Effect of Long-Term Inactivity on Railcar Bearings

The performance of railroad bearings that sit idle in railyards, large industrial plants, or shipping ports has not been previously explored. Some of the bearings, with documented periods of inactivity exceeding 18 months, have been associated with major derailments. The aforementioned has led to concerns in whether the inactive periods contributed to early failure, possibly through degradation of the grease properties brought on by moisture intake or grease separation leading to uneven protection of the metal components. The proposed work, to be conducted in collaboration with CSX Transportation and in consultation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), aims to answer the question of whether long-term inactivity has significant effect on bearing performance and service life, and whether these are tied to changes in the lubricant. The proposed work would consist of (a) identification of installed bearings on railcars that have not moved for periods of six months or longer, (b) removal of the bearings with minimum disruption to the lubricant, (c) pre-test inspection of the still-assembled bearings, (d) installation and service life testing on a laboratory test rig, with continuous performance monitoring of temperature rise, vibration spectra, and power consumption, (e) post-test inspection including disassembly, teardown, and visual inspection of all bearing components, and (f) analysis of the grease composition with specific focus on loss of oxidation inhibitors and evidence of lubricant separation.

• Record URL:
  https://www.utrgv.edu/railwaysafety/_files/documents/research/exhibit-d_utcrs_utrgv_effect_of_long_term_inactivity_on_railcar_bearings_2023.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Partners for this project are CSX Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $127861
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348340

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

  1201 W. University Dr
  Edinburg, TX  United States  78539
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

  1201 W. University Dr
  Edinburg, TX  United States  78539
• Project Managers:

  Stearns, Amy

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

  1201 W. University Dr
  Edinburg, TX  United States  78539
• Principal Investigators:

  Tarawneh, Constantine

  Jones, Robert

  Foltz, Heinrich

• Start Date: 20230901
• Expected Completion Date: 20240831
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearings; Inspection; Lubricants; Rail components; Railroad rails; Service life
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01898077
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University Transportation Center for Railway Safety
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348340
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Oct 31 2023 7:38PM