ice cold iron. maybe even colder

[wisandsouthernkid]

i was wondering is it that most railroads that have a cold climate that they have to limit speed in a certain temperature because like anything when its cold it is hard to bend and if you bend it to quick it will snap like iron rails for example. because i know the track is rated for 25 mph by my house but i have seen them go as slow as about 5 or 6 by my house in really cold weather

[WSOR 3801]

Past your house the rail is 90 lb at best, some might be 75 lb., and I think it is all pre-1920 or so. Around that time the rail mills came out with controlled-cooled rail, which helped with some of the breakage problems. I'm sure others can elaborate in this.

In the cold, rail gets brittle, especially the old rail the WSOR has, and the stress from a 25-mph train can break things. Going 10 mph puts less stress on the rail, and things don't scatter as far at the lower speed if something does break.

[wisandsouthernkid]

when i talked to the guys that work on the road they had told me that it was 90 pound rail and i looked at the date on the rail and it said 1925 so i assume that is the date and it is also jointed.  is the rail iron or steel???

[tpatrick]

Your rail, and everyone else's, is steel. Iron went of use about a century and a half ago. Some people still refer to it as "high iron," but that is just an expression that no longer reflects the real world.

Tim 

[Anonymous]

Often a railroad will issue what is called a  "cold weather restriction''. If it applies to the track you will be running on it will be in your general track bulletins. It us usually 10 mph less than timetable speed. I havent seen them where I work though. I have seen hot weather restrictions which work the same way.

[caduceus]

I have a thermometer outside my house which my Railroading friends refer to as my "Tonnage Thermometer. " It reads probably twenty degrees warm.  Seems that the thermometers in the CN yard at Rainy River, Ontario always read about ten degrees warmer than anyone elses.  Therefore they could run higher tonnage From Rainy River to Winnepeg or Atikokan.

[J. Edgar]

CSX in MI will issue  many speed restrictions for heat....most are 10 mph below MAS's above 30...if the speed limit is 35 ya do 25....i only remember seeing a very few cold weather speed restrictions....big problem is shrinkage breaking the code bond giving false red indications.....usually at an absolute signal ....then the DSPR talks you past and your restricted speed for miles.....

[csxengineer98]

CSX in MI will issue  many speed restrictions for heat....most are 10 mph below MAS's above 30...if the speed limit is 35 ya do 25....i only remember seeing a very few cold weather speed restrictions....big problem is shrinkage breaking the code bond giving false red indications.....usually at an absolute signal ....then the DSPR talks you past and your restricted speed for miles.....

not true.. no train will reduce below 30mph in a heat order.... 45 mph max speed..you reduce to 35.. 35 mph..you reduce to 30...

csx engineer 

 

[J. Edgar]

CSX in MI will issue  many speed restrictions for heat....most are 10 mph below MAS's above 30...if the speed limit is 35 ya do 25....i only remember seeing a very few cold weather speed restrictions....big problem is shrinkage breaking the code bond giving false red indications.....usually at an absolute signal ....then the DSPR talks you past and your restricted speed for miles.....

not true.. no train will reduce below 30mph in a heat order.... 45 mph max speed..you reduce to 35.. 35 mph..you reduce to 30...

csx engineer 

 

hence i said ......most Maxium Allowed Speed ABOVE 30 mph are reduced not 30 AND above....since there are no 31 mph speed limits the first to be reduced would be 35 mph.... this comes from my timetable dated 7-2000 and my rulebook dated 7-99....if its changed since i quit railroading well its changed

[J. Edgar]

 you are right ....i missed that......35 would be reduced to 30...