UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
SVC323 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
MODULE 01 – TUTORIAL 2
INTRODUCTION TO RAILWAY ENGINEERING
You have been tasked with the design review of the new Ermelo to Majuba railway line.
This tutorial deals with the track infrastructure and specifically CWR on the line. The
following information is given:
• Commodity: Coal
• Axle loading: 26 ton
• Annual tonnage: 12 MGT (million gross tons)
• Train consist: 3 Locomotives and 100 wagons
• Line speed: 80 km/h maximum
• Track gauge: 1 065 mm
1. For this project and for your design, you should focus on the existing railway line
through Grootvlei, as this is very close to the alignment of the Ermelo to Majuba
Railway line.
1.1. Based on published temperature data, what maximum and minimum rail
temperatures would you expect in this area?
1.2. Use your answers in Question 1.1 to calculate the expected maximum and
minimum air temperatures in this area.
1.3. Use your answers in Question 1.1 to calculate the safe A-range for CWR on this
line.
1.4. What is the safe A-range for CWR on the Grootvlei line using published TFR
ranges?
1.5. Compare your answers in Questions 1.3 and 1.4 and revise the A-Range if
necessary for further calculations.
2. The current Ermelo to Majuba railway line consists of 60 kg/m rails in long sections of
CWR track. The rails were originally fixed to the sleepers at a rail temperature of
30 ºC. Subsequently on a hot summer’s day, the rail temperature rises to 60 ºC.
Calculate the longitudinal force in the track.
3. A specific CWR section of track on the line consists of 60 kg/m rails on concrete
sleepers at 650 mm centres. Recent tests indicated that the resistance against
longitudinal movement is 8.5 kN per sleeper on average. The rail in one leg of the track
breaks on an extremely cold night. When you arrive on the scene, the rail temperature
is 4 ºC and the gap across the break measures 38 mm.
3.1 Knowing that the rail broke on an extremely cold night, assume a realistic
temperature to use in the rest of your calculations.
3.2 Calculate the stress free temperature, SFT, before the break occurred, based on
the rail break data provided and compare this to the original design.
3.3 Calculate the length of rail on both sides of the gap that moved because of the
break in the rail (the “breathing length”).
3.4 What was the stress in the rail just before the rail broke?
SVC323 Tutorial 2 2024