Beach, FL EARLE M. HUGHES, Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems, Audubon, PA JEFFREY G. MORA, Jeff Mora Consulting, Washington, DC JAMES NELSON, Wilson, Ihrig & Associates, Inc., Oakland, CA JOSEPH A. ORIOLO, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Jamaica Plain, MA CHARLES L. STANFORD, PB Transit & Rail Systems, San Francisco, CA TERRELL WILLIAMS, FTA Liaison Representative LOUIS F. SANDERS, APTA Liaison Representative GUNARS SPONS, FRA Liaison Representative ELAINE KING, TRB Liaison Representative AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank the following transit systems and vendors for their support on this project: Port Authority of Allegheny County, Regional Transit District (RTD) Sacramento, Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, New York City Transit Authority, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, New Jersey Transit, Edmonton Transit, Portland TriMet, Kelsen Technologies, Portec Rail Materials, SRS Clickomatic, and SuperLube.

FOREWORD By Christopher W. Jenks TCRP Manager Transportation Research Board This report includes the results of a research task carried out under TCRP Proj- ect D-7, “Joint Rail Transit-Related Research with the Association of American Railroads/Transportation Technology Center, Inc., Friction Control Used by the Transit Industry.” Information is provided on a variety of onboard and wayside friction con- trol applications used in a transit environment to reduce noise, reduce wheel and rail wear, control truck steering forces, and reduce train energy. Descriptions of these applications are provided, along with their most appropriate uses. Operational issues associated with their use are also discussed. The report culminates in the provision of guidelines for selecting various types of friction control technologies. This report should be of interest to engineers involved in the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of rail transit systems. Over the years, a number of track-related research problem statements have been submitted for consideration in the TCRP project selection process. In many instances, the research requested has been similar to research currently being performed for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the freight railroads by the Association of American Railroads’s (AAR’s) Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), in Pueblo, Colorado. Transit track, signal, and rail vehicle experts reviewed the research being conducted by TTCI. Based on this effort, a number of research topics were iden- tified where TCRP funding could be used to take advantage of research currently being performed at the TTCI for the benefit of the transit industry. A final report on one of these efforts—Friction Control Used by the Transit Industry—is presented in this publication. The transit industry uses a number of what was once routinely called “lubrication systems” to reduce noise and vibration and to control wheel and rail wear. Because many of these systems now use more sophisticated materials than greases, the industry now more often uses the term “friction control” to describe these systems. The goal of fric- tion control is to produce a specific friction level at specific locations on the wheel or rail, rather than simply to reduce friction to a low level on the gage face. This goal requires a higher degree of system control, applicator reliability, and lubricant (i.e., fric- tion modifier material) development. Under TCRP Project D-7 Task 7, TTCI investigated various wayside and onboard friction control applications used in transit environments. This investigation included a review of available friction control technologies, materials, and their associated imple- mentation issues. The research included surveys of nine rail transit systems and field reviews of several applications, including the drilled-hole method of application at TriMet in Portland, Oregon, and a top-of-rail, vehicle-born applicator on the New Jersey Transit’s Newark Subway.

1 SUMMARY 3 CHAPTER 1 Background and Objective 4 CHAPTER 2 Technology Descriptions 2.1 Technology Overview, 4 2.2 Wayside-Based Friction Control/Lubrication, 5 2.3 Onboard Lubrication, 7 8 CHAPTER 3 Friction Control Materials 9 CHAPTER 4 Wayside TOR Lubrication/Friction Control Implementation Issues 4.1 General Issues, 9 4.2 Wheel Miscount Issues, 9 4.3 Output Duration Issues, 10 4.4 Grease Spillage Issues, 10 4.5 Corrosion, 10 4.6 Clogging Issues, 10 4.7 Rain, 10 4.8 Material Transfer Issues, 10 4.9 Variation in Material Performance Requirements, 10 11 CHAPTER 5 Results of Discussions with Operators 12 CHAPTER 6 General Issues Discussed by Operators Interviewed: Wayside and Onboard Systems 6.1 Operator A, 12 6.2 Operator B, 12 6.3 Operator C, 12 6.4 Operator D, 13 6.5 Operator E, 13 6.6 Operator F, 13 6.7 Operator G, 13 6.8 Operator H, 14 6.9 Operator I, 14 16 CHAPTER 7 Onsite Inspections of Innovative Approaches to Noise Control 7.1 Portland TriMet, 16 7.2 New Jersey Transit Hudson-Bergen Line, 19 7.3 New Jersey Transit Newark Subway, 21 7.4 Results, 22 23 CHAPTER 8 Conclusions 8.1 Conclusions of Site Visits, Inspections, and Interviews, 23 8.2 Selection Guidelines, 23 1-1 ATTACHMENT 1 Demonstration of the Drilled-Hole Applicator Concept for Applying Lubrication to the Rail/Wheel Interface Summary, 1-1 1.0 Introduction, 1-1 2.0 Background, 1-1 3.0 Objectives, 1-2 4.0 Drilled-Hole Applicator Concept Description, 1-2 5.0 Test Site Description, 1-3 6.0 Description of Data, 1-3 7.0 Test Procedure, 1-6 8.0 Products Evaluated, 1-7 9.0 Results, 1-7 10.0 Rail Defect/Fatigue Issues with the Drilled-Hole Concept, 1-10 11.0 Discussion: Summary/Conclusions, 1-11 12.0 Future Recommendations, 1-11 13.0 Acknowledgments, 1-12 CONTENTS

APPENDIX A Acoustic Evaluation of TriMet Rail Lubrication, 1A-1 APPENDIX B Summary of Rail Friction Data, 1B-1 APPENDIX C Portland TriMet Train and Applicator Adjustment Run Log, June 7–17, 2004, 1C-1 APPENDIX D Weather Summary, 1D-1 APPENDIX E Summary of Finite Element Analysis Study of Drilled Hole in 115 RE Rail Section, 1E-1 2-1 ATTACHMENT 2 New Jersey Transit Newark Subway Observations and Data from Demonstrating Top-of-Rail, Onboard Applicator Using Friction Modifier Summary, 2-1 Background, 2-1 Test Conditions and Conduct, 2-1 Vehicle Modifications, 2-1 Test Sequence, 2-2 Results, 2-3 Conclusions and Recommendations, 2-3