RT&S March 2016

March 2016 | www.rtands.com

Ballast maintenance

practices get rocked PLUS L&I 106-mile rehab NRC Conference report AND ALSO AREMA News p.44

Contents March 2016

News

Features

21

Industry Today 4 Supplier News 8 People

Ballast maintenance Suppliers are working to make ballast upkeep and delivery a more efficient and safer process.

Herzog Railroad services, inc.

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RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

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Columns

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L&I, CSX team up for $100-million rehab An agreement to upgrade 106 miles of shortline is born out of a partnership aimed toward mutual gain.

39

NRC Conference report The speakers, presentations, special awards and information is recapped in our annual highlight from the San Diego gathering.

21 Departments 14 TTCI R&D 44 Arema News 51 Calendar 52 Products 53 Advertisers Index

Ballast delivery following a track washout. Photo courtesy of Georgetown Rail Equipment. Story on page 21

3

On Track Example of true partnership

11

NRC Chairman’s Column Railroad Day on the Hill, then on to the auction

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54 Classified Advertising 55 Professional Directory

Louisville & Indiana

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53 Sales Representatives

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Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 1

On Track

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Vol. 112, No. 3 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Mischa Wanek-Libman/Editor, mischa@sbpub.com Jennifer Nunez/Assistant Editor, jnunez@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 55 Broad St 26th Fl. New York, N.Y. 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr./ President and Chairman Jonathan Chalon/Publisher Mary Conyers/Production Director Wendy Williams/Creative Director Maureen Cooney/Circulation Director Michelle Zolkos/Conference Director

RT&S Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 00339016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204654), (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly by SimmonsBoardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, N.Y. 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified indi vidual in the railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/Canada/Mexico) $16.0 0; all others $46.0 0; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00. Single copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2016. All rights reserved.

Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195. For Subscriptions & address changes, Please call (80 0) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail rtands@halldata.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, SimmonsBoardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172.

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Example of true partnership

A

few years ago, my husband decided he wanted a boat.

Neither of us grew up in a boating family and “Future Sailors of America” was not offered at my Nebraska high school. So, to ease into boat ownership, my husband found a boat partner. The two laid out a cost sharing strategy, cleaning schedules, picked the perfect slip in at an ideal harbor and we all sailed into the horizon...just kidding. To shorten the story, the partnership did not last and at the end of a single boating season, which in Chicago lasts for a period of weeks, we were no longer boat owners/ partners. I don’t think either one of us felt bad to have sold out, but we learned a very expensive lessen in what makes or breaks a partnership.

While the Libman boating endeavor failed to be successful, one team that seems to have hit a home run as far as business partnerships go is the Louisville & Indiana Railroad (L&I) and CSX, the stor y begins on page 34. Class 1s and shortlines have a long histor y of successful par tnerships. The industr y has a well-known analogy: Shortline and regional railroads offer the on/off ramps to the Class 1 interstate.

The par tner ship developed between CSX and L&I is an evolution of the shortline/Class 1 dynamic. The two parties are working together on more than just getting a shipment from point A to point B. Their partnership will help each of their companies grow and help bolster the economy surrounding the corridor.

Last year, the two entities finalized an ag reement that gave CSX a permanent easement to operate over the L&I’s 106-miles corridor between Indianapolis, Ind. and Louisville, Ky. In addition to the upfront easement purchase, the two railroads hammered out an operating agreement that called for $90 million in upgrades of L&I’s route.

CSX gained much needed capacity and a relief valve for its constrained Louisville to Cincinnati, Ohio, route. L&I will get 106 miles of industry standard infrastructure, which will allow it to carry heavier loads and help current and future customers gain a competitive edge and access to markets.

As you will read in the article, both CSX and L&I are fully committed and dedicated to seeing this multi-year effort executed in the best way possible.

L.L. Ratcliffe, CSX’s assistant vice president network and capacity planning, said about the project, “When completed, the multi-year makeover will totally upgrade L&I to a FRA Class 4 railroad between Indianapolis and Louisville and in doing so, will significantly improve the Midwest rail network...CSX is glad to be working with L&I on the South Wind venture and we look forward to a continued and positive partnership for many years to come.”

Partnering on the right project, at the right time can improve, not only the individual company outcomes, but the industry as a whole.

As Beth Caruso, chief executive officer and executive director of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association writes on page 46, “Everyone’s goal in the industry should be to have c o l l a b o r at i ve r e l at i o n s h i p s a n d work together to make the railroad industry excel.”

L&I and CSX have provided a solid example. I look forward to learning about others.

Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 3

INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Eurovia finalized its acquisition of Canadian rail contractor Rail Cantech located in Varennes, Québec.

LGS Innovations recently announced it has successfully completed a comprehensive cybersecurity risk assessment contract with Railinc Corp.

Rep. Collin Peterson’s (D-MN-7) Chief of Staff Allison Myhre and Economic Development Officer Toni Merdan joined representatives from

4 Railway Track & Structures

BNSF released details of six state capital programs consisting of close to $800 million in investments. The plans for these states represent approximately 18.5 percent of the railroad’s total planned 2016 capital expenditure.

BNSF plans to spend $220 million in Washington state, $140 million in Missouri, $130 million in Minnesota, $110 million in Nebraska and nearly $100 million in both New Mexico and Colorado.

The combined state programs will see more than 6,330 miles of surfacing and/or undercutting work with Nebraska and Washington state seeing the most work at 1,760 miles and 1,260 miles respectively.

BNSF will install 275 miles of rail and install more than 1.3 million crossties in the six states. Minnesota will see the most new crossties with 375,000 planned for installation, followed by Washington state at 243,000 and Missouri at 215,000. The railroad will also advance signal upgrades in all six states for the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC).

Additional capital projects include continuing the replacement of the Washougal River Bridge in Camas, Wash. and continuing construction of nearly six miles of double track on the Ravenna subdivision between Pleasant Dale and Milford, Neb. In New Mexico, BNSF will continue installation of a new bridge and second track to cross the Pecos River and double track near Fort Sumner. The railroad said that finishing up the bridge and double track projects in New Mexico will mean that all but four miles of BNSF’s more than 2,000mile Southern Transcon route connecting the West Coast to major intermodal markets such as Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth and Kansas City will be double tracked this year.

These 2016 planned capital investments in the states are part of BNSF’s $4.3 billion network-wide capital expenditure program announced in January. These investments include $2.8 billion to replace and maintain core network and related assets, approximately $500 million on expansion and efficiency projects, $300 million for continued implementation of PTC and more than $600 million for locomotives, freight cars and other equipment acquisitions.

BNSF

GE has been awarded a contract to power up the Tampa International Airport Automated People Mover in Florida; it will provide power equipment and be responsible for system integration, engineering expertise and installation of the traction power substation.

BNSF outlines $800 million in capital plans for six states

March 2016

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G&W reduces 2016 capital plan by nearly 30 percent Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) will target a $225 million capital program in 2016, which is down approximately 28 percent when compared to its 2015 spend of $315 million.

The majority of the program, $112 million, will go toward track and structure renewals. That number is down $48 million over 2015. G&W will spend $63 million on equipment and other expenditures, which is down $10 million from last year. New business and investments are targeted at $35 million and grant matching capital is budgeted at $15 million in 2016.

Cowen and Company Managing Director and Railway Age Wall Street Contributing Editor Jason Seidl said the capital program reduction is positioning G&W to increase its free cash flow by about 10 percent year-to-year to $285 million. Seidl believes the free cash could allow G&W to ac-

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Supplier News

quire additional shortlines specifically from Class 1 spin offs.

Jack Hellman, president and chief executive officer, pointed to three trends that have driven weak rail shipments: 1) the collapse in the prices of global commodities, such as iron ore, copper, manganese and crude oil; 2) the rapid shift of U.S. and U.K. power generation away from coal to cheaper natural gas and 3) a strong U.S. dollar, which has been making G&W industrial customers, such as steel manufacturers, as well as its agricultural customers, less competitive in global markets.

Hellman said the trends that made 2015 difficult show few signs of abating in 2016, adding, “In response to this environment, we have been intensely focused on enhancing our free cash flow and positioning the business for improving trends in the future.”

PortaCo, Inc., to tour the company’s Moorhead facility.

Progress Rail Services Corp. hosted Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06) for a tour of its locomotive and rail car services facility in Roanoke, Va. A contract has been finalized between the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and TransEd Partners to finance, design, supply vehicles, build, operate and maintain the first

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News phase of the Edmonton Valley Line Light Rail Transit project.

Utility One Source has acquired Load King, a provider of specialty trailers based in Elk Point, S.D., from Manitex International.

J. F. White Contracting Company was awarded a $16 million contract by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for the repair and rehabilitation of the Beverly drawbridge, including replacement of the more than century-old swing span.

6 Railway Track & Structures

Study weighs feasibility of Alberta to Alaska railway for bitumen transport A study released by the Van Horne Institute, based at the University of Calgary, suggests that it is feasible to build a railway for the transport of bitumen between Alberta and Alaska. The study was published by the Van Horne Institute with a project team including Shirocca Consulting, AECOM, Generating for Seven Generations, the University of Alaska and Michigan Tech Research Institute.

The proposed railway between Fort McMurray and Delta Junction, Alaska, is comprised of 1,500 miles of single, standard gauge bidirectional heavy-haul track.

The proposed track could be upgraded to a double track configuration that would add substantial capacity. The study identifies rolling stock equipment and manpower requirements for both a 1.0 million barrel per day (MBPD) and 1.5 MBPD bitumen volume.

The study recognizes that the proposed railway passes through, or comes in close proximity to, a number of areas that are en-

March 2016

vironmentally protected, support migratory and/or sensitive or endangered species or are important for wildlife and biodiversity, especially along major river valleys. The Environmental Approval and Permitting process will be extensive and complex and is defined in the study.

The study includes a detailed analysis of capital and operating cost estimates, as well as a business case analysis. The capital cost ranges between CA$28 and CA$34 billion (US$20 and US$25 billion) for 1.0 MBPD to 1.5 MBPD. Peter Wallis, president and chief executive officer of the Van Horne Institute said, “While the timing for the completion of this initiative includes further feasibility analysis, environmental approval and permitting and construction at a significant cost, it is a nation-building project. Transportation is an enabler of any economy and this initiative will unlock the petroleum and mineral potential of the north in both Canada and the United States of America.�

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FRA takes steps to enhance gradecrossing safety The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is advancing an initiative to bolster the safety of the country’s grade crossings.

FRA has called on state departments of transportation (DOTs) to verify that railroad crossing warning systems interconnected to traffic lights function properly. The agency also urged states to add event recorders to traffic lights connected to railroad crossing systems so information obtained during inspections can be used to improve safety.

Across the United States, there are nearly 5,000 railroad crossings interconnected with traffic lights.

While railroads are required to inspect lights and gates at railroad crossings monthly, FRA has urged states before—and is doing again in a letter with an attached safety advisory—to have traffic experts periodically join railroads on those inspections. FRA said during these joint inspections, traffic experts and railroads should verify that the traffic lights and crossing lights are properly sequenced and enough time is provided for traffic to clear from a nearby intersection before a train enters a crossing.

