Spraying of lines white.

Paul’s · 19 May 2019

Hi, just a quick question, while walking near Woodsmoor level crossing, on the Manchester to Buxton line. I noticed the rails have been sprayed white. And was just wondering why...thanks ...

RailUK Forums

Supercoss · 19 May 2019

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...er-the-railway/delays-explained/buckled-rail/

When critical rail temperature is reached, speed restrictions are introduced, to avoid this painting rails white is sufficient to lower temp even if only by a few degrees to avoid ‘trigger’ temp being reached

hexagon789 · 19 May 2019

Paul’s said:
Hi, just a quick question, while walking near Woodsmoor level crossing, on the Manchester to Buxton line. I noticed the rails have been sprayed white. And was just wondering why...thanks ...

Reflects heat, reducing the temperature of the rails. You see it in lots of places, most of the lines into Glasgow Central are sprayed white for instance.

matabiau · 19 May 2019

You may have noticed that (in the UK) it is normally the southern face of the rail thats is painted white! That's how I deduced what it is for. Appears to be a very cheap and effective solution to avoid a potentially dangerous and expensive problem.

hexagon789 · 19 May 2019

matabiau said:
You may have noticed that (in the UK) it is normally the southern face of the rail thats is painted white! That's how I deduced what it is for. Appears to be a very cheap and effective solution to avoid a potentially dangerous and expensive problem.

I'm fairly certain the ones I've seen are painted both sides I think.

matabiau · 19 May 2019

Perhaps they are rails aligned North-South that will have both sides exposed to the sun.

hexagon789 · 19 May 2019

matabiau said:
Perhaps they are rails aligned North-South that will have both sides exposed to the sun.

In the case I'm thinking of, yes they are aligned as such.

martinsh · 19 May 2019

Appears to be mainly on more complicated pointwork. Guess locations where it would be more catastrophic if rails buckled

matabiau · 19 May 2019

Points and crossovers are mechanically more rigid than sections of uninterrupted rail which have expansion gaps to aleiviate this problem anyway. Points will be less tolerant to extremes of temperature.

themiller · 19 May 2019

At Limestone Hall crossing on the Cumbrian coast line, the rails were sprayed white on both sides and when I asked why, I was told that it was to try to reduce corrosion from salt applied to the road in winter.

matabiau · 19 May 2019

Are you suggesting the sun never shines in Cumbria?

White paint could be an economic solution to many ills.

themiller · 19 May 2019

matabiau said:
Are you suggesting the sun never shines in Cumbria?
White paint could be an economic solution to many ills.

We've just had our meals in the garden today whilst my brother-in-law in France said that it's been wet all day in Charente today. But to get back to the white paint, most of the rail which was painted is hidden away from the sun by the rubber road sections with only a few feet sticking out either side. Since the rail was only sprayed on the roadside before being installed, I don't know how long it'll last. I'd have thought that it'd be longer lasting if the painting had followed blasting in a controlled environment.

Boodiggy · 19 May 2019

themiller said:
We've just had our meals in the garden today whilst my brother-in-law in France said that it's been wet all day in Charente today. But to get back to the white paint, most of the rail which was painted is hidden away from the sun by the rubber road sections with only a few feet sticking out either side. Since the rail was only sprayed on the roadside before being installed, I don't know how long it'll last. I'd have thought that it'd be longer lasting if the painting had followed blasting in a controlled environment.

You are talking about two different things here.
Rails - normally S&C - are painted to help combat CRT issues in the hot months. This is just white paint.
The rails installed through level crossings etc have a special coating applied to resist corrosion. As well as level crossings these will be installed in other wet areas such as tunnel.

themiller · 19 May 2019

Boodiggy said:
You are talking about two different things here.
Rails - normally S&C - are painted to help combat CRT issues in the hot months. This is just white paint.
The rails installed through level crossings etc have a special coating applied to resist corrosion. As well as level crossings these will be installed in other wet areas such as tunnel.

The original post asked in relation to level crossings. I'm only talking about rails through level crossings so I believe that I'm still on topic!

Deepgreen · 19 May 2019

Boodiggy said:
You are talking about two different things here.
Rails - normally S&C - are painted to help combat CRT issues in the hot months. This is just white paint.
The rails installed through level crossings etc have a special coating applied to resist corrosion. As well as level crossings these will be installed in other wet areas such as tunnel.

