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Lubricants
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Tribology in Railway Engineering
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Tribology in Railway Engineering

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 1606

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhen Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section of Railway Engineering, Department of Engineering Structures, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
Interests: modelling of train–track interaction; finite element method; friction; railway structural dynamics; vibration and noise; detection of track degradation; railway condition monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zili Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section of Railway Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
Interests: rail vehicle dynamics; contact mechanics; track dynamics; train–track interaction; condition monitoring; rolling contact fatigue
Prof. Dr. Roger Lewis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
Interests: general tribology; wear modelling and mapping; wheel/rail contact tribology; skin friction and deformation; engine tribology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on “Tribology in Railway Engineering” focuses on the study of friction, wear, and lubrication in railway systems. As these systems are subjected to intense operational demands, understanding and optimizing tribological interactions is vital for enhancing their performance, safety, and longevity. This issue covers a broad range of topics, including the mechanics and dynamics of wheel–rail contact, where managing friction and wear is essential for reducing maintenance costs and improving ride comfort. The advancements discussed in this issue include new surface treatments and lubrication strategies designed to mitigate wear and extend the life of railway components, particularly in high-speed and heavy-haul contexts. Contributions also examine the tribological challenges in braking systems, rail vehicle bearings, and other crucial components, where innovations in materials, surface treatments, and lubrication technologies are driving improvements in efficiency and durability. Additionally, this issue addresses the environmental and economic implications of tribological practices, such as reducing noise, minimizing energy consumption, and enhancing the overall system sustainability. By presenting cutting-edge research and practical solutions, this Special Issue aims to advance the understanding and application of tribology in railway engineering, ultimately contributing to more reliable, efficient, and sustainable rail transportation systems.

Dr. Zhen Yang
Prof. Dr. Zili Li
Prof. Dr. Roger Lewis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tribology
  • railway engineering
  • wheel–rail interaction
  • friction
  • wear
  • lubrication
  • surface treatments
  • braking systems
  • bearings
  • high-speed railways

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 8211 KiB  
Article
An Experimental Study of Wheel–Rail Creep Curves Under Dry Contact Conditions Using V-Track
by Gokul J. Krishnan, Jan Moraal, Zili Li and Zhen Yang
Lubricants 2025, 13(7), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13070287 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 302
Abstract
Friction behaviour at the wheel–rail interface is of critical importance for railway operations and maintenance and is generally characterised by creep curves. The V-Track test rig was used in this study to measure both the lateral and longitudinal creep curves with uncontaminated dry [...] Read more.
Friction behaviour at the wheel–rail interface is of critical importance for railway operations and maintenance and is generally characterised by creep curves. The V-Track test rig was used in this study to measure both the lateral and longitudinal creep curves with uncontaminated dry interface conditions, utilising contact pressures representative of operational railway wheel–rail systems. The novelties of this study are threefold. 1. With proper representations of train/track components, the V-Track tests revealed the effects of structural dynamics on measuring wheel–rail creep curves in real life. 2. Pure lateral and longitudinal creepage conditions were produced with two distinct experimental principles—displacement- and force-controlled—on the V-Track, i.e., by carefully controlling the angle of attack and the traction/braking torque, respectively, and thus the coefficient of friction from lateral and longitudinal creep curves measured on the same platform could be cross-checked. 3. The uncertainties in the measured creep curves were analysed, which was rarely addressed in previous studies on creep curve measurements. In addition, the measured creep curves were compared against the theoretical creep curves obtained from Kalker’s CONTACT. The influence of wheel rolling speed and torque direction on the creep curve characteristics was then investigated. The measurement results and findings demonstrate the reliability of the V-Track to measure wheel–rail creep curves and study the wheel–rail frictional rolling contact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology in Railway Engineering)
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15 pages, 4529 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on Sanding Effect of Rail Vehicles Under Low-Adhesion Conditions
by Feng Qiao, Chao Chen, Ming Zhao, Chuan Yang, Jiajun Zhou and Chun Tian
Lubricants 2025, 13(6), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13060270 - 17 Jun 2025
Viewed by 336
Abstract
To investigate the adhesion characteristics and sanding effect of rail vehicles on a contaminated rail surface, an innovative wheel/ring configuration test rig, named the PLS-Circulator, was employed. Based on the equivalence principle, the sanding condition relationship between the test rig and the field [...] Read more.
To investigate the adhesion characteristics and sanding effect of rail vehicles on a contaminated rail surface, an innovative wheel/ring configuration test rig, named the PLS-Circulator, was employed. Based on the equivalence principle, the sanding condition relationship between the test rig and the field was first established. Then, extensive and quantitative experiments on the enhancement of rail vehicle adhesion in sanding conditions were conducted. The results show that the maximum adhesion coefficient of various media increases with an increase in the amount of sand, and the adhesion-enhancing effects gradually reach the threshold when the amount of sand is high. On the other hand, after a single application of sand, the increase in the adhesion coefficient gradually decreases over time, and the pattern of adhesion enhancement degradation varies in different media. It was found that oil is the most unfavorable condition, where the adhesion-enhancing effect deteriorates the fastest. The appropriate amount of sand on the PLS-Circulator is 0.3 g/m, corresponding to 4.8 g/m of sand in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology in Railway Engineering)
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32 pages, 7667 KiB  
Article
Development of a Non-Uniform Heat Source Model for Accurate Prediction of Wheel Tread Temperature on Long Downhill Ramps
by Jinyu Zhang, Jingxian Ding and Jianyong Zuo
Lubricants 2025, 13(6), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13060235 - 24 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 563
Abstract
Accurately simulating the thermal behavior of wheel–brake shoe friction on long downhill ramps is challenging due to the complexity of modeling appropriate heat source models. This study investigates heat generation during the frictional braking process of freight train wheels and brake shoes under [...] Read more.
Accurately simulating the thermal behavior of wheel–brake shoe friction on long downhill ramps is challenging due to the complexity of modeling appropriate heat source models. This study investigates heat generation during the frictional braking process of freight train wheels and brake shoes under long-slope conditions. Four heat source models—constant, modified Gaussian, sinusoidal, and parabolic distributions—were developed based on energy conservation principles and validated through experimental data. A thermomechanical coupled finite element model was established, incorporating a moving heat source to analyze the effects of different models on wheel tread temperature distribution and its evolution over time. The results show that all four models effectively simulate frictional heat generation, with computed temperatures, deviating by only 6.0–8.2% from experimental measurements, confirming their accuracy and reliability. Among the models, the modified Gaussian distribution heat source, with its significantly higher peak local heat flux (2.82 times that of the constant model) and rapid attenuation, offers the most precise simulation of the non-uniform temperature distribution in the contact region. This leads to a 40% increase in the temperature gradient variation rate and effectively reproduces the “hot spot” effect. The new non-uniform heat source model accurately captures local temperature dynamics and predicts frictional heat transfer and thermal damage trends. The modified Gaussian distribution model outperforms others in simulating local temperature peaks, offering support for optimizing braking system models and improving thermal damage prediction. Future research will refine this model by incorporating factors like material wear, environmental conditions, and dynamic contact characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribology in Railway Engineering)
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