In similar news, FRA also awarded nearly $10 million in grants to eight

states to upgrade and increase the safety of crossings along energy routes. The funding is provided under the Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products by Rail Program. While nine projects will benefit from the funds, FRA received 34 eligible applications requesting five times the $10 million available for the program, or $50.8 million.

Grants were awarded to state DOTs in Washington state, California, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Arkansas and Louisiana. Wisconsin was awarded nearly 30 percent of the total money, $3 million, to improve 10 crossings and create one pedestrian crossing as part of the Waukesha County Sealed Corridor Project along 10 miles of Canadian Pacific’s mainline.

In 2015, FRA launched a new, comprehensive campaign to reverse the recent uptick in railroad crossing fatalities. The campaign includes partnering with Google and other tech companies to use FRA data that pinpoints the country’s 200,000 railroad crossings to add visual and audio alerts to map applications. FRA has also worked with local police to increase enforcement around railroad crossings.

KCS Shreveport Terminal Sub to see tie and crossing replacement in March Kansas City Southern (KCS) will invest approximately $5.6 million in 2016 in construction and improvement projects on its Shreveport Terminal Subdivision. The work will occur in March and includes the installation of approximately 37,000 crossties and improvements to more than 20 public and private grade crossings in Shreveport, La. “KCS, through its U.S. and Mexican subsidiaries, continues to invest in capital projects to expand network capacity, keep maintenance in a regular and healthy cycle and enhance the safety of our operation,” said chief executive officer David L. Starling. “These investments also help us be an economic growth partner to our customers and the communities through which we operate.”

In Louisiana, KCS owns and operates approximately 915 miles of rail infrastructure and serves the river ports of Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Natchitoches and the Gulf port of New Orleans. KCS serves several transload facilities in the state. The KCS network in Louisiana serves as an effective transportation and logistics solution for shippers moving goods throughout North America.

The investment into the Shreveport Terminal is part of Kansas City Southern’s 2016 capital program, which the railroad estimates will be between $580-590 million. The 2016 program represents an approximate 10 percent reduction from KCS’ 2015 program, but railroad officials says the progress made in 2015 give them confidence that the railroad is positioned to maximize business opportunities in 2016. www.rtands.com

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PEOPLE HNTB hired Bob Baughman, PE, as senior program manager and vice president in the firm’s transit practice based in Raleigh, N.C.; Derick Hallahan, PE, group director and New York rail department leader to vice president; Garry Tow, PE, group director and New York bridge department leader to vice president; Robert Pinghero, PE, senior rail program manager to vice president; Todd Blaylock, PE, senior rail project manager to associate vice president; Ellen Chasasnoff, senior project business manager to associate vice president; Steven Richards, PE, senior bridge engineer to associate vice president; Richard Schaefer, PE, structural engineer to associate vice president and Ali Tali, PE, to associate vice president.

New York & Atlantic Railway hired Peter Oliver as trainmaster.

OmniTRAX, Inc., elected Edmond Harris chairman of its board of directors, who will replace Brad Skinner, who will stay on the board.

Barry Lemk e will design control, power and communications systems for rail and transit projects as a new senior principal technical specialist in the Orange, Calif., office of Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The San Mateo County Transit District hired Ilia Kay as chief financial officer.

Todd Bjornstad, formerly the general manager of the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad, has been named president of the Chicago south shore & south bend railroad company, succeeding Andrew Fox. Kourosh Noori has joined Stantec as rail and transit systems lead, Canada.

STV promoted Joseph North to senior vice president.

Tradepoint Atlantic, a shortline railroad, named Paul Thomas terminal manager.

Obituary Andrew Lindsay Lewis Jr., who served as Union Pacific Railroad chairman and chief executive officer from April 1986 to April 1987 and as Union Pacific Corporation president and chief executive officer from 1987 to 1997, passed away Feb. 10, at age 84.

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN

Railroad Day on the Hill, then on to the auction

The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association, Inc. 500 New Jersey Ave., N. W. Suite 400 Washington D. C. 20009 Tel: 202-715-2920 Fax: 202-318-0867 www.nrcma.org info@nrcma.org

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With the spring quickly approaching, NRC member s are eagerly getting prepared for another constr uction season. Owner s and customer s are releasing their bid packages. Estimators are burning the candle at both ends.

The equipment managers and mechanics are getting the fleets up to date. Safety directors are getting employees trained.

All the preparations are underway so that we will be ready to go soon. It is an exciting and busy time of year for all in our industry.

For the NRC and its member s, Railroad Day on Capitol Hill is an important annual tradition. It took place on March 3 this year and, as always, was a premiere event for the railroad industry.

Railroaders, contractors and suppliers from around the countr y descended on Washington, D.C., for the common goal of promoting our industry to the key players in our nation’s capital. The main legislative goals for this year are to continue the shor tline railroad rehabilitation tax credit, maintain a balanced regulator y environment for freight railroads and maintain current truck size and weight legal maximums.

I would like to thank all of the contractors, suppliers and railroads for taking time out of their busy schedules to make this event so successful. I also would like to thank the American Shor t Line and Reg ional Railroad Assocation and Association of American Railroads for coordinating this event in conjunction with Railway EngineeringMaintenance Supplier s Association, Railway Supply Institute, Railway Tie Association and the NRC. T h e N R C ’s A n n u a l E q u i p m e n t Auction will be held on Thursday, April

14, in Little Rock, Ark., at Blackmon Auction’s Facility. Please visit http:// w w w. n r c m a . o r g / a u c t i o n o r w w w. blackmonauctions.com for more infor mation. This will be the 13th year that NRC has held this auction and it continues to be a great event.

Railroaders from all over the country come to find great bargains on much needed equipment. Proceeds from the auction go toward the NRC Safety, Training and Education Program. For equipment consigned to sell, one percent of the buyer’s premium and a two percent seller’s fee go to funding the program and the seller keeps the rest. 100 percent of the proceeds from donated equipment go to the safety program. Last year, 380 pieces of equipment sold for $1.1 million to on-site and online bidders.

The evening prior to the auction, there will be a happy hour at the auction hotel.

Ever yone who attends the auction is welcome to come. This is always a great time, a great way to network with rail contractors and suppliers from all over the country and a good way learn about some of the equipment to be sold the following day.

I would like to thank Blackmon Auctions for their continual support of the NRC and this event. I also would like to thank the NRC Auction Committee and its Chairman Danny Brown of V&H Trucks, Inc., for all of their hard work to make these events so successful.

Finally, don’t forget to save the date for the 2017 NRC Conference at the Boca Raton Resort January 8-11, 2017.

I’ll see you there.

by Chris Daloisio, NRC Chairman Railway Track & Structures

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TTCI R&D Bridge condition monitoring using track geometry cars TTCI engineers investigate use of geometry cars to detect bridge defects and significant changes in track support conditions.

by Anna Rakoczy, Ph.D., senior engineer and Duane Otter, Ph.D., P.E., principal engineer, TTCI

I

n an effort to provide better indications of bridges in need of maintenance or more detailed i n s p e c t i o n , Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y C e n t e r , I n c .

(TTCI), has been investigating the potential use of onboard technology to detect changes in bridge behavior.

The motivations for developing such a technology are twofold. First, the system could allow easier detection of behavior under dynamic conditions.

Second, an onboard system has the potential to provide observations for hundreds of bridges, as opposed to a structural health monitoring system that is fixed and capable of monitoring only a single bridge.

In recent years, several railroad

industry bridge experts have noted that the location of bridges and/or bridge approaches can sometimes be observed in onboard data, such as track geometry measurements.1 This study investigates the potential use of track geometry cars to detect bridge defects or significant changes in track support conditions provided by a bridge. The research focuses on detecting weak bridge stringers and changes in pier elevations in short trestle bridges.2, 3, 4 Previous research and test efforts led to the design and construction of a three-span adjustable bridge (Bridge Deflection Test Facility or BDTF) at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) near Pueblo, Colo. The BDTF is a 42-foot, three-span, T-rail trestle that can be configured to provide variable pier geometries, as well as variable stringer stiffness in all three spans. The BDTF is located on a lightly used section of track, so it is not subjected to high levels of degradation.

The ability to change bridge conditions quickly in a controlled manner is not feasible in revenue service.

Summary of results to date

Testing of several track geometr y cars under known bridge conditions at the BDTF shows the following preliminary findings: • All cars tested have been able to detect changes in pier elevations in an open-deck trestle. • Some track geometry cars detect changes in stringer deflections better than others. Car weight and axle spacing seem to 14 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

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Figure 1, opposite page: Track geometry car testing over Bridge Deflection Test Facility at TTC. Figure 2: Left rail surface space curves, T-18.

be significant factors. Lighter cars cause minimal deflections, which are more difficult to detect.

• Trending of readings over time is likely needed to track changes and predict when action might be required.

• Accurate location of bridge ends is essential, possibly including on-the-ground location indicators in addition to GPS. • Additional work is needed to develop reliable procedures for processing the data. For implementation, railroads would need to establish databases for their bridges and then establish baseline signatures for the data. Appropriate trending software might also need to be developed.

Recent testing

In 2014 and 2015, several track geometry systems were tested including those from TTC, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and member railroads. The vehicles ran over the BDTF in various pre-determined test configurations at speeds from 10 mph to 45 mph to evaluate the effects of speed on the measurements. BDTF test configurations included a base case with all spans and piers in normal full strength condition, as well as cases with weak stringers and/or changes in pier top elevation. Figure 1 shows a track geometry car testing over the BDTF. Using the FRA’s T-18, track geometry data was collected for three test conditions with different stringer deflections on the BDTF. The rail surface space curve measurements for the left and right rails are shown in Figures 2 and 3, respectively. The data also shows the location of the test bridge as noted by automatic location detectors (ALDs). Test 1 is the base case. Test 2 has two intentionally www.rtands.com

weak stringers in the same span. Test 3 has an intentionally weak stringer only on the left side of the span. The presence of the weak stringers is most easily seen when the base case data is subtracted, focusing only on the changes from the base case.

In these figures, there are visible differences between the nor mal condition and the two weak stringer conditions. Relative deflections presented on the plots emphasize the intentionally weak stringers between different bridge conditions. The results also show clearly the difference between the left and right sides of the rail.

Track geometr y data was also collected with a geometry system on a lightweight passenger car for six test conditions on the BDTF. The 13-foot chord measurements for the left and right rails are shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively.

The surface data clearly shows the location of the test bridge and the low approaches. The track geometry data also effectively shows geometric defects in a bridge’s supports, such as the intentional uplift of one side of a pier.

This can be useful for detecting if a pier has settled unevenly to one side, or has settled uniformly.

These figures show some visible

differences between the nor mal condition and the two weak stringer conditions from the lightweight passenger car track geometr y measurements, but these differences are not as clear as was noted above for the track geometry measurements from the T-18 car. However, the lightweight passenger car only weighs about half as much as the T-18 car.

