Influence of Shot Peening on Impact-Sliding Wear Behaviour of R260 Rail Steel

Abstract

During operation, railway crossings are subjected to rolling, impact, and sliding stresses, with impact-sliding stress specifically occurring as the wheel transitions from the rail wing to the crossing nose. This transition generates extremely high contact forces on the crossing nose, which can cause significant damage to both the crossing nose and the wing rail. This study aims to present a technological approach for extending the service life of crossing noses manufactured from R260 rail steel. To investigate the mechanisms involved under complex loading conditions, wear tests were carried out using an inclined impact-sliding wear testing machine. In this study, shot peening (SP) was applied to R260 rail steel. The impact-sliding wear tests showed that the wear loss of the shot-peened R260 steel was noticeably lower compared to that of the untreated R260 steel at room temperature.