Held at the Institution’s Westminster headquarters from 13-14 May, the Rolling Stock Lifecycle Conference explored new approaches to obsolescence management and long-term rolling stock planning.
READ MORE: 3 ways our trains could improve in the coming years, according to experts at IMechE event
The formation of GBR will bring some “long-term political framing”, said Rebeka Sellick, chair of the event’s second day and immediate past-chair of the Railway Division. “There have been so many instances with Network Rail Control Periods and train operating company franchise lengths where we have had to life-extend assets for five years, then another year or two and then another.
“It’s really difficult to do any sensible optimisation in that system. You come to a point where you really have to overhaul an engine from first principles, rather than just tinkering around. If you know something is going to have another 20 years of life, you can improve its overall reliability.”
The introduction of the new body, which will operate both infrastructure and passenger rail services, could enable better ways of working, Sellick said. “The bigger the planning horizon is, the better the optimisation potential.”
Longer-term thinking about rolling stock was a key focus of the second day, with presentations focused on projects from around the world. The Department for Transport’s long-term rail strategy discussion paper, expected this summer, will provide greater certainty for those in the industry, Sellick added.
Topics covered at the event included the re-engineering of Great Western Railway (GWR) Class 57 locomotives, which are themselves re-engineered Class 47s. “We’re talking 65-year-old locomotives in daily service,” Sellick said, with obsolescence management a key focus.
In the afternoon, the Central Japan Railway Company shared an example of a completely different approach, where Shinkansen bullet trains are replaced after 16 years. “They have a rolling programme of renewals, and it’s maintenance that drives system design evolution and technological development,” Sellick said.
Relevant challenges include minimising braking distance to optimise safety during earthquakes, and modifying bogie covers to reduce the inflow of snow-laden air after blizzards. “Rather than re-engineering each issue from scratch, they’re re-engineering successive generations of trains. There’s a consistent fleet evolution,” Sellick said.
Another session covered Siemens’ development of a consistent ‘family platform’ and how the standardised product architecture can help with approvals in different countries.
The conference showed “what good looks like”, Sellick said, with concrete opportunities for attendees to learn from the experts. Potential solutions included different manufacturing methods, such as additive manufacturing of certain parts, and recommendations of suppliers used by companies in similar positions. A “big buzz” in the networking area showed the event went beyond simply showcasing theoretical improvements, Sellick added.
Components and methodology were both in focus during asset management sessions. Yuki Ohashi from Angel Trains and Adam Buckell from Frazer-Nash Consultancy outlined their continued service operation programme for ageing fleets. This included finite element modelling of body shell fatigue, to improve the efficiency of risk assessments and reduce the likelihood of corrosion.
Transferable knowledge from aviation was shared by Howard Leach from EngPro Solutions, who explored the different methods applied in the two industries, while problems with electronic components were covered by Neil Cooney from Trackback Solutions, who highlighted their often mechanical nature.
“When you get down into the actual root cause, they’ve got too hot, they’ve got too cold, they’re contaminated, they’re used in the wrong application,” Sellick explained. “What we need to do is look at the root cause and solve the problem fundamentally. Investigations take time and effort, but the investment is worthwhile to deliver reliability long term.”
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