If the wheel is slipping, material is being scraped off the wheel and rail where they are in contact because there is a relative velocity between the two - and the wheel is sliding along the rail - and also rolling. Creates friction and tractive force. Some loss of material occurs due to traction, whether the wheel is slipping or not. If the wheel is rolling without slipping, the relative velocity between the wheel and rail at the theoretical contact line is zero and a point on the circumference traces out a curve (called a cycloid) as the wheel rolls along..
MELGAR