NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Railway tracks

Rail tracks are used on railways (or railroads), which, together with railroad switches (or points), guide trains without the need for steering. Tracks consist of two parallel steel rails, which are laid upon sleepers (or cross ties) that are embedded in ballast to form the railroad track. The rail is fastened to the ties with rail spikes, lag screws or clips such as Pandrol clips. For illustrations of Pandrol clips, see [1] and [2] copied from http://nl. ... copied from http://nl. ... It has been suggested that Railway Switching be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about trains in rail transport. ... The old Steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon content between 0. ... track Rail tracks are used on railways (or railroads), which, together with railroad switches (or points), guide trains without the need for steering. ... Ferroconcrete sleepers A variant fastening of rails to wooden sleepers A railroad tie, cross tie, or sleeper is a rectangular object used as a base for railroad tracks. ... Concrete sleepers laid on Ballast Track ballast, consisting of gravel, cinders or other aggregate, forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers are laid. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... track Rail tracks are used on railways (or railroads), which, together with railroad switches (or points), guide trains without the need for steering. ... Two unused and one heavily corroded spike. ... Screws come in a variety of shapes and sizes for different purposes. ...

The type of fastener depends partly on the type of sleeper, with spikes being used on wooden sleepers, and clips being used more on concrete or cement sleepers. Concrete is a construction material that consists, in its most common form, of Portland cement, construction aggregate (generally gravel and sand) and water. ... In the most general sense of the word, cement is a binder, a substance which sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. ...

Usually, a baseplate (or fishplate, although a fishplate is also a bar used to join rails) is used between the rail and wooden sleepers, to spread the load of the rail over a larger area of the sleeper. Sometimes spikes are driven through a hole in the baseplate to hold the rail, while at other times the baseplates are spiked or screwed to the sleeper and the rails clipped to the baseplate. In rail terminology, a fishplate is a metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track. ... Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ...

Steel rails can carry heavier loads than any other material. Railroad ties spread the load from the rails over the ground and also serve to hold the rails a fixed distance apart (called the gauge.) Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ...

Rail tracks are normally laid on a bed of coarse stone chippings known as ballast, which combines resilience, some amount of flexibility, and good drainage. Steel rails can also be laid onto a concrete slab (a slab track). Across bridges, track is often laid on ties across longitudinal timbers or longitudinal steel girders. Concrete sleepers laid on Ballast Track ballast, consisting of gravel, cinders or other aggregate, forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers are laid. ... Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for useâ€”from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial useâ€”as structural material for construction or wood... The old Steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon content between 0. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ...

Additional detail on tracks used for tram and light rail operations, as opposed to heavy rail, is available at tramway track. A CLRV Streetcar in the City of Toronto. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Light rail tracks with concrete railroad ties. ...

1 Railway rail
- 1.1 Rail sizes
- 1.2 See also
2 Jointed track
- 2.1 Insulated joints
3 Continuous welded rail
4 Methods of fixing rail to sleepers/ties
- 4.1 See also
5 Track maintenance
6 History
7 Gauge
8 U.S. track classes
9 Other types
10 References
11 See also
12 External links

Railway rail

Rail from 1896

Unlike some other uses of iron and steel, railway rails are subject to very high stresses and have to be made of very high quality steel. It took many decades to improve the quality of the materials, including the change from iron to steel. Minor flaws in the steel that pose no problems with, say, reinforcing rods for buildings, can lead to broken rails and dangerous derailments when used on railway tracks. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 5441 KB) Summary Beschreibung: Rail, made by Barrow Steel in 1896 Quelle: selbst erstelltes Foto Fotograf/Zeichner: Arnold Paul Datum der Aufnahme: 2005-07-15 Andere Versionen: - Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 5441 KB) Summary Beschreibung: Rail, made by Barrow Steel in 1896 Quelle: selbst erstelltes Foto Fotograf/Zeichner: Arnold Paul Datum der Aufnahme: 2005-07-15 Andere Versionen: - Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks Metadata... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... The old Steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon content between 0. ... Notable historic train accidents: 1830s September 15, 1830 – William Huskisson becomes first ever passenger train death. ...

