Railway wheelset fatigue life estimation based on field tests

Field tests using an instrumented powered wheelset were performed to investigate fatigue damage accumulation in railway axles. Axle bending strains measured and post-processed obtain axle stress spectra. Statistical analyses used the variations of spectra due changes operation parameters. The study indicates that can be modeled truncated normal distributions, where large majority amplitudes are lower than 50 MPa. Stress cycles at higher affected by parameters such as track design, number switches crossings, whether is a leading or trailing position. Variations obtained statistical distributions stresses have been input for life analyses. It was concluded potentially initiate on axles suffering from corrosion small surface cracks/scratches.