Technology and equipment for resistance flash welding of railway crossings with rail ends through an austenitic insert

Modern Methods of Rail Welding

“…One of the main disadvantages of the jointed track is a rail joint. Development of the technologies enabling to ensure the possibility of continuous rail track realization is a technological direction of a current interest [1][2][3][4][5][6]. It should be taken into account that maintenance of rail tracks in Russia takes place under difficult climatic and operational conditions (in Russia, unlike in European countries, the same tracks for passenger and industrial traffic are used).…”

“…One of the main disadvantages of the jointed track is a rail joint. Development of the technologies enabling to ensure the possibility of continuous rail track realization is a technological direction of a current interest [1][2][3][4][5][6]. It should be taken into account that maintenance of rail tracks in Russia takes place under difficult climatic and operational conditions (in Russia, unlike in European countries, the same tracks for passenger and industrial traffic are used).Advantages of continuous rail track are the following [7-8]:• 30-40 % decrease of track maintenance costs, higher safety of traffic, reliability of construction;• 8-10 % reduced specific train resistance and, therefore, saving of fuel and electrical energy for the haulage, which is relevant in the context of continuous growth of energy sources' prices;• increase of service life of the truck superstructure due to lower rails' damageability than in jointed track (cracks in bolt holes' edges, indent of a railhead, crushing and saddles).…”

Microstructure and fracture behaviour of flash butt welds between dissimilar steels

“…For example, in the production of welded rail crossings using workpieces of austenitic chromium-nickel steel, insert between the elements of high manganese and high carbon nonalloyed steels is formed. [16][17][18][19][20] The joints of Hadfield steel crossings with carbon steel rails were detachable for a long time. Disadvantages of such joints are the presence of gaps between rails, which causes a dynamic influence on the construction during movement of the train and leads to an increased consumption of expensive Hadfield steel.…”

Reliability Increase of Dissimilar Steel Welded Joints

“…In this case the amount of expensive Hadfield steel can be decreased. Moreover, spalling of the frog and rail surfaces when a wheel passes is eliminated due to the absence of a clearance space between them [6][7][8][9]. Severe requirements are imposed on the reliability of these railway elements because the use of cracked frogs is not allowed.…”