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Rail sections

 

The following table gives a selection of prototype rail sections with their dimensions. It is not exhaustive but does include US (ASCE, ARA, AREA, Dudley) in red, UK (BS sections and named railways) in black, Australian & NZ (NZR, NSW, WAGR and AS) (green) and a small number of other sections (including German standards) in blue. The column giving the height in thou gives the code number of the rail for S Scale.

 

Weight lbs/yd

Height

(inches)

Width of foot (inches)

Width of head (inches)

Height (Thou) =code

Width of foot (Thou)

Width of head (Thou)

Height (mm)

Width of foot (mm)

Width of head (mm)

 Type

Flatbottom

8

1   9/16

1   9/16

 25/32

24

24

12

0.62

0.62

0.31

 ASCE 841 1941

9.053

1.969

1.772

0.787

31

28

12

0.78

0.70

0.31

 4.5kg/m German Standard S5

12

2      

2      

1      

31

31

16

0.79

0.79

0.40

 ASCE 1240 1940

13.579

2.559

1.969

0.984

40

31

15

1.02

0.78

0.39

 6.75kg/m German Standard S7

16

2   3/8

2   3/8

1 11/64

37

37

18

0.94

0.94

0.47

 ASCE 1640 1940

18

 2   1/2 2       1   1/2 39 31 23 0.99 0.79 0.60

Penrhyn Quarry Iron 1849

18.8

2

2 3/8

1 1/8

31

37

18

0.79

0.94

0.45

 LNWR Iron Crewe works 18"

20

2   1/2

   

39

0

0

0.99

0.00

0.00

 ARA

20

2   1/2

2   1/2

1   3/8

39

39

21

0.99

0.99

0.55

 BS11 1905

20

2   5/8

2   5/8

1 11/32

41

41

21

1.04

1.04

0.53

 ASCE 2040 1940

20.117

2.756

2.283

1.260

43

36

20

1.09

0.91

0.50

 10kg/m German Standard S10

24.140

3.150

2.559

1.339

49

40

21

1.25

1.02

0.53

 12kg/m German Standard S12

25

2   3/4

2   3/4

1   1/2

43

43

23

1.09

1.09

0.60

 ASCE 2540/ USArmy 1918

25

2   7/8

2   3/4

1   1/2

45

43

23

1.14

1.09

0.60

 BS11 1922

28

3      

3      

1   1/2

47

47

23

1.19

1.19

0.60

 Penrhyn Quarry Iron c 1877

28.164

3.150

2.756

1.496

49

43

23

1.25

1.09

0.59

 14kg/m German Standard S14

30

2   1/2

3      

1   1/2

39

47

23

0.99

1.19

0.60

 Penrhyn Quarry Iron 1876

30

2 17/32

3   1/4

1 15/32

40

51

23

1.00

1.29

0.58

 Jarrahdale Iron 1879

30

3      

3      

1   5/8

47

47

25

1.19

1.19

0.64

 BS11 1905

30

3   1/8

3      

1   5/8

49

47

25

1.24

1.19

0.64

 BS11 1922

30

3   1/8

3   1/8

1 11/16

49

49

26

1.24

1.24

0.67

 ASCE 3040 1940

30.175

3.661

3.071

1.535

57

48

24

1.45

1.22

0.61

 15kg/m German Feldbahn

35

3   1/8

3   5/32

1 21/32

49

49

26

1.24

1.25

0.66

 W.A.G.R. Geraldton_Northampton 1879

35

3   3/16

3      

1 11/16

50

47

26

1.27

1.19

0.67

 FB-35M

35

3   1/4

3   1/4

1   3/4

51

51

27

1.29

1.29

0.69

 BS11 1905

35

3   5/16

3   5/16

1   3/4

52

52

27

1.31

1.31

0.69

 ASCE 3540 1940

35

3   5/16

3   6/55

1 25/32

52

49

28

1.31

1.23

0.71

 35FF

35

3   3/8

3   1/4

1   3/4

53

51

27

1.34

1.29

0.69

 BS11 1922

36.814

3.661

3.228

1.693

57

50

26

1.45

1.28

0.67

 18.3kg/m German Standard S18

40

3   2/25

3   9/20

  

48

54

0

1.22

1.37

0.00

 Talyllyn Iron Rail 1865

40

3   3/8

3   1/4

1   7/8

53

51

29

1.34

1.29

0.74

 NZR

40

3   1/2

3   1/2

1   7/8

55

55

29

1.39

1.39

0.74

 BS11 1905

40

3   1/2

3   1/2

1   7/8

55

55

29

1.39

1.39

0.74

 ASCE 4040 1940

40

3   5/8

3   1/2

1   7/8

57

55

29

1.44

1.39

0.74

 BS11 1922

40.234

3.937

3.228

1.732

62

50

27

1.56

1.28

0.69

 20kg/m German Standard S20

41 1/4

3   1/8

3   1/8

1   3/4

49

49

27

1.24

1.24

0.69

 Indian Railways standard section (also NWNGR Snowdon Mountain)

41 1/2

3   3/8

3   1/4

1   7/8

53

51

29

1.34

1.29

0.74

 41-1/2FF

44

3      

3      

1   1/2

47

47

23

1.19

1.19

0.60

 Penrhyn Quarry Iron 1876

45

3 11/16

3 11/16

2      

58

58

31

1.46

1.46

0.79

 ASCE 4540 1940

45

3   3/4

3   3/4

1 31/32

59

59

31

1.49

1.49

0.78

 BS11 1905

45

3   3/4

3   2/5

1   9/10

59

53

30

1.49

1.35

0.75

 W.A.G.R. 1909

45

3   7/8

3   3/4

1 31/32

61

59

31

1.54

1.49

0.78

 BS11 1922

46

3   3/4

   

