Technology Digests / Longitudinal Rail Force Changes from Production Surfacing Near a Turnout

TD25-002

June 25, 2025
Authors
  • Stephen Wilk
  • Adam Bankston
  • William Clements
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Key Findings

  • A recent test showed that running off a 1-inch lift with a 250-foot runoff reduced the rail neutral temperature (RNT) by 6 degrees (°F) after two weeks and approximately 1.84 million gross tons of traffic.
  • The RNT loss from this test was slightly less than the loss experienced during a previous test: ~8 degrees (°F) surfacing only, ~10 degrees (°F) track lift and surfacing, ~21 degrees (°F) track lift and two surfacing events. These measurements suggest that lift height and de-stressing may influence the amount of rail redistribution and RNT loss but there are also other contributing factors, such as whether additional rail is being pushed into the runoff from the surrounding region.

Longitudinal Rail Force Changes from Production Surfacing Near a Turnout

MxV Rail measured changes in the longitudinal rail force and movement during the runoff of a production surfacing lift on Class 1 railroad track in August 2024. An initial study of the same topic was conducted in 2023 during track lifting,1 which showed a 21-degree (°F) drop in rail neutral temperature (RNT) approximately 8 degrees of which was attributed to a single surfacing event. The 2023 test was designed to measure a scenario especially susceptible to RNT loss, and therefore, may not be representative of typical maintenance in North American freight railroads. This Technology Digest presents a follow-up test by expanding the RNT monitoring devices and focusing on a more representative production surfacing event. This work was supported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) under its Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) Program and was in done in conjunction with other efforts by BNSF Railway.  RAIL NEUTRAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES  Managing RNT…