Test: Coning of Wheel - Civil Engineering (CE) MCQ

Rather than making the wheels flat they are sloped like a cone. This is done so that the wheels can traverse curves easily.

The below diagram show cross-section of the permanent way as per Indian Railway Standard:

Coning: Inward provision of the slope of 1:20 on the wheels of the railway wagon to counteract the centrifugal force acting the on the train. So, it enables the train wheels to cover different distances along the inner and outer curves simultaneously.

Purpose of coning:
1. To check lateral movement of wheels
2. To avoid damage to inner faces of rails
3. To avoid discomfort to passengers

The inner diameter of the wheels of the locomotive is greater than the outer diameter. The value of this slope is 1 in 20.

Coning of wheels:

• Inward provision of the slope of 1:20 on the wheels of the railway wagon to counteract the centrifugal force acting on the train. So, it enables the train wheels to cover different distances along the inner and outer curves simultaneously.

Purpose of coming of wheels:

• To check lateral movement of wheels.
• To avoid damage to the inner faces of rails.
• To avoid discomfort to passengers.

Hence, The outer and inner wheels though cast monolithic, cover different distances on a curve for the same number of revolutions because of coning of wheels.
Tilting of Rails:

• Placing the rails of a track at an inward slope of 1 in 20 is called tilting of rails. 
• The main object of tilting of rails is to reduce the wear on the inside edges of rails in a track. 

Adzing of sleepers

• The sleepers are cut at the rail seat to provide a slope of 1 in 20 to the rails.
• The process of cutting the wooden sleepers or casting concrete sleepers accordingly is known as adzing of sleepers.

Without coning of wheels the flat wheels might slip on the tracks during traversing a curve. This would lead to contact of flange and rail track. This would lead to uncomfortable journey.