Kevin Oldknow

Continuing Studies

• Finance for Executives, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, 2012
• MIT/Sloan Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation, MIT/Sloan School of Management, 2009 – 2010
• IRI/Kellogg Shaping Innovation Leaders, Kellogg School of Management, 2008

Research interests

• Vehicle / Track System Modelling, Simulation, Instrumentation and Test Programs
• Wheel / Rail Interface Mechanics (including Contact Mechanics and Tribology)
• Railway System Performance and Energy Efficiency

Teaching interests

• Vehicle-Track and Wheel-Rail Interaction
• Dynamics
• Controls
• Manufacturing Systems
• Engineering Economics

Recently taught courses

• SEE 110 – Energy, Environment and Society (2025)
• SEE 300 – The Business of Engineering (2021)
• SEE 241 – Engineering Measurement, Analysis and Forecasting (2019, 2025)
• MSE 102 – Applied Science, Technology and Society (2013-2016)
• MSE 300 – The Business of Engineering, I (2013-2017)
• MSE 352 – Digital Logic and Microcontrollers (2012)
• MSE 380 – Dynamic Systems Modelling and Simulation (2012-2014, 2016)
• MSE 403 – Technology Entrepreneurship I (2015, 2016)
• MSE 404 – Technology Entrepreneurship II (2015, 2016)
  
• MSE 480/780 – Manufacturing Systems (2013-2018)
• MSE 481 – Industrial Control Systems (2013, 2015-2016)
• MSE 884 – Advanced Dynamics (2013)
• MSE 900 – Engineering in the Canadian Context (2015)

