RECENT AMERICAN STEEL RAIL DEVELOPMENTS

The practice of taking impression tests on rail-heads, with a hardened steel ball under an applied load of 100,000 lb., is being abandoned. The controlled cooling and Brunorizing processes used on rails to eliminate shatter-cracking are described. The steps being taken to detect longitudinal fissures, which result in split webs and split heads, are described. The detection methods still fail to detect some transverse fissuring. Other causes of rail failure include engine burn fracture, piping, enclosed gas pockets, and rolling overlaps. Rail-ends are being flame-hardened or quench-hardened to arrest battering of rail-ends under extremely severe load, speed, and traffic conditions.

• Corporate Authors:

  Temple Press Limited

  161-166 Fleet Street
  Longon EC4,   England 
• Publication Date: 1942-10-16

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 370-71
• Serial:
  • RAILWAY GAZETTE
  • Volume: 77

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete hardening; Cracking; Defects; Drop tests; Fabrication; Failure; Hardness; Inspection; Metal heating; Rail (Railroads); Rail joints; Specifications; Structural design; Technology; Void ratios
• Uncontrolled Terms: Heat treatment; Quenching
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: End breaks; Fissures (Rails); Laps (Rails); Rail design; Rail drop tests; Rail failure; Rail inspection; Void; Voids (Rails); Web defects; Web defects (Rails)
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00037880
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM