Harz railway 'Y' shaped sleepers.
- Thread starter stockers
- Start date
If only my layout was Harz only! Would look odd on the Camberwick version though 
Does make the possibility of a scale Harz railway though, anyone fancy building something to attach to my Süd Harz layout
Does make the possibility of a scale Harz railway though, anyone fancy building something to attach to my Süd Harz layout
Looking at a few Google links for these Paul, they seem to be getting used all over the place. Maybe Camberwick are doing some UK trials!
Couple more pics from this evening - trying to get a bit of Harz atmosphere.
Couple more pics from this evening - trying to get a bit of Harz atmosphere.
stockers said:
They certainly add an interesting visual feature. In Germany, Y-Schwellen appear to be gaining favour where track forces (speed/ axle-load) are low. Here's an example of trackwork at Norderstadt Mitte (Hamburg), all trackwork being standard gauge. The outer tracks are the tail ends of U-Bahn line 1. The middle track is the terminus of the AKN private railway network. The "blind ends" of the Y-sleepers are not parallel, but only offset by a short distance - possibly the width of a sleeper. Looking at my picture, the design of the sleepers is slightly different to those on the Harz system, with a parallel section of double sleeper at the base of the Y. Presumably a variation on a theme to suit the standard gauge. Photo taken on May 22nd 2013.
Another example on the passing loop at Barmstedt station on AKN's Kaltenkirchen-Elsmhorn branch
these sleepers are used very often in Germany for about 10 or 15 years.
They are much cheaper than concrete sleepers and much lighter, too. Concretes are expensive and have to be very big and heavy to stay durable. light conctretes are breaking fast under load and weathering.
Wooden sleepers ARE a problem, engineering tries to give durable solutions. And for more: wooden sleepers are expensive, too.
The old steel-sleepers (looking somhow like ordinary wooden sleepers, just oxide-red) are a problem, too.
relatively cheap and well to be set in, they tend to oxidate from below. Often, the seem to be o.k., but fishplates break through when u drive on with heavy load.
For more, the old steel-sleepers are difficult to maintain, because it isnt easy to bring balast under them.
So, the y-sleepers are a good solution. the are of "I"-shaped steel, in big amouts easy to bend and to build.
The are more durable than the old steelsleepers and weight is on durable structures. there are no hidden "caves", where oxidation can go on without beeing detected.
The changing positions of the fishplates and changing side of the y-shape gives very stable set in on the balast, while the flexibility is fine.
y-sleepers are very good for lines where there are sharp curves and much circuit.
Many minor lines in Germany were reactivated or the circuit changed: light trains, often railbusses, but much more velocity than in the older days. So u often have a "light"-built line with sharp curves and light railbed.
Upgrading those lines for higher speed is the mayor purpose of y-sleepers.
for example:
most minor lines in Germany often had Vmax of 50km/h.
Today they have 80km/h with high frequency. Thatfor the y-slpeers are predestinated.
Greetings
Frank
They are much cheaper than concrete sleepers and much lighter, too. Concretes are expensive and have to be very big and heavy to stay durable. light conctretes are breaking fast under load and weathering.
Wooden sleepers ARE a problem, engineering tries to give durable solutions. And for more: wooden sleepers are expensive, too.
The old steel-sleepers (looking somhow like ordinary wooden sleepers, just oxide-red) are a problem, too.
relatively cheap and well to be set in, they tend to oxidate from below. Often, the seem to be o.k., but fishplates break through when u drive on with heavy load.
For more, the old steel-sleepers are difficult to maintain, because it isnt easy to bring balast under them.
So, the y-sleepers are a good solution. the are of "I"-shaped steel, in big amouts easy to bend and to build.
The are more durable than the old steelsleepers and weight is on durable structures. there are no hidden "caves", where oxidation can go on without beeing detected.
The changing positions of the fishplates and changing side of the y-shape gives very stable set in on the balast, while the flexibility is fine.
y-sleepers are very good for lines where there are sharp curves and much circuit.
Many minor lines in Germany were reactivated or the circuit changed: light trains, often railbusses, but much more velocity than in the older days. So u often have a "light"-built line with sharp curves and light railbed.
Upgrading those lines for higher speed is the mayor purpose of y-sleepers.
for example:
most minor lines in Germany often had Vmax of 50km/h.
Today they have 80km/h with high frequency. Thatfor the y-slpeers are predestinated.
Greetings
Frank
Presumably, a different form of train detection is used?
Certainly something different to the old track-circuit systems relying on the stock to 'short' the two running rails together??
Certainly something different to the old track-circuit systems relying on the stock to 'short' the two running rails together??
Most metal sleepers used where there are track circuits have plastic pads insulating the rail from the sleeper plus plastic coated clips. A lot of German lines use axle counters which use separate heads sited to the side of the track and not involving the rails at all.
This shows the transition from straight sleepers to Y shaped.
Wonder if I can make one with a stanley knife?
Wonder if I can make one with a stanley knife?
