Frosty Wrote:
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> I've read in various places that often times the
> battered ends of rails are cut off before the rail
> is welded into CWR.
> Looks to me like that did not happen here.


They are cut off if battered or electric welded or if there's a third bolt hole towards the end. In this case you can see that the break is not at the weld which is in the crib (space between ties) to the right. If you want to thermite weld a joint with the above conditions you cut off both ends and insert another piece of rail in between (of several feet at least) and make two thermite welds.