By and large, the heavier the rails and the rest of the trackwork, the heavier and faster the trains on those tracks can be.

The rails represent a substantial fraction of the cost of a railway line. Only a small number of rail sizes are made by the steelworks at the one time, so a railway must choose the nearest suitable size. Worn, heavy rail from a mainline is often cascaded down to branchline, siding or yard use. A branch line is a relatively minor railway line which branches off a more important through route. ... A siding, in general rail terminology, refers to a section of rail used to store stationary rolling stock perhaps whilst it is loaded or unloaded, or alternatively, a short length of rail that provides access to and from factories, mines, quarries, wharves, etc. ... Chicago and North Western Railways Proviso Yard in Chicago, Illinois, December 1942. ...

Rail sizes

Rails in Canada, the United Kingdom, and United States are still described using imperial units. However, in Australia they are now described in metric units and always have been on mainland Europe. Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and peninsulae. ...

Depending on the use of imperial or metric units, rail sizes are usually expressed in terms of pounds per yard or kilograms per metre. Coincidentally, the pounds-per-yard figure is almost exactly double the kilograms-per-metre figure, making rough conversions easy. The Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of English units, first defined in the Weights and Measures Act of 1824, later refined (until 1959) and reduced. ... The International System of Units (symbol: SI) (for the French phrase Syst me International dUnit s) is the most widely used system of units. ...

Europe

Rails are made in a large number of different sizes. Some common European rail sizes include:

40 kg/m (81 lb/yd)
50 kg/m (101 lb/yd)
60 kg/m (121 lb/yd)

North America

Some common North American rail sizes include:

115 lb/yd (57 kg/m)
119 lb/yd (59 kg/m)
132 lb/yd (65 kg/m)
133 lb/yd (66 kg/m)
136 lb/yd (67 kg/m)
140 lb/yd (69 kg/m)

Some common North American crane rail sizes include:

12 lb/yd ( 6 kg/m)
20 lb/yd (10 kg/m)
25 lb/yd (12 kg/m)
30 lb/yd (15 kg/m)
40 lb/yd (20 kg/m)
60 lb/yd (30 kg/m)
80 lb/yd (40 kg/m)
85 lb/yd (42 kg/m)
104 lb/yd (52 kg/m)
105 lb/yd (52 kg/m)
135 lb/yd (67 kg/m)
171 lb/yd (85 kg/m)
175 lb/yd (87 kg/m)

Australia

Some common Australian rail sizes include:

30 kg/m (60 lb/yd)
36 kg/m (72 lb/yd)
40 kg/m (80 lb/yd)
47 kg/m (94 lb/yd)
50 kg/m (100 lb/yd)
53 kg/m (107 lb/yd)
60 kg/m (121 lb/yd)
only the 50 kg and 60 kg are currently made. All other sizes are obsolete.
American sizes used on northwest Western Australian iron ore railways.

Jointed track

Track joint.

There are different ways of joining rails together to form tracks. The traditional method was to bolt rails together in what is known as jointed track. In this form of track, lengths of rail, usually around 20 metres (60 feet) long, are laid and fixed to sleepers (UK) (crossties, or simply ties in North American parlance), and are joined to other lengths of rail with steel plates known as fishplates (UK) or joint bars (N.A.). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (900x564, 257 KB)A track joint This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its creator, G-Man. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (900x564, 257 KB)A track joint This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its creator, G-Man. ...

Historically, North American railroads until the mid to late 20th century used sections of rail that measured 39 feet (11.9 m) long so they could be carried to and from a worksite in conventional gondolas, which often measured 40 feet (12.2 m) long; as car sizes increased, so did rail lengths. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... A railroad gondola seen at Rochelle, Illinois. ...

