Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Irkutsk, Russia:

V. Yu. Konyukhov, Cand. Eng., Associate Prof., Dept. of Automation and Control, e-mail: konyukhov_vyu@mail.ru

Rolling contact fatigue is a common cause of rail failure due to repetitive stresses at the point of contact of the wheel with the rail. This phenomenon is a real problem that greatly affects the safety of train traffic. The tasks of preventive and corrective maintenance have a great impact on the life cycle cost of rail operation, and therefore advanced strategies based on forecasting functions are needed to reduce it. This requires a comprehensive assessment of defects of contact fatigue origin using modern research methods. In this paper, the microstructure of the metal surface layer and the mechanical properties of the metal of the rail head after various operating conditions are investigated. The analysis of the shape and size of defects of contact fatigue damage is carried out.

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