Railway equipment and accessories are diverse. Here are some common types:
Railway Tracks
Steel rails are the main load-bearing components of railway tracks and a primary indicator of railway equipment. They provide a low-friction rolling surface for the train wheels, ensuring smooth train operation. Steel rails are typically made of hot-rolled steel with an asymmetrical circular I-beam cross-section, requiring high-quality steel alloys to withstand high stress.
Steel rails come in various types, roughly categorized by weight per meter as heavy rails and light rails. Heavy rails weigh more than 24 kg per meter, while light rails weigh less than 24 kg per meter. Common heavy rail gauges are 43, 50, 60, and 75, with 50 and 60 being the most frequently used.
The differences in domestic and international rail standards mainly lie in two aspects: track gauge and the rails themselves. Regarding track gauge, in addition to the internationally accepted 1435mm standard gauge, there are also various specifications. While rail weights (e.g., 60 kg/m, UIC60) are similar across countries, their cross-sectional designs (e.g., rail head curvature, rail base slope), chemical composition, and testing and acceptance standards vary. These differences in technical details aim to adapt to different operating conditions and regulatory requirements, representing a significant aspect of the localization of railway engineering technology.
Railway Sleepers
Sleepers support the rails, maintain their position, and transfer the immense pressure from the rails to the track bed. They include wooden sleepers and concrete sleepers. Wooden sleepers, made of wood, offer advantages such as good elasticity, ease of processing, and convenient use. However, they require large quantities of high-quality timber, and their elasticity, strength, and durability are not uniform, resulting in a short service life. They are gradually being replaced by concrete sleepers on main lines.
railway fasteners
Rail fasteners are components used to connect the rails and sleepers (or other types of rail foundations), also known as intermediate connecting parts. Their function is to fix the rails to the sleepers, maintain the track gauge, and prevent longitudinal and lateral movement of the rails relative to the sleepers. This includes bolts, elastic clips, gauge blocks, gauge plates, rail pads, iron pads, and height adjustment components.
Railway Fishplate
Also known as a rail joint clamp, it is a connecting fastener used to connect rails. It plays a crucial role at the rail joint, fixing the rail, maintaining the gauge, providing elasticity, and transferring loads. Connecting rails using fishplates and other connecting parts allows the joint area to withstand bending moments and lateral forces like the rail, ensuring the overall safety and efficiency of the track. Common models vary depending on the rail type, and common categories include: ordinary joint fishplates, frozen joints, adhesive-bonded insulated joints, bulging joints, special-shaped fishplates, vibration-damping fishplates, etc.
railway anchor
A device to prevent rail creep. A pin-type anti-creep device consists of a rail clamp with a baffle and a pin. During installation, one side of the rail clamp is secured to the rail base, and the other side is wedged into the pin, firmly securing the anti-creep device to the rail base to prevent rail creep. To maximize its effectiveness, anti-creep bracing is often installed between sleepers, connecting several sleepers together to jointly resist rail creep.
Rail Switch/ Turnout
A railway turnout is a connecting device between different railway lines, used to guide vehicles from one track to another. The main type of turnout includes the single turnout, which consists of a switch, connecting part, frog, and guard rail. This is the most common type of turnout, and other types of turnouts are mostly developed from single turnouts
Turnout pads, track pads, and track slides: These are important components of railway turnouts. Turnout pads are placed between the rails and sleepers to buffer and distribute pressure, helping to reduce wear on the sleepers and increase track stability. Track pads are typically installed between the bottom of the rail and the sleeper to support the rail and distribute the pressure transmitted from it. Track slides are crucial components in turnouts, supporting the switch rail and providing it with sliding space. They bear the pressure from the switch rail and stock rail and transfer it to the turnout sleepers.
These are important railway track components. Turnout tie rods connect two rails to prevent longitudinal stretching and maintain track gauge, improving lateral stability and the track’s ability to maintain track gauge. Some lines have track circuits; in these cases, the turnout tie rod is separated by insulating parts, creating an insulated gauge tie rod.
