RAIL HEAD
While leaves on the line have become a regular topic for those who wish to make fun of our railways, for train operators they represent a very real danger and one that has demanded the introduction of special counter measures. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains the operation of Rail Head Treatment Trains.
EACH AUTUMN Network Rail rolls out a fleet of 61 specialist trains which cover high mileages every day from their bases all over the country. These trains do not carry passengers and nor do they convey any goods traffic – their sole purpose is to make the track safe for the passage of ordinary trains. This is achieved by spraying the track with high pressure water to clean it and then applying a special paste called Sandite to help the trains in areas of poor adhesion.
Problems with adhesion are not new. When leaves fall from the trees some of them stick to the running surfaces of the railway lines, and when a train passes by the leaves are ground to a mulch which makes the surface of the rail very slippery.
In the days of steam engines this was not such a problem as locomotives were heavy and were able to cut through the deposits more easily. When the first diesels came along, they were also relati…
