Unit 1

Permanent Way Component Parts

 PERMANAT WAY
✓ Alignment survey ✓ Selection for rails
✓ Requirement ✓ Test on rail wear and defects
✓ Gauges ✓ Corrugation and creep of rails
✓ Track section ✓ Rail joints
✓ Coning of wheels ✓ Welding of panels
✓ Stresses in railway track ✓ Rails types and functions
 Permanent Way
The combination of rails, fitted on sleepers with the help
of fixtures and fastenings and resting on ballast and
subgrade is called the railway track or permanent way.
 REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL
PERMANENT WAY
The following are the principal requirements of an ideal
permanent way or of a good railway track :-

1. The gauge of the permanent way should be correct and

uniform.
2. The rail should be in proper level in straight portion. Proper
amount of super elevation should be provided to the outer rail
above the inner rail on curved portion of the track.
3. The permanent way should be sufficiently strong against
lateral forces.
4. The curves, provided in the track, should be properly designed.
5. An even and uniform gradient should be provided through
out the length of the track.

6. The tractive resistance of the track should be minimum.

7. The design of the permanent way should be such that the load
of the train is uniformly distributed on both the rails so as to
prevent unequal settlement of the track.
8. All the components parts such as rails, sleepers, ballast,
fixtures and fastenings, etc. should satisfy the design
requirements.
1. All the points and crossings, laid in the permanent way,
should be properly designed and carefully constructed.

2. It should be provided with proper drainage facilities so as to

drain off the rain water quickly away from the track.

3. It should be provided with safe and strong bridges coming

in the alignment of the track.

4. It should be so constructed that repairs and renewals of any

of its portion can be carried out without any difficulty.
Track Cross-section
 Rail Gauges
1. Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two
parallel rails that make up a single railway line
2. Rail gauge is the distance between two rails of a railroad.
3. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a 4 feet 8½ inch (1435 mm)
gauge, which is known as standard gauge or international gauge.
4. Rail gauges larger than standard gauge are called broad gauge, and rail
gauges smaller than standard are called narrow gauge.
5. A dual gauge railway has three or four rails positioned so that trains
of two different gauges can use it.
6. A place where different gauges meet is called a break of gauge.
 Types of Rail Gauges

The different gauges prevalent in India are of the following these

types

• Broad gauge (1676 mm)

• Metre gauge (1000 mm)

• Narrow gauge (762 mm & 610 mm).

 Broad Gauge
a. When the clear horizontal distance between the inner faces of
two parallel rails forming a track is 1676mm the gauge is called
Broad Gauge (B.G)

b. This gauge is also known as standard gauge of India and is the

broadest gauge of the world.

c. The Other countries using the Broad Gauge are Pakistan,

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Argentine. 50% India’s railway
tracks have been laid to this gauge.
 Suitability
Broad gauge is suitable under the following Conditions

1. When sufficient funds are available for the railway project.

2. When the prospects of revenue are very bright.
3. This gauge is used for tracks in plain areas which are densely
populated.
4. For routes of maximum traffic, intensities and at places which
are centers of industry and commerce.
5. Suitable for high speed
 Meter Gauge
a. When the clear horizontal distance between the inner faces of
two parallel rails forming a track is 1000mm, the gauge is known
as Metre Gauge (M.G)
b. The other countries using Metre gauge are France, Switzerland,
Argentine, etc. 40% of India’s railway tracks have been laid to
this gauge.
Suitability
1. When the funds available for the railway project are inadequate.
2. When traffic efficiency is moderate.
3. When the prospects of revenue are not very bright.
4. This gauge is used for tracks in under-developed areas and in
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interior areas.
 Narrow Gauge
a. When the clear horizontal distance between the inner faces of two
parallel rails forming a track is either 762mm or 610mm, the gauge
is known as Narrow gauge (N.G)
b. The other countries using narrow gauge are Britain, South Africa,
etc. 10% of India’s railway tracks have been laid to this gauge.
Suitability
1. For low speed movement
2. When the construction of a track with wider gauge is prohibited
due to the provision of sharp curves, steep gradients, narrow
bridges and tunnels etc.
3. When the prospects of revenue are not very bright.
4. This gauge is used in hilly and very thinly populated areas.
CONING OF WHEELS
Coning of Wheels
1. The flanges of wheel is never made flat, but they are in
the shape of cone with a slope of 1 in 20. (Sloping of the
wheel from the vertical axis)
2. The coning of wheels is mainly done to maintain the
vehicle in the central position with respect to the track.
3. It is done to maintain the vehicle in the central position
with respect to the track.

Advantages of coning
a. Reduce the wear and tear of wheel flanges and rails.
b. To provide possibility of lateral movement of the axle with
its wheels.
c. To prevent the slipping of wheels.
 RAILS

• General
Rail is similar to steel girders. These are
placed end to end to provide continuous and
level surface for the trains to move

On Indian Railways the standard lengths

are the following:
• Length = 12.80 meter for BG (say 13 m)
• Length = 11.89 meter for MG (say 12 m)
 Functions of Rail
1. To provide continuous and level surface for movement of train.
2. To provide a smooth pathway so that friction between rail and
wheel become less.