Selected recent publications

• Wang, Y., Oldknow, K., Montoya, M. and Smith, B. (2025) Measurement and operational considerations against deficiencies in curve transitions, Proceedings of the 13th International Heavy Haul Conference (IHHA 2025), Colorado Springs, 6pp.
• Welsby, D., Pun, J., Jayakumar, G., Casablanca, R., Oldknow, K., Makowsky, T. and Ogrady, J. (2025) Using simulation and in-field monitoring to improve rail performance, Proceedings of the 13th International Heavy Haul Conference (IHHA 2025), Colorado Springs, 6pp.
• Hassani, R., Oldknow, K., Pun, J., Welsby, D., Thompson, C. and Jayakumar, G. (2025) Simulation of wheel-rail friction identification using instrumented revenue vehicles (IRVs), Proceedings of the 13th International Heavy Haul Conference (IHHA 2025), Colorado Springs, 7pp.
• Wang, Y., Crosbee, D., Rothwell, E. and Oldknow, K. (2025) Could laser-based profile measurements be used in wheel/rail contact and vehicle dynamics simulations? Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. 2025; 0(0) doi:10.1177/09544097251332371
• Oldknow, K. and Vollebregt, E. (2025) Pre-processing of wheel-rail profiles for contact simulation.  how smooth is smooth enough? Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2025), Tokyo, Japan, 22-26 September 2025, 5pp
• Oldknow, K., Younes, S., Abeysinghe, A., Pun, J., Welsby, D. and Vollebregt, E. (2025) Implementing realistic traction-creepage curves in rail vehicle dynamics simulations using an elasto-plastic third body layer, Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2025), Tokyo, Japan, 22-26 September 2025, 8pp
• Agyapong, B., Oldknow, K., and McVey, M. (2024) Hybrid Locomotive Consists: Balancing Operational and Embodied Carbon Effects, Proceedings of the ASME 2024 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition IMECE2024, Portland, Oregon, 7pp
• Oldknow, K., Stock, R. and Vollebregt, E. (2024) Effects of rail hardness on transverse profile evolution and computed contact conditions in a full-scale wheel-rail test rig evaluation, Wear, 2024-10 (October 2024), doi: 10.1016/j.wear.2024.205589
• Li, Z., Oldknow, K. and Brunskill, H. (2024) Evaluating the use of surface wave ultrasonics for near-surface rolling contact fatigue depth characterization, Proceedings of the ASME 2024 Joint Rail Conference (JRC2024), Columbia, South Carolina, 11pp.
• Wang, Y., de Blois, S. and Oldknow, K. (2024) Incentivized decarbonization through safer and more efficient heavy haul operations. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. 2024;238(3):300-309. doi:10.1177/09544097231169420
• Bernal, E., Spiryagin, M., Oldknow, K., Wu, Q., Rahaman, M., Camacho, D., Bosomworth, C., Ahmad, S., Cole, C., and McSweeney, T. (January 2024) Hand operated tribometer versus twin disc dry friction characteristics measurements, Wear (2024), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2024.205267.
• Stock, R., Oldknow, K. and Magel, E. (2024) Addressing perceptions regarding the influence of relative hardness on wheel/rail performance, Wear 538–539 (February 2024): 205225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2023.205225.
• Spiryagin, M., Bernal, E., Oldknow, K., Persson, I., Rahaman, M.L., Ahmad, S., Wu, Q., Cole, C. and Mcsweeney, T. (2023) Implementation of Roughness and Elastic-Plastic Behavior in a Wheel-Rail Contact Modeling for Locomotive Traction Studies, Wear, 532–533 (November 2023): 205115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2023.205115.
• Wang, Y., Oldknow, K., Wang, G. and Mulligan, K (2023) Identification of Opportunities for Enhanced Train Marshalling and the Potential Use of Optimization, Proceedings of the 12th International Heavy Haul Conference (IHHA 2023), Rio de Janeiro, 7pp
• Silva, G., Oldknow, K., Regehr, S. and Handal, T. (2023) Establishing correlations between rail profile quality indices and simulated contact conditions, Proceedings of the 12th International Heavy Haul Conference (IHHA 2023), Rio de Janeiro, 8pp
• Wang, Y., Crosbee, D., Rothwell, E. and Oldknow, K. (2023) Comparison of vehicle dynamics simulation results using laser and contact-based profilometer measurements as inputs, Proceedings of the 28th IAVSD Symposium on Dynamics of Vehicles on Roads and Tracks (IAVSD 2023), 14pp
• Oldknow, K. (2022) A Brief History of Friction Management, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 10pp
• Oldknow, K., Stock, R. and Vollebregt, E. (2022) Effects of rail hardness on profile evolution and computed contact conditions in a full-scale wheel-rail test rig evaluation, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 11pp.
• Wang, Y., Oldknow, K. and Wang, G. (2022) Estimating derailment risk using parametric wheel-rail profile characterisation, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 9pp
• Stock, R., Oldknow, K. and Magel, E. (2022) Addressing Perceptions Regarding the Influence of Relative Hardness on Wheel/Rail Performance, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 9pp.
• Magel, E., Oldknow, K. and Stock, R. (2022) The impact of relative wheel-rail hardness on RCF, plastic flow, and rail grinding, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 8pp.
• Welsby, D., Oldknow, K. and Ravitharan, R. (2022) The critical importance of vehicle-track interaction assessment in system design and whole life operating performance, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 7pp.
• Bernal, E, Spiryagin, M., Oldknow, K., Wu, Q., Bosomworth, C., Ahmad, S., Cole, C. and McSweeney, T. (2022) Hand Operated Tribometer versus Twin Disc Dry Friction Characteristics Measurements, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 6pp.
• Spiryagin, M., Bernal, E., Oldknow, K., Persson, I., Ahmad, S., Wu, Q., Cole, C. and McSweeney, T. (2022) Consideration of roughness and elastic-plastic behavior in wheel-rail contact modeling for locomotive traction studies, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 6pp
• Vollebregt, E., Darbani, A., Ashtekar, A. and Oldknow, K. (2022) Smoothing procedures for detailed wheel/rail geometry processing, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems (CM2022), Melbourne, Australia, 4-7 September 2022, 7pp.
• Spiryagin, M., Szanto, F., Oldknow, K., Wolfs, P., Spiryagin, V., Ahmad, S., Wu, Q., Bernal, E., Cole, C. and McSweeney, T. (2022) , Advanced Modelling and Performance Evaluation of Hydrogen-Powered Heavy Haul Locomotive, Proceedings of the ASME 2022 Joint Rail Conference (JRC2022), April 18-19, 2022, Virtual, Online, 8pp.
• Spiryagin, M., Ahmad, S., Bernal, E., Oldknow, K., Persson, I., Wu, Q., Colin, C. and McSweeney, T. (2022) Implementation of the contact roughness at the wheel-rail contact model for locomotive traction studies, Proceedings of the ASME 2022 Joint Rail Conference (JRC2022), April 18-19, 2022, Virtual, Online, 6pp.
• Bernal, E., Spiryagin, M., Vollebregt, E., Oldknow, K., Stichel, S., Shrestha, S., Ahmad, S., Wu, Q. and Cole, C. (2022) Prediction of rail surface damage in locomotive traction operations using laboratory-field measured and calibrated data, Engineering Failure Analysis, 135, 14pp, doi: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106165