Vignoles rail

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Comparison of flat-bottomed with bullhead rail

Vignoles rail is the popular name of the flat-bottomed rail used internationally for railway track, recognising engineer Charles Vignoles who established it in Britain.

In late 1830s England, railway lines had a vast range of different patterns. One of the earliest lines to use double-headed rail was the London and Birmingham Railway, which had offered a prize for the best design. If it was true that the rail could be turned over when the running surface became worn, the argument lost its validity as it evolved into the bullhead rail, with a heavier profile to the top edge. The lower edge also wore in patches where it was borne on the chairs. Although it became the standard for the British railway system until the mid-20th century, there seems to be nothing in the literature about any other advantages it may have had.

Flat bottomed rail was first introduced in America by R.L.Stevens in 1830. There were no steel mills in America capable of rolling long lengths, so it was manufactured in Britain. Charles Vignoles observed that wear was occurring with steel rails and steel chairs upon stone blocks, the normal system at that time. In 1836 he recommended flat-bottomed rail to the London and Croydon Railway for which he was consulting engineer.

His rail had a smaller cross-section than the Stevens rail, with a wider base than modern rail, fastened with screws through the base. Other lines which adopted it were the Hull and Selby, the Newcastle and North Shields, and the Mancester and Bolton. When it became possible to preserve wooden sleepers with mercuric chloride (a process called "Kyanising") and creosote, they gave a much quieter ride and it was possible to fasten the rails directly using clips or rail spikes. Their use spread world-wide and acquired Vignoles' name.