What is a rail?
Rail, as a key component of railway tracks and crane tracks, shoulders the important mission of guiding the wheels of locomotives and cranes. It not only bears the huge pressure of the wheels, but also effectively transmits this pressure to the sleepers or rail beams. The mission of the rail is to provide a continuous, smooth and least resistant rolling surface to ensure the smooth operation of locomotives and cranes. In electrified railways or automatic block areas, rails even play the role of track circuits, bearing the operating pressure and impact loads of locomotives and cranes.
The type of rail is identified by its mass kilograms per meter, such as 75kg/m, 60kg/m, 50kg/m, 43kg/m and 38kg/m, which are common on my country's railways. These rails adopt an I-shaped section design with excellent bending resistance. They are cleverly composed of three parts: rail head, rail waist and rail bottom. This design enables the rail to better withstand forces from all sides and ensure the necessary strength and stability.
The standard lengths of my country's rails are 5 meters and 25 meters. Extra heavy and heavy rails usually use 25-meter rails, while other types of rails can choose 5-meter or 25-meter rails. In addition, the length of light rails is usually 8 meters, 9 meters, 12 meters, etc., while the length of crane rails is 12 meters.
The material of the rails varies according to their type and purpose. For example, light rails may be made of Q235 or 55Q, with specifications including 30kg/m, 24kg/m, 22kg/m, etc. Heavy rails may be made of 45Mn or U71Mn, with specifications of 50kg/m, 43kg/m, 38kg/m, etc. These different types and specifications of rails together constitute a rich and diverse railway track system.
