Caption: A welded rail joint at Framingham reveals some interesting history. The rail on the left is 140-lb rail rolled in 1969, while on the right is a piece of 132-lb rail rolled in 1983. Despite the extra 24 years of service, the older rail still has a noticeably thicker railhead. The peculiar dimpling on the old rail may have been caused by the rail being embedded in asphault at one time. Other rails at Framingham have production dates from between 1945 and 1950. Apparently the New York Central decided to install new rails here in the early 1950s and just grabbed whatever was leftover from earlier track projects. Though originally stick rail, the joints have all long since been welded together to provide a smoother ride. (February 6, 2012)