Based on track geometry data from the lightweight passenger car, it is possible to detect BDTF Conditions 4 and 5 in which an abutment elevation was changed by one inch.

At a distance of 230 feet (the center of the bridge), the deflection under load is higher for the cases of a weak center span (both stringers, Test 3) and a weak stringer (left rail only, Test 2), as compared to the deflection with all stringers in normal condition. The cases with the weakened stringers can be identified. However, the difference between peaks is less than 0.05 inch and it is not as prominent as it was for the measurements using the T-18 car.

It is noted that the lightweight passenger car is just over half the weight of the T-18 car and has a larger axle spacing. This results in a deflection of the BDTF spans under the lightweight passenger car that is Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 15

TTCI R&D Figure 3, top: Right rail surface space curves, T-18.

Figure 4, middle: 13-foot chord left rail surface, lightweight passenger car.

be compared to historical data to look for changes in the track geometry to infer trends in bridge condition.

Appropriate trending software would need to be developed.

Future work should include evaluation of additional track geometry cars and other track evaluation vehicles on the BDTF. Evaluation and further development of other measurement systems, such as on locomotives and freight cars, is also worth pursuing. For example, there are already hundreds of locomotives equipped with systems that might potentially be capable of providing bridge behavior information to a database for trending analysis.

Future challenges include ballast deck bridges, where changes in recorded signatures might be due to changes in ballast conditions rather than changes in the structural elements themselves. Additionally, longer spans will tend to have signatures that might be quite different and may require modifications or different algorithms in trending software. A further challenge will be finding defective conditions such as cracks in steel girders that do not manifest themselves in significant changes in deflection.

Acknowldgements

only about half of that under the T-18, making it twice as hard to detect with a geometry system of similar capabilities. Weight and axle spacing of track geometry vehicles should be taken into consideration for potential use in detecting changes in bridge condition.

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Future work

Future work should be focused on developing reliable procedures f o r p r o c e s s i n g t h e d a t a . Fo r implementation, railroads would need to establish databases for their bridges and then begin establishing baselines for the onboard data. New data would

The authors acknowledge members of the railroad bridge community for contributing general and specific concepts towards this effort: Gordon Davids and Ken Wammel (retired FRA), Professor Gary Fry (Texas A&M University) and Steve Millsap (retired BNSF). The authors also acknowledge the assistance of Anne Gill and Byron Burns of BNSF. Thanks to Luis Maal and Hugh Thompson of the FRA for making two www.rtands.com

TTCI R&D of their cars available for this testing.

References

1. Zhang, Y.J., Rusk, K. and Clouse, A. L., (2012). “Decades of Automated Track I n s p e c t i o n S u c c e s s a n d S t r at e g y f o r Tomorrow,” Proc. AREMA 2012 Annual Conference, Chicago, Ill. 2. Otter, D. and Joy, R. February 2013.

“Feasibility of Detecting Weak Br idge Stringers Using Onboard Systems.” Technology Digest TD-13-003, Association of American Railroads/Transportation Technology Center, Inc., Pueblo, Colo.

3. Otter, D. and Joy, R. Januar y 2014.

“Onboard Condition Assessment of Bridges using the Track Loading Vehicle,” Railway Track & Structures, pp. 14-17, Chicago, Ill. 4. Rakoczy, A. and D., Otter. Februar y 2015. “Bridge Condition Evaluation Using Track Geometr y Systems.” Technolog y Digest TD-15-007, Association of American Railroads/Transportation Technology Center, Inc., Pueblo, Colo.

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Brandt’s RTB 130 High-Rail Backhoe.

Suppliers offer various methods to keep track in good working condition because there is no ”one way” to maintain ballast correctly.

by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor

maintaining healthy ballast through consistent

maintenance and upkeep

B

allast performs a multitude of duties including keeping track tight and maintaining proper drainage. The “rocks” may be tiny, but their importance is colossal, which is why suppliers are constantly updating their machines and researching new and improved ways to help customers reach their maintenance goals.

Brandt

Brandt Road Rail Corporation has developed a new highperformance RTB 130 High Rail Backhoe, which is based on the John Deere 710K back hoe chassis.

“Its specialty is spot undercutting among many other tasks like tie, crossing, roadbed and ditch maintenance,” explained Shaun Gettis, sales manager. “It has the power to do the job quickly and efficiently with 130 horse power and more than 50 gallons per minute hydraulic capacity. The Brandt Rail Tool is still the big unit for higher production undercutting.

The Rail Tool also allows for ballast and other track material cars to be pulled to the work site with its unique rail gear and locomotive air braking system.” www.rtands.com

The RTB 130 is the company’s latest addition to the rail market and Brandt says it provides first in class versatility with its ability to get on and off the track quickly at any location and quick ease when switching attachments. Its hydraulically suspended rail gear and clamps are designed to provide safety when working and traveling. “[Customers] have been looking for more versatile machines to get to site quickly, high productive operation, reliable performance and ease of use, while keeping safety as a priority,” Gettis noted.

BTE

Ballast Tools Equipment has expanded its line of tamper attachments to work with all BTE hi-rail excavators and backhoes. Single and double-motor tampers are available for the BTE-450F and BTE-420F hi-rail backhoes, while a fourmotor tamper is now offered for BTE-312E hi-rail excavators, as well as the rest of the BTE excavator fleet.

“BTE’s hi-rail tamper machines can easily access spots where regular production tampers cannot productively Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 21

ballast maintenance

s q u e e z e a n d c o m p a c t b a l l a s t ,” explained Matt Weyand, sales engineer for BTE “Our excavators and backhoes can quickly jump on and off the rails, minimizing disruption to train traffic.

Contractors, section crews, shortline and Class 1 railroads can tamp a spot quickly and also be assured that safety comes first. Workers will no longer have to go out onto the track and remove or tamp ballast by hand. BTE tampers can hit all the most challenging areas on the track, gaining better compaction of the ballast while keeping guys on the job safe.

“BTE customer s have also requested a way to tamp up the hard-to-reach areas in switches and diamonds. These areas typically cannot be accessed by a production tamper and, most of the time, are tamped by hand or not tamped at all. With the tamper attachments manufactured

by BTE, our customers can rapidly line up all approaches and angles

22 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

of the switch or diamond, tamp the required spot from on-rail or offrail and quickly get out of the way to prevent traffic delays or maintenance of way (MOW) equipment-gridlock.

This returns track to full service faster and reduces the amount of time that MOW equipment needs to be on the track, allowing our customers to keep switches and diamonds well maintained, making the most of production time and decreasing impact to train traffic.”

Dymax

Dymax Inc. says its product line of ballast maintenance tools continues to expand and improve as it gets ready to release a new generation of Ballast Blaster™ undercutters for excavators this year.

“These new models will feature the addition of a bearing carrier armor guard, improved rotational design and a new chain, designed for longer life

and greater productivity. Also improved is the patent-pending automatic hydraulic chain tension system, which allows operation without stopping to manually tighten the chain,” explained Scott Balderson, president and chief executive officer.

In response to requests from customers, Dymax says it continues to make improvements and add to its Ballast Tamper product line, as well.

The new addition is a single motor tamper for g rapple tr ucks. The company also recently introduced a new single-motor tamper for backhoes and excavators that is capable of tamping on either side of the rail simultaneously, which reduces tamping times. It also features a rebuildable motor, which Dymax says directly leads to lower maintenance costs.

With a 360-degree rotation, the Dymax single motor, two-motor and four-motor tampers are designed for productivity, whether the machine is

www.rtands.com

ballast maintenance

GREX’s Aurora/BallastSaver viewer.

Upper left corner - Aurora data, top view of track. Upper right corner – BallastSaver point cloud. Lower left corner – Scene camera. Lower right corner – 3D image of tie.

on rail or off.

Another new product is the Dymax RailRider MP series of machine carts.

Available for eight-, 12- and 20-ton excavator models, the carts enable standard f actor y issue machines to operate in hi-rail mode without any modifications to the excavator.

Propelled by the excavator’s hydraulic

24 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

system, operators can work from the rail or drive off the cart and perform work in the right-of-way, under bridges or any other area not accessible from the rail.

GREX

Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX) says it understands the significant role ballast plays in

the track structure and is continually improving its products and services to better serve the industry’s needs.

According to the company, this is why the research and development department at GREX has made strategic advancements for the DumpTrain ®, the original aggregate delivery-via-belt system, as well as Solaris®/GateSync® and BallastSaver® services.

G R E X s ay s t h at D u m p Tr a i n a d va n c e m e n t s h ave f o c u s e d o n perfecting the latest DumpTrain for Curves® (DTfC). “ T h e s u c c e s s o f D u m p Tr a i n over the past two decades is due to its reliability and ability to deliver ballast when it’s vital,” explained the

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ballast maintenance

Loram’s Shoulder Ballast Cleaner in Hamel, Minn.

company. “The role the DumpTrain plays demands a level of dependability that few pieces of equipment can hold up to. In emergency situations when tracks are out of service, railroads entrust DumpTrain to get the job done. To build upon its reputation, the latest DTfC design endured rigorous field testing including more

26 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

than 75 consecutive unloadings for a Class 1 railroad on a major capacity expansion project.”

The Solaris/GateSync program has seen improvements in software, as well as integration with BallastSaver.

Solaris kits convert manual ballast gates to a wireless remote-controlled system, while the GateSync automates the

unloading of cars at speeds of 10 mph with no ground personnel required.

The company says that customers are gravitating more and more towards these products and services in their quest to adopt technology into ballast inspection, prioritization and delivery.

GREX engineers have advanced the patented BallastSaver LiDAR ballast inspection system’s capabilities to fully exploit the data stream for information valuable to railroads. BallastSaver identifies a track’s ballast deficiency while traveling at 30 mph. GREX says its latest enhancements provide railroads with the ability to detect encroachments to their clearance envelope, as well as pinpoint the volume and location of excess material. These features help determine where ballast needs to be regulated and identify the exact location

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ballast maintenance

The Automated Conveyor Train from Herzog Railroad Services, Inc., is capable of unloading in up to a 13-degree curve.

Aurora crosstie online viewer. Railroads now have access to their tie and ballast condition in a 3-D digital environment where exact measurements are taken, exceptions verified and decisions made.”

Herzog of debris and vegetation fouling the track. Analyzing recent ballast deficiency data over several thousand miles shows a ballast savings of more than 20 percent, GREX notes, assuming the railroad was going to dump two cars per mile.

BallastSaver has also been incorporated into GREX’s Aurora® Tie

28 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

Inspection System.

“The two offer customers a total picture of crosstie and ballast needs while scanning simultaneously from one hi-rail truck,” the company said.

“The final melding of these systems happened when the BallastSaver data display was incorporated into the

In 2015, Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. (HRSI), finalized the plans and finished building the first half of its new Automated Conveyor Train (A.C.T.).

“We are confident this new product offering will exceed our customer’s expectations and offer an alternative the industry has needed for quite some time,” said Tim Francis, vice president of marketing.

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ballast maintenance

The A.C.T. is built with a single belt under each of the individual 30 cars. At the end of the car, the material is transferred up an incline belt and discharged into a hopper at the end of the next car. This allows the unloading of material in a curve of up to 13 degrees with a super elevation of up to five inches.

