As now made, the steel rails manufactured under the converter process exhibit great similarity in the analysis of their component parts; at the same time it is well known that a slight preponderance or reduction of one or more of the constituents will result in making the steel hard or soft. The following statement gives the analysis of twelve steel rails, six of which were classed as hard steel, and six as soft steel:—
Hard Steel.—Analysis of Six Steel Rails which broke either in Testing or in Line.
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. |
| Carbon | 0·47 | 0·51 | 0·56 | 0·43 | 0·470 | 0·540 |
| Silicon | 0·09 | 0·08 | 0·08 | 0·09 | 0·095 | 0·121 |
| Sulphur | 0·06 | 0·06 | 0·06 | 0·06 | 0·054 | 0·056 |
| Phosphorus | 0·07 | 0·06 | 0·06 | 0·08 | 0·080 | 0·057 |
| Manganese | 1·23 | 1·10 | 0·90 | 1·23 | 1·150 | 1·260 |
| Iron | 98·08 | 98·19 | 98·34 | 98·11 | 98·151 | 97·966 |
| 100·00 | 100·00 | 100·00 | 100·00 | 100·00 | 100·00 |
| 1. | 2. | 3. |
| Carbon | 0·47 | 0·51 | 0·56 |
| Silicon | 0·09 | 0·08 | 0·08 |
| Sulphur | 0·06 | 0·06 | 0·06 |
| Phosphorus | 0·07 | 0·06 | 0·06 |
| Manganese | 1·23 | 1·10 | 0·90 |
| Iron | 98·08 | 98·19 | 98·34 |
| 100·00 | 100·00 | 100·00 |
| 4. | 5. | 6. |
| Carbon | 0·43 | 0·470 | 0·540 |
| Silicon | 0·09 | 0·095 | 0·121 |
| Sulphur | 0·06 | 0·054 | 0·056 |
| Phosphorus | 0·08 | 0·080 | 0·057 |
| Manganese | 1·23 | 1·150 | 1·260 |
| Iron | 98·11 | 98·151 | 97·966 |
| 100·00 | 100·00 | 100·00 |
Soft Steel.—Analysis of Six Steel Rails which stood the Test well, and bent freely without showing any Sign of Fracture.
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. |
| Carbon | 0·350 | 0·390 | 0·370 | 0·340 | 0·350 | 0·250 |
| Silicon | 0·060 | 0·070 | 0·070 | 0·080 | 0·070 | 0·069 |
| Sulphur | 0·062 | 0·061 | 0·062 | 0·061 | 0·061 | 0·046 |
| Phosphorus | 0·061 | 0·061 | 0·061 | 0·063 | 0·062 | 0·058 |
| Manganese | 0·870 | 0·875 | 0·866 | 0·864 | 0·800 | 0·636 |
| Iron | 98·597 | 98·543 | 98·571 | 98·592 | 98·657 | 98·941 |
| 100·000 | 100·000 | 100·000 | 100·000 | 100·000 | 100·000 |
| 1. | 2. | 3. |
| Carbon | 0·350 | 0·390 | 0·370 |
| Silicon | 0·060 | 0·070 | 0·070 |
| Sulphur | 0·062 | 0·061 | 0·062 |
| Phosphorus | 0·061 | 0·061 | 0·061 |
| Manganese | 0·870 | 0·875 | 0·866 |
| Iron | 98·597 | 98·543 | 98·571 |
| 100·000 | 100·000 | 100·000 |
| 4. | 5. | 6. |
| Carbon | 0·340 | 0·350 | 0·250 |
| Silicon | 0·080 | 0·070 | 0·069 |
| Sulphur | 0·061 | 0·061 | 0·046 |
| Phosphorus | 0·063 | 0·062 | 0·058 |
| Manganese | 0·864 | 0·800 | 0·636 |
| Iron | 98·592 | 98·657 | 98·941 |
| 100·000 | 100·000 | 100·000 |
Many rails which have been broken in the line under traffic have been analyzed, and proved to be hard steel; while others, which have been bent into all sorts of shapes, but not broken during accidents or derailments, have also been tested, and proved to be of soft steel.