Huo Zhihui, monitor of Liucun Women’s Rail Flaw Detection Team of West Qinhuangdao Depot, is checking the rails with a hammer. Photo by Cao Jianxiong
Female workers of Liucun Women’s Rail Flaw Detection Team of West Qinhuangdao Depot are checking the rails. Photo by Cao Jianxiong
Female workers of Liucun Women’s Rail Flaw Detection Team of West Qinhuangdao Depot are checking the rails. Photo by Cao Jianxiong
Xie Xiaowei, head of Liucun Women’s Rail Flaw Detection Team of West Qinhuangdao Depot, is adjusting the rail flaw detector probe. Photo by Cao Jianxiong
Xie Xiaowei, head of Liucun Women’s Rail Flaw Detection Team of West Qinhuangdao Depot, is polishing the protective film of the rail flaw detector probe with abrasive paper. Photo by Cao Jianxiong
Female workers of Liucun Women’s Rail Flaw Detection Team of West Qinhuangdao Depot, are replacing the protective film of the rail flaw detector probe. Photo by Cao Jianxiong
On January 26, 2007, 12 female veterans took off their “olive green” uniforms, put on “yellow vests” and joined Liucun Women’s Rail Flaw Detection Team of West Qinhuangdao Depot, Taiyuan Railway Bureau Group Co., Ltd., the only female team with integrated railway system.
They have devoted their youth to the safe transportation of trains over the past years.
The Daqin line is known as “China's first heavy-duty railway”. The women’s rail flaw detection team is responsible for the rail flaw detection tasks of the 118-kilometer line and 274 sets of turnouts in three large-scale marshalling stations of Liucun , Gangzhan and Qindong.
“We do B-scan ultrasonography for the rails, detecting flaws in equipment with ultrasound in a timely and accurate manner, so as to prevent hidden dangers caused by missed inspections.” Monitor Huo Zhihui said, “Once an abnormal situation is found, we have to determine the location of the flaw and contact proper workshops to deal with it in time. After the daily inspection, we have to inspect again on the collected data, to ensure everything is all right.”
Compared to the real B-scan ultrasonography, they have to work outside, despite of hot summer or cold winter. Wearing “yellow vests” and carrying 50-kilogram flaw detector, they walk 6 kilometers in average a day along the rails, which has become a beautiful landscape.
“People may think that flaw detection is better for male workers, but it turned out that we did a better job, because we help each other and stand by through thick and thin, and we are not inferior to any man.” Yang Min said with pride.
The team had 12 members 14 years ago, now they have 14 members. They have traveled more than 10,000 kilometers, and inspected more than 20,000 sets of turnouts, guarding the east gate of Qinhuangdao with excellent work and no errors in 5,000 days.
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