The unit’s cars have a carrying capacity of almost 100 tons each and can be unloaded in just shy of three minutes per car at up to 2,000 tons per hour, Francis notes. The cars are also capable of carr ying multiple commodities simultaneously. The automation system allows the operator to select which car to unload and in what order, allowing for flexibility in the planning and execution of projects. The A.C.T. can unload material as fine as sand or as large as fiveinch +/- “B” stone.

“This project was started almost a decade ago, but due to technology limitations at the time, the A.C.T.

www.rtands.com

project was placed on hold until we could build it to the standard the industry required,” explained Francis.

“The technology has now caught up with the Herzog vision making this conveyor train a one-of-a-kind piece of equipment that proves our dedication to providing our customers with a product that serves an essential need.”

Knox Kershaw

Knox Kershaw Inc. has expanded its service department to include extra service personnel to expand its onsite training services and maintenance/ repair of equipment, both domestically and internationally.

“An expansion to the manufacturing facility has also just been completed to accommodate ser vice work for machines that customers do not have time to complete, from general maintenance to complete overhauls,” explained George Pugh, vice president of operations.

Loram

Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., has introduced two new ballast products this year, the Shoulder Ballast Cleaner - SBC2400 and the Undercutter - UC1200.

“The SBC 2400 is the world’s most productive shoulder ballast cleaner,” said Scott Diercks, director marketing and business development. “This machine has the ability to process more material within a shorter track window, allowing customers to lower unit cost and cover more of their system. This machine includes enhanced machine a u t o m a t i o n ; t h e r e b y, r e d u c i n g labor needs and improving safety by eliminating ground personnel. Loram’s design includes additional automation to ease the operation and enhance the safety to accommodate the higher operating speed.”

The UC 1200 utilizes wheel technology minimizing tie disruption, offers dual material discharge

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 29

ballast maintenance

NMC Railway Systems’ CHX20E Hi-Rail Excavator with 10-foot undercutter bar and Rototilt system.

capabilities and provides self-supporting cut in.

Loram says its customers continue to spotlight speed, performance and reliability when asking for equipment and services and that railroads continue to pursue advancements in machine performance that will optimize productivity.

“Productivity gains allow our customers to complete more work during a season and reduce costs,” explained Diercks.

“In addition, new technologies are beginning to enter the market that assist with assessing and planning work needs.

These tools allow our customers to use their budgets in the most effective and efficient manner.”

He says that railroads continue to see long-term sustainable benefits through increased budgets for ballast maintenance activities and that customers are working to maintain their ballast section in a preventative maintenance mode.

“Strategically, this allows our customers to cover more of their system rather than only focusing on problematic areas,” he noted. “In addition, it lowers overall costs, increases traffic throughput and provides more return on their investment.”

The company has seen a trend of coordinating equipment with system work gangs during major track outages and says utilizing work blocks in this fashion allows it to provide optimal production and reduce lower overall cost for the customer.

Loram continues to expand its fleet of Railvacs and Shoulder Ballast Cleaners. Customers use the Railvac for specialty ballast evacuation in areas of tight clearances, such as ballast deck bridges, switch winterization, tunnels and on transit properties.

Loram says the Railvac is designed to work on tough Class 1 railroad conditions, but flexible enough to accommodate transit and commuter railroads. It is designed to apply 5,000 pounds of force, coupled with a rotating nozzle to break up tough material. The machine also features remote joystick controls and nozzle flexibility to make quick work of hard-toreach track structures.

Miner Enterprises

“Over the past year, Miner Enterprises, Inc., has improved the internal electronics of all the aggregate systems, including the stand alone system,” said Chris Gaydos, manager mechanical engineering. “The electric stand alone AggreGate® enables 30 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

independent operation of the car from anywhere within a ballast train, eliminating the need for grouping manual and automatic cars. The state-of-the-art electronics promises improved reliability, longevity and performance.”

Gaydos says the company has simplified the application of the aggregate systems and has made these changes to help car builders and car shops streamline the applications and reduce labor costs.

During the past year, Miner has supplied AggreGates to two Class 1 railroads for new cars and car conversions. In addition, Miner continues to supply various models for other car conversions and ballast car upgrades. The company is currently building the stand alone electric AggreGates for some car conversion programs, as well as manual AggreGate to South America. Miner AggreGate is available in pry bar manual, push button, or remote control operations using pneumatic or electric power to operate the gates.

NMC Railway Systems

NMC Railway Systems says it is continually looking for ways to innovate and build products better in order to ensure the needs of the railroads and rail contractors are met.

This year, NMC Railway Systems launched the CSL30K Swingloader, which is designed with friction drive hi-rail gear and a 180-degree swing boom for maximum on-rail productivity, allowing operators to move ballast, thread rail and maintain track lines.

“Last year, we saw an increase in the need for larger model excavators with hi-rail gear,” mentioned Mark Anderson, sales manager. “That led to the production of the CHX20E Hi-Rail Excavator, the 20-ton capacity excavator can run a 10-foot undercutter bar. The undercutter bar has the ability to tackle tight spot work, allowing for shorter project completion times during open track windows.”

The NMC Railway Systems hi-rail product line is designed for ease in accessing remote track lines for spot ballast maintenance work and other maintenance functions, such as vegetation management, tie tamping and tie handling.

NMC Railway Systems says demand for multi-use equipment is increasing and this past year, the company introduced the NMC Railway Systems CBL30K Hi-rail Backhoe to help combat ballast projects. This machine can operate as a one-man-gang when coupled with a Rototilt to run a variety of attachments, including a six-foot undercutter bar, two-motor tamper and tie inserter.

“We’re focused on adding equipment to our hi-rail product line to help railroads increase productivity and lessen track downtime for maintenance work. Products developed with hi-rail gear deliver customized solutions that allow rail maintenance operations to work efficiently on- and off-track with multiple attachment functionality.”

NMC Railway Systems notes that track windows for maintenance-of-way projects can very, while the demand for equipment that can combat spot work with one multiwww.rtands.com

ballast maintenance

Nordco says its RoadReady ballast regulator is road-legal, which helps maximize equipment utilization without tying up track for equipment transport.

functional machine is increasing.

To help this issue, NMC Railway Systems’ hi-rail product line is designed to exit any non-crossing location to make way for oncoming train traffic, allowing for full utilization of track-lines to ensure track traffic continues.

Nordco

Following extensive development and testing, Nordco has recently launched the RoadReady™ surfacing team, which consists of a production switch tamper (RST-1000) and a production ballast regulator (RBR-1000.) Both machines feature industry comparable production rates with an emphasis on mobility.

The RoadReady set is road-legal when towed down the highways, avoiding the need for over dimensional or overweight permits. This enables customers to move the machines over the highways day, night, holidays and weekends to the worksites, maximizing equipment utilization without occupying servicecritical train paths.

“Our customers have struggled with how to complete track maintenance activities while track occupation windows continue to shrink,” explained Brian Cumbridge, surfacing product 32 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

manger. “With customer service and system velocity at the forefront of our customer’s minds, Nordco has responded with the RoadReady surfacing team.”

Nordco also offers a line of railbound ballast regulators and switch tampers. The M7 regulator offers ballast moving capabilities and its HSTX offers a pup tamping solution for those customers who want to chase tamp and do not require track lifting or lining capabilities.

Plasser American

Plasser Amer ican Cor p. says it understands the impor tance of maintaining ballast to achieve long lasting quality track and that processes required to do this include ballast undercutting/cleaning, shoulder cleaning, sub-grade renewal and ballast management. Plasser notes that it works continually with its customers to supply them with the tools required to achieve this.

“Clean ballast is extremely important to maintain long-lasting track geometry,” said the company.

“Scheduled ballast undercuttingcleaning to create proper drainage and removing fouled material from the track is the first step to long lasting track. It has been proven that ballast cleaning will increase the time between tamping maintenance cycles resulting in cost savings in maintenance with less traffic interruptions due to a reduction

in work windows.”

Plasser says that the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) has been using ballast undercutting as part of their normal maintenance cycle to improve overall track quality, which has resulted in extending its maintenance cycles.

Plasser supplies ballast cleaning machines, such as the RM80, which can undercut and clean for plain track, and switches, as well as high-capacity double shaker screening unit machines, such as the RM2003 dual shaker undercutter-cleaner and the RM802 high-speed undercutter-cleaner, which work with pre-dumped ballast, and the FRM802 shoulder cleaner and the URM700 switch/shoulder/spot undercutter cleaner.

“The Plasser RM80, which can undercut and clean plain track, as well as switches is a perfect machine to address all undercutting needs,” the company noted. “It is an idea for railroads and contractors to own and operate.”

The contaminated mater ial is removed from under the track by an excavation chain held by a solid cutter bar resulting in a flat excavation surface with no dips or low spots. The material is then deposited in a three level screening unit to be cleaned, separating the good clean ballast from the waste.

The cleaned rock is returned back to the track directly behind the cutter bar, while the track is still being lifted, thus reducing the number of tamping passes required to bring the track back to final www.rtands.com

ballast maintenance

Top and bottom: Graphs from ÖBB showing how the track quality deterioration has been reduced over time by ballast cleaning.

Courtesy of Plasser American Corp.

grade. The machine utilizes a lifting and lining clamp to lift and hold the track at a fixed height, maintaining a constant cutting surface. The clamp also is capable of ling lining track to assist in working around fixed points. A rear liner holds the track alignment to the desired location. The waste material is either discharged on the ground away from the track or loaded into MFS conveyor hopper cars.

For undercutting switches, extensions can be added to the cutter bar to increase the excavation width up to 25 feet.

Progress Rail

For more than 70 years, Progress Rail Services Corporation’s Maintenance o f Wa y ( M OW ) D i v i s i o n h a s produced equipment for improving and maintaining Class 1, transit and shortline railroads around the globe.

“As part of our MOW Division, Kershaw has been on the forefront of MOW technology and has remained there since 1945, when it introduced the first ballast regulator,” Progress Rail notes. “Since then, the company has enhanced that technology to offer three ballast regulator models engineered for speed, power, efficiency and performance, including the Kershaw 4600, Kershaw 46-2 and Kershaw 46-6 Ballast Regulator models.

The Kershaw 4600 Ballast Regulator has a one pass transfer plow, 36-inch wide reversible wings and a broom attachment for ballast shaping, shoulder profiling, ballast sweeping and a variety of other track maintenance operations.

The Kershaw 4600 comes equipped with a Cat® C7 engine, rated at 250 horsepower for reliable performance.

RCE

In 2015, Rail Construction Equipment Company focused on expanding the Railavator product line to feature smaller and larger models. Part of this expansion included making www.rtands.com

more undercutter bar sizes available to enhance the use of the excavator undercutting process. RCE can now supply the 75G, 85G, 135G, 245G, 250G and 350G excavators with undercutter bars ranging from nine feet to 15 feet in size.

