Method and system for welding railroad rails

A method of gas shielded arc welding steel railroad rails each having a lower base, a vertically extending web and an upper head, said rails having laterally extending end faces longitudinally spaced apart to provide a base gap, a web gap and a head gap to be filled with steel to join said rails, each said gap having laterally opposite ends, said method comprising the steps of filling said base gap, said web gap and said head gap with a molten steel from a filler metal electrode by a gas shielded electric arc process, said filling said head gap including holding said electrode for a preselected period of time at a first location adjacent one of said laterally opposite ends of the head gap, moving the electrode at a preselected speed from the first location to a second location adjacent the other of said laterally opposite ends to lay a first bead of filler metal having a first end at said one of said opposite ends and a second end spaced from said one end in the direction toward the other of said opposite ends, said first bead having a vertical thickness which is greater at said first end thereof than at said second end thereof, holding said electrode at said second location for a preselected period of time and then moving the electrode at a preselected speed from said second location to a third location above and adjacent said first location to lay a second bead of filler metal having a first end at said other of said opposite ends and a second end spaced from said other end in the direction toward said one of said opposite ends, said second bead having a vertical thickness which is greater at said first end thereof than at said second end thereof, and repeating the steps of laying said first and second beads of filler metal until said head gap is filled.