Data for the article "Performance of Top-of-Rail Products under Contaminated Conditions with Pre-Existing Cracks: Impacts on Traction and Surface Damage"

This dataset supports the study titled “Performance of Top-of-Rail Products under Contaminated Conditions with Pre-Existing Cracks: Impacts on Traction and Surface Damage”. It includes traction coefficient (CoT) data measured using a twin-disc tribometer for various top-of-rail (TOR) products under conditions involving water contamination and pre-formed oxide layers. The discs were tested both with and without pre-existing rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage. In addition to traction data, the dataset contains optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images to enable the analysis of RCF crack propagation and wear. The dataset describes the behavior of water- and oil-based TOR products under more realistic operating conditions compared to standard laboratory tests. Unlike clean laboratory environments, the test conditions used here include environmental contaminants that significantly affect the performance and effectiveness of TOR products.