Alternative view of track joints

Fishplates or joint bars are usually 60 centimetres (2 feet) long, and are bolted through each side of the rail ends with bolts (usually four, but sometimes up to six.) Small gaps known as expansion joints are deliberately left between the rails to allow for expansion of the rails in hot weather. The holes through which the fishplate bolts pass are oval to allow for expansion. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 267 KB) rail joint My own photo taken 28-jun-2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 267 KB) rail joint My own photo taken 28-jun-2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks ... An expansion joint is an assembly designed to safely absorb the heat-induced expansion and contraction of metallic parts. ...

British practice was always to have the rail joints on both rails adjacent to each other, while North American practice is to stagger them.

Because of the small gaps left between the rails, when trains pass over jointed tracks, they make a "clickety clack" sound. Unless it is well maintained, jointed track doesn't have the ride quality of welded rail, and is unsuitable for high speed trains. However, it is still used in many countries on lower speed lines and sidings. Jointed track is still extensively used in poorer countries due to the lower construction cost and lack of modernisation of their railway systems. A siding, in general rail terminology, refers to a section of rail used to store stationary rolling stock perhaps whilst it is loaded or unloaded, or alternatively, a short length of rail that provides access to and from factories, mines, quarries, wharves, etc. ...

Insulated joints

Where there are track circuits for signalling purposes, insulated block joints are required. These compound the weakness of ordinary block joints. Specially made glued joints, where all the gaps filled with epoxy resin increases the strength again. Audio frequency track circuits such as those made by CSEE replace the conventional block joint with a tuned loop which uses say 20m of the rail as part of the blocking circuit. Axle counters can also reduce the number of track circuits and thus the number of insulated rail jounts. A track circuit is an electrical circuit used to detect the presence of a train. ... Epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures when mixed with a catalyzing agent or hardener. Most common epoxy resins are produced from a reaction between Epichorohydrin & Bisphenol A. The first commercial attempts to prepare resins from epichlorohydrin occurred in 1927 in the United States. ... An axle counter is a device on a railway that detects the passing of a train in lieu of the more common track circuit. ...

Continuous welded rail

welded rail joint

Most modern railways use continuous welded rail (CWR); in this form of track, the rails are welded together by utilising the thermite reaction or flash butt welding to form one continuous rail that may be several kilometres long. Because there are few joints, this form of track is very strong, gives a smooth ride, and needs less maintenance. Welded track has become common on main lines since the 1950s. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 307 KB) welded rail joint (de: geschweiÃŸter SchienenstoÃŸ) My own photo taken 28-jun-2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x960, 307 KB) welded rail joint (de: geschweiÃŸter SchienenstoÃŸ) My own photo taken 28-jun-2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks ... Welding is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. ... A thermite mixture using Iron Oxide A thermite reaction is a type of aluminothermic reaction in which aluminium metal is oxidized by the oxide of another metal, most commonly iron oxide. ...

Because of the increased strength of welded track, trains can travel on it at higher speeds and with less friction. Welded rails are more expensive to lay than jointed tracks, but have much lower maintenance costs.

Rails expand in hot weather and shrink in cold weather. Because welded track has very few expansion joints, if no special measures are taken it could become distorted in hot weather and cause a derailment (a condition known as sun kink). Notable historic train accidents: 1830s September 15, 1830 – William Huskisson becomes first ever passenger train death. ... Sun kink refers to a condition that can occur on hot days with improperly laid continuous welded rail. ...

To avoid this, welded rails are very often laid on concrete or steel sleepers, which are so heavy they hold the rails firmly in place, and with plenty of ballast to stop the sleepers from moving. After new segments of rail are laid, or defective rails replaced (welded in), the rails are artificially stressed. Concrete is a construction material that consists, in its most common form, of Portland cement, construction aggregate (generally gravel and sand) and water. ... Ferroconcrete sleepers A variant fastening of rails to wooden sleepers A railroad tie, cross tie, or sleeper is a rectangular object used as a base for railroad tracks. ... Examples of buckling track in CWR Stressing is a technique developed in the 1960s to avert rail track problems that can occur when installing Continuous Welded Rail (CWR). ...

