This may have been asked before but can't find anything. i seem to remember that sleepers were made from either a good solid piece of wood or concrete made by Dowmac or RMC. i've noticed lately steel ones with curved edging presumably to grip the ballast? Are these permanent or a temprary piece of kit until either concrete or wood ones are available.
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Steel Sleepers
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alex17595
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They are permanent. The curved edges helps them to be picked up.
I think they are popular because they're a bit lighter than concrete making them easier to work with.
I believe there has to be a minimum number of wooden sleepers in between lengths of steel and concrete sleepers but not sure the reason why.
I believe there has to be a minimum number of wooden sleepers in between lengths of steel and concrete sleepers but not sure the reason why.
The current standard is for 4 Woods between Concrete and Steel Sleepers, to minimise the risk of differential settlement between the different sleeper types.
Steel sleepers can only be installed on up to Cat 3 routes, so won't be found on any of the "major" routes but may well be more common in rural or lighter used lines. They are also not able to be used in platforms (or at least now they aren't, doesn't mean there aren't some sites with them on).
The main benefit of installing steel sleepers is increased productivity, as you don't excavate and renew the ballast (the track is just dozed to the correct level and then roughed up with a scarifier to provide a ballast bed for the sleepers to grip into). You'd only want to install steel sleepers on sections where the ballast conditions are good - not in places with drainage or formation issues.
Steel sleepers can only be installed on up to Cat 3 routes, so won't be found on any of the "major" routes but may well be more common in rural or lighter used lines. They are also not able to be used in platforms (or at least now they aren't, doesn't mean there aren't some sites with them on).
The main benefit of installing steel sleepers is increased productivity, as you don't excavate and renew the ballast (the track is just dozed to the correct level and then roughed up with a scarifier to provide a ballast bed for the sleepers to grip into). You'd only want to install steel sleepers on sections where the ballast conditions are good - not in places with drainage or formation issues.
PaxVobiscum
Established Member
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This may be of interest..
http://www.hud.ac.uk/news/2013/october/15millionprojecttorevolutioniserailwaytracks.php
http://www.hud.ac.uk/news/2013/october/15millionprojecttorevolutioniserailwaytracks.php
edwin_m
Veteran Member
For information, steel sleepers are banned on third rail lines. They are also easier to transport than concrete, being much lighter and also "stackable" if they do not have rails attached.
Darren R
Established Member
I always get the impression that steel sleepers are far louder - is that actually the case or just my perception?
Railsigns
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I've seen steel sleepers on a 125 mph section of the East Coast Main Line at Torness. How did that happen?
fgwrich
Established Member
As are a few on the not so 125 MPH sections of the Great Western Mainline through Devon and Cornwall. Lot's used on Airdrie to Bathgate too, put into place by Balfours pretty impressive NTC Machine from Harsco.
matchmaker
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Joseph_Locke
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It shouldn't have happened - steels were trialled at Quintinshill at 110mph in 1993 but removed about six years later due to problems with critical velocity. They are limited to 90mph (with 100mph under very specific circumstances to new work).
The 4 woods thing also goes back to Hither Green
Ploughman
Established Member
We used to have to install 10 woods between Concrete and Steel.
Directive from NWR.
To me that would be creating a risk area due to heat, surely?
Directive from NWR.
To me that would be creating a risk area due to heat, surely?
L&Y Robert
Member
Part of the Aynho junction to Bicester was relaid with steel sleepers. That was when it was still single line. I watched 'em do it!
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Ploughman
Established Member
Laid mile upon mile of them around Yorkshire.
Hull - Scarborough, York - Scarborough, Hull - Selby, Skipton - Hellifield amongst others.
Hull - Scarborough, York - Scarborough, Hull - Selby, Skipton - Hellifield amongst others.
Its four now, between wood and concrete. To be fair, I wouldn't think there is any more risk from heat than what there is from a few voiding sleepers.
As long as its not voiding and no slurried beds, the risk would be no more than any where else.
(Network Rail maintenance team leader of 19 years).
Anyway, I hate the ******* things! Once the bands are broken, the packs fall all over the shop, they wont stack and wont stay stacked if even you get that far.
Forget about transporting them else where once they have been machine handled once! They are also a pain in the arse to maintain, only packable by a tamper! A joy to the bean counters but a nitemare to every one else. The skurge of the railway IMO.
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Ploughman
Established Member
Ive not seen one of those before but then you wouldn't down this two bob bit railway I work on west of Exeter! Thousands of em have been laid down this way too. Most of it is only Cat 4 down here.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
slinger? is that still in service?
I get the impression you are not too happy. In a normal world, the bean counters need to think about life-cycle costs.
Im happy enough, I just don't like steel sleepers for good reason. :roll:
Been in this job long enough to know whats good and what is not good. Steels don't last any longer than a concrete.
Railsigns
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Generally speaking, track circuits will work fine on steel sleepers (insulated from the rails, of course), with certain restrictions affecting audio frequency / tuned track circuits.
edwin_m
Veteran Member
There is a plastic pad under the rail and around where the rail clips grip it, so there is no electrical contact between the rail and the sleeper. In theory at least...
Ploughman
Established Member
Note the date on the photo. 2007
Great bit of kit for placing a lot of sleepers on the ground in a short time.
15 minute cycle time.
Just needed a lot of manpower to run it properly and detailed planning to make sure it arrived on site the right way round.
In the end, I believe, it was too costly to use and I think all except a few wagons from the 5 sets survive.
That post made me laugh, bean counters, normal world!
All the bean counters see is the (cheaper) installation costs, everything after that comes out of a different budget so they dont care. The fact that ultimately it all comes out of the same funding is lost on them.
As a someone who has been party to these decisions, (and a non-counter of beans myself), I can state with certainty that the decision to install steel sleepers is always taken on a whole life cost basis. What is also certain is that the assumptions that the decisions are based on sometimes turn out to be incorrect through the passage of time.
But then if I had an accurate crystal ball I would be sitting on the terrace of my Bajan mansion sipping Banks's rather than writing about steel sleepers.
CalderRail
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9 Months between major accident & final report. RAIB eat your heart out.
fgwrich
Established Member
I thought there were a few of them, as Jarvis used to utilise one as did Metronet SSL - Or are these newer ones to the one that was in the picture, which may be the one which has recently been scrapped.
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