China News Service, Jiujiang, February 4th: "Pathfinder" on the Beijing-Kowloon Railway
Author Huang Zhongbin Wang Hao
"Didi, didi..." Recently, at the Jiujiang South Station of the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, a team of workers pushed an orange flaw detection trolley and walked on the railway line in the wind and rain, and the flaw detector made a beep sound. They are the railroad flaw detectors known as "pathfinders."
The picture shows railway flaw detectors using rail flaw detectors to conduct precise detection of switch areas. Photo by Chen Guo
During the Spring Festival travel period, the flaw detection workers at the Jiujiang Bridge Section of China Railway Nanchang Bureau Group Co., Ltd. were even busier. Flaw detection engineer Chai Guoyang and his team members carried out intensive flaw detection operations on the switches and lines of Jiujiang South Station. Due to the increase in train running density during the Spring Festival travel period, the flaw detection workers can only use the time between trains to carry out their work, which requires the flaw detection personnel to be fast and accurate. Determine whether the rail is damaged.
The Beijing-Kowloon Railway is a railway transportation artery that connects north and south of China and is one of the busiest railway trunk lines. The increase in train traffic during the Spring Festival travel season, coupled with the continuous low-temperature rainfall in the Jiujiang area, puts the Beijing-Kowloon Railway rails at risk of breaking, and it is necessary to use flaw detectors to check the internal condition of the rails.
The picture shows railway flaw detectors conducting detailed manual flaw inspection on the switch wing rails. Photo by Chen Guo
The above-mentioned flaw detection operations are divided into two groups. One group of flaw detectors is pushing the rail flaw detection trolley while observing the waveform on the monitor and carefully identifying the different prompt sounds emitted by the instrument; the other group of flaw detectors is holding an ultrasonic flaw detector probe and inspecting the switch wing rail. Key parts such as the rail surface and the tip rail head move back and forth at a constant speed. Keep an eye on the waveform on the display screen and move the probe repeatedly to confirm whether there is any damage.
"We mainly use the method of combining ultrasonic rail flaw detectors and handheld ultrasonic flaw detectors to conduct a 'physical examination' of key equipment in the turnout area." Chai Guoyang said that if an abnormality is found, the flaw detectors will conduct repeated inspections on site, and then determine the location and do Make good marks and feedback to relevant business departments and equipment management units, and deal with the situation in a timely manner.
"Transverse cracks caused by fish scale injuries were found on the 4# branch straight rail, with a depth of 2 mm, a height of 10 mm, and a width of 12 mm, reaching the serious injury standard." Chai Guoyang immediately reported the situation to the person in charge of the operation after discovering it. "Serious injuries like this must be detected carefully and repeatedly, otherwise it is easy to miss." He said.
The picture shows railway flaw detection personnel holding a rail flaw detection trolley as they go down the track to avoid cars. Photo by Huang Zhongbin
At the end of the day, Chai Guoyang and his co-workers had to carry a rail flaw detection trolley weighing about 50 kilograms on their shoulders more than 20 times on and off the track, bend and squat more than a hundred times, analyze more than 20 sets of waveforms, and walk six or seven times on the railway line. kilometers of distance. In order to ensure the quality of flaw detection work, they return to the work area after completing the on-site work and play back the flaw detection data to check whether there are any omissions.
"Although it is very tiring and exhausting, it is all worth it for the happy reunion of thousands of passengers." Chai Guoyang said with a smile. (over)