• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

White-painted sections of track

Status
Not open for further replies.

BRX

Established Member
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Messages
3,599
Usually around points and crossovers as far as I can see. What's that all about?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Peter Mugridge

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Apr 2010
Messages
14,751
Location
Epsom
I have always been under the impression that it's a H&S thing to make the moving parts and check rails more visible to track staff?
 

Railsigns

Established Member
Joined
15 Feb 2010
Messages
2,488
It's meant to reflect heat and so reduce expansion in the switch rails which could knock out the points detection in the signalling system.
 

ralphchadkirk

Established Member
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Messages
5,753
Location
Essex
I gather from a friend it P-Way that it is used to reflect heat radiation to reduce the expansion of rails, which can interfere with equipment like points detection.
 

Railsigns

Established Member
Joined
15 Feb 2010
Messages
2,488
I don't know of any place that has done that Ploughman. It's for the reasons stated above.

One place where it's been done is East Croydon:

railend.jpg
 

142094

Established Member
Joined
7 Nov 2009
Messages
8,789
Location
Newcastle
You often see disused bits of track where the points have been removed, and the ends of the rails formerly connected to the points have been painted either white or yellow. So the logical explanation would be to show drivers/staff that the rails are missing.
 

Railsigns

Established Member
Joined
15 Feb 2010
Messages
2,488
Could it be that there are 2 reasons for painting bits of track depending on what bit is done?
Yes, definitely. Just painting the end of a rail white would have no effect on expansion; it's clearly been done to make the rail end more visible.
 
Joined
31 Oct 2009
Messages
19
Location
waiting for the road somewhere......
The paint on the end of the juice rails, check rails etc is also for the crews of the unimat (and similar machines) in the background in E croydon sidings (Unimats being s&c tampers primarily).

Just highlights them for the operators as they tamp through (if viewed from above, everything else that does not want a visit from a tamping tool. eg cables , pipes, clamps etc, also gets a dose of white paint)
 

Peter Mugridge

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Apr 2010
Messages
14,751
Location
Epsom
Nope, all track should be treated with the same respect, points or not, and dont use the H&S line.
It is what them above said, works quite well to.

Not me using the H&S line; just saying what I was told when I asked about it.:)

But from having seen the photo of East Croydon in a later post, perhaps I should add that I live on the 3rd rail territory, so maybe I was being given an answer based purely on the local practice?



But interestingly not the switch rails on the points.
Could it be that there are 2 reasons for painting bits of track depending on what bit is done?

I can, however, see at least three check rails with white ends in that picture as well as the numerous live rail ends.
 
Last edited:

moonrakerz

Member
Joined
10 Feb 2009
Messages
870
Yes, definitely. Just painting the end of a rail white would have no effect on expansion; it's clearly been done to make the rail end more visible.

............or perhaps the "cut" end of the rail is more susceptible to corrosion ?
 

Ploughman

Established Member
Joined
15 Jan 2010
Messages
2,882
Location
Near where the 3 ridings meet
............or perhaps the "cut" end of the rail is more susceptible to corrosion ?

If you intend reusing a flame cut end of rail and more than 24 hours has passed since cutting then 150mm must be cut from the rail end, due to oxidisation.
Same shift the ends can be trimmed approx 25mm by disc.
If it was disc cut initially then this is not required.

When cutting into CWR the initial cut must be flame cut and not disc.
Subsequent cuts after stress released can then be disc'd

Rail ends are painted white all over the country not just in 3rd rail areas.
H+S as stated earlier and also as stated earlier for tamping works.
 

signaltech3

Member
Joined
28 Apr 2010
Messages
5
I believe rails are often painted white around the area of points to observe flange back contact (where the flange of the wheel is damaging the rail) and if the damage caused is excessive then conditions of P-Way, switch openings etc will be observed to ensure they are within the maintenance specifications and corrected if not.
 

royaloak

Established Member
Joined
11 Oct 2009
Messages
1,389
Location
today I will mostly be at home decorating
So how would a flange contact the outside of the running rail? If it did then flange contact wear would be the last of your problems :lol:.

At Guildford most of the points have been white-washed around the switch and closure rail areas, the way it has been slapped on is not very scientific ;)
 

signaltech3

Member
Joined
28 Apr 2010
Messages
5
i shouldnt imagine the application of paint is particularly accurate nor does it need to be, and whilst white paint may perhaps be used for other purposes i am very sure that this is one of those purposes :D

By painting the rails the level of flange back contact can be measured.

also earlier posts claiming that white paint is used to deflect heat, surely this cant be the case as expansion joints are provided? and surely consideration is given when calculating for expansion/contraction when rail is welded and stressed? :idea:
 

royaloak

Established Member
Joined
11 Oct 2009
Messages
1,389
Location
today I will mostly be at home decorating
Expansion joints are provided in the plain line near the points, the bits of the points that are painted are the switch and closure rails, part of the reason is as these bits expand then detection is lost so the signals cannot be cleared.
 

signaltech3

Member
Joined
28 Apr 2010
Messages
5
Point noted!, although i can assure you that during maintenance of points inspection of the switch and closure rails is carried out to observe signs of flange back contact and white paint is sometimes, not always used to observe the level of flange back contact.

points are set up to tolerances which would allow for slight expansions in the rail i.e detection will be made at 1.5 mm but should fail at 3.5mm (gap between switch and closure rail)
 

Trog

Established Member
Joined
30 Oct 2009
Messages
1,546
Location
In Retirement.
There are at least five reasons to paint rails...

1) The rail ends are painted as a safety measure as shown in the photo.
2) Rails through level crossings are painted with a protective paint to help reduce the corrosion caused by road salt. Was usually a thick cream coloured paint, but current practice is to use rails sprayed with an aluminium coating.
3) Switches are painted white to help keep them cool, and so reduce thermal expansion and the resulting detection problem. This effect is worst on switch diamonds.
4) Paint is used to monitor the contact between wheels and check rails at crossings.
5) S&C emergency spares not for immediate use are often painted to prevent corrosion.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top