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    <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <item>
      <title>PROPERTIES OF RAILWAY RAILS PRODUCED FROM LADLE-REFINED STEEL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/165749</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The most effective results are obtained with vacuum degassing and ladle purging with argon and nitrogen.  Vacuum treatment reduces the content of oxide phase and oxide stronger length and lowers the hydrogen content to levels at which there is no danger of hairline cracking. Vacuum treatment also lowers the ductile-brittle transition point by 20 deg, reduces anisotropy of ductile and impact properties, and increases design strength.  Argon purging reduces the length of oxide stringer inclusions and improves mechanical properties.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 1981 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/165749</guid>
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      <title>THE TRANSITION AND PRESENT STATUS OF RAILS FOR RAILWAYS</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/72062</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The present work contains a survey of the transition of railway rails from 1901, when the first rail was produced in Japan, to the present and it also provides a description of the present-day status of rails for railways.  At present, a total of more than 500,000 tons of rails per year are produced in Japan at the Yahata Iron Works of Nippon Steel Corporation and the Fukuyama Iron Works of Nippon Kokan Kabushiki Kaisha.  These iron works produce such varieties of rails as 60-kg/m-50 m rails, hyper-hardened-head rails having improved resistance to wear and improved resistance to contact pressure, and rails with head flanges strengthened by heat treatment, representing a strengthening of the rail edge, which has a structural weakness.  This study points out that it will be necessary for the future production of rails to employ such techniques as vacuum degassing and continuous casting of blooms as well as introducing alloy steels.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 14 Mar 1978 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/72062</guid>
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      <title>THE EFFECT OF VACUUM DEGASSING ON THE QUALITY OF STEEL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/72066</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Conditions associated with the need for vacuum degassing of rail steel are investigated.  High volume of carbon and manganese increases the occurrence of flaking and rail cracking is caused by the decrease in hydrogen solubility when the temperature is lowered.  The latter condition is caused by a change in atomic state of hydrogen into a molecular state.  An investigation is described in which steel was degassified using the D-H method, a search for a suitable deoxidation technology involving three series of melting was also undertaken.  The chemical compositions of the metals were based on UIC-860 requirements.  Data are plotted on curves showing the hydrogen content before and after degassing for metals involving different amounts of deoxidizers.  During the period of degassing, 50 percent of the inherent oxygen was dissolved, which simultaneously eliminates most of the nonmetallic inclusions.  Data are plotted which show differences in inclusion contents for nonkilled- and degassed-steels.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 14 Mar 1978 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/72066</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>CAUSES OF SHELLY SPOTS AND HEAD CHECKS IN RAIL-METHODS FOR THEIR PREVENTION</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/18716</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Part one of this report discusses a laboratory investigation of 132-pound rail made from vacuum degassed steel.  The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether rails made from vacuum degassed steel and air cooled are comparable in properties with rail steel produced by currently common practices.  The manufacturing process and test specimens are described.  Rolling load tests, drop tests, slow bend tests, Charpy impact tests, hardness tests, and chemical analysis are performed.  Macroscopic and microscopic examinations and physical property determinations are examined.  The properties of vacuum degassed steel rails without controlled cooling were comparable to those manufactured by conventional techniques. Part two is a report on a field inspection of vacuum degassed steel rail on the Norfolk & Western Railway. Slight curve wear was noted in the high side rails, and slight rail wear was noted on the low side rails.  No shelling or head checking was noted.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 1976 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/18716</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>RAIL FAILURE STATISTICS COVERING (A) ALL FAILURES (B) TRANSVERSE FISSURES (C) PERFORMANCE OF CONTROL-COOLED RAIL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/18717</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This report of rail failure statistics covers all failures, transverse fissures, and performance of control-cooled rail. Mill performance with regard to service failures is discussed. Statistics for both accumulated service failures and detected number of defects are given.  No additional transverse fissure failures in control-cooled rail were reported in 1971 indicating that good quality control and mill practices have been followed in the manufacture of this rail to avoid shatter cracks.  The low incidence of rail failure from welded engine burns indicates that practice of welding these burns is showing good service performance. Butt weld failures are tabulated.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 1976 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/18717</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>INVESTIGATION OF 140 LB/YD RAIL MADE FROM VACUUM DEGASSED STEEL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/21128</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Presently rails are manufactured in 39 ft. lengths.  