CE 307

Railway Engineering and Airport

Planning
Rails Creep II, Rail Wear

Dr. Indrajit Ghosh

Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

Effects of creep

Movement of sleepers

Affects gauge and track alignment

Distortion of points and crossings

Results in unpleasant ride

Difficult to maintain correct gauge and

alignment

Difficulty in changing rails

Gap becomes too short or too long

Effects of creep

Buckling of tracks

Excessive creep

Improper maintenance of track

Can result in accidents!!

Widening and closing of gaps

Undue stresses in fish-plates and bolts

Smashing of fish-plates

Breaking of bolts

Kinks in alignment

http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2005/r05h0013/r05h0013.asp

Creep - Measurement

Creep indicator

Two creep posts (generally rail pieces)

Driven into formation

Top level is at same level as rail

Fishing string is stretched between two

posts

Chisel mark at side of bottom flange of rail

On either side of track

Distance between chisel mark and string is

creep

Creep - Measurement

Creep - Measurement

Indian Railway Practices

Should be measured frequently

Interval of about 3 months

Note down in prescribed register

Maintained by Permanent Way Inspector

Creep more than 150 mm should not be

permitted on any track

Not more than six consecutive rails should be

found jammed in single rail track

No creep on approaches of points and

crossings

Creep - Prevention

Pulling back the rails

Using crow bars and hooks through fish bolt

holes

Slow and tedious process

Practicable for only small lengths

Creeping starts immediately

Creep - Prevention

Pulling back the rails (large numbers)

Rail creep adjuster

Hydraulically operated

Capable of pushing or pulling lengths of rails

Creep - Prevention

Important points while pulling back rails

Track should be packed properly below

sleepers after pulling/pushing operation

Make small pieces of rails ready to allow

passage of trains

Labour requirement depends on

Nature of creep

Number of sleepers affected

Packing of track

Creep - Prevention

Important points while pulling back rails

Usually 30-40 workers per km of track

Fish-plates should be removed, cleaned, oiled,

refixed and tightened up after bringing rails
back to proper positions

Adjust creep before commencement of

summer

During cool hours of day

Rails Creep: Prevention

Using Anchors / Anti-creepers

Anti-creepers + crib ballast

Hold rails firmly to sleepers

Prevents movement

Fastened to foot of rail

Anchors are fixed to rails

By wedging action

By a spring grip

By clamping

Creep - Prevention

Rails Creep: Prevention

Important points while using creep anchors

Should be properly fixed to sleepers

Otherwise will not be effective

Should be fixed to good and sound sleepers

Rails Creep: Prevention

Important points while using creep anchors

Additional anchors

Level crossings

Places of heavy brake application

Near to stations

Should never be fixed near joints

Defective ones should be replaced

Will prevent accumulation of creep

Rails Creep: Prevention

Important points while using creep anchors

Creep anchor should be strong enough to resist

stresses developed due to creep

# of creep anchors per rail length should be

determined by intensity of creep

4 anchors per rail if creep is 75 mm to 150 mm /

month

6 anchors per rail if creep is 225 mm to 250 mm /

month

Creep - Prevention

Use of sleepers

Sleeper type and fitting

Effectively prevent rail creeping on them

Must have good grip with ballast to resist movement

of sleepers in ballast

Creep - Prevention

Sleepers

Creep - Prevention

Use of steel sleepers

Sleeper type and fitting

Good fitting and good grip

Steel trough sleepers are best for this purpose

Increase # of sleepers

Prevent creep

RAIL WEAR

Rail wear

Rail head gets worn out in course of service

Due to passage of moving loads

Friction between rail and wheel

Rail wear

Factors affecting wear and tear of vertical

and lateral planes of rail head

Moving load

Rail-wheel interaction

Acceleration/deceleration, braking of wheels

Condition

Temperature changes, snow, rains

Standard of track maintenance

Rail wear types

Rails may face wear and tear at these

positions:

On top of rail head (vertical wear)

On sides of rail head (lateral wear)

On ends of rails (battering of rail ends)

Rail wear

Vertical wear

Lateral wear

Occurs more on curves

Metal of rail head gets worn out

Height/Width/Weight of rail reduces

Should not exceed their permissible values

When such a stage is reached (RENEWAL)

Rail wear types

Wear is prominent at

On sharp curves (centrifugal forces)

On steep gradients (extra force applied by

engine)

On approaches of rail stations

Tunnels and coastal areas

Humidity and weather effects

Limiting loss in weight of section

Gauge
BG
MG

Rail section

Loss in weight

52 kg/m

6.0 percent

90 R

5.0 percent

75 R

4.2 percent

60 R

3.25 percent

Rail renewal is called for when loss in weight of section exceeds

prescribed limits given in table

Limits of vertical wear

Gauge
BG

MG

Rail section

Vertical wear (mm)

60 kg/m

13.0

52 kg/m

8.0

90 R

6.0

75 R

4.5

60 R

3.0

Causes a reduction in depth of rail head until a point beyond which there is
risk of wheel flanges grazing fish plates

Permissible limits of lateral wear

Section

Curves

Straight

Gauge

Category of track

Lateral wear
(mm)

BG

Group A & B

BG

Group C & D

10

MG

Q&R

BG

Group A & B

BG

Group C & D

MG

MG

Measured at a distance of 13-15 mm below the rail top table

Profile of worn-out rail is recorded and superimposed over a new profile to
determine wear

Methods to reduce wear

Better maintenance of track

Reduction in number of joints

By welding

Use of heavier and higher UTS rails

Ensure good packing, proper alignment, use

of correct gauge

More wear resistant

Use of bearing plate and proper adzing

In case of wooden sleepers

Methods to reduce wear

Lubricating gauge face of outer rail

In case of curves

Providing check rails

In case of sharp curves

Interchanging inner and outer rails

Changing rail by carrying out track renewal

Plasser & Theurer