Keywords: full scale, wheel-rail interaction, structural analysis, life time estimation, finite element analysis, mechanical design.

Experimental wheel–rail contact analysis is essential for rail vehicle stability, safety, ride comfort, and component life cycle. Compared with field tests, laboratory testing provides a controlled and systematic environment for conducting a wide range of experiments. At Tampere University, a full-scale wheel–rail test rig has been designed and built to investigate wheel–rail interaction, including contact location, contact forces, contact patch characteristics, wheel–rail wear, rolling contact fatigue, and the performance of adhesion and friction modifiers. The rig consists of a structural frame, a full-sized wheel, and a carriage for mounting the rail. Given the high load levels and the large number of accumulated load cycles, the structural fatigue of the test rig itself must be carefully assessed. In particular, joints and welded regions subjected to highly concentrated stresses require enhanced design to ensure safe operation and extend the service life of the machine. This work presents a case study on the fatigue assessment of the supporting frame of a full-scale wheel–rail test rig, aiming to support and guide future researchers in the design and evaluation of experimental facilities subjected to heavy loads and cyclic operating conditions by illustrating the necessity of fatigue assessment in the early design.

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