Influence of wheel/rail tangential traction force on thermal cracking of railway wheels

► A study on unique surface cracking (thermal cracks) on the contact interface of railway wheels. ► Cracking experiments were conducted in a full-scale brake dynamometer under specified loading factors. ► Thermal cracks actually generated by wheel/rail tangential force under tensile residual stress. ► Tangential force rather than wheel weight plays a major role in thermal cracking.