What Is Rail Gauge Rod?

The gauge tie rod is a component that connects two rails at the bottom of the track with a single rod to enhance the lateral stability of the rails and improve the track’s ability to maintain the gauge. Some lines have track circuits, and the gauge tie rods are separated by insulating parts within them.

1.Importance

The gauge tie rod is an important component of railway tracks. If the gauge tie rods are severely missing, the track gauge will deviate. When a train passes through this section, it may either derail or even overturn, with unimaginable consequences. Model number

18×870 gauge tie rod

20×870 gauge tie rod

22×880 gauge tie rod

22×1050 gauge tie rod

24×1050 gauge tie rod

24×1250 gauge tie rod

28×1810 gauge tie rod

28×1850 gauge tie rod

32×1810 gauge tie rod

32×1850 gauge tie rod

36×1850 gauge tie rod Technical Specifications

Weight: 16kg

Diameter: 32mm

Length: 1750mm

Adjustable part: Head rail clamp

Applicable rail types: 38 or 43

Matching parts: 4 rail clamps, 4 screws, 4 circular pads, 4 spring washers. Function

The turnout has the characteristics of complex structure, short lifespan, low driving safety, and large maintenance workload. It is one of the three weakest links in the track structure. Frequent maintenance, repair, and replacement of turnouts seriously affect the normal operation of heavy-haul railways.

Based on the method of rigid-flexible coupling, a refined dynamic analysis model of vehicles and turnouts was established. The reliability of the model was verified using the measured results, and the influence laws of passing-through turnout methods and driving speed on the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle-turnout system were studied. Three strengthening measures that can be adopted on-site were evaluated, and the following conclusions were drawn:

(1) When 20 sets of gauge rods are set on the side track, the lateral force and vertical force between the wheel and rail can be reduced by up to 43.0% and 5.1% respectively. And as the number of gauge rods increases, each indicator also decreases. Considering all factors comprehensively, it is recommended to set 10-14 sets of gauge rods on the side track of the turnout area.

(2) Using a 1:20 rail bottom slope in the turnout area has a significant effect on reducing the wheel-rail force. The lateral force and vertical force between the wheel and rail can be reduced by 14.8% and 16.7% respectively.

(3) When the section width increases by 2mm, the increase in wheel-rail force and contact stress is the largest at 8.3%. The maximum decrease in the dynamic bending stress of the steel rail corresponding to the section is 18.8%. Therefore, it is recommended to optimize the bearing section of the switch and heart rail by adding 2mm.

2. Rail Tipping

When a train runs on a small radius curve (R=250m), the rail is subjected to various forces. In the direction of these forces, some elastic supports must be strengthened to prevent the rail from moving, tipping, and widening the gauge. These elastic supports usually adopt gauge rods and rail supports.

3.Technical Condition

To strengthen the lateral stiffness of the track in the small radius curve section, six technical conditions of strengthening components are set. They are described as follows:

3.1Condition one: Standard strengthening condition, that is, 18-gauge rods and 18 pairs of rail supports are laid between 25-meter rails.

3.2Condition two: One gauge rod fails continuously, that is, 9 gauge rods and 18 pairs of rail supports are laid between 25-meter rails.

3.3Condition three: Two gauge rods fail continuously, that is, 6 gauge rods and 18 pairs of rail supports are laid between 25-meter rails.

3.4Condition four: Three gauge connectors fail continuously, that is, 5 gauge rods and 18 pairs of rail supports are laid between 25-meter rails.

3.5Condition five: One pair of rail supports fails continuously, that is, 18-gauge rods and 9 pairs of rail supports are laid between 25-meter rails.

3.6Condition six: One pair of rail supports fails continuously, and one gauge rod fails; that is, 9 gauge rods and 9 pairs of rail supports are laid between 25-meter rails.

4.Maintenance And Repair

To ensure the stability and reliability of the track structure in the small radius curve section, strengthening is necessary. From a safety perspective, when the safety factor reaches condition one, it can reach 1.5, ensuring the safety of driving. However, as the strengthening components fail, the safety of the tipping coefficient of the rail is decreasing, reaching a minimum of 1.06. To ensure driving safety, it is recommended to set the safety factor at 1.15. If condition one is taken as the standard strengthening condition, the maintenance and repair standards are recommended as follows:

4.1 The number of consecutive failures of rail supports shall not exceed 1 pair.

4.2 The number of consecutive failures of gauge rods shall not exceed 2.

4.3 The failure of rail supports and gauge rods shall not occur simultaneously within 6 rails. The above are proposed maintenance standards for curve strengthening equipment by setting different strengthening technical conditions under the premise of calculating and analyzing the stability coefficient of rail tipping in the small radius curve section.

Supplier

Luoyang Fonyo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd,founded in 1998,is a manufacturer in railway casting parts.Our factory covers an area of 72,600㎡, with more than 300 employees, 32 technicians, including 5 senior engineers, 11 assistant engineers, and 16 technicians.Our production capacity is 30,000 tons per year. Currently, we mainly produce casting, machining, and assembly for locomotive,railcar,high-speed trains, mining equipment,wind power,etc.
We are the railway parts supply to CRRC(including more than 20 branch companies and subsidiaries of CRRC),Gemac Engineering Machinery,Sanygroup, Citic Heavy Industries,etc. Our products have been exported to Russia, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Japan, France, South Africa,Italy and other countries all over the world.
Contact Information:
Email:sales@railwaypart.com
Mobile:008615515321683