TIMBER CROSSTIES IN RELATION TO TRACK STRUCTURE SYSTEM DESIGN

The timber crosstie and cut spike rail fastening system has performed admirably for many years on North American railroads. With the introduction of six-axle locomotives, 100-ton freight cars equipped with roller bearing trucks, and concentrated unit train operations, problems with track maintenance arose on sharp curves. Simple logic dictated that the first course of action was to measure the forces that were being applied to the track structure. If the forces could not readily be alleviated through modification in equipment or operations, then the strength of the track structure system would have to be increased to cope with the situation. In this paper a brief review of conclusions derived from track measurements taken in the early 1970s is presented. Results from measurements taken in 1982 and laboratory fatigue tests run in early 1983 on various tie and rail fastening systems were combined with engineering judgment in an economic analysis to select an upgraded tie and rail fastening system for the sharp curves of a brach line that handles 4 to 5 million gross tons of unit train 100-ton car traffic.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/953/953-003.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=TIMBER+CROSSTIES+IN+RELATION+TO+TRACK+STRUCTURE+SYSTEM+DESIGN&author=J.+Scott&publication_year=1984
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309036739
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Track Structure System Design. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Scott, J Frank
• Conference:
  • 63rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1984-1-16 to 1984-1-20
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 11-18
• Monograph Title: Rail papers - 1984
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 953
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Curved track; Economic analysis; Fatigue tests; Force; Instrumentation; Rail fasteners; Railroad rails; Railroad tracks; Railroad wheels; Spikes; Unit trains; Wheels; Wood ties
• Old TRIS Terms: Track structures; Wooden cross ties
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00391332
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309036739
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 29 1985 12:00AM