MAUL BLOWS ON WEBS CRACK RAILS AT LOW TEMPERATURES

The fact that the webs of rails can be fractured readily in cold temperatures by heavy spike maul blows has been demonstrated by laboratory tests. These tests in which rails were chilled to a temperature of 20 deg below zero and then struck on the web with a spike maul while at temperatures ranging from 13 deg below zero to 25 deg above zero, point to the danger of heavy blows on the web of a rail, particularly under low temperatures, at any time during its life. The second series of tests were made for the purpose of determining to what extent if any rail design might influence the development of cracks from spike maul blows. Summarizing this second series of tests, it was observed that cracks were produced in one or more specimens of all rail sections included in the tests. Concerning all of the tests, it is of interest to note that cracks were produced irrespective of the branding, stamping, rail position in the ingot or rail section. "It may be concluded from these tests that it is entirely possible to produce cracks in the rail web by striking the web a heavy blow when at a low temperature."

• Corporate Authors:

  Thomson Publications South Africa Proprietary Ltd

  P.O. Box 8308
  2000 Johannesburg,   South Africa 
• Publication Date: 1944-12

Media Info

• Features: Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 2 p.
• Serial:
  • Railway Engineering and Maintenance

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Defects; Low temperature; Railroad rails; Structural design; Technology; Temperature
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Fissures (Rails); Rail design; Web defects; Web defects (Rails)
• Subject Areas: Design; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00037608
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM