Transportation Engineering - I

Rails and Joints

Running Rails
 Rail Joints
Mechanical Rail Joints
A. Fish Plate Joints
B. Flash Butt Welding
C. Alumino Thermit Welding
D. Insulated Rail Joints

Rail mechanical joints have been used in the railway industry to improve
the lateral and vertical alignment of the rails at their ends.
 Rail Joints
A. Fish Plate Joints

As illustrated in the Figure, the normal rail joints consist of fishplates that are
bolted at the rail ends through a number of bolt holes (either two or three
or more) that have been drilled near the neutral axis in the rail web.
 Rail Joints
B. Insulated Rail Joints

1. Bonded insulated joints in rails separate

electric circuits in tracks and turnouts.

2. To provide track segment isolation for the track

circuitry passed through the rail; this circuitry is
used to identify train locations and to control
signalling.
 Rail Joints
C. Alumino Thermit Welding
1. In this process, the highly
exothermic reaction between
aluminium and iron oxides
results in the production of
molten steel which is poured
into a mould around the gap
to be welded.

2. “Thermit” is the trade name

for one of the granular
mixtures of aluminium metal
and powdered ferric oxide.
Ignition of the Thermit is
usually carried out by lighting
a magnesium ribbon or
sparkler.
 Rail Joints
D. Flash Butt Welding

• Mobile Flash Butt Welding Group is dedicated to performing high quality welds
and to meet all the client needs.

• Alstom’s latest arrival mobile welder, the Schlatter AMS100 series that has been
equipped with the new state-of-the-art intelligent control and weld management
system.

• In-Track Welding Equipment provides versatility and reliability in any rail welding
project.

•
 Rail Joints
In-Track Rail Welding (Tunnel) – Circle Line Project, Singapore

• Rails are welded together to reclaim 18m of rail into longer length strips.
• This can assist the track welding production with greater productivity gains
 Railroad switch
• A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation
enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another, such as at a
railway junction or where a spur or siding branches off.
• A switch generally has a straight "through" track (such as the main-line)
and a diverging route. The handedness of the installation is described by
the side that the diverging track leaves. Right-hand switches have a
diverging path to the right of the straight track, when coming from the
narrow end and a left-handed switch has the diverging track leaving to the
opposite side.
• A straight track is not always present; for example, both tracks may curve,
one to the left and one to the right (such as for a wye switch) or both
tracks may curve, with differing radii, in the same direction.
 Single Track and Double Track
• A double-track railway usually involves running one track in
each direction, compared to a single-track railway where
trains in both directions share the same track.