Traction Enhancers

Traction Gel Applicator (TGA)

Railway wheel traction is adversely affected by top of rail surface contamination. LB Foster's Traction Gel Applicator (TGA) applies Traction Gel to the rail head to combat the build up of leaf contamination on the head of the running rail(s).

Railway wheel traction is adversely affected by top of rail surface contamination. An example of this is compacted leaves which can create a very slippery surface with an extremely low co-efficient of friction. In extreme circumstances the resultant loss of traction can cause trains to slide through signals or cause inability to pull away from stops or up inclines. This can not only lead to unsafe operating conditions, but also cause significant operating delays.

LB Foster Traction Gel soltion, ALLEVIATE® can be easily applied to the rail head through a Traction Gel Applicator (TGA) which combats the build up of leaf contamination.

Applicator

Traction Gel Applicator (TGA)
Applies ALLEVIATE® gel to rail head

The Traction Gel Applicator (TGA) applies ALLEVIATE® Traction Gel to the rail head, which is then picked up by the train wheels and carried up to 200m. For every train that passes, a continuous conditioning of the wheel and the rail is provided.

The TGA system comprises of:

  • a track side cabinet (working life of 20 years) housing electronic power and control equipment, pump and product hopper.
  • A wheel sensor (attached to the gauge side of the rail)
  • Track spreaders on each rail (fed by a delivery hose system)
  • Solar panel
  • Remote Performance Monitoring available
Traction Gel - ALLEVIATE®

ALLEVIATE®
Traction Gel

ALLEVIATE® is a high performance traction gel designed to improve friction conditions in regions of low adhesion at the wheel tread/top of rail interface due to leaf fall, wet rails or other wheel/rail interface contamination. It has been developed using LB Foster’s extensive knowledge of friction modifiers and the behaviour and effect of the particles at the wheel/rail interface.
Specifically formulated for maximum performance with the LB Foster Traction Gel Applicator (TGA) system, the formula specialises in:
  • Optimised chemistry for extended shelf life
  • Better pumpability and control
  • Engineered freezing point to meet demanding early frost conditions
  • Corrosion resistance to prevent degradation of metallic surfaces
Download Technical Datasheets

We are the exclusive agents for LB Foster’s Total Friction Management solutions, which includes a wide range of proprietary systems to control friction between the wheel and rail for transit and freight rail applications.

For more than a century LB Foster has provided the materials necessary to build and maintain the world’s infrastructure and their friction management products and delivery systems provide substantial cost benefits by maximising equipment performance and minimising wear at the wheel/rail interface.