Rail end straightener

The rail end straigthener (RES) is a device for taking vertical bends out of rails which usually occur where rail joints have sunk as a result of the vibrations of wheels passing over them. The vibration causes the joint sleepers to sink into the ballast - and sometimes adjacent ones.

The RES is a special trolley which runs on the rails and has claws which can be closed under the rail ends. These are then raised by hydraulic jacks until the desired force is applied to bend the rails back up to straight. The "top" can then be checked with Sighting Boards to check the joint has been put right.

The RES at Whistling Curve in January 1981. The two hydraulic jacks for operating the machine can be seen at its far end under the big metal beams. The large metal pins that go under the rails when it is prepared to pull them up can be seen slotted in the hoops that hold them in the transport position on the front of the RES.

See Also

Sighting Boards