sleeper/tie spacing and dimensions

[CaptOblivious]

What size ties are commonly used in Japan? What tie-spacings are generally used? I'm interested in JR in particular, but information on private railroads (narrow, Cape, and standard gauge) would be good too.

 

I can't seem to find anything on the interwebs about this, but I imagine that the correct answer will be something like: It varies a whole lot. However, I'd prefer something a little more precise :D It would be nice to be able to put together a table of frequently used dimensions to aid in selecting/building prototypically-correct model track.

[David]

It might help to narrow down the search by specifying the area (application). I'd bet that standards exist from the JNR days specifying tie spacing for urban vs. inter-urban vs. rural vs. mountain track (with more variation and room for adjustment as you went away from urban). If it's what you want, the tie spacing for the regular Shinkansen network should be easy to find, since just about everything else is documented and strictly controlled.

[CaptOblivious]

Actually, I'm less interested in Shinkansen specs than in the JR lines used by commuter/limited express (e.g. Joban, Tohouku, Tokkaido, etc), and private commuter lines (e.g. Keisei, Tobu, Keio, Keikyu) around Tokyo.

[KenS]

I don't know the specific answer, but it's a very good question.

 

I did turn up an RTRI report on Solid-bed Track with Removable Resilient Rails that gives a few numbers for that kind of track. You sometimes see this kind on narrow-gauge lines (it's the one with a black outline around the white tie on the white slab). This uses concrete ties set into a rubber-lined cavity in a concrete slab, to reduce noise and vibration.  The ties are described as a tie used for ballasted track called "Special type", which are concrete ties of 300mm width at the base, 257mm width at the top, 2000mm overall length, and 226mm height.  Diagrams in the article also indicate the us of 60 kg/m (121 lb/yd) rail. However, it's likely that those numbers are for Shinkansen tracks.

 

A book on Pre-stressed concrete (which makes reference in passing to U.S., European, and Japanese railroads, but doesn't cite specific standards for any of them) notes that wooden ties are typically placed on 50-60cm (20-24 in) intervals, and concrete ties may be placed at much larger intervals (70, 75 or even 90cm; 28, 30 or 36 in).  It also cites a base width of 30cm for concrete ties, and of 20cm (8 in) for wooden ones.

 

And an article on an Indian Freight railway newly constructed with Japanese assistance notes the use of 60 kg/m rail on straight track, and 90 km/m (181 lb/yd) rail on curves (but this is a freight railway, so the curves would be under more stress).  It cites use of concrete ties at a 60cm (24 inch) spacing.

 

What really gets used on narrow-gauge I have no clue, but now I really want to know...

[CaptOblivious]

Interesting stuff, and a start in the right direction (although India is moving towards nearly 2-meter wide gauge, and this new line is surely built to those standards…)

 

I don't know the specific answer, but it's a very good question.

 

I did turn up an RTRI report on Solid-bed Track with Removable Resilient Rails that gives a few numbers for that kind of track. You sometimes see this kind on narrow-gauge lines (it's the one with a black outline around the white tie on the white slab). This uses concrete ties set into a rubber-lined cavity in a concrete slab, to reduce noise and vibration.  The ties are described as a tie used for ballasted track called "Special type", which are concrete ties of 300mm width at the base, 257mm width at the top, 2000mm overall length, and 226mm height.  Diagrams in the article also indicate the us of 60 kg/m (121 lb/yd) rail. However, it's likely that those numbers are for Shinkansen tracks.

 

A book on Pre-stressed concrete (which makes reference in passing to U.S., European, and Japanese railroads, but doesn't cite specific standards for any of them) notes that wooden ties are typically placed on 50-60cm (20-24 in) intervals, and concrete ties may be placed at much larger intervals (70, 75 or even 90cm; 28, 30 or 36 in).  It also cites a base width of 30cm for concrete ties, and of 20cm (8 in) for wooden ones.

 

And an article on an Indian Freight railway newly constructed with Japanese assistance notes the use of 60 kg/m rail on straight track, and 90 km/m (181 lb/yd) rail on curves (but this is a freight railway, so the curves would be under more stress).  It cites use of concrete ties at a 60cm (24 inch) spacing.

 

What really gets used on narrow-gauge I have no clue, but now I really want to know...