2010: RailMeasurement to exhibit at Innotrans 2010.

RailMeasurement will be exhibiting for a second time at Innotrans in Berlin, 21-24 September 2010. We shall be with the Railway Industries Association (RIA) infrastructure / technology stand, at stand number 326 in Hall 26. We look forward to meeting you there.

2009-2010

During 2009 RML delivered corrugation measuring equipment to run on a hy-rail vehicle, which has been equipped to work as a pre- and post-grind inspection vehicle for a grinding contract on ARTC's standard gauge network in Australia. This equipment, known so far as the MSRCA (Medium Speed RCA), is intended to measure corrugation over a wide wavelength range (up to 1500mm wavelength) at a speed of 40km/h and with an accuracy of microns. At present (spring 2010) the MSRCA is undergoing testing and excellent correlation with the CAT has been demonstrated at up to 20km/h.

At the request of a good customer, RML developed software to calculate the severity of dipped and peaked welds from CAT measurements. This appears to work very well provided corrugation has not already propagated from the weld. However, when this occurs, the software has some trouble differentiating the dip or peak, whose severity is measured manually using a 1m straight edge, from the resulting long wave corrugation. We would be extremely interested in taking this study further with anyone who was interested in developing a more routine and reliable method of measuring the severity of dipped and peaked welds. The RCA or MSRCA is probably a better instrument for this in the longer term, since it would be possible to measure at speeds of several km/h if not tens of km/h. The CAT would still be appropriate for measuring short lengths of track and a few welds.

2009

In November 2009 RML undertook a week of comprehensive testing with SNCF of RML's HSRCA system. SNCF were interested in the HSRCA as a possible way of undertaking "noise mapping" of the French railway system. The week included thorough tests of repeatability and reproducibility of the system over track with different trackforms and different levels of corrugation, and an assessment of "accuracy" over several sites which had been measured using straight-edge based equipment and two sites that had also been measured with a CAT. Acoustic roughness of the line from Paris to the test area in the south of France and back was also measured, producing one-third octave spectra of railhead roughness in ISO3095 / EN15610 format for 100m lengths of both rails every 10m. The results were extremely good, and although not yet published openly a sample of results is shown in the abstract for a paper that has been accepted for poster presentation at the 10th International Workshop on Railway Noise in Yokohama in October 2010 (available here).

During 2009 RML introduced the Mark 3 CAT, which is designed specifically to measure both conventional flat-bottomed (Vignole) rail and also grooved rail which is severely worn and deformed, and possibly also deeply embedded in the street below the level of the adjacent tarmac. It is also now even easier to adjust the lateral position of the measuring head right up to within 10mm of the gauge and field faces of the rail. We have found that CATs are increasingly being bought to measure acoustic roughness rather than corrugation. It is probably the least expensive equipment of its type available, yet in many ways also (as a client told us):

"The CAT is unique"

The capabilities of the CAT for measurement of corrugation and acoustic roughness are illustrated in an article that appeared in April's edition of International Railway Journal.  This contains measurements from a variety of railway systems worldwide, which have been supplied to RML by users.  Interesting differences between different types of railway system are apparent that have not (to our knowledge) been noted before, largely because no instrument of sufficient accuracy has previously been available and used as widely for measurements of this type.  This article also shows the requirements for residual corrugation in the European reprofiling standard, EN13231-3:2006, as a one-third octave spectrum and compares this to the spectrum in the acoustics standards ISO3095 / EN15610.  Since the requirements are very similar, it follows that an instrument to demonstrate compliance with EN13231-3:2006 should be of similar accuracy to one that is used to demonstrate compliance with ISO 3095 / EN15610.  Fortunately we can supply you with such equipment, even to work at 10km/h or more on a reprofiling train or hy-rail.  This helps the supplier of reprofiling services to know that they are reprofiling track to a high standard, and the railway system to know that the contractor is doing what they require.

September 2008: RailMeasurement at InnoTrans 2008 an unqualified success

RailMeasurement staff were kept busy all week by unprecedented interest in our measuring instruments and analysis software capability. A full report with photos to follow.

July 2008: RailMeasurement to exhibit at InnoTrans 2008

Come visit us in hall 21 to find out about all the latest developments in corrugation and roughness measurement and rail quality analysis software. 23-26 September 2008, Berlin. For more information, see http://www.innotrans.de.

July 2007: CAT

The International Railway Journal this month has two articles featuring the CAT in use:

If you cannot view the online journal, or if you would like reprints of the articles, please contact us.

June 2007: New RailMeasurement RCA provides fast and accurate measurements - click here for the full story

July 2006 - New analysis software

RailMeasurement are pleased to announce the release of analysis software for processing transverse rail profile and wheel profile measurements. Designed to work with data captured by Greenwood Engineering's MiniProf instrument, this new software delivers unprecedented productivity in the analysis and comparison of profile data for wear analysis. For more information, visit the Analysis Software section of this website.

September 2005 - New pictures of CAT 2

The CAT Page now features new photographs of CAT 2 in action

November 2004 - CAT 2 Released

RailMeasurement are delighted to announce the arrival of CAT2. This new model features improved robustness, better usability and improved software whilst retaining the accuracy of measurement for which the CAT has become known. In particular:

More details will soon be available on this website, but meanwhile please contact us for more information.