Locomotive adhesion enhancing slipping discs

A slipping disc apparatus secured to a locomotive for treating a rail surface to increase adhesion between driven wheels of the locomotive and the rail surface, comprising:

• a circular disc;
• a positioning assembly coupled to the circular disc for positioning the circular disc in contact with the rail surface;
• and
• a disc drive mechanism comprising a passive hydraulic motor with an output shaft mechanically linked to the circular disc whereby a load is applied to the circular disc to reduce the rate of rotation of the circular disc when the circular disc is in contact with the rail surface to induce creep between the rail surface and the circular disc for treating the rail surface.

An apparatus suspended from a locomotive for cleaning a rail surface to reduce slip between driven wheels of the locomotive and the rail surface, comprising:

• a rotatable disc having an outer circumferential face;
• a second rotatable disc having an outer circumferential face and aligned with the first-recited rotatable disc forming a pair of aligned discs;
• a suspension assembly secured to the pair of aligned discs for securing the pair of aligned discs to the locomotive, the suspension assembly including a positioning mechanism for positioning the pair of aligned discs over the rail surface whereby the outer circumferential face of each of the pair of aligned discs contacts the rail surface;
• and
• a drive mechanism comprising a belt mechanically linked to each of the pair of discs to couple rotation of the first-recited rotatable disc with rotation of the second rotatable disc in such a manner that while the pair of discs are rotating, the rate of rotation of the first-recited rotatable disc will be substantially different than that of the second rotatable disc.

An apparatus suspended from a locomotive for cleaning a rail surface to reduce slip between driven wheels of the locomotive and the rail surface, comprising:

• a rotatable disc having an outer circumferential face;
• a suspension assembly secured to the disc and to the locomotive for securing the disc to the locomotive, the suspension assembly including a positioning mechanism for positioning the rotatable disc over the rail surface whereby the outer circumferential face contacts the rail surface;
• and
• a drive mechanism comprising a passive hydraulic motor having an output shaft mechanically linked to the rotatable disc to selectively apply a load to the rotatable disc to vary the rate of rotation of the rotatable disc in a direction to induce creep between the outer circumferential face of the rotatable disc and the rail surface.