My house is 1/2 air mile from Sykesville's station (operating as Baldwin's Restaurant) on the CSX's Old Main Line - the track follows a series of curves following the Patapsco River.
There are occasional notes of rail singing as the coal trains pass through town. The OML does have several 'greaser' locations along its length.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It has much less to do with the flanges than it does with the solid axle between the wheels.
When passing through a curve, one wheel will be sliding at least a little bit. Which one depends on a variety of factors.
When that sliding occurs, you'll often hear the squeal. Tune in to the Desher rail cams for a regular dose.
Several things can affect the squeal. Dry rail is one - wet rail lubricates the contact and the sliding is relatively silent. Weight is another. An empty flat car is no where near as noisy as a loaded coil car.
Curves on the transfers at Deshler are 10 MPH. I haven't really listened to trains on broader curves or at higher speeds.
If you can manage a close-up view of the roadbed on a sharp curve, you'll likely see flakes of metal on the ballast from the sliding.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Yesterday, while at one of my favorite trains watching spots, which includes a moderate curve, a long BNSF freight train passed. Most of the cars went through the curve without the flange hitting the rail, which I presume was the cause of the screech, but the wheel flange on several cars at various locations throughout the train were touching the rail as indicated by a loud screech.
Why would most of the cars get through the curve without the flange touching the rail but not all of them?
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
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