RAILROAD

The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting
of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties and ballast (or slab track), plus the underlying subgrade.
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting
of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties , plus the underlying subgrade.
A disadvantage of traditional track structures is the heavy demand for maintenance, particularly
surfacing (tamping) and lining to restore the desired track geometry and smoothness of vehicle
running. Weakness of the subgrade and drainage deficiencies also lead to heavy maintenance
costs. This can be overcome by using ballastless track. In its simplest form this consists of a
continuous slab of concrete (like a highway structure) with the rails supported directly on its
upper surface (using a resilient pad).
There are a number of proprietary systems, and variations include a continuous reinforced
concrete slab, or alternatively the use of pre-cast pre-stressed concrete units laid on a base
layer. Many permutations of design have been put forward.
Materials railroad
1 expansion

4 tie plate

7 spike

2space

5 rail

8 tie

3 rut

6 fishplate bolt

However, ballastless track has a high initial cost, and in the case of existing railroads the upgrade
to such requires closure of the route for a long period. Its whole-life cost can be lower because of
the reduction in maintenance. Ballastless track is usually considered for new very high speed or
very high loading routes, in short extensions that require additional strength (e.g. rail stations), or
for localised replacement where there are exceptional maintenance difficulties, for example in
tunnels singapura

Track needs regular maintenance to remain in good order, especially when high-speed trains are
involved. Inadequate maintenance may lead to a "slow order" (North American terminology, a
"slack" or speed restriction in the United Kingdom) being imposed to avoid accidents (see Slow
zone). Track maintenance was at one time hard manual labour, requiring teams of labourers, or
trackmen (US: gandy dancers; UK: platelayers; Australia: fettlers), who used lining bars to correct
irregularities in horizontal alignment (line) of the track, and tamping and jacks to correct vertical
irregularities (surface). Currently, maintenance is facilitated by a variety of specialised machines.
Common maintenance jobs include changing sleepers, lubricating and adjusting switches,
tightening loose track components, and surfacing and lining track to keep straight sections
straight and curves within maintenance limits. The process of sleeper and rail replacement can
be automated by using a track renewal train.
Spraying ballast with herbicide to prevent weeds growing through and redistributing the ballast is
typically done with a special weed killing train.
Over time, ballast is crushed or moved by the weight of trains passing over it, periodically
requiring relevelling ("tamping") and eventually to be cleaned or replaced. If this is not done, the
tracks may become uneven causing swaying, rough riding and possibly derailments. An
alternative to tamping is to lift the rails and sleepers and reinsert the ballast beneath. For this,
specialist "stoneblower" trains are used.
Rail inspections utilize nondestructive testing methods to detect internal flaws in the rails. This is
done by using specially equipped HiRail trucks, inspection cars, or in some cases handheld
inspection devices.
Rails must be replaced before the railhead profile wears to a degree that may trigger a
derailment. Worn mainline rails usually have sufficient life remaining to be used on abranch
line, siding or stub afterwards and are "cascaded" to those applications.
The environmental conditions along railroad track create a unique railway ecosystem. This is
particularly so in the United Kingdom where steam locomotives are only used on special services
and vegetation has not been trimmed back so thoroughly. This creates a fire risk in prolonged dry
weather.
In the UK, the cess is used by track repair crews to walk to a work site, and as a safe place to
stand when a train is passing. This helps when doing minor work, while needing to keep trains
running, by not needing a Hi-railer or transport vehicle blocking the line to transport crew to get to
the site.

The longest railroad in the world

1. Amerika Serikat 226.427 km

2 china 128.000

3 china 91.000 Km

4. India 64.215 Km

5. Kanada 57.216 km