by lirr42
Datenail wrote:What is forgotten here is that the Railroad would rather the rail break, than kink. When it breaks, it cuts the signal/ASC circuit to their most restrictive aspect. The rail is installed under tension. Meaning, the track department when installing new rail, soaks a rope with kerosesne, lays it alongside the new rail and then sets the rope on fire to heat the rail and cause it to expand. If there is a newer more modern method of stretching rail, some please say so. Once expanded, the rail is joined to existing rail. When it is very cold and the rail contracts, the tension is greatly increased and it is prone to breakage. Broken rails are not a symbol of LIRR poor track maintenance or lack of maintenance, it is a symbol of proper track design with safety in mind (broken rail-droppped signals-trains slow down). Stretching the rail also decreases the incidence of kinks in the rail when the weather is very hot.
Slippy wrote:Nicely put, Date. That is a great railroad answer to the questions people have asked yet I don't think that will suffice LIRR42.While I agree that broken rails are preferably to heat kinks, do you disagree that no broken rails at all--and the rail staying together in one piece--would be preferable to broken rails? Broken rails, while better than the alternative, are still serious issues (the NTSB found that a broken rail likely contributed to the Metro-North Bridgeport derailment that injured 72 passengers).
"You should be happy that you didn't get murdered" isn't the best thing to say to someone who just got robbed.