Railbonding Practise and Experience on Electrified Steam Railroads

This paper deals primarily with the development, description, and characteristics of various types of rail bonds used at track joints for traction return and incidentally signal track circuits. It outlines their performance and reasons for their selection on representative electrified steam railroads, which include: Baltimore & Ohio Boston & Maine Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Delaware, Lackawannu & Western Illinois Central New York Central New York, New Haven & Hartford Norfolk & Western Pennsylvania Reading Virginian No attempt is made to discuss the track circuit characteristics and requirements for either signaling or propulsion return. Cross-bonding, impedance bonding, and structure grounds are also outside the scope of this paper. The track construction and maintenance, weight of rail, type of joints, condition of roadbed, ballast, traffic density and frequency, wheel loadings, amount of current to be carried, track signal circuit requirements, etc., all have a direct bearing on the design and proper application of the rail bond, which is thus a problem involving mechanical as well as electrical features. From the data submitted, an attempt is made to indicate the trend of bond design.