The stressing process, involves either heating the rails causing them to expand,^[1] or stretching the rails with hydraulic equipment. They are then fastened (clipped) to the sleepers in their expanded form. This process ensures that the rail will not expand much further in subsequent hot weather. In cold weather the rails try to contract, but because they are firmly fastened, cannot do so. In effect, stressed rails are a bit like a piece of stretched elastic firmly fastened down. Stressing Stressing is a technique developed in the 1960s to avert rail track problems that can occur when installing Continuous Welded Rail (CWR). ... Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ... Look up Elastic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Engineers try to heat the rail to a temperature roughly midway between the average extremes of hot and cold (this is known as the 'rail neutral temperature'). If temperatures reach outside normal ranges however, welded rail can buckle in a hotter than usual summer or can actually break in a colder than anticipated winter.

Joints are used in continuously welded rail when necessary; instead of a joint that passes straight across the rail, producing a loud noise and shock when the wheels pass over it, two sections of rail are sometimes cut at a steep angle and put together with a gap between them (a breather switch). This gives a much smoother transition yet still provides some expansion room. A Breather Switch (or Adjustment Switch) is a long diagonal gap in rail tracks created to allow for the transition between two segments of continuously welded rail, or at the transition between CWR and jointed track. ...

Methods of fixing rail to sleepers/ties

Cross-sections of flat-bottomed which can rest directly on the sleepers, and bullhead rails which sit in chairs (not shown).

Screwless rail attachment

There are several methods used to fasten rail to wooden sleepers / ties. The worldwide standard type of rail used today is flat-bottomed rail (Vignoles rail), which has a flat base and can stand upright without support. A flat-bottomed rail has a cross-section like that of an upside-down 'T' and is usually held to the sleeper with a baseplate, a metal plate attached to the sleeper; although for lower cost construction FB rails can be laid directly onto the sleepers. Rail cross sections; flat-bottomed and bullhead Image created 10th January 2005 by User:AmosWolfe. ... Rail cross sections; flat-bottomed and bullhead Image created 10th January 2005 by User:AmosWolfe. ... Comparison of flat-bottomed with bullhead rail Vignoles rail is the name popularly used for the flat-bottomed rail used internationally for railway track, after Charles Vignoles the engineer who introduced it to Britain. ...

Modern sleepers can be made of reinforced concrete and pressed steel, with rubber pads inserted between the sleeper and rail. This is done for two reasons: to give a smoother ride and to prevent the sleeper from shorting the track circuit, a low voltage passed through the rails for signalling purposes. This is different from a "traction current," which powers electric trains. See also [3] A track circuit is an electrical circuit used to detect the presence of a train. ...

A rail clip

A variety of different types of heavy-duty clips are used to fasten the rails to the underlying baseplate, one common one being the Pandrol fastener (Pandrol clip), named after its maker, which is shaped like a sturdy, stubby paperclip.[4], [5] and [6] Download high resolution version (768x1024, 141 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (768x1024, 141 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

North American practice normally uses rail spikes, which are fundamentally very large nails with over hanging heads to clasp the flat-bottomed rail. These are cheaper and simpler to install but can loosen if the tie rots, much more easily than the British chair (a type of baseplate) does. This is mitigated by using very large and solid creosoted ties or using another rot-proofing preservative. See also timber treatment. Two unused and one heavily corroded spike. ... Creosote is the name used for a variety of products: wood creosote, coal tar creosote, coal tar, coal tar pitch, and coal tar pitch volatiles. ... A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ... Timber treatment or lumber treatment in forestry describes the intensive treatment of timber with chemical agents to increase its durability and ability to be used in an otherwise inappropriate situation like inground use. ...

A fishplate between two sections of jointed bullhead rail, with a rail chair screwed into a wooden sleeper, the keys are on the opposite side of the rail and not visible here. This example of traditional British practice was photographed at Cardiff Bay railway station

In traditional British practice, cast metal chairs were screwed to the sleepers, which took a style of rail known as bullhead that was somewhat figure-8 in cross-section — wider at top and bottom (known as the head and foot respectively) and smaller in the middle (the web). Keys (wedges of wood or sprung steel) were then driven in between chair and rail to hold it in place. This was common practice on British railways until the 1950s, but is now largely obsolete. Cardiff Bay railway station (previously Butetown railway station) is a station serving the Cardiff Bay and Butetown areas of Cardiff. ... Screws come in a variety of shapes and sizes for different purposes. ...

