Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in the process for performing aluminothermic rail connection weldings, in which the rail ends to be welded together and being laid with a gap are enclosed with a fireproof, prefabricated casting mold producing a weld reinforcement covering the gap, and aluminothermically-produced steel is poured into the casting mold cavity, the improvement comprising pouring the steel melt into the casting mold in the form of at least two separate casting streams positioned opposite each other in the longitudinal rail direction, whereby the casting streams are so guided that they will intermix approximately in the area of the rail head center of the two rails to be welded together. The invention also relates to a casting mold for performing the process.

Abstract: This invention relates to a prefabricated casting mold for aluminothermically welding rail ends spaced apart by a gap while simultaneously welding shut a fishplate hole in the region of each rail end, comprising two mold halves which, when assembled, form a cavity adapted to enclose the rail ends and being so widened in the region of the rail web and in the longitudinal direction of the rails that the two fishplate holes are located within the cavity, a pair of riser channels in each mold half, at least one of the riser channels in each half issuing centrally into the rail base region of the casting mold cavity and having at least one means of communication with the casting mold cavity in the rail web region, and the other of the riser channels in each mold half communicating with the casting mold cavity in the vicinity of a fishplate hole.