“Kink” In The Tracks Nearly Leads To Derailment!

“Kink” In The Tracks Nearly Leads To Derailment! | Train Fanatics Videos

How in the world did this locomotive stay on the tracks?

Always expect the unexpected, even if you are an engineer!

This is a great clip of what otherwise was the peaceful, uneventful morning outside of Melbourne, Australia.

What comes next on the curve is the result of the effects of extreme heat on the rails causing a “buckled rail”.

All railroad tracks are subject to the elements and the steel is susceptible to hot and cold extremes.

When laying new track, the optimum temperature is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 C). The steel rails have a tendency to expand and contract depending on the temperature unless they are immediately clamped down onto the sleepers or ties.

The “buckled rail” seen in this clip could have been caused by poor ballast, unclipped sleepers or loose ties,or a combination of all 3 of these things.

Many conditions affect the stability of the steel rails including:

  1. poor ballast
  2. loose or unclipped ties or sleepers
  3. The vertical curvature of the tracks
  4. The extreme temperature variations

Note: The clip is silent and has no audio.

Please let us know if you have witnessed or have seen rails that have buckled like these. You may want to share your photo if have one!

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