White painted tracks

Interesting, though I don't think it is so the rails won't melt (steel melts at like 2500 degrees, not 140). Obviously what they are worried about is thermal expansion and that causing the rails to buckle at the rail joints from the pressure. That raises an interesting question, how do the railroads handle it in place like Arizona where they routinely see temps of like 120 degrees or more? Does welded rail, which eliminates the rail joiners (the plate, not the model kind *lol*) which I assume are a point of failure, work? And what did they do in the days before welded rail in hot areas like this?

During high temperature periods, railroads, these days, enforce reduced speeds for trains, and send Track Inspectors out in a Hy-Rail, twice daily on busy main tracks, and sometimes ahead of each train (especially HAZ trains) on lesser-used tracks, if personnel are available.  And, if you go down to your local heavy duty main track, you will see rail anchors clipped to the rail between ties, to keep rail from creeping.

In the past, when all track was jointed rail, there was also a section gang about every 10 or 15 miles, and they patrolled the track in very hot temperatures.  The Section Foreman also knew his territory, and that included knowing where any track buckling was most likely to occur based on track condition and engineering.  Jointed rail has the ability to absorb a small amount of linear expansion and contraction, more than welded rail.

@tom-

thanks, that is interesting. I should have thought through with welded rail, that there really wouldn't be 'give' as the rail expanded. Makes sense that track with a gap has some wiggle room, so to speak. Still, it is amazing that rail worked in places like Arizona, I was just reading that in Arizona they are seeing temps as high as 120 degrees lasting for weeks at a time, and that more and more is happening at night there because of that. 

Wonder if article's title was designed as attention-getter, or, given the source, writer's lack of knowledge?

I suppose that it is possible that some people could be confused by the concrete sleepers that are used in Europe.

They should have used some of the white paint to cover up that graffiti......

Must've been a heckuva sale price on white paint to justify doing that.

pennsy484 posted:

Irrelevant, the ties are painted white. 

No they aren’t. They are made of CONCRETE instead of creosote coated WOOD. They are a bit easier to manufacture, don’t wear as easily, last a while, and hold track in place better. Amtrak uses them on the NEC and is starting to install them on the Keystone between Philly and Harrisburg...

pennsy484 posted:

I am in Italy and noticed the rails are painted white.  It caught my eye as a train enthusiast.

I found this story that says railroads in Europe are painting the rails white because of the hot weather.  Not sure if that's the reason here in Italy. 

https://www.newsweek.com/its-s...ey-dont-melt-1451317

Some pics:

The rails could also be VERY new and have yet to get a surface rust...

Number 90 posted:

During high temperature periods, railroads, these days, enforce reduced speeds for trains, and send Track Inspectors out in a Hy-Rail, twice daily on busy main tracks, and sometimes ahead of each train (especially HAZ trains) on lesser-used tracks, if personnel are available.  And, if you go down to your local heavy duty main track, you will see rail anchors clipped to the rail between ties, to keep rail from creeping.

In the past, when all track was jointed rail, there was also a section gang about every 10 or 15 miles, and they patrolled the track in very hot temperatures.  The Section Foreman also knew his territory, and that included knowing where any track buckling was most likely to occur based on track condition and engineering.  Jointed rail has the ability to absorb a small amount of linear expansion and contraction, more than welded rail.

A bit of railroadiana here. Dad went to work for the BR&P in 1928, first as a section hand and quickly as the Cook on a camp train. As such he got to know about track. When laying or re-laying rail the gap at each joint was adjusted according to a temperature chart. The lower the temperature at the time of the work the wider the gap was set, to allow for expansion at higher ambient temperatures. The gap was carefully measured using a set of feeler gauges each section foreman kept.

Lew

NS6770Fan posted:

pennsy484 posted:

Irrelevant, the ties are painted white. 

No they aren’t. They are made of CONCRETE instead of creosote coated WOOD. They are a bit easier to manufacture, don’t wear as easily, last a while, and hold track in place better. Amtrak uses them on the NEC and is starting to install them on the Keystone between Philly and Harrisburg...

Sorry, too much chianti. I meant rails not ties. 

NS6770Fan posted:

pennsy484 posted:

I am in Italy and noticed the rails are painted white.  It caught my eye as a train enthusiast.

I found this story that says railroads in Europe are painting the rails white because of the hot weather.  Not sure if that's the reason here in Italy. 

https://www.newsweek.com/its-s...ey-dont-melt-1451317

Some pics:

The rails could also be VERY new and have yet to get a surface rust...

No, they are painted white. 

Actually rails and ties painted white:

And ballast...

We paint certain parts of the rail white so they absorb less heat – and expand less. Typically, a rail painted white is 5°C to 10°C cooler than one left unpainted.

see  https://www.networkrail.co.uk/...ail-and-summer-heat/

Several European train companies are testing this summer the effects that painting the sides of track have on reducing rail temperature and so prevent warping.

Werner

Elmer Fudd is their Chief of Marketing: "taking the twain is the white way to go!"  

I also just got back from a trip to Europe and was wondering about the white rails in Italy.  Painting white due to the heat makes sense.  Did not see white painted rails in France.  Also,  looks like they avoided paint at the switches.

The Signals in Italy look like US Searchlight type.  Hard to get a good picture at the speed we were traveling.

There are monitors in the cars to keep passengers informed. With a map and schedule.  249 kph = 155 mph

Saw this old Steam Engine on display.

Here is our train.  Not an F-7 or an Amtrak Genesis Locomotive.

Steve

I noticed that too about not painting the turnouts. Noticing this type of minutia is borderline mental. 😂.  Nice to have the forum to post it on. 🤣