This is the link to the second article I wrote together with Levente Nogy – “Rail thermal force calculations for jointed track” – and published in the Permanent Way Institution Journal – Vol 135 Part 2 (April 2017). Article 2
A long time ago in a country far, far away … The King heard about a new marvel of engineering … in England was invented a monstrous machine. It was moving by its own, magically propelled by coal fire and hot steam! Its speed was higher than the quickest eagle or the fastest horse! It…
For the track realignment methods (Hallade or similar) the existing alignment is surveyed by measuring the outer rail offsets (versines) to overlapping chords. One such setup is drawn below: A’, B’, C’ are points on the outer rail of the track and for point B’ the versine B’D’ = vB ex is measured to the chord A’C’. We…
The thermal behaviour of the jointed track can be analysed throughout a full annual temperature variation and used to define the joint expansion gap variations. The joint gap varies between the maximum value and zero and this is related to the way the rails are allowed by the track resistance forces to contract and expand in…
There are three types of versines used for the track realignment and rectification methods (Radu, 2003): Measured (existing) versine – the versine measured with a real chord on the outer rail of the real existing track. This is the result of the versine (Hallade) survey and based on it are computed the track offsets (slues…
The running of the trains over the railway track is inducing vertical and lateral forces that, in time, are affecting the track alignment, changing incrementally the installed track and causing track irregularities. On curved track this deterioration process is more significant due to the additional effect of the lateral (centrifugal) acceleration. When the irregularities become…
The measurement and analysis of track geometry is carried out regularly by all the railway infrastructure administrators in order to obtain data from which the track quality is established and the maintenance can be scheduled (Cope – 1993). Historically, the use of track inspection cars can be traced back to the early 1920’s in France…
All the railway track fishplates for mechanical joints are designed to provide a gap to the rail web. This gap, together with the wedge shape of the fishplate section ensure, by tightening the joint bolts, the correct alignment of the rail head between the two jointed rails. The bolt tightening torque is developing in the bolt a…
There are two types of railway track superstructure from the point of view of the response to rail temperature variation: free thermal expansion (FTE) track superstructure which allows the rail to freely vary its length due to temperature variation. This superstructure does not provide reliable constant and easy to control and maintain track longitudinal resistance…
Thermal expansion When exposed to temperature variations, the rail tends to vary its length. If this tendency is freely allowed, for a temperature variance Δt°, the rail length L will vary by ΔL. This length variance can be computed as: ΔL = αLΔt° In this formula, α is the steel expansion coefficient = 11.5·10−6 mm/mm°C. If…
A railway track blog 