2004 Volume 45 Issue 3 Pages 111-115
We have been conducting research into the derailment and overturning of railway vehicles caused by earthquakes. Up until now, numerical simulation has been shedding light on the dynamic behavior and running safety limits of vehicles on a vibrating track, the results of the simulation now being effectively used in the design of railway structures. To confirm the validity of the simulation analysis, we carried out an experiment using a full-scale half-carbody mounted on a Shinkansen bogie, which was placed on a tri-axial structural vibration test rig. During the test, the carbody, bogie and wheels could be observed jumping from the rails, demonstrating behavior against the vibration. The results of the experiment agreed with those obtained from the simulation analysis.