INVESTIGATION OF SERVICE AND DETECTED BUTT WELDED RAIL JOINT FAILURES

In the period between October 1, 1966, and October 1, 1967, there were seven service and no detected failures in butt welded rail joints investigated by the metallurgical laboratory of the AAR. A summary of these service failures is tabulated. Investigation 136-22 involved an electric flash butt welded joint that failed in service. The rails used in the fabrication of this joint were 112-lb RE sections rolled July 1942. This failure could be attributed to an entrapment introduced during the welding process. Investigation 136-25 involved a rail, part of a continuous welded string, that failed in service. This rail was identified as a 140-lb PS section rolled in 1959. This failure can be attributed to these electrode burns which were introduced during the welding process. Investigation 136-27A, B, and C involved three electric flash butt welded joints that failed in service. The rails used in the fabrication of these joints were 132-lb RE sections rolled in August 1965. These electric flash butt weld failures can be attributed to pipe and heavy segregration. Investigation 136-31 involved an Orgotherm thermite welded rail joint that failed in service. The rails used in the fabrication of this joint were 115-lb RE sections rolled in June 1966. This failure could be attributed to the presence of a martensite formation that resulted from a heavy grinding of the thermite weld collar after the weld metal had cooled. Investigation 136-34 involved an electric flash butt welded joint that failed in service. The rails used in the fabrication of this joint were 136-lb RE sections rolled in 1967. This failure could be attributed to the presence of this cementite.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Railway Engineering Association

  59 East Van Buren Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Publication Date: 1968-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 574-588
• Serial:
  • AREA BULLETIN
  • Volume: 69
  • Publisher: American Railway Engineering Association

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Defects; Failure; Rail joints; Railroad rails; Technology; Welded rail; Welding
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Rail failure; Rail welding; Splitting (Rails)
• Subject Areas: Construction; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040471
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Bulletin 612
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 22 1976 12:00AM