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Purpose of track attachment?

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PaulLothian

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Hoping I have managed to correctly upload a picture. Never tried before!

I noticed this on the east-bound platform line at Airdrie in February, and have just come across the picture on my camera. Adjustable for depth, and clips on to foot of the rail.

I would suspect it's something to do with ballasting, but would be interested to know more.

Thanks

Paul
 

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Ploughman

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It is a void meter.
To measure the amount of deflection in the track when a vehicle passes over it.
Needs to be reset after each pass.
In this case probably being used prior to tamping.
 

ADRboy

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They were tunnelling underneath the station recently. Probably to do with that, to make sure the track hasn't sunk?
 

battledroid

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It's a void meter, used to measure voiding under the track whilst under load. Nothing to do with tunnelling but the clue is the steel sleepers as to why it's probably voiding ;)
 

Ploughman

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If they have been tunneling then there is a risk of subsidence. So a void meter is one means of detecting movement. Quick and cheap and normally readily to hand.
Hopefully other measures will be in place.

Why should steel sleepers be anymore susceptible to voids than any others? If properly tamped they can remain untouched for years and still keep line and level.

It doesn't matter what sleepers are fitted voids can occur nearly anywhere but not normally in concrete slab track.
 

blanco

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It's a void meter, used to measure voiding under the track whilst under load. Nothing to do with tunnelling but the clue is the steel sleepers as to why it's probably voiding ;)

they are definitely used during tunnelling to detect any movement of the track, they'll be put in place weeks before the work begins and monitored and then monitored during the work to look for any unnatural movement.
 
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