The Corrugation Analysis Trolley, or CAT, from RailMeasurement allows effective and accurate measurement of rail corrugation and acoustic roughness on one rail at a comfortable walking speed of 3-4km / h (1m / s).

The equipment is readily transported to site by a single person or as checked-in baggage on a flight. It packs into a suitcase-sized wheeled instrument case with a total weight, including equipment, of 18kg. On site, the equipment can be taken out of the carrying case, assembled and be ready for collecting measurements in a few minutes. Only one person is required to carry, assemble and operate the CAT.

The CAT is easily converted for use on flat-bottomed (Vignole), embedded or grooved rails.

The CAT is widely used in the following areas:

• Rail re-profiling
• Corrugation surveys
• Measurement of acoustic roughness
• Research and development e.g. corrugation, products for corrugation mitigation, effects of different trackform and wheel/rail noise

Validation of the equipment, which we regard as being of fundamental importance, is also considered here.