Text 2a Railroad Rails

Read and translate the text.

The combination of rails, sleepers, fittings, ballast, eto., Is known as the track or permanent way.

The rail la the main component of the permanent way and plays a vital role in functioning of the track. The other components of track, such as sleeper, rail-to-sleeper fastening, ballast bed and formation are designed to suit the characteristics of the rail.

The rail should be strong enough to transmit the wheel load to a number of sleepers. The object "la to distribute the wheel load over a wide area of the ballast bed and formation below so that no deformation la caused In the rail or sleeper, ballast bed or earth formation.

Railroad rails are long heavy bars of steel of such shape that the end or cross section of a rail looks something like the letter I. The rails are called T-rails, because of this shape. They are manufactured In many of great steel mills. A large ingot of white-hot steel is passed back and forth between huge «teal rolls made to give the rails the shape which they have. After the rolling Is completed the rails are sawed to proper length and branded, the brand showing the date of rolling, the kind of steel, the weight of the rail, the name of manufacturer. After branding the rails are cooled, straightened, the ends squared and the holes drilled for the bolts of the rail joints.

The heavy top part of the rail, on which the wheels of oars and engines run, is called the head) the flat part, which rests on crossties, is the base) the thin part between the base and the head is called the web. Bails differ greatly In design and weight according to the kind of traffic they must support when placed in the track. The largest and heaviest rails are found in the main­line tracks of the railroads which carry the largest volume of freight and passenger traffic.

There are three types of rails: bull-headed rails, double-headed rails and flat-footed rails. A flat-footed rail was intro­duced side by side with the development of the double-headed and bull-headed rails. The advantage of these rails lies in the fact that for the same weight, flat-footed rails are stronger than bull-headed rails; also no chairs are necessary and the foot of the rail may be spiked direct to the sleepers. At present flat-footed rails are standard and most commonly used on all the railways of the world.

The main problem to solve Is the reinforcement of the tracks, primarily by laying new and stronger types of rails. Presently H-65 (65 kg/m) and E-75 (75 kg/m) are laid, having a service life Which ii 1.5 times longer than that of the B-50 (50 kg/m) rails which have been laid previously on a large scale. At the moment 65 per cent of main lines have been converted to heavy rails.

In order to increase the strength of the rails, a method of thermically hardening the H-65 and B-75 rails has been developed and le used by the industry. This has increased the reliability and service life of rails 1.3 and up to 1.5 times as compared to non-hardened rails.

Exercise 1. Render the following word combinations in Russian. Do it in written form.

Permanent way, rail-to-sleeper fastening, ballast bed, wheel load, over a wide area of the ballast bed, earth formation, to look like, cross section, T-rails, white-hot steel, to pass back and forth, proper length, the date of rolling, the kind of steel, the weight of the rail, the name of the manufacturer, rail joint, the head of the rail, the web of the rail, the base (foot) of the rail, bull-headed rails, double-headed rails, flat-footed rails, side by side, the mainline track, a service line, as compared to, non-hardened rails.

Exercise 2. Render the following sentences in English.

Рельсы изготавливают на крупных металлургических заводах. Сна­чала рельсы прокатывают, затем их распиливают на отрезки необходи­мой длины и маркируют. Клеймо показывает дату проката, марку стали, вес рельса и название фирмы-изготовителя. Верхняя часть рельса, по которой движутся колеса вагонов и локомотивов, называется головкой рельса; плоская часть рельса, которая лежит на шпалах, называется подошвой; тонкая часть рельса между подошвой и головкой называется шейкой рельса.

Рельсы отличаются по конструкции и весу. Самые длинные и тяжелые рельсы укладываются на таких участках дороги, которые несут наи­больший объем перевозок.

К верхнему строению относят рельсы, рельсовые скрепления, шпалы, балласт и т.д.

Стандартными и общепринятыми рельсами на всех дорогах мира явля­ются рельсы широкоподошвенные. Рельсы являются главнейшим элементом верхнего строения пути. В 1620 году Стивене ввел на американских железных дорогах широкоподошвенный рельс. Виньоль ввел его в Англии. В Германии перешли к применению широкоподошвенного рельса с 1850 года. В настоящее время на железных дорогах укладываются рельсы Р65 и Р75.

Exercise 3. Give a definition of the following:

a rail, the head of the rail, the web of the rail, the base of the rail.

Pattern: A rail is a long heavy steel bar the cross section of which looks like the letter T.

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences according to the text.

