A-g-e-s ago (at least a couple of years) someone posted about modelling broken ties. I posted back that ties rarely, if ever, break accross the tie... but the split lengthways when they get rotten or dried out enough.
So last week I found a length of really awful track (Just west of Gwersallt (Wales - and no I do not know how to pronounce it - even since working there for a couple of weeks) that really needed a minimum of a ghuge clean-out if not complete replacement. The track for some way held masses of debris/dirt and sprouted quite a lot of vegetation in patches. (Greenery is a sure sign that ballast contains small (probably nutritious) particles and retains water).
Anyway I spotted three wood ties broken across the tie - two under the rail on one side and one broken in the middle. Then, to my aghastness, I found two adjacent concrete ties absolutely smashed across the width under one rail next to a joint, These had had a wood tie inserted and packed up between them as an initial repair.
I therefore have to confess... it's extremely rare but it does happen - even in track in regular service... ...I had seen a couple of examples of wood ties broken across in much out-of-use sidings.
I know what has caused the problem as well!
In each case that a tie has broken under one rail it has been the result of a void forming under the end of the tie. Either because this hasn't been dealt with adequately or fast enough or because it has happened extremely quickly the tie has been forced down in the unsupported area by the repeated passing of wheels. I noticed that some of the trains in this case were steel carriers... making a right racket on the awful track.
With the tie broken under on rail the tie achieved a check a shape with the rail on the damaged side sitting in the notch. On one wood tie the broken end had also split and only stuck up a little. The other was more in tact and stuck up more (about an angle of 35 degrees). The pair of concrete ties were next to a joint and really smashed up beneath the rail. I couldn't get cl;ose enough to see exactly what was left under the rail.
The tie snapped across the middle had clearly lost support at both ends or been over-packed in the middle. This resulted in it snapping as an inverted V.
All 5 ties occured within about 500yards of track.
So there you are... ties can be broken across and that's how they do it and what happens when they do. Should anyone model it the result it very slow running and an incredible racket... not just the wheels banging the track up and down and banging the joint but the cars creaking, groaning, rattling and banging as well. That should present an interesting challenge to the sound boys!
Perhaps something to note was that 60% of the breaks were individual ties between unbroken ties. This seems to be counterintuitive. I would have expected several ties to break in a bunch... then again, if they did, they would present a real problem with a high risk of causing a derailment.
Interestingly there was no sign of any materials put ready to repair the voids that were causing the problem. This might be due to a local problem with youths/idiots.
There is an old expression I learned in regards to model railroading... No matter how far off base you get with modeling, either steam pulling intermodal containers (sherman hill and 3985) to all kinds of buildings, industries and trackage... "There is a prototype for everything." I have found the real world is much more creative then we could ever hope to be.
I too, have seen broken ties in the middle. From what I have seen, it is from fires that can smolder inside the tie. I have personally seen it happen at a favorite train watching spot where sparks from the wheels on a nasty curve have started small "tie fires". Having a smoldering fire is a fast way to eat out a tie. Add years of nature and its elements, I can easliy see one "breaking" in the middle.
Ah, confession, noted.
Best Regards, Big John
Kiva Valley Railway- Freelanced road in central Arizona. Visit the link to see my MR forum thread on The Building of the Whitton Branch on the Kiva Valley Railway
If it's physically possible it has happened or will at some point. Billions of ties around the world it's only a matter of time before one or more snap in the middle. Usually of course due to erosion or as noted by the op, too much support in the center.
Springfield PA
AS Canazar said "there is a prototype for everything"...no matter how odd, obserd, unrealistic, rediculous, unseeming it may seem to be. SOmewhere, someone will find a prototype that has done what seems odd to model.
Recently around here they have been replacing all the ties, and changing to welded rail. Ocassionally you will see lots of sections of track and ties already together- even switches {turnouts}- sitting by the way tracks that looks EXACTLY like our model "sectional track pieces". They just pull up a section cut out and plunk in the new one then weld it in!
I protolance the B&O and all incarnates {C&O, Chessie and CSX} depending on what "era" I want to "play" in. On a recent trip to The RailRoad Museum Of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, I fell in love with several static PRR steamers! SO I came home and as I aquire some Pennsys- like the K4, I "imagine" that my B&O/C&O have given trackage rights to the pennsys so I can jsutify running them on my tracks. Turns out, I found out recently, That B&O actually DID give the PRR 'trackage rights" in certain areas in real life!!! SO I wasn't too far off in my "imagining"!!!
So model as you will! There probably IS or WAS a prototype for whatever you heart deires.
Remember WAlt Disney said "If we can dream it, we can build it"!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp312/tangerine-jack/?action=view¤t=heavyloadrailflex.flv
You mean noisy like this old broken track?
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"