250+ TOP MCQs on Sleepers – Functions and Requirements and Answers

This set of Railway Engineering Multiple Choice Questions on “Sleepers – Functions and Requirements”.

1. Which of the following statements is false?
a) Sleepers hold the rail in correct gauge
b) Sleepers transfer load from ballast to rails
c) Sleepers offer support to the rails
d) Sleepers hold rails in correct alignment
Answer: b
Clarification: Sleepers hold the rail in correct gauge and alignment, offer support to them but do not transfer the load from the ballast to the rails. They transfer the load coming on the rails from the wheels to the ballast.

2. Why is it necessary for the sleepers to act as an elastic structure?
a) To absorb the vibrations of moving loads
b) To make it cheap
c) It is the material’s limitation
d) To keep them intact
Answer: a
Clarification: Huge amount of loads and vibrations act on the rails because of the moving load. By making the sleepers elastic we ensure proper transfer and absorption of these.

3. Which of the following is not a requirement of the design of the sleepers?
a) It should be fixed and removed easily
b) Track circuiting should be possible
c) Maintenance cost should be minimum
d) Bearing area should be sufficient
Answer: c
Clarification: The sleepers should be designed to have sufficient bearing area, easy handling and easy track circuiting. The maintenance cost is not a design criteria, but it is an important requirement of the sleepers.

4. The sleepers should be as heavy as possible so that they can handle large amount of pressure.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: The weight of the sleepers should be moderate and not very heavy. Heavy sleepers will be inconvenient to handle.