steels having a pearlitic structure and containing 0 . 60 to 1 . 0 weight percent carbon , 1 . 1 to 3 . 0 weight percent silicon , 0 . 45 to 0 . 85 weight percent manganese , less than 0 . 050 weight percent sulfur and less than 0 . 050 weight percent phosphorus , with the remainder of said steel being iron and incidental impurities , can be used to make railway wheels that are resistant to martensite transformations and , hence , spalling . the addition of 0 . 50 to 1 . 0 weight percent chromium to such steels further improves their resistance to spalling .