This website was created to introduce the various aspects considered in the MEng Thesis of Gareth Dennis and will continue to be updated as part of the project.
Photo credits: © 2013 Gareth Dennisunless otherwise stated
This page is regularly updated and contains details of changes made to the site and progress made with the project.
Paper reviewed and accepted for publication
12 May 2013
The derivative paper Limits for Acceptable Use of Worn Rails on UK Standard Gauge Heritage Railways has been accepted for publication at the 12th International Railway Engineering Conference and Exhibition, receiving positive feedback.
Final submission
26 April 2013
The final thesis has been submitted. The project is being expanded into a full research proposal, and work is continuing to generate a conference paper from the work done.
Fracture mechanics
16 March 2013
As a means to establishing estimations of wear limits, a fracture mechanics approach is being pursued. Depending on the relevance of the assumptions made, this may provide a useful guide of maximum wear levels, and will serve to highlight the risk or otherwise presented by rail wear on heritage lines.
More lines added to industry survey
26 February 2013
The literature review continues to develop, as more material is uncovered. Several lines have been interviewed and the results from these are already interesting.
Developments in the new year
9 January 2013
The new year brings further progress... The long-delayed industry survey (involving interviewing the many standard gauge heritage railways across Britain) has begun at last, and the literature review is getting close to a point where it will be ready for the interim submission early in February.
Literature review continues
21 December 2012
Almost all of the contemporary research into the effects of rail wear on rail strength have been collected. This means that the review of current methods and research is well underway. Updates to the rest of the website are likely to follow as I get a better idea of their contents...
Project schedule update
25 October 2012
As a result of the scale of the literature survey, the start of the industry survey has been pushed back to Week 7 (starting 29th October). Further to this, as research has progressed it has become clear that extensive physical research into the ultimate limit states of various levels of worn rail may not be hugely relevant (as even at low speeds the serviceability limit states determine failure).
IMechE Railways Division meeting
18 October 2012
Glasgow beckoned: a meeting of the IMechE Railway Division (Scotland Centre) with Bridget Eickhoff, Principal Infrastructure Engineer at the RSSB (and an ex. researcher at BR Research Division) giving a lecture on wheel/rail interfaces proved very relevant. The meeting was also very useful in allowing me to speak to some industry contacts, and establishing new locations for research papers.