3. Serve as a lateral guide for the running of wheels.

4. Transferring the load into the sleeper.

5. To bear the stresses developed in the track due to temperature changes
and loading patterns.

6. To resist breaking forces caused due to stoppage of trains.

 Requirements of an ideal rail
The main requirements of an ideal rail section are as under
1. The section of the rail should be such that the load of eh wheels
is transferred to the sleepers without exceeding the permissible
stresses.
2. The section of the rail should be able to withstand the lateral
forces caused due to fast moving trains.
3. The underside of the head and top of the foot of the rail
section should be of such a slope that the fishplates fit snugly.
4. The center of gravity of the rail section should preferably
coincide the center of the height of the rail so that maximum
tensile and compressive stresses are nearly equal.
5. The web of the rail section should be such that it can safely bear the
vertical load without buckling.

6. The head of the rail should be sufficiently thick for adequate margin of
vertical wear.

7. The foot of rail should provide sufficient bearing area on the underlying
sleepers so that the compressive stresses on the timber sleeper remain
within permissible limits.

8. The section of the rails should be such that the ends of two adjacent rails
can be efficiently jointed with a pair of fish plates.

9. The surfaces for rail table and gauge face should be sufficiently hard to
resist the wear.
 Types of rail sections

1. Double headed rails

2. Bull headed rails

3. Flat footed rails

 Double headed rails
a. These were the rails which were used
in the beginning, which were double
headed and consisting of a dumb-bell
section.
b. The idea behind using these rails was
that when the head was worn out in
course of time, the rail can be inverted
and reused.
c. But as time passed indentations were
formed in the lower table due to which
smooth running over the surface at the
top was impossible.
 Bull headed rails
• In this type of rail the head was made a little thicker and
stronger than the lower part by adding more metal to it, so that
it can withstand the stresses
 Flat footed rails
a. These rails are also called as vignole's rails.
b. Initially the flat footed rails were fixed to the sleepers directly and
no chairs and keys were required.
c. Later on due to heavy train loads problems arise which lead to steel
bearing plates between the sleeper and the rail. at rail joints and
other important places these are the rails which are most commonly
used in India.
 Rail Joints
a. Supported Rail Joint
b. Suspended Rail Joint
c. Bridge Joint
d. Base Joint
e. Welded Rail Joint
f. Staggered or Broken
Joint
g. Square or Even Joint
h. Compromise Joint
i. Insulated Joint
j. Expansion Joint
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Insulated Joint
 Expansion Joint

July 22, 2017 29

 Creep of Rails
Creep is defined as the longitudinal movement of the rail
with respect to the sleepers.
 Theories of creep
1. Wave action or wave
theory:
• Wave motion is set up
by moving loads of
wheels.
• The vertical reverse curve
ABC is formed in the rail
ahead of wheels, resulting
from the rail deflection
under the load.
 Drag (or) Dragging theory

✓ Backward thrust on driving wheels of locomotive of train push the rail

off track backward.
✓ Mean while other wheel of locomotive and vehicles push the rail in
the direction of travel.
✓ Since drag effect is more as explained in Wave Action Theory
resultant creep of rails in forward direction.
Percussion Theory
This theory states that the creep is due to impact of wheels at the rail
end ahead at joints. Hence as and when wheel leave the trailing rail
and strike the facing rail end at each joint it pushes the rail in forward
direction resulting in creep
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 Factors effecting the magnitude & direction of creep.

• Alignment of track: Creep is more on curves than on tangent

tracks.
• Grade of track: More in case of steep curves, particularly
while train moving downward with heavy loads.
• Type of rails: older rail have more tendency than new one.

• Direction of heaviest traffic: In heavier load moving

direction occurs more creep.
 EFFECTS OF CREEP

• Most serious effect of creep is being buckling of track.

• Sleepers move out of square and out of position, affects the gauge and alignment of
track. As sleepers move surface is disturbed results uncomfortable riding.

• When joints are opened out beyond the permissible stress in bolts and fish plates
tendency to occurrence of failure in them.

• Its difficult to fix the removed rail at proper position during repair works since the
time gap becomes too short or too long due to creep.

• Smashing of fish plates, bolts, bending of bars, kinks at joints of rails and forging
of ballast ahead, common effects of creep.
Contd..
• Points and crossings get distorted, its too difficult to set them
to correct gauge and alignment. Movement of switches is
made difficult and interlocking is thrown out of gear.
 Remedies of creep
1. Pulling back the rails
✓ pull back the rail to its original position. By means of crow bars
and hooks provided through the fish bolts wholes of rails
✓ By considering the position of joints relative to sleepers and
both rails should be in respective position.
2. Provision of anchors :
✓ By use of anchors and sufficient crib ballast.
✓ For creep 7.5 cm-15 cm 4 anchors per rail
✓ For creep 22.5 to 25 cm 6 anchors.
3. Use of steel sleepers:
✓ Sleepers should be made up of good material with proper
fitting. Sleepers should provide good grip with ballast to resist
the movement of sleepers. Increase in no. of sleepers.
Provision of Anchors
 Rail Wear
• Due to the passage of moving loads and friction between the rail and
the wheel, the rail head gets worn out is known as wear

Causes
• The impact of moving loads,
• The effect of the forces of acceleration, deceleration, and braking of
wheels
• Abrasion due to rail–wheel interaction
• The effects of weather conditions such as changes in
temperature, snow, and rains, the presence of materials.
 Type of Wear on Rails
On the basis position of wear
1) on top of the rail head (vertical wear)
2) on the sides of the rail head (lateral wear)
3) on the ends of the rail (battering of rail ends)

On the basis of location

1) On sharp curves
2) On gradients
3) On approach to stations