Anyone know what these mean ?

[Nikki76]

Found these on old railway sleepers I have in garden. Any clues as to were made how old etc ?

 

[furnessvale]

We used to use similar markers to indicate cant. When concrete sleepers came along we started to use epoxy to stick the plates on.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

We used to use similar markers to indicate cant. When concrete sleepers came along we started to use epoxy to stick the plates on.

The OP is a new member and possibly not au fait with railway terminology. So for the avoidance of doubt, "cant" (or "superelevation" to be strictly accurate with modern use) is the lateral gradient of the track, i.e. the difference in height between the left hand rail and the right hand one. Or in layman's terms, "banking" (which itself has a very different meaning in railway circles).

 

[Ediswan]

A friend bought similar sleepers. The eventual conclusion was that their markers were year and/or type of wood. It looks like they can have multiple meanings.

 

[StoneRoad]

Might also be chainage [distance] marks.

And to confuse the situation further, there might be different types ...

 

[Nikki76]

Thankyou for all your replies ! It seems there is not one answer then. I live just outside of Glasgow so I don’t know if scotrail tracks are different ?

The OP is a new member and possibly not au fait with railway terminology. So for the avoidance of doubt, "cant" (or "superelevation" to be strictly accurate with modern use) is the lateral gradient of the track, i.e. the difference in height between the left hand rail and the right hand one. Or in layman's terms, "banking" (which itself has a very different meaning in railway circles).

Thankyou yes I’m not very good with the terminology! My Dad was a train driver all his life. He worked from Glasgow Central. I know some driver terminology but not rail tracks and maintenance etc!

 

[norbitonflyer]

We used to use similar markers to indicate cant. When concrete sleepers came along we started to use epoxy to stick the plates on.

Conveniently, using standard gauge and imperial units, the angle and height of superelevation have almost the same numerical value.

The height is (gauge x sin (angle)).

An angle expressed in radians is approx equal to the sine of that angle, for small angles.

One radian is 57.3 degrees
The gauge is 56.5 inches

So a cant of k inches implies an angle of arcsin k/56.5 radians = k x 57.3/56.5 = 1.01k degrees

 

[Boodiggy]

I think they are chainage markers.
Cant would usually be in multiples of five…

 

[Nikki76]

We used to use similar markers to indicate cant. When concrete sleepers came along we started to use epoxy to stick the plates on.

Thankyou, can I ask when concrete sleepers came in ?

I think they are chainage markers.
Cant would usually be in multiples of five…

Chainage as in just every sleeper had a number or did it mean something else ?

Is there anyway of knowing what age these sleepers could be ?

 

[Boodiggy]

Thankyou, can I ask when concrete sleepers came in ?


Chainage as in just every sleeper had a number or did it mean something else ?

Is there anyway of knowing what age these sleepers could be ?

Chainage as in every chain will be 22 yards. 80 per mile.

Not easy to tell the age of wood sleepers!

 

[Nikki76]

Chainage as in every chain will be 22 yards. 80 per mile.

Not easy to tell the age of wood sleepers!

Thankyou ! Yes I’m finding that out

 

[30907]

Thankyou, can I ask when concrete sleepers came in?

The first were before WW2, but they really came in the 60s IIRC with continuous welded rail on higher-speed routes.

 

[Ediswan]

Not easy to tell the age of wood sleepers!

Dendrochronology ?

 

[John Webb]

Thankyou, can I ask when concrete sleepers came in ?......

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) at Garston, N. of Watford, Herts, was asked in WW2 to look at concrete sleepers as an urgently needed substitute for hard to get timber. In 1942 they made measurements of the forces acting on sleepers on a main line railway. This led to the development of concrete sleepers and BRE was also involved in the early post-WW2 period in further developments in this area.
But I don't know when they were first used in large quantities on the UK network.

 

[Nikki76]

This metal is on some of them, just wondering if that gives any clues ?

 

[Ashley Hill]

This metal is on some of them, just wondering if that gives any clues ? View attachment 157412

The timber has started to split at the end.The binding is used to prevent the end of the sleeper from splitting further. A short term (but not ideal) fix.

 

[Nikki76]

The timber has started to split at the end.The binding is used to prevent the end of the sleeper from splitting further. A short term (but not ideal) fix.

Thankyou so this would not have been done by the railway maintenance then? So by the sellers of the sleepers perhaps ?

 

[John Webb]

Thankyou so this would not have been done by the railway maintenance then? So by the sellers of the sleepers perhaps ?

It would have been done in-stitu by the railway maintenance crew, as this splitting is due to aging, exposure to weather and the physical disturbance of the sleeper on the ballast by passing trains.

 

[Ashley Hill]

It would only be a short term repair (depending on line speed) as eventually the chair fastenings could work loose.

 

[Nikki76]

It would have been done in-stitu by the railway maintenance crew, as this splitting is due to aging, exposure to weather and the physical disturbance of the sleeper on the ballast by passing trains.

Thankyou very much

It would only be a short term repair (depending on line speed) as eventually the chair fastenings could work loose.

Thankyou very much