The contribution of the railway pioneers to the development and practice of tribology is reviewed, and it is contended that the engineers who had learned their craft on the steam locomotive were well equipped to tackle the sometimes more exacting tribological requirements occasioned by railway modernization. Steam cylinder lubrication is instanced as an example of the importance of ‘off design’ considerations and of the contribution, either helpful or unhelpful, made by those responsible for the operation of equipment.
The numerous locations within a modern electrified railway wherein surfaces interact in relative motion are listed and discussed from the point of view of reduction in maintenance and enhancement of reliability. In particular, recent work on adhesion between wheel and rail is reviewed.
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