The Heat In Kent Could 'buckle' The Rail Lines.

[anotheoldgit]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7279999/UK-weather-Searing-heatwave-forces-rail-firm-warn-workers-NOT-travel.html

/// Tomorrow, commuters have been warned not to travel on Southeastern rail services in Kent when the heat could 'buckle' train lines by raising the temperatures of the rails to 122F (50C), potentially making the metal curve. ///

Makes one wonder if our once proud British steel was all it was cracked up to be. I wonder how the rails stand up to the heat in Africa and India, or if it comes to that in the rest of Europe.

[Canary42]

Phoney patriot exposed

[Zacs-Master]

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/why-rails-buckle-in-britain/

I suspect it was a budgetary decision (higher stressed rails probably costing more).

[Mamyalynne]

Not sure why you think it doesn't happen in other countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2003/aug/06/weather.transportintheuk

[youngmafbog]

Transport systems are often built for the climate of the country they are in, so you do different things for different climes. Here we have very few scorchers just as we have very few snow days so the cost of catering for those few days is too high.

Dont worry the heat will be gone soon.

[anotheoldgit]

Before posting your jibes from the height of your perch, first educate yourself as regards the definition of the word patriot'

/// a person who loves his or her country and defends it when necessary ///

Doesn't mention anything about defending it's steel products.

[douglas9401]

Glad we got that ironed out.

[Zacs-Master]

When you specifically mention it as British Steel, it's obvious (taking into account your well known stance of on one hand wishing Britain was great again and on the other condemning it at ever oppertunity) what your intention is.

When someone catches you out as a hypocrite it's not really advisable to try and wriggle out of it with a comment that makes you look even more silly.

The UK steel industry has been in decline for years due to a variety of factors such as overcapacity in EU steelmaking and cheap Chinese steel (state subsidised) flooding the market.The Redcar steelworks closure (2015) didn't help. Do you recall British Steel buying it back off Tata for £1)? You have to ask why Tata wanted to offload it. Come May of this year, we found out.

[Zacs-Master]

opportunity

[anotheoldgit]

I know nothing about rail construction, only that once they left a gap between the rails for expansion, hence to 'clittery clat' as the wheels went over the gaps.

I may be wrong but aren't the rails welded together these days?

[Buenchico]

Trains in Africa and India generally run much slower than in the UK, which places less stress on the rail and makes them less likely to buckle. (Even so, problems with buckled rails are still quite common). That's why Network Rail put speed restrictions in place when rails are getting hot but that, in turn, leads to train cancellations because each train is occupying the tracks for longer.

From Network Rail:
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/delays-explained/buckled-rail-and-summer-heat/

An illustration of just how dramatic rail buckling can be:

[baza]

Back in olden days the rails were shorter lengths, with room to expand , remember the diddly dee diddly dum sound, now with longer welded rails , fewer joins, not so much room for expansion and no sound. Modern technology ?

[anotheoldgit]

Thank you baza, I thought that might be the problem.

[Buenchico]

The use of individual sections of track (with gaps in between them) can lead to the rails gradually slipping out of alignment, presenting a risk of a train becoming derailed. CWR (continuous welded rail) is far safer. CWR can be stressed to prevent buckling problems. In the UK CWR is stressed to 27C. In other countries CWR is stressed to higher temperatures but at much greater cost:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_stressing

[Zacs-Master]

As I suspected. Thanks, Chris.

[anotheoldgit]

Buenchico

/// Trains in Africa and India generally run much slower than in the UK, which places less stress on the rail ///

I presume that the trains generally run much slower than the UK, not so much as for the strain on the rails, but because in the UK passengers are not allowed to hang on the side or on the roof of trains.

https://secure.i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01580/TRAIN-ART_1580740c.jpg

[ToraToraTora]

as chris says, this is about CWR prep, nowt to do with the steel.

[Baldric]

I gather tomorrow is going to be hotter, I can confirm at the moment it's scorchio on the North Kent Coast ;o)

[Old_Geezer]

It's the wrong type of high temperature.

[ToraToraTora]

wrong type of sunshine OG

[aelmpvw]

hopefully they'll get it fixed before the leaves start falling in the autumn