How are rails attached to sleepers?

How are rails attached to sleepers?

Normally, the rail rests on a cast steel plate which is screwed or bolted to the sleeper. The rail is attached to the plate by a system of clips or clamps, depending on the design. The older UK standard design was an elastic spike with a sprung, curved top which secures the rail.

Why is there a small gap between the rails while laying the railway track?

The gaps left between successive rails on a railway track, the reason is that the rails expand in summer. The gap is provided to allow for this expansion. If no gap is left, the expansion in summer will cause the rails to bend sideways. That will result in train accidents.

Why are the rail tracks supported by wooden planks at regular intervals?

The rails are supported by cross pieces set at regular intervals (called sleepers or ties), which spread the high pressure load imposed by the train wheels into the ground. They also maintain the rails at a fixed distance apart (called the gauge). This helps guide the vehicles of the train along the track.

Why sleepers are used in rails?

Sleepers are usually laid below the rails to spread the weight of the moving train over to a larger area. This is done to increase the area so that the pressure exerted by the rail gets decreased. This is following Pascal’s law of pressure. Thus providing safety to the movement of the trains on the rail tracks.

How are railway sleepers fixed?

Alternative Fixing: Sleepers can be fixed by means of galvanised straps; inside corners can be tied by means of “L” shaped ones and straight lengths by vertical flat straps. All come pre drilled so they can easily be screwed to the sleepers.

What holds the rails and sleepers together?

Railway fish plate, also called rail joint bar or splice bar, is a metal bar bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together. It is mostly used in light rail, heavy rail and crane rail. In general, fish bolts are always firstly chosen in the part of fastening.

Why do bridges have small gaps at regular intervals?

Thermal expansion is the reason we leave some gaps between sections of a bridge or two consecutive sections of railway tracks. With an increase in temperature (during daytime or during summer months), the bridge sections or the railway track sections will expand.

Why are small gaps left behind the girder mounted in walls?

Small spaces are left behind the girders mounted in walls for allowing to expand. Usually one end of the iron structure is fixed and the other end is allowed to expand in summer into the left out gap.

Why do rails have wood?

Their purpose is to hold the wooden cross ties in place, which in turn hold the rails in place. The answer is to start with the bare ground, and then build up a foundation to raise the track high enough so it won’t get flooded.

Why are iron nails of railway track fixed over wide wooden or concrete sleepers Class 8?

Wooden or concrete sleepers are fixed over a wide region to spread out the load due to the moving train. The wider the area, the less the pressure exerted. In the absence of the sleepers, the rails would sink into the ground due to the heavy load of the moving train.

Why are sleepers provided under the parallel running rails on the rail track the physical component playing important role which is?

Small sized wooden sleepers are used so that rails exert more pressure on the railway track. Due to which rail does not leave the track.

Why do we need sleepers?

Benefits of Wooden Sleepers Wood sleepers are cheaper than others and easy to manufacture. They are light in weight so, they can be easily transported and handled while installing. Fasteners can be easily installed to wooden sleepers. They are good insulators so, rails are well protected.

Why are cross pieces used in railway sleepers?

It consists of slabs of stones or pieces of woods placed parallel to and underneath the rails. To maintain correct gauge of the track, cross pieces are provided at regular intervals. At present this type of sleepers are discarded mainly because of the following reasons. Running of the train is not smooth when this type of sleepers is used.

What is the life of a railway sleeper?

They are in the form of steel trough inverted on which rails are fixed directly by keys or nuts and bolts and used along sufficient length of tracks. Have a useful life of 20-25 years. More attention is not required after laying

Why are transverse sleepers not used on trains?

At present this type of sleepers are discarded mainly because of the following reasons. Running of the train is not smooth when this type of sleepers is used. Noise created by the track is considerable. Cost is high. 2. Transverse Sleepers Transverse sleepers introduced in 1835 and since then they are universally used.

How are the rails of a train supported?

The rails are supported by cross pieces set at regular intervals (called sleepers or ties ), which spread the high pressure load imposed by the train wheels into the ground. They also maintain the rails at a fixed distance apart (called the gauge ). Ties are usually made from either wood or concrete.