Wheelskate Explained

A wheelskate, wheel skate, or axle dolly is a device used to lift the axle of a damaged or blocked rail wheel set and prevent it sliding over the rail. With the axle lifted and wheels off the rails, the train can be moved for repairs.[1]

To be able to use a wheelskate, access to one side of the vehicle is required. This is especially important for the design of tunnel cross-sections.

Wheelskates are used by a variety of railroads, both passenger and freight.[2] They enable the continued operation of rail lines that would otherwise be brought to a halt by a breakdown.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Safety Central. Jargon Buster. 14 March 2013. A device used in the case of a locomotive or vehicle having a wheel which is seized and will not rotate freely, to enable it to be moved clear of a running line..
  2. Book: Ellis British Railway Engineering Encyclopedia. 14 March 2013. 7 September 2006. Lulu.com. 978-1-84728-643-7. 424. A wheeled device reminiscent of a skateboard, used to lift a damaged rail wheel clear of the rail, in turn allowing the rail vehicle to be moved (slowly) to a place of repair..
  3. Web site: Railway Safety. Design and Operation of Wheelskates. 14 March 2013. 6 (PDF page 8). A device for rescuing crippled vehicles where a wheelset is not fit to rotate, by lifting the affected wheelset and providing alternative support and guidance..

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