Abstract
Particularly derailing freight wagon, which are loaded with dangerous chemicals, has large damages on humans and environment. In this paper the dynamic characteristic of the laminated leaf spring under extreme situation, for example derailment, is examined. The leaf spring has a static hysteresis. Not only the friction value, but also the spring rate are influenced by this hysteresis characteristic. Because of the static hysteresis of the leaf spring the spring rate must be used in normal operation depending upon the loading and the kind of the excitation with the up to 10-fold value of the static spring rate. Some characteristics of the leaf spring can be treated like well-known viscous damping, but fer special situation (preload and/or excitation) particular calculation are necessary.