INVESTIGATION OF 140 LB/YD RAIL MADE FROM VACUUM DEGASSED STEEL

Presently rails are manufactured in 39 ft. lengths. The desire to obtain longer lengths of rail has been expressed by many railroads because of savings anticipated from a reduction in the number of welded joints required in continuous welded rail strings. One factor inhibiting the production of rails longer than 39 ft. is the practice of control cooling in covered containers. Control cooling is employed to prevent the development of internal flakes or shatter cracks that have been causally related to the level of hydrogen absorbed in the steel. With the use of vacuum degassing, hydrogen content is controlled by a different technique; therefore, it is believed that rails made of vacuum degassed steel can be air cooled without shatter cracks developing. The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether rails made from vacuum degassed steel and air cooled are comparable in properties with rail steel produced by currently common practices. As measured in the laboratory, the properties of this vacuum degassed heat, without controlled cooling were comparable to those measured previously for steels made by more conventional techniques and subjected to controlled cooling.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Publication Date: 1970-6

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 43 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Metallurgy; Rail steel; Railroad rails; Steel; Welded rail; Welding
• Old TRIS Terms: Rail steel metallurgy; Rail welding; Vacuum degassed rail
• Subject Areas: Construction; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080126
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-101
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 29 1976 12:00AM