SERVICE TESTS OF MANGANESE CROSSINGS

The report covers the comparative tests of designs of solid manganese steel crossing frogs at McCook, Illinois, the tests of manganese insert and solid manganese crossings on structural steel and longitudinal timber supports, and tests of crossing frog bolt tension. Some of the designs included in the tests are more resistant to the development of fatigue cracks than others, but in none were the developed stresses low enough relative to the fatigue strength of the manganese steel to give the service life under heavy traffic that should be expected. Four railroad crossings were installed in the double-track main lines of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad and the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad. The structural steel T-beam support was placed under one each of the solid manganese and insert crossings and the other two crossings are carried on longitudinal bolted crossing timbers. The inspection made in 1947, after approximately one year's service, showed all castings in the four crossings to be in good condition with no-flangeway cracks. A plan of the flangeways of the four crossings showing the flangeway cracks as found on May 7, 1948 is presented. The extent of the cracks was about the same, regardless of kind of support, for the two types of crossings.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Railway Engineering Association

  59 East Van Buren Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Publication Date: 1949-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: p. 572-579
• Serial:
  • AREA BULLETIN
  • Volume: 50
  • Issue Number: 479
  • Publisher: American Railway Engineering Association

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bolts; Cracking; Defects; Fastenings; Fatigue (Mechanics); Fatigue (Physiological condition); Field tests; Frogs (Railroads); Railroad rails; Railroad ties; Stresses; Technology; Wood ties
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Fissures (Rails); Rail stress; Wooden cross ties
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040808
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM