THE RAIL CORROSION PROBLEM

Hitherto the problem of rail corrosion has found no completely satisfactory solution. Innumerable remedies have been tried, but most of them have proved to be no more than palliatives, effective over a limited period. Welding the rails into continuous lengths reduces the number of joints, and the number of fatigue failures also, but does nothing to reduce the corrosion. The Norfolk & Western Railway has made a new approach to this problem. A preservative coating used for the rails is Texas No. 45 oil, which contains 45 per cent of asphalt, and it is applied after the rails have been flame-cleaned with oxy-acetylene jets. It is in the flame-cleaning that the novelty lies, and the value of this treatment is that the steel surface is not merely cleaned, but is dehydrated also, and provision is thus made for a good bond between the oil coating and the rail. The flame-cleaning has been found more effective and cheaper than sand-blasting for the same purpose.

• Corporate Authors:

  Temple Press Limited

  161-166 Fleet Street
  Longon EC4,   England 
• Publication Date: 1945-7-6

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 3-4
• Serial:
  • RAILWAY GAZETTE
  • Volume: 83

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cleaning; Coatings; Corrosion; Economics; Maintenance of way; Railroad rails; Technology
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Thermal cleaning
• Subject Areas: Economics; Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00037940
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM