You can help me today change the bolts out on a joint! Also a short
discussion of track bolts. The bolts we use are called button head oval neck bolts.
They are available in grade 5 and grade 8, we use the grade 5. I am told
by our bolt supplier (A & K Railroad) that grade 5 bolts have a better flexibility than does
a grade 8 bolt, and for our particular railroad application, the 5 is better suited.

We use bolts that are 6 1/2 inches or 6 inches long. I don't like to use the longer
ones in curves having sharper degrees because the regulator plows can hit them.
Curve 14 is a 7 degree curve, a fairly sharp degree curve.

Sorry but this is curve 14, not 12 as I said in the movie. Also we are facing
east at mile post 2.9. As you can imagine with 17 miles of jointed track, joint
bolt repair is a constant never ending thing. Bolts break all the time from the
dynamic forces of the train traveling over it; mud and contaminated ballast causing
the joint to move up and down, and via thermal contraction. More joint bolts break
during winter months also due to the cold causing brittleness
in the bolts. More joint bars break in the winter also because of this.

This is the next area we have scheduled to crib out as the cribs are just full of
coal fines. Track surface in this curve is just not holding which only makes for
more critical inspection and increased joint repair work. Once this section is cribbed
out and tamped the joint maintenance will lessen significantly along with extended
rail and tie health.


See also a shorts on how they fit in the holes in a joint bar:
   • Button Head Oval Neck Track Bolts  

There are a lot more track maintenance videos on my channel on a playlist here:
   • Track Maintenance Work  


#TrackBolts#BoltsJoint#JointBoltRepair