The idea behind bullhead rails was that because both the top and bottom of the rails were the same shape, when one side of the rail became worn, the rail could be turned over to the unused side, thus extending the rail's lifespan. However the bottom head turned out to get dented, rendering the original idea useless. Since the turnover requirement was no longer needed, bullhead rails came to have a flat base (narrower than flat-bottomed rail), and the top part has curved edges that fit the profile of the train wheels.

In recent years, methods have been developed to put tracks on concrete without using conventional sleepers or track ballast. While this method's construction cost is high, this system is expected to have significantly lower maintenance cost than conventional tracks. It is mainly used on high-speed lines and in tunnels, where maintenance access is difficult.

Wooden Sleepers Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 639 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ...	Concrete Sleepers Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 620 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ...	Steel Sleepers Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 806 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ...	Iron & Brick Sleepers Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 791 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ...
Sleeper-less track Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 500 KB) Bild der festen Fahrbahn auf der Hochgeschwindigkeitsstrecke NÃ¼rnbergâ€“Ingolstadt. ...	Spring clip and spike with baseplates on adjacent sleepers at welded joint

Track maintenance

An abandoned railroad trestle in Alaska

Track needs frequent maintenance to remain in good order; the frequency increases with higher-speed or heavier trains. Without frequent maintenance, a slow zone may occur due to damage on the tracks. Track maintenance was formerly hard manual labour, requiring teams of gandy dancers who used levers to force rails back into place on steep turns, correcting the gradual shifting caused by the centripetal force of passing trains. Currently, maintenance is facilitated by a variety of specialised machines. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 318 KB) Broken railroad tracks in Alaska, taken by Glenn Kurtzrock File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks Categories: GFDL images ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 318 KB) Broken railroad tracks in Alaska, taken by Glenn Kurtzrock File links The following pages link to this file: Rail tracks Categories: GFDL images ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area Ranked 1st - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 kmÂ²) - Width 808 miles (1,300 km) - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km) - % water 13. ... Gandy dancer is a slang term for workers who provided maintenance of railroads in North America. ... The principle of the lever tells us that the above is in static equilibrium, with all forces balancing, if F1D1 = F2D2. ...

The profile of the track is maintained by using a railgrinder. A railgrinder (also spelled rail grinder) is a maintenance of way railway car that is used to remove irregularities from rail tracks and restore their profile, in order to extend the life of the rails before they need to be replaced. ...

Common maintenance jobs include spraying ballast with weedkiller to prevent weeds growing through and disrupting the ballast. This is typically done with a special weedkilling train. A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. ...

Over time, ballast is crushed by the weight of trains passing over it, and periodically it needs to be cleaned or replaced. If this is not done, the tracks become uneven.

Rail Inspections utilize nondestructive testing methods to detect internal flaws in the rails. This is done by using specially equipped HiRail trucks, inspection cars, or in some cases handheld inspection devices. Rail inspection is the practice of examining rail tracks for flaws that could lead to catastrophic failures. ... A HiRail truck is an ordinary road truck fitted with railway wheels so that it can operate on rail tracks. ...

Broken or worn-out rails also need replacing periodically. Mainline rails that get worn out usually have life left in branch line or rail siding use and are "cascaded" to those branch lines. A branch line is a relatively minor railway line which branches off a more important through route. ... A siding, in general rail terminology, refers to a section of rail used to store stationary rolling stock perhaps whilst it is loaded or unloaded, or alternatively, a short length of rail that provides access to and from factories, mines, quarries, wharves, etc. ...

See also Maintenance of way Maintenance of way (often abbreviated as M of Way, MOW or MW) refers to the maintenance of railroad rights of way. ...

History

Rail Bender

Some early rails were made by William Jessop in the 1790s. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 486 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 486 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ... William Jessop (23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English civil engineer, particularly famed for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ...

