On a recent trip through southwest Texas to New Mexico,I noticed that the rails were all black(as if they were coated with tar).Can anyone tell me why they are coated,with what,and WHY!!
You mean even the top of the rails were black as well or just the sides of the rails were black? [:o)]
Oh I think I know what you are talking about.
Is there a “OIL” Flanger Box very near by?
BNSFrailfan.
Just the sides of the rails were black,tops were normal like any other rail.My first thought was that they were covered with oil(like in the steam locomotive days),but I don`t think it was oil at all.They just looked like they were coated with a black tar like substance.If memory serves me right,I believe they were all in New Mexico and extended for a few hundred miles.I was on my way to Carlsbad,NM via U.S. 62.
Oil flanger box?Not sure what you are referring to but I don`t recall seeing much of any thing;along the road or elsewhere.NEVER seen a train at all,just black rails the whole time I drove(or rode).Pretty remote area actually.Never stopped to look at them up close.Should have I guess.Might not be so curious as to what they were coated with if I had stopped and looked,THANKS…
For sure if went on for miles & miles & miles oil flange box would not be the culprit. [:o)]
It could be some sort of protective coating that keeps the rails from getting too hot in the sun. When rails get hot/warn, the wieght of the train can cause the rail to buckle, snap, or maybe just cause a bit of a bounce. I bet the reason the tops were not covered was because the coating has warn off.
My 2 cents.
black rails this is interesting, my first guess as to why the rails looked the way they did was bacuse of old age. LOL My second guess would have to be the oil flange box. I don’t really know. 
What they’re talking about is flange lubricators, and, yes, the rails can get fairly greasy around those things. Usually, however, the lubricant is applied to the inside of the rail, where the flanges come in contact with it–to have the lubricant show up on the opposite side suggests that the wheel treads would also be getting lubricated, which is not good (especially in the case of locomotives!).
I wonder if Mudchicken has any insight into this.
Barry, check out Sarah’s photo just above this–note that the rails under the locomotives are quite a bit darker than those on the closer track. Is it possible that you’re just seeing heavy oxidation (rust) on this track that hasn’t been used for a while?
I think brak is getting at somthing here, but I think it would be a whit coating if it were to protect from overheating, as black absorbs light and heat, where as white reflects it.
Yes but the starter of the thread said it went on for many, many, many miles & was not on the top of the rails but on the inside of the rails where the flanges do not hit I think. I am scheduled to go to that area the starter of that thread mentioned in Oct so I will look for it when I am out their. [:o)]
It’s just grime, it gets everywhere
New rail is anything but shiny, in my experience. In fact, it tends to look pretty dark, maybe even black, especially in a lighter background. The head of the rail will be shiny, of course, as a result of polishing by passing wheels.
Sounds good but the starter of thread says it went on for many miles. The way I read it he made it sound like it was intentional like it was painted on the rail was the impression I got. To bad he did not stop & inspect the track he could not see so we would have a better idea. [8D]
He didn’t say the insides, spbed–he said the “sides”, which is the part that was showing in the photograph I mentioned. It doesn’t take much rain to rust the tops of shiny rails to the same light brown that you see on the sides of new rail (and it doesn’t take much train action to make the heads shiny again). But inaction will produce a dark, nearly black-looking coat of rust. You can see the difference in the two tracks in the photograph.
As I’m not familiar with the line in question, I don’t know whose it is or what is shipped along it. It could be the residue from some commodity that steadily spills from some of the cars.
What this fellow is mentioning is the scale on the rail. This oxide covering, helps prevent rusting. Once the steel is exposed to the elements the black scale forms, Its planed and helps prevent wear.
Jim
Yes I asked him & he say the “sides” which I took to mean the part down from the top was coated with someone. I understand completely what you are saying & have watched rails rust on the top after it has rained. No matter as I said I am hopeful of being where the starter of thread was in Oct & will take both pix & sample it as well. [:p]
just traveled through some of that area. the rail is heavy and some of it is on concrete ties - so it is of recent vintage. Against the gray ballast commonly used in that area, the rail looks black - but it is just iron scale from the rolling process. With the long tangents in that area - there is no need for flange oilers. The geographical area is quite dry (except for the blizzard that I had to avoid) and so the red rust common in other areas almost never forms - even on the head of unused rails.
dd
I just had a revelation. Its a whole new wave of graffitti!! They are now buying black spray paint and painting the rails black!!! [:D]
Wonder if that is oxidation of the old mill scale with the molten sulfur/pota***hat comes off that line, Pecos/Carlsbad Sub (Clovis-Carldsbad NM no longer BNSF owned- they sold it/leased it to Southwestern RR last fall)… That rail is 35-50 years old, badly worn hardly new.
Some of it’s also just oily exhaust and dirt from 60-90 trains a day drawn down to the rail by the traction motor fans on the main track with a light tan background to look at. And then there is the bilge spill on the curves out of the oil & fuel sumps being tilted…
(suspect the ballast in the cribs is no longer Pedernel red or Pueblo grey either)
Dirty Iron Feathers[}:)][}:)][;)]