The ultrasonic stress measurement technique embodied in the Debro-30 is viewed as
a useful tool for determining residual stress patterns in railroad rail. The required
calibration on a stress-free sample of the same material, however, is viewed as potentially
cumbersome for the measurement of axial stress of in-track rails of unknown pedigree. The
portable magnetic hysteresis technique for stress measurement has undergone much
development through industrial and academic collaboration. New levels of test sensitivity
and reproducibility have been achieved through this research. However, the real surfaces of
railroad rails may not allow for widespread usage of this technique. Either a direct
calibration on a given test piece will be a requirement for stress measurement, or additional
data interpretation techniques must be developed.