03/29/2018 Chessie tracks and Calumet Avenue in Hammond, Indiana
Grade crossings in our area have a second rail outboard of the rails on which the wheels roll. I don't know what caused it but about four feet of an outboard rail was bent upward to a height of about 24 inches. A CSX crew had it repaired in less than three hours. John in Lansing, ILL
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Temperature expansion, perhaps?
Mitch, Those 'dead' rails are about 60 feet long. They are in place at the paved road and Calumet Avenue at that point is four lanes wide plus a center no travel section. OAT of less than 50F. Good thought though. The way that rail was bent (in my opinion) something either hanging from an engine or piece of rolling stock caught it and pulled. But it wasn't formed into a 'U', just bent up at about a 30 degree angle. Imagine a bendable plastic sipping straw, bend the short portion up about 30 degrees. John
Ah. Interesting. My bet is on an engine, then, as something like that would probably have derailed a piece of rolling stock...
Mitch
Sounds like an old-fashioned snake head, but not of the running rail.
Hmmm.! Township road grader working to- day? 
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