NEW LOOK AT TRACK PRACTICES, RESEARCH IN SOVIET UNION

This is a report of the U.S. delegation inspection of the USSR Railways in June 1976 and includes visits to the Ministry of Railways, rail research groups, the test facility at Shcherbinka, a track buckling test facility and metallurgical laboratories, as well as on-line inspections. The economic justification of track projects, the conservative welded rail practices with buffer rails, the incidence of defects under traffic loads, the use of track panels, and the field welding practices are all discussed.