Rail tracks

Railroad or railway tracks are used on railways, which, together with railroad switches (points), guide trains without the need for steering. Tracks consist of two parallel steel rails, which are laid upon sleepers (or cross ties) which are embedded in ballast to form the railroad track. The rail is fastened to the sleepers with rail spikes for wooden sleepers or Pandrol clips for cement or concrete sleepers

Related Topics:
Railway - Railroad switch - Trains - Steel - Sleepers - Railroad - Rail spike - Pandrol clips

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Rails, being made of steel, can carry heavier loads than any other material.

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Sleepers spread the load from the rails over the ground, and also serve to hold the rails a fixed distance apart (called the gauge).

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Rail tracks are normally laid on a bed of coarse stone chippings known as ballast, which combines resilience, some amount of flexibility, and good drainage; however, track can also be laid on or into concrete (this is called slab track).

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Across bridges track is often laid on sleepers across longitudinal timbers.

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