91av

Autumnal chaos on the railways caused by leaves on the tracks may soon be a
thing of the past, according to Rail Product Design of Doncaster. Leaves form a
slippery film on rails, making trains skid. The British company proposes
tackling the leaves with a sandy mixture that is spread on the track from a
light trolley, which is lifted onto the track near the slippery rails (GB
2354500). The trolley carries a bottle of iron filings in a gel, and a sand
hopper. This gel and sand mixture breaks down the slippery leaf film, preventing
skidding. Passing trains then spread the mixture further. Often the slippery
patch is quite small, says RPD, so “disruption to scheduled services is
minimised or avoided altogether”.