By increasing these options, RCE customers can perform undercutting with all the RCE models of hi-rail or standard excavators. The larger machine will have more hydraulic power to perform more efficiently in hard conditions and the longer bar will be

beneficial for switch under cutting.

“RCE’s Railavator is a highly versatile option that can be used in many maintenance applications,” noted Dennis Hanke, sales manager.

“Whether it is under cutting, pulling rail, cutting brush, craning, tamping ties or just digging and trenching, the Railavator is a platform to do it all.”

RCE says it continues to offer all of its track maintenance equipment either for sale, lease or rental, giving the customer the option of how they can outfit projects with RCE’s equipment.

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 33

ROLAND GERNERT

An agreement between CSX and L&I strikes a mutually beneficial cord designed to bring growth and capacity to both railroads.

by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

South Wind could bring

gales of success W

hat is the true value of $100 million? Based on an agreement between the Louisville & Indiana Railroad (L&I), a subsidiary of Anacostia Rail Holdings, and CSX, that amount of money will pay for tangible improvements, such as the installation of new continuouswelded rail (CWR), ballast, track and bridge work. It will also grant CSX added capacity along a route where it is needed; L&I will gain the ability to host industry standard carloads and rail customers, both current and future, will increase their competitiveness by gaining access to new markets. That money isn’t solely the price tag of infrastructure improvements; it’s an investment in growth.

CSX needed a solution to a capacity crunched mainline between Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati, Ohio, which hosted grades and curvature that constrained train lengths, tonnages and operating speeds.

L&I owns the most direct 106-mile corridor between Louisville and Indianapolis, Ind., but its infrastructure is primarily composed of 130-lb. jointed rail that was stamped in the 1930s, laid on limestone ballast. Additionally, rail in some sidings, the longest of which is 5,200 feet, dates back earlier than the 1930s and the slope of the ballast line has sharply inclined in some areas over the years in an effort to keep ballast under the jointed rail. The maximum authorized speed is 25 mph 34 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

and 263k is the maximum carload capacity along the majority of the railroad.

John Goldman, L&I president, explains that outside of the rail condition, the Flat Rock River Bridge, near Columbus, Ind., that was built in the early 1890s does not rate for modern-day capacity and is a significant factor in prohibiting L&I from running 286k cars.

“The biggest impact to some of our existing customers, as well as future customers, is the inability of the infrastructure to support the heavier 286K carloads. Often times, we have heard from one of our customers (primarily grain, steel or plastics) that they would like to reach new markets, but in order to do so they must ship with more product per car or that they would like to receive product from another shipper but, once again, they must be shipped from origin with the heavier loading. Once the upgrade is complete, we will be in line with the industry standards and we can facilitate our customer’s growth,” said Goldman.

The nuts and bolts of the agreement between L&I and CSX, which was approved by the Surface Transportation Board in April 2015 and finalized between the two railroads in June 2015, grants CSX a permanent easement to operate over the L&I’s corridor. The agreement called for CSX to pay $10 million for the initial easement purchase and the two railwww.rtands.com

L&I, CSX: South wind

CURRENT AND OPPOSITE PAGE: Contractors working to lay some of the 20 miles of CWR that was installed in 2015 along L&I’s southern corridor.

Louisville & Indiana

roads would work on $90 million in privately funded upgrades along the corridor in a project dubbed South Wind.

“This partnership allows CSX to better expedite certain lanes of traffic, as well as reduce congestion in some of its other corridors. In return, L&I receives a new infrastructure, which will facilitate its organic growth,” said Goldman.

Under the agreement, all current L&I customers will remain and any future rail customer whose siding switch touches L&I mainline will be an L&I customer.

Planned upgrades

Work for South Wind began last year with the installation of 20 miles of CWR, 38 crossing replacements, replacement of approximately 10,700 ties between Austin, Ind., and Seymour, Ind., and embankment work.

L&I says the plan for 2016 is to install 29 miles of CWR, approximately 17,500 ties and replace approximately 55 grade crossings. Once this work is complete, the southern half of the L&I corridor between Seymour and Jeffersonville will have been upgraded to 136-lb. CWR. TranSystems is managing the project with the actual work being performed by contractors (embankment-RL Vuckson Excavating; track installation-R.J. Corman) and, according to Goldman, it’s all occurring “under the close watchful eye” of L&I’s Roadmaster James Connolly.

Goldman points out that RL Vuckson Excavating is based out of Scottsburg, Ind., which is significant because he says L&I is an Indiana-based company and as part of the upgrade, L&I is making a concerted effort to utilize as many Indiana resources as possible, from the contractors to Indiana-made rail.

Goldman says the replacement of the Flat Rock River Bridge in Columbus, Ind., to be performed by Joseph B. Fay Company, will be the primary focus in 2017. He says any funding available in 2017 beyond that bridge cost will go to rail installation. Starting in 2018, the main focus will go back to the purchase and installation of rail along with the necessary embankment work.

“So far, there really haven’t been any significant maintenance or engineering challenges. The 2015 segment of the upgrade detailed the most severe embankment work but we were able to get through this with very little challenge due to the coordination between all parties involved,” said Goldman.

He does anticipate one challenge in 2017 when it comes time to replace the Flat Rock River Bridge. Specifically surrounding the planned four-day outage to remove the old bridge and slide in the new one.

L&I and CSX have said the work along the entire corridor will take several years to complete, but overall economic health and revenues could help or hinder the progress of the project.

L&I also has capital work it is pursuing separate from the South Wind project, such as the significant improvements being performed on the mile-long Ohio River Bridge.

Goldman explains that the Pennsylvania Railroad built the Ohio River Bridge in 1917 and, while structurally the bridge is in good shape, the lift span portion is receiving some much needed attention. www.rtands.com

“Starting in 2014, we began what we call the ‘Clagg Reliability’ project with the purpose being just what the name says: to make the lift span portion of the bridge more reliable and reduce the opportunities for failures in the future. The work that has been done so far has revolved around upgrading the electrical service supply, installing new gear motors, brakes and couplings. In 2015, we also replaced the operating ropes, operating rope take-up rods and main pinion shaft assemblies. Modjeski & Masters also developed an operating and maintenance manual, as well as provided training classes for the maintenance personnel and bridge operators. In 2016, we will replace operating drum assemblies and transition into an aggressive 10-year plan to proactively address some other minor issues,” said Goldman.

Ensuring safety

Prior to the agreement that brought the start of the South Wind project, L&I carried two to seven trains along various sections of its line. With the agreement in affect, CSX could re-route 13 to 15 trains a day from its capacity strained Louisville to Cincinnati route. Once upgrades to L&I infrastructure are complete, trains up to 10,000 feet long will be traveling at speeds up to 49 mph along the route. The increased traffic and amount of work occurring on the corridor requires a dedicated effort to ensure safety of the community and track workers.

“There are a variety of existing tools that are being used to enhance safety. For the train and engine employees, they are notified via bulletins at the beginning of their tour of duty as to where construction activity is taking place, as well as what types of things to look out for,” said Goldman. “The various contractors we have in place have been qualified on our rules, receive safety audits from not only L&I supervisors, but from a qualified person employed by the project manager.”

Peter Gilbertson, president and chief executive officer of Anacostia Rail Holdings, added, “Throughout the work process and upon completion of various phases, the quality of work and safety processes are audited to ensure that the project is being completed safely and in a manner that will provide the intended results.”

From a community standpoint, each upgraded crossing on the L&I corridor will receive standard 136-lb. CWR. Additionally, L&I is providing a new surface and motion sensors Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 35

L&I, CSX: SOuth Wind

“Once the upgrade is complete, we will be in line with the industry standards and we can facilitate our customer’s growth.”

at each of these upgraded crossings to ensure proper protection activation notification to the public once the train’s speeds increase.

“Prior to increasing speed and/or traffic volume there will also be notification sent to the public of the affected areas via various news outlets such as newspapers, radio, television, social media, as well as signs posted at each of the crossings,” said Goldman. “As it relates to state funding, L&I has secured the services of a third party, Barringer Rail Safety Group, to work with the railroad and the communities that we operate through to identify the opportunity for crossing enhancements, closures, as well as provide information and assist with securing the appropriate funding mechanisms to support these proposals.”

Another safety and operation upgrade to occur was the upgrade of the L&I dispatching system. L&I maintains dispatching duties for the corridor and retains control of the Ohio River Bridge. Goldman says that effective November 13, 2015, L&I moved the dispatching into a new building that houses a computer-based dispatching system that provides visibility with CSX systems.

Returning to the question posed at the beginning of this story about what the true value of a given dollar amount may

36 Railway Track & Structures

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–John Goldman, L&I be. Perhaps it is not the number that holds the true value, but the trust and partnership involved in making a significant investment, such as South Wind, possible.

L.L. Ratcliffe, assistant vice president network and capacity planning at CSX, said of the project, “South Wind has been a major undertaking requiring substantial planning, coordination and communication–not only between our two railroads, but among many engineering, legal, environmental, community, state and regulatory organizations. Despite pressure and deadlines, L&I has been an exceptional and responsible shortline partner.

“CSX is glad to be working with L&I on the South Wind venture and we look forward to a continued and positive partnership for many years to come.”

www.rtands.com

NRC 2016 recap:

capex, safety and more

2015 NRC/RT&S/Commercial Insurance Associates safety award winners.

The 2016 National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Annual Conference may not have been as sunny, but it was still a rousing success.

by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

A

ll records are broken or beat at some point. The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Annual Conference was a record breaker in more ways than one. The January 6-9 event location, San Diego, Calif., did not live up to its sunny reputation at least for the first day and a half of the conference. It was a reminder to attendees that good weather is almost guaranteed at an NRC Conference...almost. Despite the somewhat soggy start, attendees still had plenty to see and learn between the exhibits and presentations.

“We were again honored to have a speaker line-up of top Class 1 and shortline railroad engineering executives, in addition to leaders from major rail transit agencies and state [departments of transportation] throughout the country,” said Chuck Baker, president of the NRC. “Combine that with a world-class resort, a warm-weather location in early January and some time for networking www.rtands.com

and we’re pretty comfortable with our ongoing recipe for success.”

That recipe for success brought more than 1,200 registrants and more than 140 exhibitors to the conference; both of which are new records.

Speakers from North America’s Class 1 railroads, shortlines and transit systems detailed the upcoming year’s capital spending programs, as well as outlined contracting opportunities available on their properties. While overall capital budgets are down in 2016, speakers remained upbeat about the various projects and scheduled maintenance work set to occur in the next year.

Following the opening reception in the exhibit hall, the general session kicked off with Kevin Hicks of Union Pacific outlining the Class 1’s capital program for the year. Rob Castiglione with the Federal Railroad Administration followed with an informative overview of the Minimum

Training Standards Rule Update.

Castiglione also led a seminar at the conference on the topic of minimum training standards and what the training requirements for all railroad employees and contractor s who perform safety related work will be.

Jim Linthicum with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) described, what he called, a “large by SANDAG standards” capital plan that includes continued work on 24 projects with the ultimate goal of double tracking the entire 351mile Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor.

