Design of a novel, low impact bogie for a freight locomotive

This paper reports on the work being carried out in the Shift2Rail ‘DYNAFREIGHT’ project to develop a novel freight locomotive bogie which will reduce wheel and track wear and run with lower noise than current locomotive bogie designs. This is being achieved by developments in several areas including the use of advanced materials and manufacturing processes and the adoption of passive and mechatronic systems for radial steering of bogies, which will allow improved running performance compared to conventional bogies. In particular, significant reduction of wheel wear and damage, improved traction in curves and reduced resistance to motion in sharp curves will be achieved. The use of noise optimized wheelsets and noise absorbing structure in order to reduce the running gear related noise is also being considered. Monitoring of the most maintenance cost-intensive bogie elements is also being considered in order to contribute to lower life cycle costs and to improve the reliability and availability of the locomotive.