Evaluation of Forces on Derailed Wheels Using Soil Cutting Theory

Much research has been performed on predicting the derailment of a rail car when properly situated on rails. However, less work has been performed on evaluating what happens to a railcar’s wheel after derailment. Recent work has used a simplified off-track ground friction coefficient to aid in the prediction of post-derailment car trajectories. This paper uses soil cutting theory to investigate the lateral and longitudinal forces acting on a derailed wheel in different soil types. Findings are compared to the use of the simplified off-track ground friction and may improve the accuracy of current derailment simulation techniques.