This paper describes the phenomenon of thermal conicity (TC) of railway wheels that occurs as the result of excessive thermal loads generated in the process of braking using brake blocks and then cooling to ambient temperature. The TC phenomenon is described using a standard BA004 railway wheel and load values derived from the TSI ‘Rolling stock’ guidelines. A methodology for determining the thermal loads created during braking is described, as well as the individual stages of the creation of a model based on the finite element method.