Dry ice to help cut train delays caused by leaves on tracks

[Beeyar Wunby]

Well that's interesting. Rather than using high-pressure water jets, they're gonna try freezing the sticky clag that forms on the railhead.

Originally Posted by Aunty Beeb

The technique, developed by University of Sheffield engineers, involves blasting tracks with dry ice from a passenger train.

It will be trialled by operator Northern in the coming weeks.

Leaves cause a slippery layer on railway lines, leading to delays as trains must run at slower speeds.

Under the new method, pellets of dry ice are fired in a stream of air, making leaves frozen and brittle.

The dry ice then quickly turns back into gas, causing it to expand and destroy the leaves.

Link...Beeb Website

Actually I can see a flaw in their cunning plan...there's currently a serious shortage of CO2 - and they'll need tons of the stuff for this.

Oh dear!

[tonyharker]

Not only that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and could increase global warming.

[Beeyar Wunby]

Originally Posted by tonyharker

Not only that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and could increase global warming.

Good point. That's two flaws we've spotted already.

I wonder if they've really thought this one through?

[Beeyar Wunby]

And whilst we're in fault-finding mode...

Originally Posted by The Beeb

Leaves cause a slippery layer on railway lines, leading to delays as trains must run at slower speeds.

... is untrue.

Trains can still run at linespeed, but they brake considerably earler (and sometimes lighter), to enable both Wheel Slide Protection to engage and enable the onboard sanders to provide railhead adhesion.

This obviously takes longer to do than the usual braking technique of hammering in like a Stuka.

I don't usually get so pedantic, but this is a railway forum.