Rail Engineer – July 2019

Y

our writer first became aware of WSPER (Wheel Slide Protection

Evaluation Rig) in the 1990s. It is a method of carrying out type testing

of wheel slide protection systems (WSP) using ‘hardware in the loop’

simulation techniques, which were described by Nigel Wordsworth in

issue 123 (January 2015).

It is notoriously difficult to test WSP

systems thoroughly on track. Reliably

delivering low adhesion, obtaining

sufficient access time and managing the

risk of wheel flats are all issues making

track testing difficult to organise and,

even then, the quantity of data obtained

is usually quite limited.

In the late 1980s, BR was experiencing

high levels of wheel tread damage

on BR-designed WSP equipment

and the then brakes engineer, Brian

Nicholas, believed there was a better

way of testing WSP than by applying

soapy water to the track. The need to

understand the former provided the

opportunity to initially develop the

WSPER.

Thus, in 1988/9, WSPER was

created by BR Research (sold to

AEA Technology and later became

DeltaRail). When DeltaRail decided

to leave that part of the rail market,

the rights to WSPER moved to ESG

Rail (now called DB ESG - part of DB

Systemtechnik).

Moving forward 30 years, it was on a

rather autumnal day in June 2019 that

Rail Engineer and other guests visited

DB ESG’s office in the Railway Technical

Centre (now called RTC Business Park)

in Derby to hear about the latest

developments with WSPER on, more or

less its 30th birthday celebration, and to

view the new, bigger and better WSPER

facility. Guests included representatives

from companies who use WSPER and,

as guest of honour, one of WSPER’s

founders, John Tunley, who was invited

to officially open the new laboratory.

Reminiscing, John Tunley observed

that WSPER made it possible to

control the parameters affecting the

WSP equipment and if, for example, a

coefficient of 0.03 was required, it was

delivered by WSPER, whilst on the track

no one could be absolutely certain of

the outcome.

He added that it successfully

identified why BR WSP was causing

wheel damage, something that had

remained a mystery, even with track

tests. Modifications were tested to

ensure an optimum solution, which was

implemented, thereby largely solving

the wheel damage problem. John also

observed that many hard-bitten brake

suppliers were more difficult to convince

until they had put their own equipment

through its paces on WSPER.

Have you heard the whisper

about new developments to

WSPER?

MALCOM

DOBELL

1010 FE ATURE