[AT] Welding Rails

[Gene Dotson]

    Our process at Rockwell for welding spindles on to axle tubes was simply
called butt welding in our processes. The axle tube and spindle were clamped
in their own vice like device and held in stationary precise location. They
both were heated to very near melting temperature by a large high frequency
induction coil, then high pressure cylinders forced the spindle onto the
axle tube. The intensive pressure added the extra temperature to melt the
mating surfaces, completing the weld which was then quenched by a spray of
water and quenching fluid.

    A later method was friction welding. The axle beam was clamped
stationary in a holding fixture. The spindle was located in a fixture that
was on a rotating spindle and rotated at high speed with pressure exerted on
the mating surface creating a very high temperature. At near melting
temperature, a quick application from an induction coil completed the
heating process at which  point the spindle was stopped with molten metal at
junction of spindle with pressure at which time the weld was quenched
completing the process.

                                            Gene



-----Original Message----- 
From: Carl Gogol
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2019 7:47 AM
To: 'Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group'
Subject: Re: [AT] Welding Rails

Rails are thermite welded in the field
Carl
Manlius, NY

-----Original Message-----
From: AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> On Behalf Of James Peck
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2019 7:27 AM
To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] Welding Rails

That certainly looks like resistance welding.

Steve Offiler AT List member Mechanical Engineer (soffiler at gmail.com);
Interesting, but not very helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9i4aMYTv8o

James AT List Member (jamesgpeck at hotmail.com); You have got me curious. I am
going to guess resistance welding if you say that the rail ends are pushed
together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_resistance_welding

Howard Pletcher AT List Member AT List Member (hrpletch at gmail.com); The
process is mostly automated and details are hidden by the equipment. The
rail joint comes into the welding station, the operator cleans the ends, the
door closes, and there’s 2 seconds of arcing.  My understanding is it begins
with a small gap between the ends and as the steel begins to melt from the
arc, it is shoved together with high pressure. I assume the rails are
clamped between (large) contacts to apply the current—should have asked for
more details.

Mentioning dimming city lights, they melt 120 tons of scrap in an electric
arc furnace in a batch. They said this uses the same current as the city of
Fort Wayne. Fortunately they are on their own distribution lines so the
lights don’t go out.

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