Keith Har twell, president of Chambers, Conlon & Hartwell, LLC, wrapped up the first morning session with a rail legislation update. Hartwell had his work cut out for him given the flurry of Congressional action at the end of 2015.

After some dedicated time for the exhibits, Kr istine Stor m of Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 39

NRC in san diego

Genesee & Wyoming (G&W) offered the conference’s fir st shor tline presentation. Storm mentioned G&W’s incidents at crossings have improved 32 percent between 2007 and 2014.

John Zuspan then gave a preview of the 19th and 20th installment of the NRD Safety DVD series, “The Job Briefing” and “Highlights from 10 Years of NRC Safety Videos.”

Tod Echler of CSX held the

40 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

room’s rapt attention with a duo of videos giving attendees a locomotive’s outward f acing camera view as incidents unfold at two grade-crossings in a bid to stress the need to remain vigilant when it comes to safety.

Conference goer s then heard updates on California rail projects from Caltrans and Los Angeles Metro.

The first day wrapped up with Brian Lindamood holding duel roles

LEFT: Dennis Riggs accepts his 2015 Field Employee of the Year Award.

RIGHT: Larry Laurello speaks about his father, Larry Sr., during the NRC Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

in his presentation as director – capital projects with the Alaska Railroad and chairman of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association Board of Governors.

Day two of the conference began with Norfolk Southern’s estimated 2016 capital program. NS was the first of two Class 1 railroads attendees heard presentations by during the day.

Canadian National’s planned capital program was also presented.

Day two also included the presentations from New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Watco Companies, as well as the recognition of the 2015 NRC/ RT&S/Commercial Insurance Associates Safety Awards; a full list of winners can be found on page 42.

The final day of the conference s aw p r e s e n t at i o n s f r o m B N S F, OmniTRAX and the Chicago area’s Metra. Additionally, Tony Hatch edified attendees with his assessment of current economic conditions and how they translate to the rail industry.

Two panels were also held. The first, “Transportation Legislation and Policy Priorities in the 114th Congress and Beyond,” consisted of congressional transportation staffers and Jeff Davis, senior fellow and editor of Eno Transportation Weekly, who discussed what transportation related issues www.rtands.com

NRC in san diego Washington, D.C., will be dealing with during the immediate future.

The second panel involved representatives from the Denver Regional Transportation District and Phoenix Valley Metro discussing their upcoming capital plans and what opportunities their transit agencies may have for NRC member companies.

The fourth annual special awards were presented on the last day of the conference and recognized the 2015 Field Employee of the Year, which was awarded to Dennis Riggs, general superintendent with Railroad Construction Company of South Jersey and a man described as the backbone of the company.

2015 NRC/RT&S/Commercial Insurance Associates Safety Awards platinum Winners - Score of 100 out of 100 points American Track Generations; Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc.; Delta Railroad Construction; Fay, and I+IconUSA Company; Fritz-Rumer-Cooke; Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.; HD Machines, LLC; Herzog Contracting Corp.; Herzog Services Inc.; K.W. Reese Inc.; Kenny Construction Company; Kraemer North American, LLC; L.K. Comstock National Transit Inc.; Lone Star Railroad Contractors; MEC - Mass. Electric Construction Company; Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC; PNR RailWorks; Railroad Constructors Inc.; RailWorks Track Services; RailWorks Track Systems Inc.; Rhinehart Railroad Construction Inc.; Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.; TRAM Construction; US Trackworks LLC Gold Winners - Score of 80-99 points American Rail Marketing LLC; Ames Construction; Armond Cassil Railroad Constructors; Capital Railroad Contracting; Clayton Railroad Construction, LLC; Coleman Industrial Construction; CR Construction Company; Crafton Railroad Company; Delta Railroad Construction; East Coast Railroad Services; Fritz-Rumer-Cooke; Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.; GW Peoples Contracting; HAFCO Services; Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.; K.W. Reese; Moran Environmental; Queen City Railroad; R&R Contracting; Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey; Railroad Construction Company; Railroad Constructors; RailWorks Track Services; RJ Corman Railroad Group; Tranco Industrial Services Silver Winners - Score of 70-79 points Armond Cassil Railroad Constructors; Coleman Industrial Construction; Omega Rail Services, Inc.; Frontier Railroad Services; Queen City Railroad; Universal Rail Systems

2015 NRC special Awards 2015 Field Employee of the Year Award Dennis Riggs, General Superintendent, Railroad Construction Company of South Jersey 2015 Rail Construction Project of the Year Award Port of Long Beach, Pier E; Herzog/Reyes, a Joint Venture 2015 NRC Hall of Fame Inductee Cosmo Lawrence “Larry Sr.” Laurello, Delta Railroad Construction

42 Railway Track & Structures

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“Dennis’ unparalleled knowledge of the industry, his commitment to his customers and his dedication to safety are among many attributes that make for an outstanding NRC Field Employee of the Year,” the NRC said of Riggs’ selection.

The 2015 Construction Project of the Year award went to Herzog/Reyes, a Joint Venture for its work at the Port of Long Beach, Pier E. Herzog Contracting Corp. is the managing joint venture partner, working with Reyes Construction on a project that is the centerpiece of the largest and most sophisticated automated marine terminal in the United States. Nearly eight miles of crane rail foundation and rail were installed, as well as drainage structures, utilities and filling an area of the harbor previously used for ship navigation. The project was completed within schedule and budget and there were zero “lost time” accidents within the 313,046 total man hours.

The NRC also inducted its fourth member into the NRC Hall of Fame: Cosmo Lawrence Laurello, the late president and chief executive officer of Delta Railroad Construction. Larry Sr. joins Phil Stout, Bill Herzog and Jim Daloisio in the Hall of Fame.

NRC said of Larr y Sr., “Delta became one of the country’s premier railroad contractors, well known for advancing the latest technology. Larry was a driving force at Delta, known for his ability to look at problems and find solutions that were good for the customer, the employees and the company...He was a humble man, unwilling to take credit or receive recognition for the many contributions he made to assist those in need. He committed his life to helping others, never asking for anything in return.”

The special award winners will be detailed in the May issue of Railway Track & Structures.

The next NRC event will be the annual NRC Railroad Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction on Thursday, April 14, 2016, in Lonoke, Ark., at 9 a.m. Blackmon Auctions will run the proceedings, as well as host the auction at is facility.

The next NRC Conference and NRC-REMSA Exhibition will return to the East Coast and take place January 8-11, 2017, in Boca Raton, Fla. www.rtands.com

AREMA NEWS AREMA 2016 Manual for Railway Engineering coming soon AREMA is pleased to announce the 2016 Manual for Railway Engineering. There are more than 40 new, revised and reaffirmed Parts.

Downloadable chapters can be purchased and downloaded from the AREMA online store.

The individual chapters will be available online when the Manual arrives in April.

Message from the President

Keeping safety culture current

Brian A. Lindamood, PE AREMA President 2015-2016

Our committees have worked diligently over the past year to update all four volumes of the Manual. Although “revision” sets will be available, there have been so many changes that you should consider purchasing the full 2016 Edition.

Don’t miss out. For questions or to order the 2016 Manual for Railway Engineering, please visit www.arema.org or email Morgan Bruins at mbruins@arema.org.

The Manual will be arriving in April, place your order today.

44 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

Spring is springing and we are all gearing up for summer programs.

This preparation includes the annual ritual of pulling equipment out of storage or heavy winter maintenance, moving materials out of inventory, recalling or hiring seasonal workers and training – training on rules, training on equipment, training for all facets of working on the railroad. Integral in this mobilization of people and equipment is a focus upon safety.

The old saying goes that the rulebook was written in blood, serving as a harbinger of past errors. Although we must always learn from our mistakes, we work around equipment often weighing more than 100 tons, using powerful tools for cutting, pulling, bending, welding, drilling, driving and manipulating large pieces of steel, wood and stone. It is simple to dismiss injuries as inherent to the work that we do, but that is an easy and overused excuse. It has been shown time and again that as we weave safety into our culture, injuries and incidents are reduced. Culture goes beyond the active reinforcement of safety (briefings, formal training), but to expectations and taking the safe course without even thinking about the alternatives.

What does this have to do with AREMA? Most people are aware of the Roadway Worker Safety seminars that AREMA provides.

AREMA also introduced a seminar developed around 49 CFR 213 for the training of track inspectors, partially funded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Representatives from railroad safety departments, contractors who consult on safety topics and training and FRA representatives are active members of many AREMA Technical Committees. This generally represents active reinforcement.

However, what we all see, but generally do not recognize, is that the culture of safety is integrally woven throughout the AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering and the Communications & Signals Manual. As engineers, we are held to high standards for protecting public safety and material we produce reflects this. “Factors of safety” are used in the analysis of railroad foundations and structures.

Tolerances are considered in recommendations to provide a margin of safety when factors outside the engineers control can affect the safe operation of track, facilities or structures. Further, when facilities, such as signals do have a failure, they revert back to the most restrictive state, or “fail-safe.”

Most practitioners using AREMA materials on a regular basis incorporate recommended practice and expect that safety has been considered in the material development. AREMA and our technical committees take this expectation very seriously and are constantly reviewing and developing methods and material to keep recommended practices relevant and consistent with current codes and regulations. Despite our exhaustive efforts, it is not possible to consider every possible context that AREMA material may be applied. It is up to the user to consider AREMA recommended practices in the context that they are provided and make allowances www.rtands.com

Upcoming Committee Meetings

March 15-16 Committee 37 - Signal Systems

Oakland, CA

April 18-19 Committee 34 - Scales

Atlanta, GA

March 16-17 Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems

Oakland, CA

May 24-25 Committee 15 - Steel Structures

Lancaster, PA

March 24

Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization

April 13-14 Committee 4 - Track

Philadelphia, PA Minneapolis, MN

May 26

Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures Philadelphia, PA

June 12-14 Committee 24 - Education & Training

Anchorage, AK

Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA Committee Meetings can be found online at http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.

for circumstances that may require more conservative approaches.

Much of the material AREMA provides includes some commentary for the user to consider in the application of the material. Although often overlooked, it should seem logical to be familiar with any commentary prior to the application of codes or recommended practices. The new 2016 edition of AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering will be released soon. As part of your safety focus, be sure that the parts of AREMA you have been using or incorporating by reference, still apply in the context that they are being applied.

Announcing the Watford Fellowship Apply now for the Watford Fellowship for a chance to attend a unique learning opportunity. The 2016 Fellowship will consist of two paid registrations to the 2016 Watford Conference to be held in the Scandinavian region of Europe in late October. Please visit www.aremafoundation.org for more information on the Watford Fellowship, educational benefits and how to apply for this opportunity. The deadline to apply is April 10, 2016.

Become a Mentor As the years pass, it becomes more vital to introduce and educate the next generation about the railroad industry. To aid in this cause, AREMA has developed a mentoring program to benefit the AREMA student members. We would like to extend an invitation to industry professionals to influence the next generation. As part of the mentoring program, you will be paired with a mentee who is an AREMA student member. The pairing will try to match student members with someone with experience in the areas of the railroad industry they are interested in. Please visit the AREMA website under Education & Training to become a mentor today.

