ANALYSIS OF FIVE RAIL FAILURES FOR CONRAIL

A detailed failure analysis has been conducted on five rails from Conrail track. In four rails with split webs, the test results indicate that spike maul blows caused the development of the horizontal web cracks. The cracks initiated from deep stampings on the webs in three cases, while the crack started from an inclusion near the web surface in the other case. The result of this study strongly suggest the necessity of taking such steps as will insure that rails are not struck with spike mauls or other tools, especially during cold weather. If it is difficult to enforce such steps, the depth and acuteness of the stampings should be restricted to reduce the occurrence of the web failures by spike maul blows.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • AAR Project No. H-124.
• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Authors:
  • Park, Y J
• Publication Date: 1978-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 37 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Defects; Failure; Low temperature; Mechanical fatigue; Railroad rails; Track laying
• Identifier Terms: Conrail
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crack propagation
• Old TRIS Terms: Rail failure; Rail webs
• Subject Areas: Construction; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00188125
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads Technical Center
• Report/Paper Numbers: AAR Rpt R-329 Res Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 27 1979 12:00AM