2nd Edition

Contents
xv
5. Track 57
5.1 The origin and development of railway track 57
5.2 Basic components of track 58
5.3 Track ballast 59
5.4 Materials for track ballast 60
5.5 Sleeper functions 60
5.6 Timber sleepers 61
5.7 Prestressed concrete sleepers (monobloc) 62
5.8 Twin block sleepers 64
5.9 Steel sleepers 64
5.10 Rail fastenings, baseplates and pads 65
5.11 Rails 67
5.12 Rail wear 68
5.13 Desirability of removing rail joints 70
5.14 The introduction of track welding 70
5.15 Shop welding to produce long rails 71
5.16 Site welding to produce CWR 72
5.17 Stressing or ‘locking-up’ of CWR 73
5.18 Points, switches and crossings 74
5.19 Crossing design and manufacture 75
5.20 Points or turnouts 76
5.21 Driving, locking and detection of points 76
5.22 Conductor rails and components 77
5.23 Paved concrete track 78
5.24 Cast-in precast sleeper track 78
5.25 Floating slab track 79
5.26 Track installation and renewal 79
5.27 Day-to-day maintenance of track 79
6. Earthworks, Drainage and Fencing 83
6.1 Stability of earthworks 83
6.2 Short term considerations 84
6.3 Long term considerations 84
6.4 Slips 85
6.5 Detection of movement of earthworks 85
6.6 Dealing with embankment slips 86
6.7 Dealing with cutting slips 88
6.8 Drainage of the trackbed 89