Journal of Transsib Railway Studies V.2(62), 2025

This article discusses methods for improving the mechanical part of 2ES6 Sinara series freight mainline electric locomotives to improve their dynamic performance and traction properties. According to statistics, in 2024, mechanical equipment failures of 2ES6 electric locomotives ranked third in terms of the number of malfunctions, accounting for 8,5 % of the total number of unscheduled repairs. Using mathematical modeling, an assessment of the dynamic and traction qualities of locomotives with two types of spring suspension of the axlebox stage (standard and modernized) was made. It was found that at speeds from 40 to 100 km / h, the locomotive with a compensating device accelerates the body by 2 times, and the bogie by 1,8 times lower than similar indicators of a locomotive with a standard springing scheme. A simulation model of the traction motor suspension unit is proposed, which allows estimating the dynamic loading indices of the standard and improved traction motor suspension schemes of the 2ES6 locomotive. The simulation results showed that the stress concentrators in the traction motor housing are its support units, namely, the attachment points of the rod and motor-axial bearings. The simulation results correspond to the statistical data of traction motor failures due to the appearance of cracks in the housing, which confirms the adequacy of the model. An improved design of the traction motor suspension system to the bogie frame of the 2ES6 electric locomotive is proposed to reduce the negative impact of dynamic loads on the traction motor fastening units and the mechanical part of the locomotive. Theoretical studies of the improved design, carried out using a mathematical model, showed that at a locomotive speed of 80 km/h, the maximum stresses at the traction motor control points are reduced by an average of 30 % compared to the standard suspension scheme.

The paper is devoted to the consideration of the centralised architecture of control and train safety systems using digital radio data transmission channel, centralised architecture based on the application of cloud technologies and decentralised architecture. A complete ideal centralised architecture uses the principle of placing all the algorithms of the control and safety system on a central server. In a centralised architecture, the server has a database of the line with information on all its parameters, including control objects, permanent speed limits, objects in transit: complexes of technical means of control over the condition of rolling stock, control and dimensional devices, automatic crossing signalling and others. The architecture using cloud technologies also has a single database, but all data collection, analysis, data processing and train traffic control functions are concentrated on a central server platform located in specialised railway data processing centres and in a single dispatch centre, which can be geographically dispersed and interconnected by a single data transmission network. The article considers a decentralised architecture, which assumes the absence of any logical functions ensuring traffic safety on the side of fixed infrastructure devices. The purpose of this article is to develop architectures and justify the feasibility of their application. Technical solutions developed by different companies differ in implementation algorithms, applied interfaces, structural and architectural solutions and local operating conditions, which is a great inconvenience for operating personnel, as well as for making changes to the hardware and software part of the systems when changing track development and infrastructure elements. The practical significance of the article lies in the justification of the expediency of bringing to a unified architecture and a unified data format and unified interfaces of the train traffic safety system components.

The article focuses on the consideration of the issue of ensuring the safety of fine coals transported on open-top rolling stock in the matter of minimizing their losses due to blow-out. An aerodynamic model of the coal blow-out process during its transportation by open-top cars was created and studied in specialized software in the field of fluid dynamics research (CFD), which provided an opportunity to numerically estimate the size of coal losses from blow-out using data on the aerodynamic parameters of air flows flowing around the cargo surface. The study of the influence of train speed on the size of losses of fine coals from blowing was carried out by modeling the blowing process with varying train speeds from 20 to 140 km/h, which also allowed us to establish the speed of the beginning of the intensive blowing-out of small cargo particles - 40 km/h. This speed value is consistent with that obtained by scientists from the Siberian Transport University during mass experimental transportation of bulk cargo in the 60-70s of the last century, which indicates the adequacy of the results obtained during the modeling of the blowing process. The results of the study made it possible to estimate numerical dependences of the size of losses of coal fine particles due to blow-out from changes in train speed, which is important to consider when choosing coal-dust mitigation measures to reduce the size of losses from blow-out. Further refinement of the obtained dependencies for other fine-grained bulk cargo seems possible using the developed aerodynamic model of the blowing process, both by specifying the value of the critical blowing speed of an individual bulk cargo, and also due to the formation of the corresponding shape of the cargo surface, characteristic of a certain loading method and the parameters of the open-top car model, which affect the loading height, is an equally important factor determining the size of losses from blowing.

The article considers the problem of inconsistency between investment in reconstruction measures and new projects for the development of railway stations. Direct elimination of infrastructural errors requires serious material costs. The authors propose a way to reduce the negative consequences of structural imbalances in station design by means of simulation modeling. The simulation model most correctly displays the structure and harmoniously superimposes the technology of station operation, as well as takes into account the interaction of random technological processes and dispatch control. This is a promising approach using domestic developments in this industry. Since the cost of transportation infrastructure is extremely high, there are increased requirements for calculation and planning methods. The article describes the importance of using simulation models in the design of transportation objects. Examples of experiments on the model are given, proving the correctness of the calculation results. An important point is the automation of the process of building a simulation model, thanks to which random errors and inaccuracies leading to incorrect financial costs are excluded.

The subject of the research is a sub-rail foundation containing a viscous element. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of including a viscous element in the elastic system (rails, sleepers, ballast, etc.) on the overall rigidity of a railway track. The design of a sub-rail foundation with a viscous element is described by the generalized Maxwell model and contains a shell filled with a Newtonian fluid, in particular air. Pneumatic shells with different thicknesses were considered. The modeling was carried out in the finite element analysis environment. Mathematical models of a track section with a sub-rail device containing a pneumatic shell were constructed. The calculation results showed the absence of a sharp increase in internal force factors and stress concentration in typical track sections when laying a sub-rail foundation with a pneumatic element. A change in the overall rigidity in the vertical plane did not lead to a significant change in bending stresses in the edges of the rails. With a small shell thickness, the bending stresses in the upper area of the sleeper decrease to 35 %, and in the lower area by 15 %. The maximum increase of up to 8 % is observed with a sharp difference in the shell thicknesses. Compressive stresses on the sleeper in the under-rail zone increase with a small shell thickness of the device due to the redistribution of forces to a smaller number of under-rail supports when the overall rigidity of the structure changes. Increasing the shell thickness to 40 cm leads to an increase in mechanical stresses of up to 20 %, which is an acceptable value with a large margin. The use of under-rail foundations with a viscous element is recommended for temporary railway tracks when laying them instead of ballast and sleepers, which allows for the track to be quickly laid and also quickly dismantled.

The subject of the research is the problem of "hot core" occurrence during intensive cooling of railway rails, which is critically important when preparing rails for fastening in the summer period. The aim of the work is to scientifically substantiate and propose methods for minimizing this phenomenon to ensure a uniform temperature field across the rail section. The research methodology includes an analysis of the influence of the limited thermal conductivity of steel on the formation of a temperature gradient and its negative impact on rail geometry, internal stresses, and fastening accuracy. The work proposes and substantiates methods for reducing the "hot core" effect, including cooling mode management (cascaded and phased intensity reduction), expanding active heat dissipation zones through multi-sided cooling, and applying comprehensive numerical modeling. The res