The Railroad Tracks

Steam, Electric, or Diesel locomotives and their
cars of all types run on the rails. Railroad work is
hard work! Work to maintain the tracks. It's a never
ending occupation. With the heavy weight of the
locomotive and cars, plus the rail moves all the time
because of weather conditions, there's just no shortage
of things to do.

The railroad track is a constantly moving thing. Trains
move it and the rail expands with the heat and contracts
with the cold temperatures. In the summer you have to watch
for heat kinks and in the winter pull aparts with
jointed rail.

Everyone thinks the rail is just a bunch of heavy metal,
but there's an art and a science to setting up a track,
getting the curves right and setting the super elevation
in the curves. Without the right amount of super elevation
in a curve the rail will wear out much faster than in
a tangent with a zero cross level where the cars
wear each rail the same amount.

Enjoy what you read from the articles below. The Working Man
has over 30 years experience working the railroad and
will be providing you with some great stuff about railroads
so check back often. What better way to have some fun
after a hard day's working running the spiker than to
come here and enjoy the articles.


The Locomotive Operator's Control Panel




Working on the Railroad - a daily log of what we do

Larry Case - Mr. Fixer Upper Tamper Guy

Railroad Terms and Terminology



What keeps the men on the rail gangs working so hard.....