Wheel Chocks: Geometry, mechanics, operating principles for a safety railway wheel chock

When securing parked freight wagons using wheel chocks, it can happen that single wheel chocks are not properly removed before the train departs but are instead forgotten on the track. As a result, major damage can occur. As part of this work, requirements for safety wheel chocks are developed. The concept of the path-based safety wheel chock is discussed and results of field tests are presented. The existing knowledge about wheel chocks for freight wagons is poorly documented. In this work, the relevant parameters for the towed wagon with horizontal track are presented. Important behaviors such as 'holding force' and 'tendency to step over' are investigated theoretically and experimentally.