Track longevity and replacement dates

[Zander trains]

So I was wondering today where I can find detailed railway maps/general information of the the existing rail network that includes information on track longevity, maintenance schedules, and when specific sections of track are due for replacement?
I think it would be interesting to see the state of track segment and when engineer trains are likely to be sent out. I live nearby Inverness and we tend to get sets of engineer trains coming up each year, however it seems almost random where they go and its difficult to pinpoint which areas will be worked on next.

 

[Russel]

On the subject of track longevity, what is the expected life span of a stretch of track?

I know it'll vary and track on the WCML will need replacing more frequently than track on West Highland Line but there must be estimates out there for various types of types and usage of track...

 

[The Planner]

So I was wondering today where I can find detailed railway maps/general information of the the existing rail network that includes information on track longevity, maintenance schedules, and when specific sections of track are due for replacement?
I think it would be interesting to see the state of track segment and when engineer trains are likely to be sent out. I live nearby Inverness and we tend to get sets of engineer trains coming up each year, however it seems almost random where they go and its difficult to pinpoint which areas will be worked on next.

That won't exist apart from on a principal engineers laptop and PowerBI report.

 

[Zander trains]

That won't exist apart from on a principal engineers laptop and PowerBI report.

Ok thanks

 

[Annetts key]

Steel rail on plain line with no sharp bends can last for between twenty to fifty years. I’ve seen flat bottom rail on a high speed (125MPH) main line that was around forty years old at the time that I had reason to make a record (the date on the rail was in the mid 1970s, but I forget when I was recording these details).

Bull head rail in sidings or on branch lines or freight lines can be much older than forty years.

As to when rail is replaced, short sections are replaced when ultrasonics, a patroller or one of the track monitoring trains report a defect. Otherwise it depends on the overall condition of both the rails, sleepers and ballast formations.

A twenty mile section can have over one hundred different sections, with each section having been renewed at different times. You may think that the normal practice is to start at one end and work in a logical sequence, but that’s not what always happens in practice.

 

[hexagon789]

There are sidings with rail from the 1920s and some rural lines with rails from the 1940s.

Ireland had some mainlines, used at 70-80mph with rails from the 1910s but mostly mid-1920s used into the mid-1990s until a derailment on the Mayo line led to wholesale inspection and renewal of life-expired track across the network.

 

[Lockwood]

There are sidings with rail from the 20s

Well, that's not all that old is it...

(And here's a mini freak out as we realise how long ago 2000 was)

 

[D6130]

There are sidings with rail from the 20s and some rural lines with rails from the 40s.

There are a few sidings at certain stations on the West Highland Line which still have the original rails, chairs and (now very rotten) sleepers dating back to the opening of the line in 1894....or 1901 in the case of the Mallaig extension.

 

[hexagon789]

Well, that's not all that old is it...

(And here's a mini freak out as we realise how long ago 2000 was)

1920s

There are a few sidings at certain stations on the West Highland Line which still have the original rails, chairs and (now very rotten) sleepers dating back to the opening of the line in 1894....or 1901 in the case of the Mallaig extension.

Interesting, but not unexpected per se - it makes sense.

I wonder how old the running line rails are by comparison...

 

[The exile]

There are sidings with rail from the 1920s and some rural lines with rails from the 1940s.

Plenty of 192x track chairs on the Central Wales. Doesn’t mean the rails sitting in them are that old, of course.

 

[Annetts key]

Plenty of 192x track chairs on the Central Wales. Doesn’t mean the rails sitting in them are that old, of course.

Chairs do normally outlast the rail itself.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Chairs marked "GWR" are visible from the platform at Penrhyndeudraeth, so at least 75 years old.

 

[Northern158170]

A few questions:

What are chairs?

What is bullhead rail?

There are sidings with rail from the 1920s

There are a few sidings at certain stations on the West Highland Line which still have the original rails, chairs and (now very rotten) sleepers dating back to the opening of the line in 1894....or 1901 in the case of the Mallaig extension.

Are sidings like these actually used or were they just never removed/have no requirement?

