How to Lay Continuous Welded Rail
If you ride on an old-fashioned railroad you'll hear a rhythmic clack-clack-clack sound. That's the sound of the wheels running over the joints that hold the tracks together. More modern railroads are made with continuous welded rail, which won't make this sound. Continuous welded rail often has to be used to replace existing rails as an upgrade to a train's track. As with other upgrades and maintenance, though, it's important that the job is done safely.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Long-welded rail
- Welding torch
- Welding gloves
- Welding helmet
- Welding apron
- Long bolts
- Wrench or socket wrench
- Fishplates with bolts
Instructions
-
-
1
Ensure that there are no trains running on the track and be sure that it is closed off from traffic. It's important that you have the track completely sectioned off for safety reasons while you're switching out the existing rail for continuous welded rail.
-
2
Remove the existing rail from the track. Take out the bolts holding the joints together and then remove the joint from the rails. Once the joints are unbolted, remove the existing rails. Continue until you've removed enough rails to install a length of continuous welded rail.
-
-
3
Set long-welded rails in place where the old rails were, bolting them into the concrete sleeper beneath the track with long bolts. Long-welded rails are roughly a quarter of a mile in length, and they are connected temporarily with fishplates and bolts for welding purposes. Place the fishplates over the holes that are drilled for that purpose in the long-welded rails, and screw the bolts into the holes. This connection should be made between each length to set up the entire length of the rails.
-
4
Remove the fishplates and their bolts one at a time and weld the rails at the connections. These welded connections replace the plates and create a single length of rail, all of it bolted to the concrete sleeper beneath the track, which provides additional strength and support.
-
1