1 The main problem problem to solve ...

2 At the moment 65 per cent of main lines have been converted ...

3 The combination of rails, sleepers, fittings, ballast, etc, is . known as ...

4 The rail is the main component of ...

5 Bails are manufactured in many of great steel ...

6 The heavy top part of the rail is called ...

7 Bails differ greatly in ...

8 There are three types of rails ...

9 The rails are called T-rails because of ...

10 The rail should be strong enough to transmit the «heel load to a number of ...

Exercise 5. Answer the following questions:

1 What is known as the track or permanent way?

2 What la the main component of the permanent way?

3 What is designed to suit the characteristics of the rail?

4 Why should the rail be strong enough?

5 What are railroad rails?

6 Why are they called T-rails?

7 What are the rails made of?

8 Where are the rails manufactured?

9 How are the rails manufactured?

10 Where are the largest and heaviest rails found?

11 What part of the rail la called the head?

12 What part of the rail is called the base?

13 What part of the rail is called the web?

14 Do rails differ in design and weight?

15 What types of rails do you know?

16 Was a flat-footed rail introduced aide by side with the development of the double-headed and bull-headed rails?

17 What are the advantages of flat-footed rails?

18 What rails are standard and most commonly used on all the rail­ways of the world?

19 What is the main problem to solve?

20 What can you say about the weight of the rails which are laid on the railways presently?

21 What method has been developed in order to increase the strength of the rails?

22 What can you say about the reliability and service life of hardened and non-hardened rails?

Exercise 6. Read the text "Railroad Bails" and make up 6 key questions to it.

Exercise 7. Find the paragraphs in the text which deal with:

a) the main components of the track}

b) the function of the rails|

0) the process of manufacturing rails}

d) the main parts of the rail}

e) different types of rails|

f) the weight of rails;

g) the advantages of flat-footed rails.

Exercise 8. Be ready to speak about the process of manufacturing rails. Use the following words and expressions!

to manufacture, great steel mills, a large ingot of white-hot steel| to pass back and forth, huge steel rolls, to saw, proper length, brand, date of rolling, the kind of steal, the weight of the rail, to straighten, to square the ends, to drill the holes for the bolts, the rail joints.

Exercise 9. Speak about the rails using the following table.

a) Rails	are designed	in the mainline tracks
	are manufactured	T-rails because of their shapes
The largest and heaviest rails (R-65 and R-75)	are made	to transmit the wheel load
	are called	to a number of sleepers
	are laid	of steel
		in many of great steel mills
b) The top part of the rail		the base (the foot) of the rail
The flat part of the rail is called		The head of the rail
The thin part of the rail		The web of the rail

Exercise 10. Read the dialogues and then memorize the dialogues and perform the conversation in pairs.

Dialogue 1

A.: What is known as the track or permanent nay?

B.: The combination of rails, sleepers, fittings, ballast, etc;

is known as the track or permanent way.

A.: What is the main component of the permanent way?

B.: The rail is the main component of the permanent way.

A.: What are the other components of track?

B.: The other components of track are sleeper, rail-to-sleeper fastening, ballast bed and formation.

Dialogue 2

A.: What are railroad rails?

В.: Railroad rails are long heavy bare of steel.

A.: Why are the rails called T-rails?

В.: The rails are called T-rails because of their shape.

A.: Where are the rails manufactured?

B.: They are manufactured in many of great steel mills.

A.: What does the brand on the rail show?

В.: The brand shows the date of rolling, the kind of steel, the weight of the rail, the name of the manufacturer.

Dialogue 3

A.: What is called the head of the rail?

В.: The top part of the rail is called the head of the rail.

A.: How is the flat part of the rail called?

B.: The flat part of the rail is called the base (the foot) of the rail.

A.: How is the thin part between the base and the head called?

B.: The thin part between the base and the head is called the web of the rail.

Dialogue 4

A.: Where are the largest and heaviest rails used?

B.: The largest and heaviest rails are used in the mainline tracks of the railroads.

A.: What types of rails do you know?

B.: I know three types of rails: bull-headed rails, double-headed rails and flat-footed rails.

A.: What is the advantage of flat-footed rails?

B.: Plat-footed rails are stronger than bull-headed rails.

Dialogue 5

A.: What rails are standard and most commonly used on all the railways of the world?

B.: At present flat-footed rails are standard and m03t commonly used on all the railways of the world.

A.: What is the main problem to solve?

B.: The main problem to 3olvc is the reinforcement of the tracks.

A.: What can you say about the weight of the rails?

B.: Presently E-65 (65 kg/m) and E-75 (75 kg/m) rails are laid on the railroads.