Gauge Railroading
Gauge Railroading
What are Railroad Ties?
Railroad ties are the rectangular shaped objects that provide the base for railway tracks. Sometimes called sleepers, they are laid at regular intervals and at 90 angles to the tracks. Once these are in place, the tracks are then attached to the ties. At one time, these ties were all made of wood, but today they are generally made from concrete. Steel and plastic are also used in the manufacture of these essential railroad structures. They are laid on top of track ballast, which is normally heavy crushed stone. This helps to keep the ties in place and to provide the appropriate drainage and flexibility they need to contract or expand in the changing temperatures.
There are different types of these ties used in the railway sector of the transportation industry. These include:
- Stone blocks. In this format, a pair of stone block is laid into the ground and chairs of rails are affixed to them. These were effective in the early days of the railroad when horses were a common form of transportation. When heavier locomotives came into use, these blocks did not prove to be effective because they could not maintain the proper gauge. They could not be used in areas where the ground was soft. Today however, they are used in the form of a stone slab that helps to keep the tracks in place.
- Timber ties. Hardwood, especially oak, is the preferred type of wood for making these ties. Some railway lines do use treated softwoods, but they have to be replaced more often because they wear easily. Wooden ties are heavily covered in creosote to make them more durable. Although wooden ties are the ones most often used in North American railway lines, they do rot easily, especially at the point where the ties are attached to the tracks.
- Concrete ties. Concrete ties are able to withstand heavier loads and do not require the same level of maintenance as those made from wood.
- Steel ties. These are used mainly for temporary tracks. They are lighter in weight and will not rot. They are also resistant to damage from insects. In spite of these advantages, steel ties are not commonly used because they are prone to rust and have to be replaced even more frequently than the wooden kinds.
- Plastic Ties. This is a relatively new idea in the railway world. The ties are made from recycled plastic and rubber and are very long lasting. They also have the advantage that they can be used to replace worn wooden ties without having to replace the whole track, which is the case in substituting plastic for concrete.
When the ties are laid across the tracks, the interval between each one is about two feet. Tie plates are used to attach the rails to the ties and spikes or bolts are driven through them to make sure the rails stay in place. In North America, rail spikes are used for this purpose, whereas in Europe, square headed bolts are used. In the case of concrete ties, steel clips are used to hold them in place and then more ballast is added.
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