In the previous blog, we looked at what happens at the Wheel Rail Interface and some of the research highlighted in RSSB’s latest Friction Management Systems knowledge search. The results show the difference effective friction management can make, but achieving those results depends on using the right approach for the application.
This is where System Thinking becomes important. Gauge face lubrication and Top of Rail friction control are managing different contact conditions, so the products used need to perform differently too. How those products are applied and how far they carry along the rail also has a direct impact on the wider system.
Ahead of InnoTrans 2026, we’re taking a closer look at the friction management products behind RS Clare’s approach and how each has been developed for a specific role at the Wheel Rail Interface.
Different Applications Need Different Friction Management Solutions
There isn’t one friction management product that can do everything required across the Wheel Rail Interface. As we covered in the previous blog, the objective at the gauge face is very different to the top of the rail.
RS Clare’s friction management range reflects this. ClareShield TOR-WS is designed for Top of Rail friction control, while ClareShield Trackside and ClareShield Rail King are gauge face lubricants developed to protect the wheel flange and rail.
The differences between the products go beyond where they’re applied. Rail conditions, traffic levels and the performance required from the lubricant all influence which solution is best suited to the application. This is why RS Clare looks at the wider system rather than treating the lubricant as an isolated part of friction management.
ClareShield TOR-WS: Managing Friction at the Top of Rail
ClareShield TOR-WS is a water-based, biodegradable Top of Rail Friction Control Material designed to maintain an optimum coefficient of friction at the wheel/rail interface. Rather than simply reducing friction, its formulation is designed to optimise it without affecting braking performance.
One of its biggest advantages is how far the material can continue working beyond the original application point. In a freight environment, ClareShield TOR-WS can achieve carry down of up to four miles (6.4 km). This allows a greater length of track to be treated from a single application point, which can reduce the number of trackside applicators required across the network.
Fewer application points mean less equipment needs to be installed and maintained, helping operators look at friction management in terms of the complete system and its whole-life requirements.
The material is also designed to reduce high-pitched squealing while improving steering to reduce noise, wear and lateral forces. Its performance remains consistent across a wide temperature range and varying weather conditions, helping it continue performing across changing operating environments.
ClareShield Trackside: Gauge Face Lubrication for Rail Networks
At the gauge face, the requirement changes from controlling friction to reducing it. ClareShield Trackside is a high-performance curved rail grease developed for trackside lubricators, where effective carry down allows lubricant picked up by passing wheels to continue protecting the rail beyond the original application point.
Its adhesive properties help achieve that carry down while its anti-wear performance is designed to minimise rail wear. The grease is also oxidation stable, meaning it doesn’t dry or stiffen in a way that can contribute to blocked lubricators or GDU ports.
ClareShield Trackside has been developed with the environment around the railway in mind too. It is readily biodegradable and suitable for use near rivers and watercourses, while still providing the water resistance required to remain on the rail in wet conditions.
For operators, that combination allows gauge face lubrication to be considered as part of the wider requirements of the network, rather than simply looking at how well a grease performs at the point where it is applied.
ClareShield Rail King: Protection Under Demanding Conditions
ClareShield Rail King is another gauge face lubricant, but its characteristics make it particularly suited to high-traffic networks and heavy axle loads. The product provides enhanced anti-wear performance and high-load protection to minimise rail wear while maintaining consistent delivery across a wide temperature range.
Its highly adhesive formulation provides excellent carry down, while reduced fling-off helps keep more of the product where it is intended to work. Importantly for a gauge face lubricant, it is also designed not to migrate to the top of the rail, keeping the lubricant away from the area where friction needs to be maintained for traction and braking.
For more demanding applications, ClareShield Rail King HL contains molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) to provide additional wear reduction and extreme-pressure resistance. This makes it suitable where high traffic and heavy axle loads place greater demands on the wheel and rail.
Looking Beyond the Lubricant
The performance of these products matters, but System Thinking means looking at what happens around them as well.
Extended carry down can mean fewer application points are required. A lubricant that continues flowing effectively through the equipment can help reduce blocked ports, while keeping gauge face lubricant away from the top of the rail helps ensure friction is being managed differently at the two contact points.
This is also where the trackside equipment covered earlier in our InnoTrans series comes back into the picture. The performance of TOR-WS, Trackside or Rail King ultimately depends on getting the product onto the rail accurately and at the correct rate. The lubricant and application system therefore need to be considered together.
The wider benefits of getting that approach right are also reflected in the research we covered in our previous blog. Studies referenced by RSSB have shown the potential for Top of Rail friction management to reduce lateral forces, wheel and rail wear, corrugation and noise. The important point isn’t one individual result, but what can be achieved when friction is managed effectively at the Wheel Rail Interface.
System Thinking at InnoTrans 2026
This is the approach RS Clare will be taking to InnoTrans 2026.
Rather than showcasing individual products without context, we’ll be demonstrating how trackside equipment, gauge face lubrication and Top of Rail friction control fit together as part of a wider friction management strategy.
ClareShield TOR-WS, ClareShield Trackside and ClareShield Rail King have each been developed for different requirements at the Wheel Rail Interface. Understanding those differences and selecting the right combination of equipment and friction management material is what turns individual products into a complete system.
Visitors to InnoTrans 2026 can see RS Clare’s Wheel Rail Interface solutions and speak to the team about applying System Thinking across different rail environments.
