Railroad crossing apparatus having improved rail connection and improved flangeway floor geometry and method incorporating the same

A railroad frog apparatus for connecting intersecting rail lines comprising:

• a body having two flangeways that intersect;
• at least one connection plug extending from the body for connecting to a running rail, the at least one connection plug having a cross-sectional profile that is substantially identical to a cross-sectional profile of the running rail;
• the at least one connection plug extending from the body a distance that allows the running rail to connect to at least one connection plug by a termite weld;
• wherein the apparatus is machined from a single piece of rail steel;
• and
• wherein at least one of the flangeways has a floor surface having a convex cross-section defined by a first arc of constant radius, a second arc of constant radius and a third arc of constant radius;
• the first arc extending from a first point to a second point;
• the second arc extending from the second point to a third point;
• the third arc extending from the third point to a fourth point;
• the first and fourth points being at flangeway depths so as to avoid contact with a flange of a train wheel passing through the flangeway;
• wherein upon the train wheel entering the flangeway, the flange of the train wheel initially contacts the floor at the first arc;
• and wherein upon the train wheel exiting the flangeway, the flange of the train wheel disengages the floor at the third arc.

A railroad frog apparatus for connecting intersecting rail lines comprising:

• a body having flangeways that intersect;
• and
• a plurality of connection plugs extending from the body for connecting to a running rail;
• wherein at least one of the flangeways has a floor surface having a convex cross-section defined by a first arc, a second arc and a third arc;
• the first arc extending from a first point to a second point;
• the second arc extending from the second point to a third point;
• the third arc extending from the third point to a fourth point;
• the first and fourth points being at flangeway depths so as to avoid contact with a flange of train wheel passing through the flangeway;
• wherein upon the train wheel entering the flangeway, the flange of the train wheel initially contacts the floor at the first arc;
• and wherein upon the train wheel exiting the flangeway, the flange of the train wheel disengages the floor at the third arc.

A method of connecting two running rails for intersection in a railroad comprising:

• providing a railroad frog apparatus having a body with two intersecting flangeways and four connection plugs extending from the body, each of the connection plugs having cross-sectional profiles that are substantially identical to a cross-sectional profile of a corresponding running rail to which the connection plug is to be connected;
• butting the running rails against the corresponding connection plug;
• and
• welding each running rail to the corresponding connection plug;
• wherein at least one of the flangeways of the railroad frog apparatus has a floor surface having a convex cross-section defined by a first arc of constant radius, a second arc of constant radius and a third arc of constant radius;
• the first arc extending from a first point to a second point;
• the second arc extending from the second point to a third point;
• the third arc extending from the third point to a fourth point;
• the first and fourth points being at flangeway depths so as to avoid contact with a flange of train wheel passing through the flangeway;
• wherein upon the train wheel entering the flangeway, the flange of the train wheel initially contacts the floor at the first arc;
• and wherein upon the train wheel exiting the flangeway, the flange of the train wheel disengages the floor at the third arc.