Rail wear

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Just wasting time this morning whilst waiting for something else and dropped upon this photo on QUORA.

So, all you loco drivers, don't spin them wheels !

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Could this be a railway pothole ??

Just asking !

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 10/05/2022 08:45:06:

…

So, all you loco drivers, don't spin them wheels !

Odd or what? I think it's a fake. Take a lot of heat to melt a rail like that and the wooden sleepers aren't even slightly charred. My theory – a damaged section of rail was cut out ready for a new bit to be welded in and the team humorist modelled this apparent damage in clay. Ho ho, I admire his art!

Does the rail being spiked down mean the photo is from the US? Who else in the world uses spikes?

Dave

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

May have started off as a shallow defect then subsequent wheels passing over for a long time banging down then being pushed up the ramps would make it worse. It would have to be somewhere where there is no driver to observe it though.

Martin C

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 10/05/2022 14:50:14:

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 10/05/2022 08:45:06:

…

So, all you loco drivers, don't spin them wheels !

Odd or what? I think it's a fake. Take a lot of heat to melt a rail like that and the wooden sleepers aren't even slightly charred. My theory – a damaged section of rail was cut out ready for a new bit to be welded in and the team humorist modelled this apparent damage in clay. Ho ho, I admire his art!

Does the rail being spiked down mean the photo is from the US? Who else in the world uses spikes?

Dave

Hi Dave, it looks like a narrow gauge railway line, the sort you would find in a quarry, which are very often spiked to timber sleepers directly or with a flat chairplate. So you can't assume where it is in the world.

Regards Nick.

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

I think it's a fake.

Maybe not – could be a close-up from this :

Suggestions from postings accompanying this photo are that it was from a double (or more) headed train where one of the remote operated locomotives didn't respond to the train braking (or something similar – not a train buff ! ) & continued driving. Seems like it may have been in North America, where some locomotives have 6 wheel bogies. Other posts from railway employees suggested it was not an unusual occurance & was easily repaired by cutting out the damaged section of rail & thermite welding in a new bit.

Nigel B.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

I have seen it many times on the 'net. The wheels are not turning that fast, just mega down pressure. One was done while the engineer went on break, wonder how He explained it. The Good Old USA does still use spiked rails.

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