Early rails were used on horse drawn wagonways. In the early days the rails were flanged (i.e 'L' shaped) with the wagon wheels being flat. Over time it was realised that flanged wheels with flat rails worked better. Wagonways are the horses, equipment, and tracks used for hauling wagons which preceded steam powered railways. ...

Early rails were sometimes strap-iron rails, which consisted of thin strips of iron strapped onto wooden rails . These rails were too fragile to carry heavy loads, but because the initial construction cost was less, this method was sometimes used to quickly build an inexpensive rail line. Strap rails sometimes separated from the wooden base and speared into the floor of the carriages above, creating what was referred to as a "snake head." However, the long-term expense involved in frequent maintenance outweighed any savings.

Early metal rails were made mostly from cast iron which was a brittle material which could break easily. The first steel rails were made in 1857 by Robert Forester Mushet, who laid them at Derby station in England. Steel was a much stronger material, which steadily replaced iron for use on railway rail. Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ... A material is brittle if it is subject to fracture when subjected to stress i. ... The old Steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon content between 0. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi Population - 2005 est. ...

The use of welded rather than jointed track began in around the 1940s and had become widespread by the 1960s. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

It took many decades for weak and fragile iron rails to evolve into the strong and robust steel rails of today. But problems can still occur, such as happened with the Hatfield train derailment in Great Britain on October 17, 2000. The accident involved gauge corner cracking, which is now referred to as rolling contact fatigue, as the defect doesn't only occur on curves. The Hatfield rail crash was a railway accident that occurred on 17 October 2000, at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. A Great North Eastern Railway Intercity train bound for Leeds had left London Kings Cross at 1210 local time. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Gauge

Main article: Rail gauge

During the early days of rail there was considerable variation in the gauge used by different systems. Today, sixty percent of the world's railways use a gauge of 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm), which is known as the standard or international gauge. Gauges wider than standard gauge are called broad gauge, those smaller than standard narrow gauge. Some stretches of track are dual gauge, with three (or sometimes four) parallel rails in place of the usual two, to allow trains of two different gauges to share the same track. Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... Great Western Railway broad gauge steam locomotives awaiting scrapping in 1892 after the conversion to standard gauge. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... Sunlight reflects off dual-gauge tracks near Chur, Switzerland Mixed-gauge track and pointwork (1435 mm and 1067 mm) at Odawara in Japan Dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway is a special configuration of railway track, allowing trains of different gauges to use the same alignment. ...

U.S. track classes

In the United States, the Federal Railroad Administration has developed a system of classification for track quality. The class a track is placed in determines speed limits and the ability to run passenger trains. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was created in 1966 as a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation to promote safe, environmentally sound, successful rail transportation. ...

The lowest class is referred to as excepted track. Only freight trains are allowed to operate on this type of trackage, and they may run at speeds up to 10 mph (16 km/h). Also, no more than five cars loaded with hazardous material may be operated within any single train. Passenger trains of any kind are prohibited, including chartered excursions or fantrips.
Class 1 track is the lowest class allowing the operation of passenger trains. Freight train speeds are still limited to 10 mph (16 km/h, and passenger trains are restricted to 15 mph (24 km/h).
Class 2 track limits freight trains to 25 mph (40 km/h) and passenger trains to 30 mph (48 km/h).
Class 3 track limits freight trains to 40 mph (64 km/h) and passenger trains to 60 mph (96 km/h). There is currently a legal battle between Amtrak and the Guilford Rail System over its trackage from Haverhill, MA, to Portland, ME. Amtrak is fighting for the Class 3 trackage to be used to operate its Downeaster at 79 mph (126 km/h).
Class 4 track limits freight trains to 60 mph (96 km/h) and passenger trains to 80 mph (128 km/h). Most track, especially that owned by major railroads the Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, and Norfolk Southern is class 4 track. Due to a technicality in law, Amtrak trains are limited to 79 mph (126 km/h) on this track, unless cab signaling or automatic train stop are employed.
Class 5 track limits freight trains to 80 mph (128 km/h) and passenger trains to 90 mph (144 km/h). The most significant portion of Class 5 track is part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Chicago–Los Angeles mainline, the old Santa Fe main, upon which Amtrak's Southwest Chief can operate at up to 90 mph (144 km/h). This is notable as the only area outside Amtrak-owned trackage or trackage upgraded through state funds where Amtrak trains can operate above 79 mph (126 km/h).
Class 6 limits freight trains and passenger trains to 110 mph (176 km/h). Amtrak is currently working with the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the state of Illinois to upgrade a portion of its Chicago, Illinois–Kansas City, Missouri line to Class 6.
Class 7 limits all trains to 125 mph (200 km/h). Most of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is Class 7 trackage.
Class 8 limits all trains to 160 mph (256 km/h). A few small lengths of the Northeast Corridor are the only Class 8 trackage in North America.
Class 9 trackage limits all trains to 200 mph (320 km/h). There is currently no Class 9 trackage.

