What is this called?

[Bobster]

Good morning,

I am going to show some ignorance here.   What is this called and what is it used for.

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A friend brought this in to work this morning.  He found it near a crossing that has just had some work done.

Thank you,
Bobster

[wcfn100]

Rail anchor.




Jason

[Kisatchie]

Rail anchor.

What is it anchoring the rail to?


Hmm... looks like part of
a Krellman machine to
me...

[learmoia]

Well.. the spike anchors the rail to the tie.. .. the rail anchor keeps the rail from sliding along the tie plate..

[Kisatchie]

Well.. the spike anchors the rail to the tie.. .. the rail anchor keeps the rail from sliding along the tie plate..

Ah, okay. That makes sense to my feeble little brain... LOL.


Hmm... I can attest to
that...

[Bobster]

Thank you all very much,
Bobster

[nkalanaga]

They weren't common on jointed rail, because the joints absorbed expansion and contraction.  On welded rail, the length change can be quite large.  So, these keep the rail from moving relative to the ties, while the ballast keeps the ties in place.  Welded rail is usually laid in warm weather, when it's expanded, and when the weather cools, the rail shrinks.  These help keep the resulting tension evenly spread.

In cold weather, a cut or broken rail will release that tension, and can do a lot of damage when it suddenly shortens.  In unusually hot weather, the rail is under compression, and these, along with the ballast, help prevent sun kinks.  There can be a lot of energy stored in a stretch of welded rail.

[learmoia]

Well, I would assume that they also help absorb and distribute horizontal movements of the rail as trains produce forces in starting and stopping..

[Bobster]

Good evening all,

For what this is worth a co-worker who lives near Pfeiffer University found it near a recently reworked rail crossing.  He knows I still play with trains and thought I might know what it was.  This thread shows I did not.

Pfeiffer University is near

Misenheimer, NC just East of Charlotte, NC.  I have also remined him to stay off the rails for his own safety and because it is private property.

Bobster out

[nkalanaga]

learmoia:  They do, but that's a minor part of their job on most mainlines, simply because the forces balance out, with trains going both ways.  Steep grades are another matter.  There, keeping the rails from sliding downhill is a problem, and rail anchors do their part. 

Another problem on steep grades, especially with heavy trains, is the rail metal itself "flowing" downhill.  The rail can actually get heavier at the bottom, and lighter at the top, until it has to be replaced.  Even rail anchors can't help with that.

[Kisatchie]

...The rail can actually get heavier at the bottom, and lighter at the top, until it has to be replaced....

Hmm... the older Kiz
gets, the lighter on the
top he gets...