Level crossings are not particularly wet, so is the anti-corrosion treatment a response to winter road gritting/salting?

Paul’s · 19 May 2019

Thanks all for the replies, the rail that lead away in both directions are painted with white paint.

Boodiggy · 19 May 2019

themiller said:
The original post asked in relation to level crossings. I'm only talking about rails through level crossings so I believe that I'm still on topic!

Good Point! Haha...

Boodiggy · 19 May 2019

Deepgreen said:
Level crossings are not particularly wet, so is the anti-corrosion treatment a response to winter road gritting/salting?

Yes, although the level crossing systems will mean a bit of water can build up around the rails to.

furnessvale · 19 May 2019

matabiau said:
Points and crossovers are mechanically more rigid than sections of uninterrupted rail which have expansion gaps to aleiviate this problem anyway. Points will be less tolerant to extremes of temperature.

Points and crossings in lengths of CWR are strengthened so the stresses are controlled.

There are no intermediate expansion joints in CWR, which can be many miles long. Breather switches are fitted at the extreme ends as the last 100 yards needs to be able to move. However, it can be useful to fit such breather switches in the plain line approaching a major terminal so that all the subsequent switches and crossings can be unstrengthened, making them cheaper and easier to fit and maintain.

Bald Rick · 19 May 2019

Deepgreen said:
Level crossings are not particularly wet, so is the anti-corrosion treatment a response to winter road gritting/salting?

Boodiggy said:
Yes, although the level crossing systems will mean a bit of water can build up around the rails to.

Usually, the rails aren’t painted as such, but pre-coated with a resin. This handy guide form British Stel has a little more detail. https://britishsteel.co.uk/media/40827/rail-product-guide.pdf

It is to prevent corrosion. Whilst local authorities are encouraged not to spread salt when crossing an LX, there is of course plenty of salty water on the approaches which is dragged onto the crossing by passing traffic. I’ve seen some quite significant rail corrosion at level crossings.

Deepgreen · 20 May 2019

Bald Rick said:
Usually, the rails aren’t painted as such, but pre-coated with a resin. This handy guide form British Stel has a little more detail. https://britishsteel.co.uk/media/40827/rail-product-guide.pdf

It is to prevent corrosion. Whilst local authorities are encouraged not to spread salt when crossing an LX, there is of course plenty of salty water on the approaches which is dragged onto the crossing by passing traffic. I’ve seen some quite significant rail corrosion at level crossings.

Have you seen any rails with holes in them from corrosion?! Oh no, not that again!

Bald Rick · 20 May 2019

Deepgreen said:
Have you seen any rails with holes in them from corrosion?! Oh no, not that again!

I have. Running rails. Line blocked immediately!

Fortunately, conductor rail doesn’t suffer from corrosion at level crossings

kevin_roche · 20 May 2019

I saw this on a recent trip to Italy and wondered why.

lewisf · 21 May 2019

kevin_roche said:
I saw this on a recent trip to Italy and wondered why.

I was just about to mention this. Most of the line from Milan Cadorna to Malpensa Airport is painted white.

Shimbleshanks · 21 May 2019

Does painting switching and crossing rails white also have a secondary benefit in making them easier for per-way staff to see them in the dark? I'd always imagined that was the reason until I came on this forum, to be honest.

Paul’s · 21 May 2019

Would it be sprayed on , like the do weed killer, or by hand..

kevin_roche · 21 May 2019

Paul’s said:
Would it be sprayed on , like the do weed killer, or by hand..

What I saw in Italy (Near Bologna) looked like it had been sprayed on and coverage wasn't 100%.

Highlandspring · 21 May 2019

In the UK it’s painted by hand.

boing_uk · 21 May 2019

Would it not be easier and cheaper to just have the rail sprayed white at manufacturing?

Painting by hand seems an inefficient use of resources.

furnessvale · 21 May 2019

boing_uk said:
Would it not be easier and cheaper to just have the rail sprayed white at manufacturing?

Painting by hand seems an inefficient use of resources.

Thanks to brake dust, oil etc, the white paint barely lasts one summer. Therefore new rail would have to be repainted each spring. Most of the new rail would be laid in areas not requiring paint and it would be wasted.

Better that paint is applied each spring where required but I would have thought spraying from a Windhoff platform would be more efficient.

Spraying of lines white.

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