What does CWR mean on the railway?

Continuous Welded Rail
CWR refers to the way in which rail is joined to form track.

What length of rail is defined as CWR?

Continuous welded rail (CWR) means rail that has been welded together into lengths exceeding 400 feet. Rail installed as CWR remains CWR, regardless of whether a joint or plug is installed into the rail at a later time.

How does a CWR in the track react when the rail temperature is increased?

Since expansion of the rails is hardly possible in CWR-track, a temperature increase and vehcle load will result in high compressive stresses and track buckling may occur.

How do continuous welded rails work?

Most modern railways use continuous welded rail (CWR), sometimes referred to as ribbon rails. In this form of track, the rails are welded together by utilising flash butt welding to form one continuous rail that may be several kilometres long.

What is CWR Construction?

CWR. Chilled Water Return. Plumbing, Engineering, General Construction.

What was key advantage of continuous welded rail?

Continuous welded rails (CWR) are track segments welded together to form a continuous miles-long track. With respect to mechanically-jointed rails, CWR are stronger, smoother, require less maintenance, and can be traveled at higher speeds.

What is SWR and LWR?

Welded rail sections are of two types: Short Welded Rail or SWR which consists of just two or three rails welded together and Long Welded Rail or LWR which covers anything longer.

What is destressing temperature?

Destressing Temperature (td) is the average rail temperature during the period of fastening the rails to the sleepers after destressing LWR without the use of rail tensor.

What is destressing of rail?

De-stressing is. the. operation. undertaken with or without rail tensor to secure stress free conditions in the LWR/CWR at the desired/specified rail temperature. The work of destressing shall be done during a traffic block under the personal supervision of a JE or SSE/P.

What is critical rail temperature?

37 The critical rail temperature (CRT) is the temperature to which rail is allowed to rise before Network Rail standards dictate that actions are needed to protect rail traffic. The CRT is dependent on the SFT and the quality and consolidation of the ballast in the track.

Why there is no gap between railway track?

The purpose is that the rails grow in summer. The gap is fitted to enable this extension. If no gap is left, the expansion in summer will cause the rails to bend sideways.

How do welded railway tracks expand?

Prior to the installation of a section of continuous welded rail, the temperature of the rail must be taken to ensure it meets the stress free temperature, if the rail is below the desired temperature, the rail will be heated, causing it to expand gradually. The rail is heated either by a gas burner or a tensioner.