An abrasion inspection apparatus includes: a first imaging unit that is installed on a side of a track, a vehicle traveling along the track, a guide wheel being installed on a side of the vehicle, the first imaging unit imaging an inside of the track via a telecentric lens; a second imaging unit that is installed in a vehicle traveling direction with respect to the first imaging unit on the side of the track and images the inside of the track via a telecentric lens; an image acquisition unit that acquires an image which is an image of a boundary of the guide wheel captured by the first imaging unit and is an image of a boundary on a first direction side in the vehicle traveling direction and an image which is an image of the boundary of the guide wheel captured by the second imaging unit at the same time as the capturing of the image by the first imaging unit and is an image of a boundary on an opposite side to the first direction side; and a guide wheel detection unit that detects an abrasion situation of the guide wheel according to a position of a boundary indicated in the images acquired by the image acquisition unit.

A system is provided that includes a detection circuit having a first and second sensor. The first sensor is configured to measure a rotational speed of a first wheel. The second sensor is coupled to a vehicle chassis and configured to measure a position over time of the vehicle chassis. The system further includes a controller circuit configured to determine a shock frequency based on the position of the vehicle chassis. The controller circuit is further configured to determine a condition (e.g., an anomalous condition) of the first wheel based on the shock frequency and the rotational speed, and may be further configured for vehicle control based on the determined condition.

A system is provided that includes a detection circuit having a first and second sensor. The first sensor is configured to measure a rotational speed of a first wheel. The second sensor is coupled to a vehicle chassis and configured to measure a position over time of the vehicle chassis. The system further includes a controller circuit configured to determine a shock frequency based on the position of the vehicle chassis. The controller circuit is further configured to determine a condition (e.g., an anomalous condition) of the first wheel based on the shock frequency and the rotational speed, and may be further configured for vehicle control based on the determined condition.

The invention provides an alarm comprising: (i) a plurality of trackside sensors with known locations each sensor to measure at least one characteristic of each railcar wheelset as it passes that sensor's location; (ii) an information store to receive, store and later provide the railcar wheelset characteristics measured by the track-side sensors; (iii) a preset or predetermined trigger pattern of wheelset characteristics associated with wheelset failure or some other railcar condition requiring alarm or notification action; and (iv) a comparator to compare historical measured characteristics about a particular wheelset from the information store to the trigger pattern. The alarm is triggered responsive to a comparator indication of a suitable match between chronologically contiguous historical measured characteristics about a particular wheelset in the information store with the trigger pattern. The alarm may be used to guide preventive maintenance and logistics, railway and railcar safety, or operation of the railcar or way.

The invention provides an alarm comprising: (i) a plurality of trackside sensors with known locations each sensor to measure at least one characteristic of each railcar wheelset as it passes that sensor's location; (ii) an information store to receive, store and later provide the railcar wheelset characteristics measured by the track-side sensors; (iii) a preset or predetermined trigger pattern of wheelset characteristics associated with wheelset failure or some other railcar condition requiring alarm or notification action; and (iv) a comparator to compare historical measured characteristics about a particular wheelset from the information store to the trigger pattern. The alarm is triggered responsive to a comparator indication of a suitable match between chronologically contiguous historical measured characteristics about a particular wheelset in the information store with the trigger pattern. The alarm may be used to guide preventive maintenance and logistics, railway and railcar safety, or operation of the railcar or way.

Methods and systems for in-service inspection of freight car axles are provided. A camber angle of a wheel attached to a target axle is measured at one or more points in a revolution of the wheel. A determination of whether a defect is present in the target axle is made based on the measured camber angle at the one or more points in the revolution of the wheel. A determination that a defect is present in the target axle is made when a camber angle of the wheel at one or more points in the revolution of the wheel exceeds a threshold, and/or a determination that a defect is not present is made when no camber angle of the wheel at any point in the revolution of the wheel exceeds the predetermined threshold. An alert is generated in response to determining that a defect is present.

A railroad wheel impact load detection test panel includes a secondary instrumentation rail proximate a field side of a primary or running rail of a section of railroad track, and elevated a prescribed distance so that the wheels of a rail car traverse the instrumentation rail within the test panel. The instrumentation rail includes an optical strain gauge to sense the wheel impact load. The sensed impact data is correlated with wheel damage signatures to identify wheels to be restored or replaced before failure occurs.

A railroad wheel impact load detection test panel includes a secondary instrumentation rail proximate a field side of a primary or running rail of a section of railroad track, and elevated a prescribed distance so that the wheels of a rail car traverse the instrumentation rail within the test panel. The instrumentation rail includes an optical strain gauge to sense the wheel impact load. The sensed impact data is correlated with wheel damage signatures to identify wheels to be restored or replaced before failure occurs.

A railroad wheel impact load detection test panel includes a secondary instrumentation rail proximate a field side of a primary or running rail of a section of railroad track, and elevated a prescribed distance so that the wheels of a rail car traverse the instrumentation rail within the test panel. The instrumentation rail includes an optical strain gauge to sense the wheel impact load. The sensed impact data is correlated with wheel damage signatures to identify wheels to be restored or replaced before failure occurs.

A railroad wheel impact load detection test panel includes a secondary instrumentation rail proximate a field side of a primary or running rail of a section of railroad track, and elevated a prescribed distance so that the wheels of a rail car traverse the instrumentation rail within the test panel. The instrumentation rail includes an optical strain gauge to sense the wheel impact load. The sensed impact data is correlated with wheel damage signatures to identify wheels to be restored or replaced before failure occurs.