A study was performed wing a finite element model to compare the stresses, strains and deformations of repeated, two-dimensional, rolling-sliding contact for an elastic-kinematic-hardening-plastic (ELKP) representation of rail steel with those produced by elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) material behavior. Kinematic-hardening produces fully reversed stress-strain hysteresis loops, and thus, no forward flow. Stresses, strain increments, and displacements are drastically reduced by the kinematic-hardening plasticity.Presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio May 9–12, 1988