Recently, it has been raining continuously in northern China, with some areas even experiencing a month of rain. This weather not only poses a challenge for the autumn harvest, but also makes many people wonder if the sleepers on the railway have been damaged by rainwater? After all, the sleepers look like ordinary wood, exposed to wind and rain all day long. If they get moldy and rot, and the rails become unstable, wouldn't there be major problems with train operation? Today, I will talk about this matter from a professional perspective. Let's take a look at how "durable" anti-corrosion sleepers are.
First, let's talk about the role of sleepers in the railway system. It is not just any piece of wood placed there, but the "foundation" of the railway tracks, responsible for dispersing the huge weight of the train, maintaining the spacing and level of the tracks. If there is a problem with the sleepers, the railway tracks may deform, which can cause the train to bounce or even lead to accidents. So, the durability of sleepers is directly related to the safety and efficiency of railways.
Why can sleepers withstand the test of years and months? The key is that it has undergone special anti-corrosion treatment. The sleepers we use are mostly made of pine wood. Pine wood has a relatively soft texture and is easy to process, but it also has a disadvantage - it is naturally afraid of moisture and insect infestation. If left untreated outdoors, it may be soaked by rainwater or bitten by insects in a few years. But anti-corrosion sleepers are different. They have undergone a complete transformation before leaving the factory, becoming a "hard bone" that can withstand harsh environments.
The core of anti-corrosion treatment is the oil immersion process. Simply put, it is to soak pine sleepers in anti-corrosion oil, allowing the oil to slowly penetrate into the interior of the wood. This process is not just about soaking in a bubble, it has strict standards. For example, the oil immersion depth often needs to reach 13 millimeters or more. This means that a thickness of over one centimeter from the surface to the interior of the sleepers is filled with anti-corrosion oil, forming a strong protective layer. You can imagine putting a "waterproof armor" on the wood, no matter how heavy the rain outside is, it is difficult to penetrate this barrier.
What is the use of this protective layer? It not only prevents moisture, but also molds and insects. When rainwater hits the sleepers, at most the surface will become moist, and the anti-corrosion oil will quickly drain the moisture to prevent water from seeping in. Meanwhile, the oily environment makes it difficult for mold and insects to get started - they don't like this "taste" and naturally take a detour. In this way, the service life of the sleepers is greatly extended, and under normal circumstances, they can be used for more than ten or even decades without any problems, far more durable than ordinary wood.
Returning to our topic: Will the continuous rainy autumn make this layer of "armor" ineffective? The answer is no. On the contrary, the design of anti-corrosion treatment is to cope with this humid environment. When the oil immersion depth exceeds 13 millimeters, it ensures that even if the surface is repeatedly washed away by rainwater, the internal wood remains dry. Rainwater can only 'float' on the surface and cannot enter the core. In addition, when laying railway sleepers, they are usually combined with ballast (i.e. those crushed stone layers) to assist in drainage. The entire system is like an efficient "waterproofing project", working together to quickly divert rainwater away.
This advantage is too important for railway transportation. The railway is the main artery of our country, transporting thousands of passengers and goods every day. If the sleepers are prone to moisture damage, the rails may sink or deform, causing train deceleration, delays, and even safety accidents. But in reality, you rarely hear of major issues with railway sleepers, which is the credit of anti-corrosion technology. It not only improves safety, but also reduces maintenance costs - think about it, if sleepers have to be replaced, how much trouble would railway operations have to endure?
Of course, any material has a lifespan, and anti-corrosion sleepers also need to be inspected regularly. But overall, its performance in consecutive rainy days is reliable. The next time you take the train, if the rain outside is drizzling, you can rest assured that those sleepers are steadily carrying the tracks, guarding your journey. This is not magic, but the crystallization of science and technology.
