CAUSES OF SHELLY SPOTS AND HEAD CHECKS IN RAIL-MEASURES FOR THEIR PREVENTION

Causes of shelly spots and head checks in rail are reported and measures for their prevention are recommended. Reports of four study groups are presented. It is noted that no definite relationships or trends exist in the relationship between chemistry and shelling, or curvature, elevations, speeds, and grades. It is found that transposing shelly high rails to the low rail, if done in time, is worthwhile. Rail slow-cold worked under traffic in nonshelling locations and relaid in shelling locations possesses very little, if any, greater resistance to shelling than ordinary rail. Studies of high carbon rail indicate that it will retard but not eliminate shelling and that it has a tendency to head check and this in turn causes gage corner flaking or minute shelling. A seven-year summary report of shelly rail investigation at the University of Illinois is presented. Also presented is a summary report on the examination of 300 shelled spots selected from the track of 11 major roads, indicating that the shelled spots were predominantly of surface origin.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Railway Engineering Association

  59 East Van Buren Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605
• Publication Date: 1949

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 534-557
• Serial:
  • AREA BULLETIN
  • Volume: 50
  • Publisher: American Railway Engineering Association

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Rail (Railroads); Rail steel; Shelling (Metals)
• Old TRIS Terms: Head checks; Rail metallurgy; Rail shelling
• Subject Areas: Materials; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00052460
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1976 12:00AM