How to build a railway?

As the most important part of the railway system, the railway plays an important role in providing a reliable surface for the train to operate. Railroads have other names, such as rail, track, and permanent track. The railway is simply a type of metal rail for train. There are also road railing and industrial railing systems. Since the first construction of the track in 1825, the railway has undergone several reforms. 

Ballasted tracks and non-ballasted tracks are typical types of railroad tracks. In general, railway tracks consist of ballast bed, steel rail, railway sleeper, railway fish plate, rail clip, railway anchor plate and other railway fasteners. How to build a railway with all these components? Here is the guide to introduce the process step by step. If you need more assistance in your construction project, contact Lindapter Distributor today!

Pre-construction activities

There is some preparatory work before the construction of railways. Among all the activities, subgrade drainage and material preparation are common.

• Subgrade drainage is a system used to prevent the railroad from flooding. The subgrade, the carriageway and the slope of the train track are very easy to wash with water. If the subgrade drainage measures are not adequate, this will lead to subgrade disease. It is necessary to install drainage before laying the track. Specifically, it mainly adopts drainage pipes, carrier drains and attenuation ponds in some areas.
• The preparation of construction materials is another job prior to the installation of the tracks. Common materials include railroad ties, steel rails, rail fasteners, and some construction equipment. Prep work is primarily concerned with checking the integrity and integrity of all materials.

When all the preparations are ready, the next step is to place the lower ballast.

Placing bottom ballast

divided into two parts: lower ballast and upper ballast. There are other procedures between top and bottom ballast placement. Then the lower and upper ballast will be separated to insert it.

• Adjust the thickness of the lower ballast according to the design.
• The design of the main road is bi-directional. Bottom ballast consists of moderately coarse sand.
• Extend the railroad ties. Lay the sleepers on each side of the railroad track evenly. Manual laying of railway sleepers on track. Keep the center point of the railroad tie and the rail centerline aligned.
• Bottom ballast is transported onto the track and discharged evenly as planned. Compaction is done by manual spreading and mini roller.

Anchorage

Anchoring means the process of attaching the railroad spike to the railroad tie. This procedure requires the following materials: sulfur, sand, cement, paraffin, threaded pin. Learn more specific process on how to fasten the bolt shank to the rail flange.

Steel rail laying

Steel track laying mainly includes railway apolegamy and track laying.

• The railway apolegamy is a necessary process in the laying of tracks. Measure the length of each rail and the apolegamy of the rail can be based on it. It is suitable to use rails with the same length deviation. Also, the length deviation is less than 3mm and the cumulative deviation is less than 15mm.
• The placement of the guardrails begins from the rear of the turnout. The length of the non-standard rails can be determined by the location of the isolation joints. Transport the steel rails through the monorail vehicle, then lift them up to leave the rail trench manually.
• When laying steel rails, connect them and the railroad ties using the rail fastening system and the rail components such as the rail joint.

Upper ballast

Top ballasting means ballasting the track and renovating it to await results. The placement of the upper ballast has a certain order: transport of ballast-extended ballast-lifted of the track-coating of the track-filling of ballast-tamping-finishing of the track platform.

The first top ballast placement

• Spread ballast on the road.
• Elevation of tracks. Lifting each rail to the correct place and padding with ballast. Keep all points on the steel rail level.
• Track lining. Change the road to the center line, make the straight line and curve smooth.
• Tamping. Once the upper ballast is ready, the ram starts to work. The lunge is a continuous tree or four times.
• Ballast filling. Fill the crib with ballast.

The second top ballast placement

The second top ballast placement begins after a few trains pass. Compared to the first top ballast placement, most of the procedures are the same except for track renovation.

Rail anchor and rail brace

The rail anchor is used to prevent the track from dragging. The rail brace is connected with steel rail through rail bolts and nuts. Both the rail anchor and rail clamp are designed to hold the steel rail in place and ensure the safety of the rail.