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.
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. They enable the continued operation of rail lines that would otherwise be brought to a halt by a breakdown.
References
- Safety Central. "Jargon Buster". Retrieved 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.
- Ellis British Railway Engineering Encyclopedia. Lulu.com. 7 September 2006. p. 424. ISBN 978-1-84728-643-7. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
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.
- Railway Safety. "Design and Operation of Wheelskates" (PDF). pp. 6 (PDF page 8). Retrieved 14 March 2013.
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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