CREEP OF RAILS :

Creep is defined as the longitudinal movement of rails with respect to

sleepers in a track . Rails have a tendency to move gradually in the direction
of dominant traffic .

Rail moves
longitudinally

Sleepers remain fixed in its position

Indication of creep : ( can be noticed by following observations )
1) Closing of successive expansion spaces at rail joints in the direction of
creep and opening out of joints at the point from where the creep starts .
2) Marks on flanges and web of rails made by spike heads , by scraping or
scratching as the rails slide .
Theories ( probable causes of creep )
1) Wave action or wave theory
2) Percussion theory
3) Drag or dragging theory
4) Starting , accelerating , slowing down or stopping of a train
5) Expansion or contraction of rails due to temperature .
6) Unbalanced traffic : a) alignment of track b) grade of track c) type of rails
d) direction of heaviest traffic e) poor maintenance of track components
and ill design .
Effects of creep :
1) It may cause buckling of the track or it may easily derail a train
2) Sleepers move out of square and out of position .
3) Rail joints are opened out and stresses are set up in fish plates and bolts
due to which the bolts may break .
4) Points and crossings get distorted and so the alignment .
5) Difficult to operate the switches .
6) If any rail is removed from the track , it beomes difficult to fix it again.
7) Smashing of fish plates , fish bolts , bending of bars , kinks at joints of rails ,
forging of ballast ahead .
Remedies or prevention of creep :
1) Pulling back the rails
2) Provision of anchors or anti creepers
3) Use of steel sleepers.
 rail

anchor

sleeper
Measurement of creep :
➢ Creep indicator is used to measure the creep of rails . A chisel mark is
made at the side of bottom flange of rails . A chisel mark is made at the
side of bottom flange of rail and two rail posts are fixed to the formation (
subgrade ) with their top levels flushing with the top of sleepers . A fishing
string is stretched below the rails on the marks on the top of posts and
creep is thus measured . The distance between chisel mark and the string
is the amount of creep .
➢ Creep should be measured at an interval of about 3 months .
➢ A creep in excess of 150 mm ( 15 cm ) should not be permitted .
➢ No creep should be permitted on approaches of points and crossings .
 String

G.L

Rail post Figure : Sectional elevation Rail post

B
Rail post Creep Rail post
A

Figure : Plan

➢ Initially a mark was done at point A .

➢ If any movement of rail takes place it will move to a new point say B
CONING OF WHEELS :
➢ The provision of variable diameter of wheels of railway vehicles in the shape of a cone is
called coning of wheel .
➢ It indicates the coned shape of thread of wheels of railway vehicles .
➢ The shape of cone has a slope of 1 in 20
➢ The coning of wheels is mainly done to maintain the vehicle in the central position with
respect to the track .
Advantages :
1) To reduce wear and tear of the wheel flanges and rails which is due to the rubbing
action of flanges with the inner side of the rail head .
2) To provide a possibility of lateral movement of the axle with its wheels .
3) To prevent the wheels from slipping to some extent.
Disadvantages :
1) Pressure on the outer rail is more while on inner rail it is less . This results in wear of
outer rail .
2) Due to the centrifugal force , the horizontal components tend to turn the rail out and
the gauge has widening tendency .
3) If no base plate is used then the sleeper under the edge of the rail are damaged .

Remedy :
Rails are tilted inwards wherein the base plate or sleeper is not laid horizontal but at a slope
of 1 in 20 inward . This is known as “ adzing of sleepers “( tilting of rails )
 Flanges of wheel

Axle

Coned thread .
Slope = 1 in 20 Outer Inner
rail rail

sleeper

Larger diameter of wheel Smaller diameter of

in contact with outer rail wheel in contact with
to cover more inner rail to cover less
circumference = π D circumference = π d