Abstract: A system for inspecting railroad rail using phased array ultrasonic technology measures the time of flight of ultrasonic signals at locations across the rail head to determine the wear profile of the rail. The rail wear profile is then used to adjust the focal laws of the phased array ultrasonic probes to dynamically compensate for changes in the rail profile as the inspection vehicle moves along the rails.

Abstract: A system for inspecting railroad rail using phased array ultrasonic technology includes both high-speed and high-resolution inspection modes that obviate the need for an operator to dismount the truck to perform detail inspection. In high-speed inspection mode, the phased array probes operate at fixed angles with respect to the rail to identify potential rail defects as the vehicle moves along the track. The vehicle can then return to the location of a potential rail defect and switch to a high-resolution inspection mode in which the phased array probes sweep over a range of beam angles at the location of a potential rail defect.

Abstract: Railroad rail steels having a pearlitic structure and containing 0.720 to 0.860 wt % carbon; 1.000 to 1.280 wt % manganese; 0.450 to 1.000 wt % silicon; 0.010 to 0.100 wt % copper; 0.150 to 0.280 wt % chromium; 0.0010 to 0.0500 wt % aluminum; 0.050 to 0.120 wt % nickel; 0.100 to 0.260 wt % molybdenum; 0.100 to 0.210 wt % vanadium; 0.0010 to 0.0065 wt % nitrogen; 0.0010 to 0.0080 wt % phosphorus; 0.0010 to 0.0040 wt % sulfur; and 0.0100 to 0.0350 wt % niobium with the remainder of said steel being iron, can be used to make railway rails that are particularly resistant to rolling contact fatigue and, hence, shelling.