The paper begins with a description of three observed types of fatigue failure. It continues with a discussion on fatigue mechanisms and numerical modelling of rolling contact fatigue, especially in the presence of material defects. Based on this discussion, the main mechanisms behind the three types of failure are analysed from a mechanical point of view. Finally, practical implications of the results in this paper are discussed and some suggestions of means of preventing fatigue failure of railway wheels are put forward. Future research areas are indicated.
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