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BigInch

Petroleum
Jun 21, 2006
15,161
There is no railroad forum.

While discussing some pipe stress problems today, I wondered what the railroads are doing these days in regards to thermal expansion on high speed lines. I thought I saw that high speed rails are welded together nowdays, ditching the old fishplate bolt-up method that left gaps between rails, which incidently served to take up thermal growth. So questions are,

Are high speed rails welded together.
If so, how is thermal expansion considered.
Are the rails being anchored sufficiently to the tie downs to resist thermal expansion and compression buckling, or is some other method being used?

Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. - Pablo Picasso
 
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concrete ties would solve both those problems.

Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. - Pablo Picasso
 
Concrete ties do solve those problems and are now used extensivly. Also I expect no one could now afford to use new wood ties.

Regards
Pat
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Pat,
Treated timber sleepers are still used extensively. Concrete is used in new construction and in heavily travelled lines, but timber is used for replacements and more lightly travelled lines.
 
hokie

I will take your word for it. I just imagined the cost of a timber sleeper would be quite a bit higher than concrete, especially when the concrete comes with the attachment points cast in.

Regards
Pat
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for site rules
 
I haven't seen much commercial rail lines being built, but all the mass-transit lines have concrete ties. (Much lighter but more frequent trains, and government body rather than industry paying for it.)
 
Something for your bucket list perhaps. The Indian Pacific across the Nullabor Plain in Australia. The longest straight run of rail in the world. Fully welded rail on concrete sleepers.


Alternative you could travel on the Ghan Adelaide to Darwin


These trains have about 25 cars on an average run.

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His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

 
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