PREVENTING RAIL FAILURES IN TRACK

U.S. and German rail inspection cars are briefly described and illustrated. Rail head defects are determined by a combination of induction and ultrasonic examination. A separate examination for web defects is conducted at joint bars by ultrasonic inspection. Some 20,000 defective rails are replaced each year with sound rails before service failure occurs. It is estimated that these replacements avoid derailment expense of 200 million dollars at an inspection cost of 6 million dollars.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Railway Engineering Association

  59 East Van Buren Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Authors:
  • MAGEE, G M
• Publication Date: 1962

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 47-55
• Serial:
  • AREA BULLETIN
  • Volume: 64
  • Publisher: American Railway Engineering Association

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Cracking; Defects; Derailments; Electromagnetic properties; Fluxes; Inspection; Inspection cars; Maintenance management; Maintenance of way; Nondestructive tests; Rail (Railroads); Railroad tracks; Technology; Ultrasonic tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Magnetic flux; Maintenance costs
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Fissures (Rails); Rail inspection; Track maintenance equipment; Web defects; Web defects (Rails)
• Subject Areas: Finance; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040564
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM