Re: Flat Wheels in Sydney

[chris@icos.net.nz ("chris 'fufas' grace")]

Tibor Weitzen wrote in message ...
>
>> disk brakes do not...
>
>1. The UK "fallen leaves" are tales for non-railway public & reporters. Ask
>National Rail people about millipedes in SA and how AN/NRC fight them with
>air-brushes etc.

Wrong. Refer 'British Railway Engineering'. Also refer 'Rail' and sundry
other
magazines for full details of this problem which affects all railways in the
UK.
They'd hardly build Sandite Units, Swedish Scribbers and water cannon trains
if the whole thing was a fabrication.

>2. During tendering period for 4GT, I have performed a lot of brake
>calculations that revealed, that disc brakes are extremely sensitive to
>track conditions and there shall be most attention paid to relation between
>braking effort and rail adhesion of the wheel during the WHOLE braking
>period until the train stops. The low speed is most dangerous for
skidding -
>the driver's experience most crucial in this stage of stopping or slowing
>down.
>3. The composite brake shoe CAN NOT 'condition' the wheel. The cast iron
can
>do it in very limited amount.
>
Wrong. Refer 'British Railway Engineering' for detailed information about
the then BR Research Tribology Research Unit and the results that they
obtained.