CHAPTER VI

TRACK RECORDING, ANALYSIS AND MONITORING

601. Introduction - Inspection by foot, trollies, locomotives and rear vehicles
enable the Permanent Way staff to carry out assessment of the quality of track.
These inspections, though important, are qualitative and enable assessment based
on individual experience. Objective assessment of track is done by track recording
cars, Oscillograph cars and portable accelerometers.

602. Track Recording by Mechanical / Electronic Equipment - The following

track recording equipments are in use in Indian Railways at present :-

(1) Track recording cars.

(2) Hallade track recorder.

(3) Oscillograph car.

(4) Portable accelerometers.

603. Track Recording Car - There are two types of track recording cars
currently in use in Indian Railways, one mechanical and the other electronic. With
these track recording cars, it is possible to have a continuous record of the track
geometry under loaded conditions, by running the cars at nominated intervals.

604. Mechanical Track Recording Car (B.G.)- (1) It has two bogies one of two
axles and the other of three axles. The measuring bogie has a base of 3.6 metres,
and is three axled with an axle load of 7.0 tons. It gives a continuous record of -

(a) Unevenness - Left rail.

(b) unevenness - Right rail.

(c) Gauge.

(d) Twist.

(e) Curvature/alignment - Left rail.

(f) Curvature/alignment - Right rail.

(g) Speed

(2) The manner of recording of each parameter is indicated below :-

(a) Unevenness-The longitudinal unevenness of rails is measured as a deviation in

the vertical plane (depression or rise) of the middle axle of the measuring bogie
with reference to the average position of the two outer axles. The outer axles are
spaced 3.6 metres apart and unevenness is recorded to scale of 1:1 on a base of
3.6 M. for left and right rail separately.

(b) Gauge -The changes in gauge are picked up by spring loaded gauge feelers
which are in contact with the gauge faces at about 18 mm. below the rail table.