Systems and methods for visualizing and analyzing a rail surface

A method comprising:

• receiving image data generated by a camera disposed adjacent to a rail of a railroad track, the image data being reproducible as an image of a surface of the rail, the surface of the rail in the image including a plurality of elongated portions;
• analyzing the image to identify one or more defects within each of the plurality of elongated portions of the surface of the rail;
• determining a value of at least one metric for each of the plurality of elongated portions of the surface of the rail, the at least one metric being associated with the identified one or more defects within each of the plurality of elongated portions of the surface of the rail;
• and
• causing an electronic display device to display information indicative of the at least one metric for each of the plurality of elongated portions of the surface of the rail.

A method comprising:

• receiving first image data generated via a first camera disposed adjacent to a first rail of a railroad track, the first image data being reproducible as a first image of a portion of a surface of the first rail;
• receiving second image data generated via a second camera disposed adjacent to a second rail of the railroad track, second image data being reproducible as a second image of a portion of a surface of the second rail;
• dividing the first image of the portion of the surface of the first rail into a first plurality of regions;
• dividing the second image of the portion of the surface of the second rail into a second plurality of regions;
• analyzing the divided first image to identify, within each of the first plurality of regions, one or more defects in the portion of the surface of the first rail;
• analyzing the divided second image to identify, within each of the second plurality of regions, one or more defects in the portion of the surface of the second rail;
• determining information associated with the identified one or more defects in the portion of the surface of the first rail and the identified one or more defects in the portion of the surface of the second rail;
• and
• causing an electronic display device to display the determined information associated with the identified one or more defects in the portion of the surface of the first rail, the determined information associated with the identified one or more defects in the portion of the surface of the second rail, or both.