Lec. - Railway Engineering Assist. Lec.

Zaid Abdul Zahra Mahdi

As a result of this, creep takes place in the direction of motion.

2- Wave Theory. As rail gets depressed under the rolling wheel, a vertical reverse curve is
formed.
The wheels have a tendency to push the rail in the direction of traffic. With the successive
forward motion of the wheel, creep is carried forward.

3- Percussion Theory
Rail end ahead of joint gets battered. Impact of wagon wheel tends to push forward the rail
giving rise to creep.
When; wheel crosses over the joint, force acts normal to the contact surface.

It's horizontal component causes creep whereas vertical component causes battering of rail
end.
Lec. - Railway Engineering Assist. Lec. Zaid Abdul Zahra Mahdi

Sleepers

The main functions of sleepers:

1- Holding the rails in their correct gauge and alignment

2- Giving a firm and even support to the rails

3- Transferring the load evenly from the rails to a wider area of the ballast

4- Acting as an elastic medium between the rails and the ballast to absorb the blows and vibrations
caused by moving loads

5- Providing longitudinal and lateral stability to the permanent way

6- Providing the means to rectify the track geometry during their service life .

Types of Sleepers

1- Wooden sleepers

Advantages

(a) Cheap and easy to manufacture

(b) Absorbs shocks and bears a good capacity to

Dampen vibrations; therefore, retains the packing well

(c) Easy handling without damage

(d) Suitable for track-circuited sections Wooden sleepers
(e) Suitable for areas with yielding formations
(f) Alignment can be easily corrected
(g) More suitable for modern methods of maintenance
(h) Can be used with or without stone ballast
(i) Can be used on bridges and ash pits also
(j) Can be used for gauntleted track
Disadvantages
(a) Lesser life due to wear, decay, and attack by vermin
Lec. - Railway Engineering Assist. Lec. Zaid Abdul Zahra Mahdi

(b) Liable to mechanical wear due to beater packing

(c) Difficult to maintain the gauge
(d) Susceptible to fire hazards
(e) Negligible scrap value

2- Cast iron Sleepers

Advantages

(a) Less corrosion

(b) Less probability of cracking at rail seat

(c) Easy to manufacture

(d) Higher scrap value

Disadvantages

(a) Gauge maintenance is difficult as tie bars get bent

Metal sleepers
(b) Provides less lateral stability

(c) Unsuitable for track-circuited lines

(d) Not very suitable for mechanical maintenance and/or MSP because of rounded bottom

(e) Susceptible to breakage

3- Concrete sleepers

Concrete sleepers