59

0

0

1.49

0.00

0.00

 ARA
 

3 13/16

3 15/16

2      

60

62

31

1.51

1.56

0.79

 Irish 3'

46

4.331

3.465

1.772

68

54

28

1.72

1.38

0.70

 23kg/m Belgian Congo

48.28

3.937

3.701

2.323

62

58

36

1.56

1.47

0.92

 24kg/m FC de la Robla

49.145

4.528

3.543

2.087

71

55

33

1.80

1.41

0.83

 24.43kg/m German Standard S24

50

3   7/8

3   7/8

2   1/8

61

61

33

1.54

1.54

0.84

 ASCE 5040 1940

50

3 15/16

3 15/16

2   1/16

62

62

32

1.56

1.56

0.82

 BS11 1905

50

4   1/8

3 15/16

2   1/16

64

62

32

1.64

1.56

0.82

 BS11 1922

53

4   1/8

3   3/4

2   1/8

64

59

33

1.64

1.49

0.84

 NZR

55

4   1/16

4   1/16

2   1/4

63

63

35

1.61

1.61

0.89

 ASCE 5540 1940

55

4   1/8

4   1/8

2   5/32

64

64

34

1.64

1.64

0.86

 BS11 1905

55

4   5/16

4   1/8

2   5/32

67

64

34

1.71

1.64

0.86

 BS11 1922

55.017

4.724

3.740

1.969

74

58

31

1.88

1.48

0.78

 27 UNI

56

4   1/16

4      

2   1/4

63

63

35

1.61

1.59

0.89

 NZR

60

4   3/16

3 11/16

2   1/8

65

58

33

1.66

1.46

0.84

 ARA-B 6030 1930

60

4   1/4

4   1/16

2   5/16

66

63

36

1.69

1.61

0.92

 Misc 6051 1951

60

4   1/4

4   1/4

2   3/8

66

66

37

1.69

1.69

0.94

 ASCE 6040 1940

60

4   1/2

4      

2   1/4

70

63

35

1.79

1.59

0.89

 ARA-A 6020 1920

60

4   5/16

4   5/16

1 13/32

67

67

22

1.71

1.71

0.56

 BS11 1905

60

4   5/16

4      

2   9/32

67

63

36

1.71

1.59

0.91

 60 B (1896) NSW

60

4   3/8

4      

2   9/32

68

63

36

1.74

1.59

0.91

 60 BA (1907) NSW

60

4   1/2

4   1/4

2   1/2

70

66

39

1.79

1.69

0.99

 A.S.16 (1916)

60

4   1/2

4   1/4

2   1/4

70

66

35

1.79

1.69

0.89

 60 B1 (1890) NSW

60

4   1/2

4   5/16

2   1/4

70

67

35

1.79

1.71

0.89

 BS11 1922 BS60R

60

4   5/8

4   1/4

2   1/2

72

66

39

1.84

1.69

0.99

 A.S. (B.28) 1928

60.411

4.252

4.252

2.374

66

66

37

1.69

1.69

0.94

 30.03Kg/m German Standard S30

62.724

4.961

4.134

2.283

78

65

36

1.97

1.64

0.91

 31.18Kg/m S 33

63.519

4.921

4.134

2.205

77

65

34

1.95

1.64

0.88

 Greek 31.57 Kg/m

65

4   7/16

4   7/16

2 13/32

69

69

38

1.76

1.76

0.95

 ASCE 6540 1940

65

4   7/16

4   7/16

2   5/16

69

69

36

1.76

1.76

0.92

 BS11 1905

65

4 11/16

4   5/16

2   5/16

73

67

36

1.86

1.71

0.92

 BS11 1922

67.331

5.276

4.134

2.283

82

65

36

2.09

1.64

0.91

 33.47kg/m German Standard S33

70

4 35/64

4   3/64

2   3/8

71

63

37

1.80

1.61

0.94

 ARA-B 7030 1930

70

4   3/4

4   1/4

2   3/8

74

66

37

1.89

1.69

0.94

 ARA-A 7020 1920

70

4   5/8

4   5/8

2   3/8

72

72

37

1.84

1.84

0.94

 BS11 1905

70

4   5/8

4   5/8

2   7/16

72

72

38

1.84

1.84

0.97

 ASCE 7040 1940

70

4   7/8

4   3/8

2   3/8

76

68

37

1.93

1.74

0.94

 BS11 1922

70

4   7/8

4   5/8

2   3/8

76

72

37

1.93

1.84

0.94

 R.B.S. (& NZR)

70.787

5.118

3.937

1.969

80

62

31

2.03

1.56

0.78

 35.188Kg/m 36 UNI

71   1/2

4   3/4

4   3/4

2   1/4

74

74

35

1.89

1.89

0.89

 71 1/2D (1875) NSW

72

4   7/8

4   5/8

2   3/8

76

72

37

1.93

1.84

0.94

 NZR

73.511

5.039

4.528

2.226

79

71

35

2.00

1.80

0.88

 36.542 Kg/m S 40

75

4   3/4

4   3/4

2   9/16

74

74

40

1.89

1.89

1.02

 Mo. Pac. 7550 1950

75

4 13/16

4 13/16

2   7/16

75

75

38

1.91

1.91

0.97

 BS11 1905

75

4 13/16

4 13/16

2 15/32

75

75

39

1.91

1.91

0.98

 ASCE 7540 1940

75

4 15/16

4 15/16

2   7/16

77

77

38

1.96

1.96

0.97

 S. Pac. 7524 1924

75

5   1/16

4   1/2