Re: Guard Rail Question

I think that I understand what you're saying, but "flange bearing" is not the correct term. A flange-bearing frog, for instance, is one on which the wheel flange rides. In other words, the tread of the wheel is actually lifted off the rail surface, and the wheel is bearing on the tip of the flange. I think you're trying to say that in this case the inside of the flange of the low (or inside since curve sides on the railroad are called the low and high side, for inside and outside rails) wheel is bearing against the restraining rail (the TCRP calls it a "guard/restraining rail, but it's more commonly called simply a restraining rail), and you'd be correct. However, I don't believe that either guard/restraining rail is designed so that the tread of the flangeless wheel capable of riding on it. That would be a very sharp curve and virtually impossible to do. The purpose of the restraining rail is, on sharp curves (definition of which varies from system to system), to keep the high side (outside) wheel flange from riding up and over and causing a derailment.