Crack formation within a Hadfield manganese steel crossing nose

Switches and crossings in rail networks suffer from complex loading which may induce severe damage and defects, including formation of cracks that can result in rail breakage. This paper focuses on the microstructure and crack network in a damaged Hadfield manganese steel crossing nose. The extent of deformation has been quantified by hardness measurements, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) including electron back...