The desire to obtain longer lengths of rail has been expressed by many railroads because of savings anticipated from a reduction in the number of welded joints required in continuous welded rail strings.  One factor inhibiting the production of rails longer than 39 ft. is the practice of control cooling in covered containers.  Control cooling is employed to prevent the development of internal flakes or shatter cracks that have been causally related to the level of hydrogen absorbed in the steel.  With the use of vacuum degassing, hydrogen content is controlled by a different technique; therefore, it is believed that rails made of vacuum degassed steel can be air cooled without shatter cracks developing.  The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether rails made from vacuum degassed steel and air cooled are comparable in properties with rail steel produced by currently common practices.  As measured in the laboratory, the properties of this vacuum degassed heat, without controlled cooling were comparable to those measured previously for steels made by more conventional techniques and subjected to controlled cooling.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 1976 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/21128</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>RAIL RESEARCH - PROBLEM DEFINITION</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/21223</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A program was initiated to determine and define the problems associated with rail.  The purpose was to collect and analyze facts regarding national and international experience on rail behavior, in order to focus attention on the major unresolved problems in rail.  These are (1) Joint area problems, both bolted and welded, (2) Plastic deformation of rail head causing shelling, (3) Rail defects and premature removal of rail from track, and (4) Appropriate selection of rail based upon service requirements-use criterion.  This report presents a background study of rail design, chemical composition and heat treatment of rail, manufacturing and rolling of rail-reviewing problem areas of each.  A discussion of rail defects and the background and techniques of rail defect (flaw) detection is also presented.  Recommendations are made for further research and study on bolt hole drilling, rail straightness, new rail steel process and manufacturing techniques, wheel/rail interaction, fracture properties and defect propagation of present and proposed rail steels, rail flaw detection technology, and economic use criterion of rail.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 1976 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/21223</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>INVESTIGATION OF 132 LB/YD RAIL MADE FROM VACUUM DEGASSED STEEL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/21116</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Presently rails are manufactured in 39 ft. lengths.  The desire to obtain longer lengths of rail has been expressed by many railroads because of savings anticipated from a reduction in the number of welded joints required in continuous welded rail strings.  One factor inhibiting the production of rails longer than 39 ft. is the practice of control cooling in covered containers.  Control cooling is employed to prevent the development of internal flakes or shatter cracks that have been causally related to the level of hydrogen absorbed in the steel.  With the use of vacuum degassing hydrogen content is controlled by a different technique; therefore, it is believed that rails made of vacuum degassed steel can be air cooled without shatter cracks developing.  The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether rails made from vacuum degassed steel and air cooled are comparable in properties with rail steel produced by currently common practices.  This laboratory evaluation of 132 lb. RE rail made from vacuum degassed steel was made for the Norfolk and Western Railway.  As measured in the laboratory, the properties of these vacuum degassed heats, without controlled cooling, were comparable to those measured previously for steels made by more conventional techniques and subjected to controlled cooling.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 1976 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/21116</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>INVESTIGATION OF 140 LB/YD RAIL MADE FROM VACUUM DEGASSED STEEL</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/18719</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether rails made from vacuum degassed steel, which is air cooled, are comparable in properties with rail steel produced by currently common practices using controlled cooling.  The manufacturing process and test specimens are described. Rolling-load tests, drop tests, slow bend tests, hardness surveys, Charpy Impact tests, chemical analysis, and microscopic examinations were performed.  Results and conclusions show that the properties of rails manufactured by vacuum degassed heat without controlled cooling were comparable to rails made by conventional techniques and subjected to controlled cooling.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 1974 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/18719</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>PRODUCING 78-FT RAILS IN CANADA</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/19115</link>
      <description><![CDATA[When existing plant in Nova Scotia was rehabilitated the rail-finishing facilities were expanded and revamped so that rails could be handled in lengths longer than that imposed by control cooling boxes.  Hydrogen gas in molten steel is said to be the "culprit that causes shatter cracks," which can result in transverse fissures.  The vacuum-degassing process installed in its plant by Sydney Steel Corp., is intended to reduce the hydrogen content of the steel to acceptable levels.  This obviates the need to subject the rails to control cooling so that the limitation on the length of rails imposed by the control-cooling boxes is eliminated.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Jun 1974 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/19115</guid>
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