RAIL IRREGULARITIES AND THEIR EFFECT ON TRACK MAINTENANCE

Research has shown that the free shape of rails determines the vertical geometry of railway tracks at wavelengths below 5 m. Tracks laid with rails of poor geometry require more maintenance and have a shorter life than tracks laid with good rail geometry. The major rail vertical geometry irregularities occur at welds. Methods of straightening welds and supporting the sleepers around those welds have been investigated. The best results are achieved with a closely controlled overlift of the weld, support of the sleepers by stone blowing, and a machining operation to smooth the running surface of the rail. A new generation of on-track maintenance machines has been designed by using the results of this research. It is anticipated that a significant reduction in track maintenance costs will result from the development of these machines.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1985/1042/1042-004.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=RAIL+IRREGULARITIES+AND+THEIR+EFFECT+ON+TRACK+MAINTENANCE&author=P.+McMichael&publication_year=1985
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309039584
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Railway Maintenance. 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:
  • McMichael, P L
• Conference:
  • Railroad Maintenance Workshop, 2nd, 1985, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 16-23
• Monograph Title: Second railroad maintenance workshop
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1042
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Geometry; Maintenance; Railroad tracks; Reduction (Chemistry); Service life; Straightening; Welded rail
• Old TRIS Terms: Reduction
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00458277
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309039584
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 30 1987 12:00AM