FLAT-BOTTOM RAIL DEFECTS

In 1944, 38,708 transverse fissure failures were reported, of which 31,781 were discovered in advance of actual failures by patrolling detector cars, and 6,927 were in rails that broke in the track, in certain cases with disastrous results. The use of flat-bottom rails in Great Britain will increase the need to control the cooling process during formation of the rails. The British medium manganese rail is less susceptible to fissure failure due to its lesser carbon content, 0.6 percent carbon in British rails compared to 0.7 to 0.8 percent in U.S. Rails. In the U.S. a troublesome defect is the shelling or flaking of rails on the gauge corner of the head. This problem is prevalent on the high rail of curves where traffic conditions are severe. No direct connection has been found between the chemical composition of rails and their susceptibility to shelling, except in so far as the hardness of the steel is affected; heat-treated rails and rails containing 3 percent of chromium have given better results than rails of standard composition. Water quenching can produce weeping cracks in steel. Steel with Brinell hardness after end quenching in the range 360 to 375 were not susceptible to weeping cracks. There is a continuing need for a fishplate steel of reduced notch sensitivity. High manganese alloy fishplates have given good results, but are costly.

• Corporate Authors:

  Temple Press Limited

  161-166 Fleet Street
  Longon EC4,   England 
• Publication Date: 1946-9-27

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 345
• Serial:
  • RAILWAY GAZETTE
  • Volume: 85

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Defects; Hardness; Railroad rails; Shelling (Metals); Structural design; Technology; Tie bars
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom; United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Fissures (Rails); Flaking; Flaking (Rails); Rail design; Shelling; Shelling (Rails)
• Subject Areas: Design; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00037296
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 4 1994 12:00AM