Prototype rail weights

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me what is the heaviest rail currently in use? My interest is mainly steam era but I've been having a discussion with a pal who tells me the UP in Weber Canyon uses an extremely heavy rail section.

To my (probably outdated) knowledge, 132 pounds per yard is considered heavy but has been used more often over the past generation due to increased car weights.

The heaviest rail I know of was 156 pounds per yard, developed by the Pennsy (per 1948 RY ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE CYCLOPEDIA). Is there a heavier section in use today? If so, what weight & how high is it (distance from bottom flat surface to top of railhead) & where used?

Thanx to those more knowledgeable if they can provide answer.

[Anonymous]

JW, I used to work in a track product manufacturing plant as a welder (frogs,switches,plates,etc.) and my poor memory is not helping me here. Most of the BNSF's prints were for 136lb rail. If memory serves the base was 6 1/16" wide as was 132lb. The UP used alot of 133lb rail which had a 6" base and shared the same base width as the 119lb. The largest rail section that I have seen was in the 140s. I wouldn't put any money on these figures though. My gray matter is about as useless as seat foam (I consumed alot of brew in highschool). I used to have a rail section chart, I'll try to dig it up.

[mudchicken]

175 Lb "Crane Rail" is in use un a limited basis where you have street running and need to provide a flangeway, followed by 171 crane rail (both are 6 inches tall and 6 inches wide). Neither is the tallest or very common. Tallest honors go to the old Pennsy with 8" tall 152 & 155/157 Lb rail (as in Lb.s per yard) that saw common use back east with a 6.75 inch base. You still see it in the former Conrail backtracks east of the Mississippi.

New kid on the block is the AREMA 141# and 144# Sections that the big railroads are now standardizing on, slowly replacing 133 and 136 # sections, 133# being much more of an orphan. Most of the 140/141/144 stuff is being laid in the curves first as this is where the rail wears out first. (Probably what UP is playing with) As the number of Class 1's shrinks, so does most of the variations in rail sizes as railroad purchasing people do not want to be caught ordering something that is oddball or requires a special purchase vs. "off the shelf".

Steel mills do not roll anything smaller than 115# anymore. 90# has not been rolled in quite a while. As the railcars get bigger and heavier, so does the rail to accomodate them.

115/136/140/141/144 seems to be all that's being made anymore.