 

[hexagon789]

Plenty of 192x track chairs on the Central Wales. Doesn’t mean the rails sitting in them are that old, of course.

No that's very true, but there was a thread on the age of rails possibly last year and I think 1923 or 1924 was the oldest for rails themselves with 1946 (IIRC) for running line rails (as opposed to sidings for the 1920s ones), but the potential for some sidings on the West Highland having original rails was noted and suggested but unconfirmed.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Feb 2025 ==

What are chairs?

Chairs support rails on a sleeper.

What is bullhead rail?

A design of rail developed from double-sided rail. The top and bottom dont share a profile but are both rounded. Chairs support these rails with wedges called 'keys' holding the rails in place. The keys required frequent attention to ensure they were tight.

Most modern installations flatbottom rail which has one side splayed out to provide a flat bottom side. The rails were originally spiked or screwed to the sleeper but these days track clips which are designed to tighten themselves under pressure are used.

 

[Annetts key]

A few questions:

What are chairs?

What is bullhead rail?

Chairs are the metal fixings that are secured to the sleeper and which hold the rail in place. There are many different chairs, each designed for use with a particular type of rail.

Bullhead rail is a type of rail. Normally in 40 foot or 60 foot lengths. It has a profile a bit like an “I” but both the top and bottom are curved between the top/bottom surface and the sides. It is an older type compared to the later and now far more common flat bottom type of rail. Flat bottom rail has a much wider bottom, which is completely flat, hence the name.

There are more details including pictures on this Wikipedia page.

 

[30907]

I wonder how old the running line rails are by comparison...

In 2018 there was still some 45ft (or possibly wartime 39ft) rail somewhere near Lochailort.

 

[trainmania100]

Section 7 of ROTR gensheet

GENSHEET Engineering Acccess Statement Index

Train diversions and Routes in the UK

www.gensheet.co.uk

Shows a list of planned possessions.

With some work, you can find out roughly where an engineering work is taking place. You'll want to look in the right most column for things like plain line heavy refurb, C2 rerail, stuff like that.

It's not always guaranteed to happen. You then use the network Rail sectional appendix for your route to find the corresponding area in miles and chains.

Or just check your train times website around the time of the work and see where the freights end up from your local yard if there are any.

 

[hexagon789]

In 2018 there was still some 45ft (or possibly wartime 39ft) rail somewhere near Lochailort.

Thanks. I believe there is rail of a similar vintage on the Far North and/or Kyle lines.

 

[McRhu]

A section of (what I take to be) original West Highland Line double-headed rail now doing duty as a gatepost in Rhu under a bridge on that line.

 

[edwin_m]

Chairs are the metal fixings that are secured to the sleeper and which hold the rail in place. There are many different chairs, each designed for use with a particular type of rail.

Bullhead rail is a type of rail. Normally in 40 foot or 60 foot lengths. It has a profile a bit like an “I” but both the top and bottom are curved between the top/bottom surface and the sides. It is an older type compared to the later and now far more common flat bottom type of rail. Flat bottom rail has a much wider bottom, which is completely flat, hence the name.

There are more details including pictures on this Wikipedia page.

As far as I'm aware only the ones used with bullhead rail are referred to as chairs.

Flat bottom rail, when used with concrete or steel sleepers, just sits on a plastic pad and is held in place by one of several types of fixing. On timber sleepers the same sorts of fixing attach it to a metal "baseplate" which does the same thing as a chair - distributes the load to avoid damaging the softer sleeper.

 

[Bikeman78]

Plenty of 192x track chairs on the Central Wales. Doesn’t mean the rails sitting in them are that old, of course.

The vast majority of it was still jointed track when I clattered along it last year. Must be one of the longest stretches left. The Pembroke line still has some jointed, but not as much as I expected.

 

[dastocks]

There's another (historic) thread on this here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/how-old-are-railway-tracks.213550/

 

[AndrewE]

As far as I'm aware only the ones used with bullhead rail are referred to as chairs.

Flat bottom rail, when used with concrete or steel sleepers, just sits on a plastic pad and is held in place by one of several types of fixing. On timber sleepers the same sorts of fixing attach it to a metal "baseplate" which does the same thing as a chair - distributes the load to avoid damaging the softer sleeper.

