I did this job for a while on the old Burlington Northern in Montana. Trains passing thru yards and over frogs will cause some wear that needs to be watched and reported. Passing trains and their tremendous weight can cause damage under the visible surface or sometimes on the top. A high voltage welder or a torch is used to blow out fractures, then the surface is built up and finished with a grinder, checked with a straight edge to get an even surface. On the older rails, each joint needed to be checked for damage. I worked on Welding Crew #3 from Hope, Idaho to Laurel, Montana, welding 60-80 joints a day, finished by two grinders, one on each rail. The view of nature thru that country are still pictures of beauty in my mind. A cherished experience!
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