To provide a railway wheel which is excellent in corrosion fatigue resistance. The railway wheel according to the present embodiment has a chemical composition consisting of: in mass %, C: 0.65 to 0.80%, Si: 0.10 to 1.0%, Mn: 0.10 to 1.0%, P: not more than 0.030%, S: not more than 0.030%, Cr: 0.05 to 0.20%, Sn: 0.005 to 0.50%, Al: 0.010 to 0.050%, N: 0.0020 to 0.015%, Cu: 0 to 0.20%, Ni: 0 to 0.20%, Mo: 0 to 0.20%, V: 0 to 0.20%, Nb: 0 to 0.030%, and Ti: 0 to 0.030%, with the balance being Fe and impurities. A plate portion has a matrix structure composed of pearlite.

In order to fix a rail of a rail track using a rail machine, the rail machine is moved in a working direction so that at all times a portion of the rail which is not attached to a cross-member of the rail track passes through a thermal conditioning zone of a thermal conditioning device of the rail machine, a temperature of a surface region of the portion of the rail passing through the thermal conditioning zone is modified using the thermal conditioning device by generating a non-homogeneous temperature distribution in the portion of the rail, and the portion of the rail is fixed to a cross-member of the rail track, after modification of the temperature of the surface region of the portion of the rail, without waiting for the temperature distribution in the portion of the rail to be homogenized.

In order to fix a rail of a rail track using a rail machine, the rail machine is moved in a working direction so that at all times a portion of the rail which is not attached to a cross-member of the rail track passes through a thermal conditioning zone of a thermal conditioning device of the rail machine, a temperature of a surface region of the portion of the rail passing through the thermal conditioning zone is modified using the thermal conditioning device by generating a non-homogeneous temperature distribution in the portion of the rail, and the portion of the rail is fixed to a cross-member of the rail track, after modification of the temperature of the surface region of the portion of the rail, without waiting for the temperature distribution in the portion of the rail to be homogenized.

Provided is a rail that is effective in improving wear resistance and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) resistance. The rail has a metallic structure including a pearlitic structure and a structure other than the pearlitic structure in a surface layer from a surface of a rail head to a depth of at least 0.5 mm, where the pearlitic structure has Vickers hardness of 420 HV or more and 520 HV or less, and the structure other than the pearlitic structure has Vickers hardness of 350 HV or more and 420 HV or less.

Provided is a rail that is effective in improving wear resistance and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) resistance. The rail has a metallic structure including a pearlitic structure and a structure other than the pearlitic structure in a surface layer from a surface of a rail head to a depth of at least 0.5 mm, where the pearlitic structure has Vickers hardness of 420 HV or more and 520 HV or less, and the structure other than the pearlitic structure has Vickers hardness of 350 HV or more and 420 HV or less.

The rail having a chemical composition containing C: 0.70-1.00 mass %, Si: 0.50-1.60 mass %, Mn: 0.20-1.00 mass %, P: ≤0.035 mass %, S: ≤0.012 mass %, Cr: 0.40-1.30 mass %, where Ceq defined by the formula (1) is 1.04-1.25,

Ceq=[% C]+([% Si]/11)+([% Mn]/7)+([% Cr]/5.8)   (1) where [% M] is the content in mass % of the element M, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, where Ceq(max) is ≤1.40, where the Ceq(max) is determined by the formula (2) using maximum contents of C, Si, Mn, and Cr obtained by subjecting a region between specified positions to EPMA line analysis,; and a pearlite area ratio in the region is 95% or more,

Ceq(max)=[% C(max)]+([% Si(max)]/11)+([% Mn(max)]/7)+([% Cr(max)]/5.8)   (2) where [% M(max)] is the maximum content of the element M.

The rail having a chemical composition containing C: 0.70-1.00 mass %, Si: 0.50-1.60 mass %, Mn: 0.20-1.00 mass %, P: ≤0.035 mass %, S: ≤0.012 mass %, Cr: 0.40-1.30 mass %, where Ceq defined by the formula (1) is 1.04-1.25,

Ceq=[% C]+([% Si]/11)+([% Mn]/7)+([% Cr]/5.8)   (1) where [% M] is the content in mass % of the element M, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, where Ceq(max) is ≤1.40, where the Ceq(max) is determined by the formula (2) using maximum contents of C, Si, Mn, and Cr obtained by subjecting a region between specified positions to EPMA line analysis,; and a pearlite area ratio in the region is 95% or more,

Ceq(max)=[% C(max)]+([% Si(max)]/11)+([% Mn(max)]/7)+([% Cr(max)]/5.8)   (2) where [% M(max)] is the maximum content of the element M.

A rail according to an aspect of the present invention is manufactured by melting steel using an electric furnace, satisfies a predetermined range as a chemical composition and particularly includes Pb: 0.0003% to 0.0020%, 95 area % or more of a region from an outer surface of a head portion to a depth of 20 mm is a pearlite structure, and a hardness in the region from the outer surface of the head portion to the depth of 20 mm is in a range of Hv 300 to Hv 500.

A rail according to an aspect of the present invention is manufactured by melting steel using an electric furnace, satisfies a predetermined range as a chemical composition and particularly includes Pb: 0.0003% to 0.0020%, 95 area % or more of a region from an outer surface of a head portion to a depth of 20 mm is a pearlite structure, and a hardness in the region from the outer surface of the head portion to the depth of 20 mm is in a range of Hv 300 to Hv 500.

An inline thermal treatment system for thermally treating a continuous product includes a housing comprising a first opening and second opening respectively configured to allow the continuous product to enter and to exit the housing. The system includes at least one laser coupled to a laser power source and configured to output at least one laser beam that impinges upon and heats the portion of the continuous product.