PART II-TRACK COMPONENTS : RAILS

1 RAILS : 10
1.1 Rail, different types of rail section, various types of standard of 2
loadings.
1.2 Sectional properties Standard sections, grade, UTS & service life, 2
classification, Rolling marks. Colour coding of rails
1.3 Visit to Model room for different types of rails. 1
1.4 Instruction for handling of rails. 2
1.5 Straightening of rail kinks by Jim crow & precautions while using Jim 1
Crow.
1.6 Corrosion of rails & methods for anticorrosion treatment of Rail. 1
1.7 Wear of Rail & its causes. 1
 PART II-TRACK COMPONENTS : RAILS
1.7 Wear of Rail & its causes. 1
 WEAR & ITS CAUSES
Due to rail wheel interaction the original dimension of
rail profiles becomes less. Mainly there are two types of
measurable wear;
Vertical Wear
Lateral Wear
Due to wear there is %age loss of section by weight
Causes of Rail wear
1) Corrosion and rusting (Generally noticed on web & foot
of rail)
Locations Prone to corrosion :
i) Platform lines.
ii) Sidings where corrosive goods are dealt.
iii) Tunnels and damp cuttings.
iv) Coastal area.
v) Industrial belts.
Contd. …
2.Wear on Rail Table :
 Normally of very small order.
 Amount of wear increases with heavy traffic density
as in suburban section.
3. Flattening of rail table:
 Mostly occurs on the inner rail of a curve.
 Indication of over loading
Contd. …
4. Wear on Gauge Face:
 Noticed on outer rail of a curve.
 Due to heavy pressure from the wheels which results
in the running edge becoming worn or ‘side-cut’.
 Specially in suburban sections where multiple unit
coaches are provided.
Reducing side wear on rails-(Gauge
face of outer rails) –
(a) On sharp curves where the tendency of wear on the
outer rail is noticeable, lubricators should be installed
as per Para 424 of IRPWM or
 hand lubrication of gauge face should be done, care
being taken not to apply the lubricant on the top of the
table. In case of hand lubrication, the Divisional
Engineer may decide frequency of lubrication duly
considering local conditions and traffic on the line.
Reducing side wear on rails;
Increased life can be obtained by turning the rails
when side wear reaches the permissible limit. At the
time of turning, matching of rail ends on the gauge
face should be ensured. Spot renewals should not be
carried out with new rails particularly, if the heads of
the existing rails are worn badly. These should be spot
renewed with matching sections of serviceable rails
Wear due to corrosion–
Corrosion beyond 1.5 mm in the web or foot may be
taken as the criterion for wear due to corrosion.
Existence of the localized corrosion such as corrosion
pits, especially on the underside of the foot and liner
biting etc. on rail foot, act as stress raisers for the
origin of fatigue cracks and would necessitate
renewals.
VERTICAL WEAR
LETERAL WEAR
 Limiting Loss of Section–
The limiting loss in rail section, as a criterion for
recommending rail renewals shall be;
Loss in section in
Rail Section
percentage
52 kg/m 6

60 Kg/m 7
Limit of Vertical Wear
Gauge Vertical Rail Wear
Section

B. G. .. .. 60 Kg./ metre .. 13.00 mm.

52 Kg./ metre .. 8.00 mm.
90 R .. .. 5.00 mm.
M. G. .. .. 75 R .. .. 4.50 mm.
60 R .. .. 3.00 mm
LATERAL WEAR
SECTION GAUGE CATEGORY OF LATERAL
TRACK WEAR
Group ‘A’ & ‘B’
8 mm
Routes
B.G
Group ‘C’ & ‘D’
CURVES 10 mm
Routes
Group ‘Q’ & ‘R’
M.G 9 mm
Routes
Group ‘A’ & ‘B’
6 mm
Routes
B.G
Group ‘C’ & ‘D’
STRAIGH 8 mm
Routes
T
Group ‘Q’ Routes 6 mm
M.G
THANKS