Eastern Railroad Discussion > Passing over a broken rail(2-20-2012)

The morning of February 20, 2012 there was a broken rail right by my house. The break probably ocurred while a train was passing and after the train had cleared the track circuit there was still a track light left on the dispatchers screen indicating a problem of some sort. Track inspector was on the scene and the dispatcher needed to move trains. A deadhead move of power was allowed over the break at 10 mph. M of W showed up to fix the break but only after an intermodal and mixed freight passed at 10 mph, with the track inspector watching, were they then given time to cut out the break and install a piece rail making it good for track speed again.

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Neat footage of something not many people get to see.

I’ve only seen a train toll over a broken rail like that once, back in the late 80’s. It was Conrail’s Mail-3 rolling at about 10mph over a break near the detector in Blandon, PA.

Our dad let us stick around to watch the rail get cut out and a new section placed, then welded.

It was pretty impressive to watch for sure!

Dan

Posted from iPhone

Valley forge back in the early 2000’s A manifest on norfolk southern took about half an hour to pass the train station going only 5-10 miles an hour. The “main line dispatcher” as what norfolk southern deemed at the time gave a track order to the train to go over the broken rail at restricted speed

Posted from iPhone

Nice camera work CSX2605..

Great catch - Thankfully, there was no derailment.
Bob

The usual break. Just inches away from a field weld.

Posted from iPhone

Done it many times when I was still running. Even today on the UP up here in Southern Oregon, they will still walk you over it.
Ran in dark territory across NW Florida. If a track man did not find them, we did at track speed. Sometimes see the break before you go over it, if not you will sure heard it.  .

Steve
 

20 or more years ago I heard Conrail walk a train over a break inside of Black Rock Tunnel. I'm not sure I'd want to be the track man watching the train cross a break in such a restricted area. I recall it being a near Zero degree weather night. Brrr-cold.
Gonut

I used to hear about them on my railfan radio for the Grand Rapids Branch in the late Penn Central era too often. They were using stick rail, so the guy driving the dodge front cab hi-railer would replace them I suppose. Sounds like a lot of work for one guy.

Victor Baird

as you can see, it was next to a weld, more than likely, cut the rail and replaced it with a 20 ft plug, sometimes, without the welded joint as pictured, on low speed yard and sidings, they simply drill 4 or 6 holes and install joint bars.

Have done that a few times myself.

Sam

Interesting - thanks for posting.

Question:  Farmer stated "The usual break. Just inches away from a field weld."  

Why is that "usual"?  Does field welding make the immediately surrounding steel a bit more brittle?

rbenko Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting - thanks for posting.
>
> Question:  Farmer stated "The usual break. Just
> inches away from a field weld."  
>
> Why is that "usual"?  Does field welding make the
> immediately surrounding steel a bit more brittle?

I suspect it shouldn't but being field work any number of things can happen to compromise the area around the weld....

I've heard the following a time or two:  "Okay to pass over the broken rail at walking speed..."

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

It's called a break in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Just beyond the area that the steel actually melts.  Not common but reasonably well understood. It happens in all welding applications.

Lots of reasons, mainly overheating the weld, improper cooling post welding, or an inability to anneal the area as might be done in a process operation. And when alloys are added (typically stick welding) the weld may end up with tensile strength higher than the base metal.

RichM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's called a break in the heat affected zone
> (HAZ). Just beyond the area that the steel
> actually melts.  Not common but reasonably well
> understood. It happens in all welding
> applications.
>
> Lots of reasons, mainly overheating the weld,
> improper cooling post welding, or an inability to
> anneal the area as might be done in a process
> operation. And when alloys are added (typically
> stick welding) the weld may end up with tensile
> strength higher than the base metal.
Here is a weld that was maybe a week old. Bitter cold temps and a wind chill of -32' and the weld was toast. Failure was probably one of the reasons you gave. M of W came out to fix it but could only work outside 10 minutes tops then back in the truck to warm up. 12-23-22

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Why do the rails separate so much when broken?

Steve

we called that a "pull a part" where I ran. Rail contracts when cold. In jointed rail it could shear off the bolts. Lot of force.
Steve

Fun to watch the repair. If they want to use joint bars drill the holes if there aren't any then attah the joint bars loosely. Heat the rail using some type of combustible material laid alongside the rail and watch the ends of the rail slowly come together. When the holes match you quickly put the bolts in and tighten. Usually a field weld is made at a later time.
CR

By the way, thank you all for not jumping me about the HAZ explanation. I hope everyone understood I was not blaming the welder.

That fusion or stir process originally used to join the rails is automated but subject to lots of variables beyond the control of the guys doing the work. The thermite process for rejoining the rails also leaves a lot to chance.for problems, especially as described... bad weather, poor lighting, inability for proper joint prep, and "get it done as fast as possible."