A hazardous material (HAZMAT) is any solid, liquid, or gas that can cause harm to humans, other living organisms, or the environment due to being radioactive, flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive, a biohazard, an oxidizer, an asphyxiant, or capable of causing severe allergic reactions. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... Guilford Rail System (GRS) is a regional freight railroad covering northern New England from Calais, Maine to Albany, New York. ... Haverhill is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts. ... Waterfront of Portland along the Fore River Portland is the largest city in Maine with a population of 64,249 citizens as of 2000. ... The Downeaster is a 116-mile (187 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak, connecting North Station in Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark UP) (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad network in the United States. ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting mark BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only one competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is comparable in size). ... CSX Transportation (AAR reporting mark CSXT) is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the CSX Corporation. ... Norfolk Southern Headquarters Norfolk, Virginia. ... The Southwest Chief snaking through Apache Canyon, NM The Southwest Chief (formerly the Southwest Limited) is a passenger train operated by Amtrak along a 2256-mile (3631-km) route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. ... The Iowa Interstate Railroad (AAR reporting mark IAIS) is a Class II railroad operating in the central United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 606. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... Most of the NEC is owned by Amtrak (those sections shown in red). ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Other types

In the early years of railways, there was much experimentation with rails and sleepers and fixtures, before the better designs emerged.

Wooden rails with a metal strap on top was tried to save costs, but the straps had a tendency to come loose and penetrate the carriages going over them.

Barlow rail had a wide cross section to spread the load, but the rail itself tended to spread and go out of gauge.

Brunel's Great Western Railway used longitudinal sleepers, with piles to hold the track down, but as the earthworks settled, the piles came to hold the track up. Brunel can mean: Isambard Kingdom Brunel Marc Isambard Brunel, Isambards father Brunel Bridge Brunel University Shlomo Ben Avraham Ole Brunell This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ...

References

^ Continuous Welded Rail. Grandad Sez: Grandad's Railway Engineering Section. Retrieved on 2006-06-12.

Pike, J., (2001), Track, Sutton Publishing, ISBN 0-75092-692-9

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ...

External links

Table of North American tee rail (flat bottom) sections
ThyssenKrupp handbook, Vignoles rail
ThyssenKrupp handbook, Light Vignoles rail
Track Details in photographs

Categories: Articles with sections needing expansion | Rail infrastructure

Results from FactBites:

SingaporeMoms - Parenting Encyclopedia - Rail tracks (1543 words)
	Tracks consist of two parallel steel rails, which are laid and fastened upon sleepers (or cross ties) which are embedded in ballast to form the railroad track.
	Railways rails are made in a large number of different sizes (weights), and the choice of size is a balance of economic and technical factors.
	Jointed track is still extensively used in poor countries, due to the cheaper construction costs and lack of modernisation of their railway systems.

More results at FactBites »

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Contents

Railway rail GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Rail sizes

Europe

North America

Australia

See also

Jointed track

Insulated joints

Continuous welded rail

Methods of fixing rail to sleepers/ties

See also

Track maintenance

History

Gauge

U.S. track classes

Other types

References

See also

External links

Railway rail