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Why are rail brown?

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mralexn

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so they are trying to steal copper
but they do not want to meet the "coppers" :D


( I didn't bring a coat..)
 

1978NWUK

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I noticed a few years ago that some of the masts on the way into Liverpool Lime Street were in a terrible rusty state. Havn't been up there for a while though so they may now have sorted it out?

Nope to Lime St, it's still the same, maybe one day it'll get modernised????

Seems daft that they don't just re-paint the masts grey every few years? I noticed the new ones in Tamworth where the new four tracking starts havn't been painted at all. The old grey painted ones end and the new ones have been left bare steel which sounds like trouble.

The new portals along the West Coast come pre hot dipped galv, hence why there grey, they'll stand the test of time!!!!
 

Trog

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The colour of the rust on rails seems to vary due to three factors.

Age, on 220 'normal' grade rails the rust starts quite orange and becomes paler and greyer with age.

Alloy, 260 grade, wear resistant A rails stay a similar colour to new 220 grade rails for years.

Traffic, rails that are used more seem to have a finer texture and greyer rust on them than little used rails.


Also will those amongst you inputting to GEOGIS please note that most rails used these days are of the 260 grade wear resisting A alloy, and that Network Rail does not normally use 'normal' grade rail anymore.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Generally speaking rails are thick enough for rust not to be an issue, its the wear to the railhead and other defects that determine their lifespan.

Chris


Corrosion can be a problem in level crossings due to road salt, in wet tunnels and near the sea. Hence the use of rails with the beige painted coating and more recently the silvery looking Alphatek aluminium coating.
 

Ploughman

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Also will those amongst you inputting to GEOGIS please note that most rails used these days are of the 260 grade wear resisting A alloy, and that Network Rail does not normally use 'normal' grade rail anymore.

Is that indicated by the 2 bars One Short (Upper) and one Long (Lower)?
To be found in the roll markings.
 

Trog

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Is that indicated by the 2 bars One Short (Upper) and one Long (Lower)?
To be found in the roll markings.


Rail Markings...


Codes for the method used to make the steel

OB = Basic Open Hearth
E = Electric Arc
BA = Acid Bessemer
O = Basic Oxygen
K = Kaldo (original concast process)


British Grade codes

Blank = Normal grade
A = Wear resistant A
B = Wear resistant B
AA = BSC Area 90
HT = Heat treated
1 CR = Crome
Manganese = Low or high carbon AMS
BNC = Bainitic


Post 1999 Euro standard lines

Blank Grade 200

____ Grade 220

__
____ Grade 260

____
____ Grade260Mn

____
____
____ Grade 320Cr 1% Crome rail

____
____ ____ Grade 350HT Heat treated

____
____ ____
____ Grade 350LHT Low alloy heat treated.
 

Michael.Y

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Here's a question for you rail buffs: Does a rail become "worn in" due to a particular direction of a road?

i.e. - will a road that is 99% up feel or react any differently if travelled in the opposite direction?

If so, how do bi-directional rails react (single track sections) - do they need more regular maintenance and/or are made of different materials?
 

stockport1

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i noticed in italy lots of rail is painted white. quite scruffily too.

a surface layer of rust is quite good protection from furthur oxidization...or so im led to believe.
 

Hydro

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White painted rails are a temperature control measure. In the UK they are normally found in areas with heightened risk of heat related problems.
 

Trog

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Here's a question for you rail buffs: Does a rail become "worn in" due to a particular direction of a road?

i.e. - will a road that is 99% up feel or react any differently if travelled in the opposite direction?

If so, how do bi-directional rails react (single track sections) - do they need more regular maintenance and/or are made of different materials?


Some top faults tend to propogate in the direction of travel. In that a wagon or coach running over a dip, will bounce up out of it and then come down again with a bump. If much of the passing stock does this in the same distance a second dip may form, then a third in a cyclic pattern. With wet spots the slurry from them can be pulled forward by the slip stream of the passing trains fouling the ballast and helping this process. Loose rails left in the four foot usually tend to move in the opposite direction to the trains, and some defects propogate through the rail at an angle relative to the direction of train movement. Traditionally bullhead keys were inserted against the direction of traffic (except where braking forces or gradients made the rails move in a particular direction in which case the keys would be inserted to oppose this), or in alternate directions on bi-directional lines, but otherwise not much difference.
 

lewisf

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White painted rails are a temperature control measure. In the UK they are normally found in areas with heightened risk of heat related problems.

I noticed today that large sections of the New North Main Line are painted white. I'm not sure why heat would be a problem here though, unless it's something to do with the line's infrequent use.
 
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