Introduction. Onboarding rolling stock that exerts increased axial loads makes assessing wheels force impact on railway tracks more acute and relevant. Specialist literature describes many techniques for measuring lateral forces and lateral wear with varying degrees of accuracy. However, the questions of the correct position of measuring devices along the circular segments of a curve, spacing and frequency of measuring force parameters during the service life of the track rails are still open. The article discusses the impact of 25 tf open-box cars on the load and wear of the trackways in curves that have different radii.

Materials and methods. In order to analyse and detail the total load exerted by each car wheel on track rails on the second main track of the Slyudyanskaya Division, East Siberian Infrastructure Directorate (descending segment), the authors selected two (R298 and R565 m) curved segments with almost identical slopes and comparable operating parameters. Tests were carried out to measure the load exerted on the rails along two trial segments of the track and also measurement trips of Sprinter-Integral, an infrastructure diagnostic complex (by Firma TVEMA JSC), were made along the trial curve.

Results. The researchers processed and analysed the data obtained for open-box cars with an axial load of 25 tf (245.3 kN). It has been established that of all the wheels that passed along the R298 m curve, 58% impacted the inner rail in an outward direction from the rail track with 42% having an inward impact. The inner rail is exposed to an average lateral force of 37.9 kN directed outward and 30.9 kN directed inward. Similar data is obtained for the R565 m curve. A comparison of the diagrams of lateral wear and lateral forces obtained for both curves showed that changes in them occurred synchronically.

Discussion and conclusion. In order to comprehensively analyse wheels impact, it is necessary to assess the impact from lateral forces which is especially important for curved track.