One-piece rail boot with integrated flangeway former

A rail boot for covering preselected engagement portions of a rail having a rail head and a rail foot connected by a rail web, each of the rail head and the rail web having a respective field side and an opposed gauge side, the rail boot comprising:

• a base segment (42) formed for covering the rail foot;
• a field side segment (44) integrated with the base segment (42), the field side segment comprising:
• a first rail interior wall (66) for covering the field side (“FW”) of the rail web;
• a first rail head element (68) for covering a first preselected portion (48) of the field side of the rail head;
• a gauge side segment (46) integrated with the base segment (42), the gauge side segment comprising:
• a second rail interior wall (70) for encasing the gauge side (“GW”) of the rail web;
• a second rail head element (72) for encasing a second preselected portion (50) of the gauge side of the rail head (“GH”), the second rail head element defining an exposed portion (74) of the gauge side (“GH”) of the rail head;
• an outer segment (52) for defining a flangeway (58) in relation to the exposed portion (74), the outer segment being integrated with the gauge side segment, the outer segment comprising:
• an arm element (76) extending between inner and outer ends (78, 80) thereof, the arm element being connected at the inner end thereof to the gauge side segment (46);
• a wall element (82) connected to the outer end (80) of the arm element (76);
• and
• the arm element (76) and the wall element (82) comprising respective arm and wall inner parts (84, 86) formed to partially define the flangeway (58) in relation to the exposed portion (74) of the gauge side of the rail head (“GH”),
• wherein the rail boot has a unitary construction.

A system (147) comprising:

• a rail (14) having a rail head and a rail foot connected by a rail web, each of the rail head and the rail web having a respective field side and an opposed gauge side, the rail being formed to support rail wheels engaged with a top surface of the rail head and having respective flanges extending below the top surface on the gauge side of the rail head;
• a rail boot (40) for encasing preselected engagement portions (41) of the rail comprising:
• a base segment, for encasing the rail foot;
• field and gauge side segments respectively integrated with the base segment, for encasing the field and gauge sides of the rail web respectively, the field side segment being formed for encasing a first preselected portion of the field side of the rail head and the gauge side segment being formed for encasing a second preselected portion of the gauge side of the rail head;
• and
• an outer segment integrated with and extending outwardly from the gauge side segment and defining a bottom side and an outer side of a flangeway in which the flanges are receivable,
• wherein the rail boot has a unitary construction.

A method of installing a rail boot for covering preselected engagement portions of a rail having a rail head and a rail foot connected by a rail web, each of the rail head and the rail web having a respective field side and an opposed gauge side, the rail being formed to support rail wheels engaged with a top surface of the rail head and having respective flanges extending below the top surface on the gauge side of the rail head, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a rail boot, the rail boot comprising:
• (i) a base segment, for encasing the rail foot;
• (ii) field and gauge side segments respectively integrated with the base segment, for encasing the field and gauge sides of the rail web respectively, the field side segment being formed for encasing a first preselected portion of the field side of the rail head and the gauge side segment being formed for encasing a second preselected portion of the gauge side of the rail head;
• (iii) an outer segment integrated with and extending outwardly from the gauge side segment and defining a bottom side and an outer side of a flangeway in which the flanges are receivable, wherein the rail boot has a unitary construction:
• (b) locating a predetermined length of the rail boot upright on a ground surface;
• (c) inserting a preselected length of the rail in the rail boot, for encasing the preselected engagement portions of the rail;
• (d) locating the rail, with the rail boot thereon, in a predetermined location thereof;
• and
• (e) positioning the fill material against exterior surfaces on the field and gauge sides of the rail boot, to support the rail in the predetermined location thereof.