High-strength, damage-resistant rail

A method for manufacturing a high-strength damage-resistant rail, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a rail stock consisting essentially of about 0.6 to 0.85 wt. % of C, about 0.1 to 1 wt. % of Si, about 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Mn, not more than about 0.035 wt. % of P to prevent degradation of ductility, not more than about 0.04 wt. %. of S, not more than about 0.05 wt. % of Al to avoid degradation of the rail, and the balance being Fe and indispensable impurities by hot rolling such that cooling the head of the rail stock by supplying a coolant from nozzles of a cooling header to the head of the rail stock in a state where the head of the rail stock maintains an austenite temperature, said cooling step being carried out such that the cooling rate of the head top portion of the rail stock is lower than that of the head side portion of the rail stock by adjusting at least one of:
• the number of nozzles provided for the cooling header;
• the diameter of the nozzles;
• and the coolant supply pressure, wherein a rail comprising corner and head side portions having a Brinell hardness H.sub.B of 341 to 405 and a head top portion having a hardness which ranges from about 0.6 to 0.9 of the Brinell hardness of the corner and head side portions is obtained by said cooling step.

A method for manufacturing a high strength damage-resistant rail, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a rail stock consisting essentially of about 0.6 to 0.85 wt. % of C;
• about 0.1 to 1 wt. % of Si;
• about 0.5 to 1.5 wt. % of Mn;
• not more than about 0.035 wt. % of P to prevent degradation of ductility, not more than about 0.04 wt. % of S;
• not more than about 0.05 wt. % of Al to avoid degradation of the rail, at least one about 0.05 to 1.5 wt. % of Cr, about 0.01 to 0.20 wt. % of Mo, about 0.01 to 1.0 wt. % of V, about 0.1 to 1 wt. % of Ni, and 0.005 to 0.05 wt. % of Nb;
• and a balance being Fe and indispensable impurities by hot rolling such that cooling the head of the rail stock by supplying a coolant from nozzles of a cooling header to the head of the rail stock in a state where the head of the rail stock maintains an austenite temperature, said cooling step being carried out such that the cooling rate of the head top portion of the rail stock is lower than that of the head side portion of the rail stock by adjusting at least one of:
• the number of nozzles provided for the cooling header;
• the diameter of the nozzle;
• and the coolant supply pressure, wherein a rail comprising corner and head side portions having a Brinell hardness H.sub.B of 341 to 405 and a head top portion having a hardness which ranges from about 0.6 to 0.9 of the Brinell hardness of the corner and head side portions is obtained by said cooling step.