Investigation of the bearing damage progression starting from cone creep of a railroad axle journal bearing

Abstract

Journal bearing cone "creep" phenomena, leading to cones which "spin" on a railroad axle journal, can potentially be a cause for wear and a source of heat generation. It is, however, still unknown how rapidly an axle and bearing deteriorate after the initiation of the cone creep. A cone creep simulation test using a full-scale railroad bearing was conducted in a laboratory to investigate the bearing damage progression starting from cone creep. Test results gave changes in bearing temperature, vibration, and dimensional clearances between the axle journal diameter and the cone bore, due to cone creep.