FYI‌

The AREMA 2015 Annual C o nfe re n c e P ro c e e d i n g s a r e available to members on the AREMA website. The presentations are chronologically arranged within each day's session so that papers are easily searched. If you’re not a member, contact Morgan Bruins at mbruins@arema.org to purchase.

Call for entries for the 2016 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence.The selection process for the 18th W. W. Hay Award has begun.

Entries must be submitted by May 27, 2016. Please visit www.arema.org for more information.

Do you want to generate leads, promote a product and reach a target audience? Sign up for sponsorship of the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition.

Please contact Lindsay Hamilton at lhamilton@arema.org for more information on sponsorship investment opportunities.

Post your career opportunity now on AREMA's Railway Careers Network Target your recruiting and reach qualified candidates quickly and easily.

Use code LUCKY2016 for 15 percent off any job posting during the month of March. Start posting jobs today.

Not an AREMA Member?

Join today at www.arema.org

AREMA on social media... Stay up-to-date on the most recent AREMA information through all official social media outlets. Become a fan of the AREMA Facebook Page and join the AREMA LinkedIn Group.

www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 45

AREMA NEWS

Getting to know Beth Caruso This month, we are pleased to announce that we are featuring AREMA's Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Beth Caruso.

AREMA: What do you think you will bring to the CEO/executive director job that is different from your predecessors?

CARUSO: I will say that my predecessors have done a great job making AREMA what it is today. I want to build on that and I am happy that I will have the opportunity to continue to meet our members'/supporters' needs. Anyone in this type of position may have a different management style and a different way of doing things. I am just getting settled into my position, so the future will tell as to what I am able to bring. What I do know, is that I am going to work hard to make a difference. Something that has always been important to me is customer service. I want to be sure that we are delivering the highest level of service.

From the front line person at AREMA Headquar ters, to me, we ser ve our members/supporters. The job we do on a daily basis will make a difference if we are able to retain our current members and recruit new members.

AREMA: What are your goals for AREMA? CARUSO: Of course, our ultimate goal at AREMA will always be to fulfill our mission: The development and advancement of both technical and practical knowledge and recommended practices per taining to the design, construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure. My personal goals for AREMA are to continue to provide our members/supporters with what they need to do their jobs effectively. This might be opportunities to network with their colleagues, educational opportunities or to assist them with growing in their field of expertise. Our members/supporters are important to me and I’ve always said that we work for them. It is not just my goal, but my staff ’s goal to meet their needs, as well. My other goal is to continue to get the younger generation interested in the railway engineering field and continue to offer opportunities to our students so they can learn. Our scholarship program should continue to grow, as well as our student chapters, allowing students to become involved in AREMA and see what 46 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

Beth Caruso CAE, Executive Director, and Chief Executive Officer, AREMA the industry as a whole has to offer. This is an important task and one that our staff take very seriously. It was not that long ago when we never saw students at our events and within the past 10 years, it’s amazing to see the excitement and growth of our student members. Young people have different ideas and ways of doing things. If we just listen, we can learn from them, just as they can learn from us. Another goal is outreach to other associations, educational institutions, etc.

Everyone’s goal in the industry should be to have collaborative relationships and work together to make the railroad industry excel. With the help of our board of governors, functional group board of directors, our multitude of volunteers and our devoted staff, we will work hard to continue to grow AREMA. That is our main goal in the end: to keep growing as an association and an industry.

AREMA: You’ve been an AREMA team member for close to 16 years before your role changed to CEO/executive director.

How has this prepared you for the transition from team member to team leader?

CA R U S O : T h e h i s t o r y I h a v e accumulated these past 16 years has

been very helpful. I still can’t believe I’ve been here that long…time flies. The positions I held prior to my promotion were very beneficial. I have been able to develop relationships and work closely with executive management on various duties and projects. It has been a smooth transition. Also, working at AREMA so many years has helped cultivate close relationships with the AREMA staff and this is a plus in my transition. I know it sounds cliché, but we work well together and support each other. Through the years we have grown together and everyone I work with is important to me.

The AREMA staff has been nothing but supportive during my transition and I appreciate that very much. Wearing many hats and multi-tasking has also been important. There is a lot to be said about a small office. All of our staff has been blessed to wear many hats and thus, have a wide range of talents. All of us have been given projects that were not necessarily in our job description, but you just do it because the task at hand has to be completed. Having these opportunities to build new skills and learn something new is invaluable. Seeing projects and situations from various views has been www.rtands.com

significant and has helped me to continue to understand staff roles during the job transition. The other item that has been helpful is that I feel like I have a great rapport with a lot of our members/supporters. I feel very lucky; these relationships and friendships have always been important to me since I began my first position at AREMA in May of 1999. The support that I received when I was promoted was quite frankly, overwhelming. I want to thank everyone for their kind comments and well wishes.

The support that has been offered solidified the fact that I had met their needs over the years and even in my new position, I will have their support and can continue to assist and meet their needs. At the end of the day; that’s what it’s about, meeting people’s needs.

AREMA: Outside of your job and the hard work you put into AREMA, what are your hobbies?

CARUSO: I have a few hobbies that I enjoy when I am not on my children’s schedule. Before I had children…I told a co-worker that my children would be on my schedule. Of course, as I mentioned, this comment was before I had children. Until you have children, you don’t understand that you will actually be at their beck and call and in the end, be on their schedules. That was one of those putting your foot in your mouth situations. Of course, I would not have it any other way. My husband and I both live for our children; their needs come first. That’s the way my parents raised me and that’s how we are raising our children.

When I have time aside from my children’s dance classes, travel soccer tournaments and practice, school homework and projects, I enjoy running. My goal by next year is to run a half-marathon.

I probably shouldn’t mention this. Now that it’s out in the open, I have to do it. That’s the plan anyways. I also love to read and spend time with family and friends.

AREMA: Tell us about your family and any other interesting facts.

CARUSO: My family. I married my college sweetheart (22 years of marriage) and we have two children. As I mentioned, the children keep us busy. I also have some other family members – our pets. A German Shepherd named Lacey, Melvin and Boots are our male cats and our newest addition was a birthday present for my youngest: a female cat, Socks. These members of the family also keep me busy, but again, it’s worth it. If you know me well, you know that I love the state of North Carolina. I was born and raised there and one day (after I retire, many years from now), I hope to move back to the Carolinas. I am a true Tar Heel and home is still North Carolina, even though I’ve lived in Maryland almost as long as I lived in North Carolina. I am so happy that I have retained most of my southern accent. It’s even more apparent when I visit family and friends. I’m telling you that I could be the spokesperson for the whole state. I’m like a brochure when I talk about it. If you don’t like it by the time I’m finished, you would be ready to move as well.

AREMA: If there was one thing you’d like people to know about AREMA, what would it be?

CARUSO: I want people to know that AREMA is a great association. Our boards, volunteers and staff are behind it all the way. We have so many people that have been involved with this great association most of their lives. Everyone knows the history of several organizations merging to make AREMA in 1997.

AREMA now stands on its own, all of the rich history from all of www.rtands.com

the predecessor organizations is still here, the members are still here and the drive to accomplish AREMA’s mission is still here.

It’s just nice to sit back and think about how many people have been involved from the beginning. AREMA is moving forward into the future and we have a lot to look forward to. We are here to meet the needs of our members/supporters and that is one thing that won’t change. We are here to serve.

Railway Track & Structures

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48 Railway Track & Structures

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Dr. William w. hay award for excellence

AREMA Publications 2016 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices

©

©

Now available The Communications & Signals Manual is a manual of recommended practices written

by AREMA tech-nical committees in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety or efficiency and economy. The Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices is an annual publication released every October.

Downloadable Sections Available Online.

2015 Manual for Railway Engineering ©

2016 edition coming soon There have been numerous updates to more than 5,000 pages of the Manual for Railway Engineering.

The chapters are grouped into four general categories: • Track • Structures • Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems Management. The Manual is an annual publication, released every April. It is available in a multi-volume loose-leaf format, CD-ROM, revision set (loose-leaf only) and individual chapters (downloadable format).

Downloadable Chapters Available Online.

Reflections on a Half Century of Railway Engineering and Some Related Subjects ©

Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE To see a complete list of available publications and to order, please visit www.arema.org or contact Morgan Bruins at +1.301.459.3200, ext. 711, or mbruins@arema.org.

www.rtands.com

Call for entries

2014 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans 2016 Edition will be avilable june 2016 The Portfolio of Trackwork Plans consists of plans and specifications that relate to the design, details, materials and workmanship for switches, frogs, turnouts and crossovers, crossings, rails and other special trackwork.

This is a companion volume to the Manual for Railway Engineering.

AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook ©

The AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook provides a comprehensive source of information and criteria for bridge inspections for engineers engaged in the assessment of railway bridges. This handbook is published as a guide to establishing policies and practices relative to bridge inspection. It covers such topics as confined spaces, site conditions, loads & forces, nomenclature, bridge decks, timber, concrete & steel bridges, movable bridges, tunnel and culvert inspections, and emergency & postearthquake inspections. Also included are many color photographed examples in several chapters, as well as a glossary in the back of the book.

Practical Guide to Railway Engineering ©

This guide provides a comprehensive overview and understanding of the railway system.

Whether you are new to the rail industry or a long-time contributor wanting to learn more, this bound book and CD-ROM offer in-depth coverage of railway fundamentals and serve as an excellent reference. (Also available in a CD-ROM version only.)

The selection process for the eighteenth Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence has begun and this year’s chair, Michael W. Franke, a former student of Dr. Hay, has issued a call for entries.

The 2015 Hay Award went to Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway for their project, “The Tower 55 Multimodal Improvement Project.”

The purpose of the award is to honor innovative railway engineering procedures, projects and products and the individual(s) who have created and successfully applied them to the railroad industry. Criteria for winning the award are: • Innovation • Safety • Service performance and reliability Consideration is also given to the project’s objective, stated goals, costs and benefit achievement and the general advancement of the base of railway engineering knowledge.

Deadline for Entries: MAY 27, 2016 Please contact Stacy Spaulding at sspaulding@arema.org or +1.301.459.3200, ext. 706 or visit www.arema.org for more information.

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 49

CALENDAR APRIL 3-6. ASLRRA 2016 Connections Convention. Gaylord National Harbor. National Harbor, Md., (Washington, D.C.) Website: http://www.aslrra.org.

12-15. 2016 Joint Rail Conference. Columbia Marriott.

Columbia, S.C. Contact: Mary Jakubowski. Phone: 212591-7637. E-mail: jakubowskim@asme.org. Website: https://www.asme.org/events/joint-rail-conference/.

12-15. Track Safety Standards Part 213 Classes 1-5 Workshop. Council Bluffs, Iowa. Phone: 800228-9670. E-mail: studentservices@sb-reb.com.

Website: http://www.railwayeducationalbureau.com/ TrkInspWrkShp.html.

13-14. Fundamentals of Traction Power Systems and Overhead Contact Systems. Contact: Dave Peterson.

Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd.engr. wisc.edu. Website: https://epd.wisc.edu/courses/.

27-28. Light Rail 2016. Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. Philadelphia, Pa. Phone: 212-620-7208 and 212-620-7205. E-mail: conferences@sbpub.com.

Website: www.railwayage.com/lightrail.

MAY 3-5. Fundamentals of Rail Freight Terminals, Yards and Intermodal Facilities. Oak Lawn, Ill. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd. engr.wisc.edu. Website: https://epd.wisc.edu/courses/.

10. Western Railway Club Meeting. Union League Club of Chicago. Chicago, Ill. Phone: 847-877-1514.

E-mail: info@westernrailwayclub.com. Website: www. westernrailwayclub.com.

16-18. Railroad Bridge Inspection. Knoxville, Tenn.

Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Website: http://ctr.utk.edu/CTRrailcourses/index.html.

17. CWR and Thermal Forces Workshop. Madison, Wis. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd.engr.wisc.edu. Website: https://epd. wisc.edu/courses/.

18. Understanding and Complying with FRA 213 Track Safety Standards. Madison, Wis. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd. engr.wisc.edu. Website: https://epd.wisc.edu/courses/.

JUNE: 7-8. Rail Insights. Hotel Allegro. Chicago, Ill. Phone: 212620-7208 and 212-620-7205. E-mail: conferences@sbpub. com. Website: www.railwayage.com/railinsights.

28-30. RSSI 56th Annual C&S Exhibition. Gaylord Texan Resort. Grapevine, Texas. Contact: Mike Drudy.

E-mail: mike@rssi.org. Website: www.rssi.org. www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 51

PRODUCTS

Horizontal grinders

Stanley Hydraulic Tools, Inc., has revealed its latest in horizontal grinders with the HGL80 and HLG81. The two horizontal grinders feature a 12-percent weight reduction over earlier models and the tool’s redesigned handle with durable grip coating eliminates the hydraulic oil form the handle, improves tool balance and user comfort. The adjustable front handle improves ergonomics and the new trigger interlock increases durability and ease of use. The HLG80 long handle grinder is 23.35 inches long by 12 inches wide and weighs 13.6 pounds, while the HGL81 short handle grinder comes in a bit shorter at 19 inches long by 12 inches wide and is the same 13.6 pounds. Stanley backs all its HGLs with an 18-month factory warranty. Phone: 503-652-7266.

Software solutions

Siemens introduced RailFusion, a software solution that monitors and analyzes data points across an entire railroad’s infrastructure, including onboard and wayside assets, such as road crossings and end-of-train devices. The software provides operators insight into activity across an entire railway by remotely monitoring and capturing data from both Siemens and third-party devices located on the infrastructure.

Siemens believes that by inserting intelligence behind the captured data, the software can evolve to include predictive capabilities that will help railroads identify trends to better plan their operations and fix issues before they become a problem. RailFusion can interact with any devices or systems located on rail infrastructure including Positive Train Control (PTC). The software will offer operators the ability to monitor the health of a PTC network and the equipment providing services for the control system. The information gathered by the RailFusion system is securely transmitted in real-time and stored in a Siemens data center where the analytics and reporting will be performed. The software is currently being piloted in North America. Phone: +49 (69) 797 6660.

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Ad Index Company

Phone #

Auto Truck Group

Fax#

816-412-2131

Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc.

R. J. Corman Railroad Group

Danella Rental Systems, Inc.

888-250-5746

Encore Rail Systems, Inc. Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.

Harsco Rail

816-412-2191

eschoenfeld@autotruck.com

904-378-7298

info@bbri.com

26

859-885-7804

www.rjcorman.com

17

610-828-2260

pbarents@danella.com

41

866-712-7622

303-922-6178

www.encorers.com

43

512-869-1542 ext.5292

512-863-0405

bachman@georgetownrail.com

25

Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.

816-233-9002

Holland Co.

708-367-2987

38

800-611-7245

803-822-7521

mteeter@harsco.com

314 802 2920

Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.

Page #

610-828-6200

803-822-7551

Hayward Baker Rail Services Division

e-mail address

816-233-7757

866-245-3745

31

jrhill@HaywardBaker.com

2

tfrancis@hrsi.com

708-672-0119

800-309-3299

ptenhoven@hollandco.com

23

19

info@trak-star.com

6

Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.

91-22-27572015/18

91-22-27572420

general@konkanrailway.com

8

Koppers Railroad Structures

800-356-5952

608-221-0618

rrdiv@koppers.com

Landoll Corporation

800-428-5655

888-293-6779

jim.ladner@landoll.com

27

Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

763-478-6014

763-478-2221

sales@loram.com

28-29

Mitchell Equipment Corporation

734-529-3400

734-529-3433

lovitt@mitchell-railgear.com

4

Moley Magnetics, Inc.

844-662-4638

716-434-5893

sales@moleymagneticsinc.com

40

Neel Company, The

703-913-7858

703-913-7859

414-766-2379

jlewis@neelco.com

5

Nordco Inc.

414-766-2180

NRC

202-715-2920

202-318-0867 info@nrcma.org

10

Plasser American Corp.

757-543-3526

757-494-7186

20

Progress Rail Services Corporation

Cover 4

913-345-4807

Racine Railroad Products

262-637-9681

RAILCET

866-724-5238

Rails Company

402-346-1783

Rail Construction Equipment Co.

866-472-4510

630-355-7173

Sperry Rail Service

203-791-4507

Tensar International Corp.

V&H Inc., Trucks voestalpine Nortrak Inc. Willamette Valley Company

404-214-5374

404-250-9185

715-486-8800

714-387-0657

307-778-8700 541-484-9621

307-778-8777

jstout@amstedrps.com

24

custserv@racinerailroad.com

217-522-6588

402-346-4300

7

plasseramerican@plausa.com

262-637-9069

973-763-2585

913-345-4818

973-763-4320

Railway Educational Bureau, The

info@nordco.com

18

rails@railsco.com

8

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

541-284-2096

36

grif1020@yahoo.com

50, 52

dennishanke@rcequip.com

51

robert.dimatteo@sperryrail.com

9

cmgovern@tensarcorp.com

22

a.thoreson@vhtruck.com

52

gord.weatherly@voestalpine.com

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03alishab@wilvaco.com

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Reader Referral Service This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue.

The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and RT&S assumes no responsibility for the correctness.

Advertising Sales Jonathan Chalon, Publisher, jchalon@sbpub.com; Marc Condon, mcondon@sbpub.com; Jerome Marullo, jmarullo@sbpub.com; Heather Disabato, hdisabato@sbpub.com; Louise Cooper, lc@railjournal.co.uk; Julie Richardson, jr@railjournal.co.uk; Dr. Fabio Potesta, info@mediapointsrl.it; Katsuhiro Ishii, amkatsu@dream.com; Jeanine Acquart, jaquart@sbpub.com (classified) www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 53

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

Professional Directory

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS BEING OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER; YES - EST 1910

Rotary Dump

Grapple Truck

Hytracker

LEASE or BUY Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter

Products and services

Hirail Platform/Tunnel Truck

Custom Build New or Used Chassies.

Also: Hirail Boom Dump Trucks Hirail Mechanics Trucks Hirail Section Trucks Hytracker for moving equipment Hudson Ballast Cars DMF & Harsco parts, service and installation

REESE

RAILROAD SERVICES

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

• Track construction and maintenance • On-track ditching and rotary dump service • On-track tree trimming and brushcutting • Storm and flood cleanup and debris removal • Tie distribution, removal and disposal

Est. 1910

Ph: 315-455-0100 • Fax: 315-455-6008 • Syracuse, NY • www.franktartaglia.com

Hi-Rail trucks engineered for your applications with nationwide deliveries and warranties...

K. W. Reese, Inc.

Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236

(717) 328-5211 •

fax

(717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com

5 Time NRC SafeTy awaRd wiNNeR

Grapple Trucks Magnets & Self Propelled

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT Section Trucks Telescoping & Articulating Cranes MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD EQUIPMENT

ALSO AVAILABLE Hi-Rail Pickup Trucks Hi-Rail Mechanics Trucks Hi-Rail Aerial Devices Hi-Rail Welder Trucks

and many more truck configurations...

Track Maintenance Trucks

877-888-9370

ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL

RailwayAge.com

RT&S2013revAd.indd 1

JOHN GALLO

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER 402-990-9385 JOHNG@OMAHATRACK.COM

54 Railway Track & Structures

2/12/13 2:57 PM

The News Destination for the Rail Industry March 2016

www.rtands.com

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

R. E. L. A. M., INC.

E-Mail: RelamCFE@aol.com Tel: 440-439-7088 Fax: 440-439-9399 Visit our website at: www.relaminc.com

PARTS • SALES • SERVICE

EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, SJ, SJ2, Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line HYDRAULIC STABILIZERS HARSCO TS-30HDs TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW PRODUCTS KBR-860-925-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1000/1050 Kribber-Adzers KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Models CX and SS Spikers Model SP2R Dual Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAILHEATERS Pettibone Model 445E/F Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments (F’s with Tier 4 Engine) Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Propane and Diesel Railheaters - Single & Dual Sided, Selfpropelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts

NEW & USED Grapple Trucks, Roto Dumps, Mechanics Trucks and Pickups.

WE ALSO RENT! Call Rob Wiskerchen at 715-897-2619 Toll Free: 888-405-0110 e-mail: rob@wisktrucks.com • www.wisktrucks.com

MOW Integrated Carbide Tools 6700 Tamping Tool JK-635

GLOBAL RAIL TENDERS

MKIV Tamping Tool JK-215L/R

Turning Opportunities into New Business

Get up-to-the-minute business intelligence by subscribing to GlobalRailTenders.com Powered by

www.rtands.com

Replace worn components with Harsco Rail’s complete line of integrated carbide tools.

• Class 1 product approval

• Genuine OEM parts

To order, call: 1-800-800-6410 Email: railparts@harsco.com

Railway Track & Structures

March 2016 55

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

Authorized Harsco Remanufacturer For Sale

Remanufactured Harsco 6700 SJ2 Switch Production Tampers Equipped with the latest technology, considerably less expensive than new, and full one year warranty. Customer satisfaction guaranteed.

Have an old, worn out 6700 Tamper? We have your solution.

Call 620-485-4277 or visit precisionrwy.com for more details.

Want to see some of our work? Scan the QR Code for our YouTube channel.

Remanufactured 6700 sales

On-site training

Equipment leasing

Trade ins accepted

RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SERVICES, INC.

Available for Lease

www.railwayequipmentservices.net MOW Equipment – Lease & Sale Track Surfacing – Tamp & Reg Brushcutting – Dual side Kershaw Specialized Hauling – Low Boys with Rail 318-995-7006 or 318-469-7133 “A full service company with over 20 yrs exp!�

4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 100 ton Automated/Manual Ballast Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com

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RAILWAY AGE MARKETPLACE SALES Jeanine Acquart â&#x20AC;˘ jacquart@sbpub.com Ph: 212/620-7211 Fax: 212/633-1165 56 Railway Track & Structures

March 2016

www.rtands.com