The current paper presents a new multi-layer model of low adhesion between railway wheel and rail. The model proposes that when leaves are crushed between railway wheels and rail, both a coated slippery layer and a chemically reacted, easily sheared surface layer are formed. Elemental depth profiling reveals that the chemically reacted, easily sheared surface layer contains substances such as P and Ca. Both the coated slippery layer and the chemically reacted, easily sheared surface layer must be removed to get proper adhesion between railway wheel and rail.
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Ulf Olofsson (2007) studied this question.
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