I wouldn't trust that page to be entirely correct, as Crewe was relayed about 20 years ago entirely with FB rail on cast iron (or maybe steel) pads on hardwood sleepers. Visible on https://c8.alamy.com/comp/F0JW2E/platform-at-crewe-railway-station-england-uk-F0JW2E.jpg if you enlarge it. FB rail needs cushioning from what it sits on!

 

[Elecman]

Baseplates and Chairs are made of Cast Iron

 

[Bald Rick]

So I was wondering today where I can find detailed railway maps/general information of the the existing rail network that includes information on track longevity, maintenance schedules, and when specific sections of track are due for replacement?
I think it would be interesting to see the state of track segment and when engineer trains are likely to be sent out. I live nearby Inverness and we tend to get sets of engineer trains coming up each year, however it seems almost random where they go and its difficult to pinpoint which areas will be worked on next.

Data on this is not available to the public.

For reference, the track consists of (working bottom upwards) formation, ballast, sleepers, fixings and rails and it is usally the case that they reach life expiry at different times, rail being the first to go on busy lines. It is quite conceivable that there will be 10 year old rail on 20 year old sleepers on 30 year old ballast. However, when the ballast needs to come out (and if it is done without a High Output Ballast Cleaner) more often that not the whole lot gets replaced, as the marginal cost of putting new sleepers and rail in is the cost of the material.

A twenty mile section can have over one hundred different sections, with each section having been renewed at different times.

For rail it can be much more frequent than that! Just in the length of the Up Fast platfrom at St Albans there are over a dozen different rails on the six foot rail alone. (Stations on canted curves are popular places for rail defects).


As an Edit: I have written before about how we pulled out some 1899 rail when renewing one of the platforms at Cromer.

 

[edwin_m]

I wouldn't trust that page to be entirely correct, as Crewe was relayed about 20 years ago entirely with FB rail on cast iron (or maybe steel) pads on hardwood sleepers. Visible on https://c8.alamy.com/comp/F0JW2E/platform-at-crewe-railway-station-england-uk-F0JW2E.jpg if you enlarge it. FB rail needs cushioning from what it sits on!

I wasn't quoting a page (possibly you mean the one from the post I was quoting) but I agree baseplates are needed with timber sleepers. When FB was first used in America it was laid directly onto the sleepers and fixed down with bent spikes holding the edge of the rail foot both sides. But they very soon realised some sort of baseplate was needed with timber to prevent the rails from pressing into the surface which would also loosen the spikes.

 

[D6130]

Thanks. I believe there is rail of a similar vintage on the Far North and/or Kyle lines.

There is indeed....and about half a mile of 45 foot bull-head rail with staggered joints on the Oban line near Ach na Cloich, between Taynuilt and Connel Ferry, unless it's been relayed since I was last along there in the Summer of last year. The clattering noise that it makes - and the rocking of the train - are something to experience.

The vast majority of it was still jointed track when I clattered along it last year. Must be one of the longest stretches left. The Pembroke line still has some jointed, but not as much as I expected.

Although there has been some relaying with flat bottom continuously-welded rail over the last few years, I suspect that the Far North line probably still has a considerably longer mileage of jointed bull-head rail than the Central Wales.

View attachment 174015

A section of (what I take to be) original West Highland Line double-headed rail now doing duty as a gatepost in Rhu under a bridge on that line.

Excellent photo!

 

[McRhu]

Excellent photo!

A location not unfamiliar to yourself. I think that stretch of line is now 113a flat bottom rail.

 

[hexagon789]

There is indeed....and about half a mile of 45 foot bull-head rail with staggered joints on the Oban line near Ach na Cloich, between Taynuilt and Connel Ferry, unless it's been relayed since I was last along there in the Summer of last year. The clattering noise that it makes - and the rocking of the train - are something to experience.

Thank you for confirming and that sounds like an interesting experience!

 

[MadMac]

Thank you for confirming and that sounds like an interesting experience!

Wasn’t the Thurso branch relaid in bullhead relatively recently?