SERVICE AND DETECTED FAILURES OF BUTT-WELDED RAIL JOINTS

During the period 14 service and detected failures of butt-welded rail joints were submitted for examination to the AAR Research Center. Macrographic and Microscopic examinations of the welds and of both rails adjacent to the joint were made. Since the majority of the butt welding rail in the United States is done by means of the electric flash process, the failures reported in Table 1 are predominantly in the welds produced by this process. Because of the thermal shock produced by this process in the relatively short heated portions at the ends of the rail, failures occur in rails with heavy segregation or fish tail which, before welding were in a homogeneous state, but opened into a discontinuity during the welding.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Railway Engineering Association

  59 East Van Buren Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Publication Date: 1965-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 509-513
• Serial:
  • Publication of: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • Volume: 66
  • Publisher: American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Failure; Rail joints; Railroad rails; Technology; Welded rail
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Rail failure
• Subject Areas: Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040422
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM