Western Railroad Discussion > Rail markings

I think I kind of know how to interpret the markings on the web of the far rail in the first photo below - 136 pound "control cooled" rail rolled by Colorado Fuel & Iron in 1988. But what do the letters and numbers on the web of the near rail mean? Or those on the rail in the second photo?

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HiSi indicates high silicon steel. Wear resistant, used on curves?

The raised letters on the opposite rail:

136 lbs (per yard--I don't know what the "0" is for)
RE (AAR or REMSA rail profile code)
CC (controlled cooled)
CF&I (Colorado Fuel and Iron, steel mill in Pueblo, CO--still in business but under another name)
1988 I (Looks like a hashmark to the right of the date--means rolled in January of 1988).

The rescessed letters on the foreground rail are a code that identifies the batch of steel the rails were rolled from, so it could be located in the event a problem is found with rails made from that particular batch of steel. The other code (to the right) may be that of the rolling mill; to identify an inspector or the particular day it was rolled.

In the second photo per "AREMA Chapter 4, Part 2.1.6.b - Branding and Stamping", The number CTC69691A13 decoded as follows.

CTC69691 - Is the Material Heat Number. Since it begins with C, the material is not a continuously cast bloom which should begin in P, R, S, T etc.

A - Indicates that this the top rail from the ingot.

13 - Indicates that this is the 13th ingot poured from this heat.

Per Part 2.1.6.6

The stamping is to be 5/8" high and is to have a flat or radius face (.040" to .060" wide) with bevels on each side so as not to produce metallurgical stress risers. The letters shall be on a 10 degree angle from vertical and shall have rounded corners The stamping shall be .020" to .040" in depth along the center of the web.

nitewatchman