RT&S August 2014

AUGUST 2014 | www.rtands.com

Balancing act

behind ballast maintenance PLUS Class 1 perspective:

Engineering trends Longevity secrets of CN’s Bonnet CarrÊ bridge and also AREMA News p. 41

Contents August 2014

News

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RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Features

20

Industry Today 5 Supplier News 11 People

Building better ballast Research efforts continue to push equipment advancements toward greater productivity.

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Columns

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Enduring bridge design After nearly eight decades of repeated poundings by Mother Nature, CN’s Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge is a story on resilience.

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2014 maintenance equipment wish list North American railroads are looking for equipment that increases their productivity without sacrificing reliability or, especially, safety.

20 Departments 16 TTCI R&D 41 Arema News 51 Calendar 52 Products 53 Advertisers Index

Photo courtesy of Kershaw Division of Progress Rail Services Corp.

Story on page 20.

3

On Track Just raise the gas tax... oh, wait

14

54 Classified Advertising 55 Professional Directory

NRC Chairman’s Column Running wide open – fighting the calendar

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Union Pacific

53 Sales Representatives

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Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 1

On Track

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Vol. 110, No. 8 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 0033-9016, 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 Simmons-Boardman 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 individual in the railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/ Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00.

BOTH Print & Digital Versions: 1 year Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $24.00; all others $69.00; foreign $120.00; foreign, air mail $220.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $45.00; all others $128.00; foreign $209.00; foreign, air mail $409.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2014.

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 (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail rtands@halldata.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman 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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Just raise the gas tax...oh, wait

I

turned 16 the first week of March 1995. In central Nebraska, the price for one gallon of unleaded broke the one-dollar mark that same week. Pulling into a gas station was a painful experience for me and my checkbook, but one that I willingly went through three to four times a week because, prior to texting, the one thing every teenager was really good at back then was blowing through a tank of gas. I may have contributed enough to the Highway Trust Fund during those years to have personally bankrolled the repaving of Highway 34 between Grand Island and Aurora.

Two weeks ago, I paid $4.35 per gallon at a station in suburban Chicago; it was still a painful experience for me and my bank account, but one that doesn’t happen all that frequently. I live in an urban area, which means I can take public transit to work and when I do drive, it’s in a more fuel-efficient vehicle. One thing the ever-increasing fuel prices and economic slump of the past few years has forced many of us to do is make a tank of gas last for a much longer time.

Since moving to Chicago more than a decade ago, I don’t think I’ve contributed enough to the Highway Trust Fund to even preserve a seedling mile on the old Lincoln Highway.

The one constant in the two scenarios is the amount of money per gallon the Highway Trust Fund received from my purchases: 18.4 cents per gallon of unleaded (the trust fund also receives 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel).

It doesn’t matter what the gas cost me, it matters how much I, and the rest of Americans, buy.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, while the annual amount of finished motor gasoline increased by approximately 24 million barrels between 2012 and 2013 (the last year data is available), the 2013 number is down by about 60 million barrels from 2003. Since there are 42 gallons per barrel, that means the highway trust fund has lost out on a bit more than $11 mil-

lion dollars since 2003.

With all the usual eleventh-hour D.C. drama surrounding the impending insolvency of the highway trust fund, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show devoted eight minutes, an eternity in T.V. land, to the subject. My attempt at boiling down eight minutes of Stewart-ese into a single thought is this: The U.S. won’t be able to maintain roads because the formula from which funds are acquired hasn’t changed since 1993; duh, raise the gas tax.

His commentary, while funny and worth a YouTube view, doesn’t take all elements into consideration.

Recently-retired associate publisher of RT&S, George Sokulski, wrote on the gas tax back in January 2011 saying, “…while I agree that we have to spend more money on our infrastructure, we have to work to solve more fundamental transportation problems before we raise gas taxes and blow it all on highways in the districts of well-connected elected officials.

“As a nation, we need a transportation policy and we need it right now.

For decades, transportation in this country has meant roads, period.

“We need leadership. Instead of wasting time trying to reregulate the railroads, let’s come up with a national transportation plan that spells out the proper role for railroads, roads, barges, airplanes, pipelines and so on. I for one am not willing to have my gas taxes increased until I know the money will be well spent. It sure isn’t now.”

While the larger battle of balanced transportation policy will continue to be waged, hopefully, by the time this column is being read, Congress will have passed a patch for the Highway Trust Fund so we won’t have to worry about it…until next May.

Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 3

INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News

Axion International Holdings, Inc., has received its fifth purchase order for ECOTRAX® rail ties to be shipped to Europe.

Bechtel-led Dulles Transit Partners, the design-build contractor for the first phase of the Washington, D.C., area’s Silver Line, celebrated the project’s delivery with the line opening on July 26.

Elecnor has been pre-selected by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in California as contractor on double tracking the Mountain View single-track segment.

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Florida East Coast Railway, LLC (FEC), held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its state-of-the-art Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) adjacent to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 14.

FEC said the 43-acre facility will act as South Florida’s new global gateway. The ICTF increases FEC’s available intermodal capacity from 100,000 to 450,000 lifts a year and the near-dock intermodal facility will improve the transfer of both domestic and international containers between ships and rail. FEC said that prior to the ICTF opening, these containers had to be drayed offport to rail terminals, such as the current 12-acre Andrews Avenue rail yard in Fort Lauderdale or to Hialeah rail yard in Miami-Dade County.

“The new ICTF is a huge win for the port,” said Florida Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Richard Biter. The state of Florida contributed $18 million in grants to the $72-million project and awarded a $30-million state infrastructure bank loan to the FEC. “The project will enhance the ports competitiveness and will provide savings on a per container basis by shifting cargo from truck to rail. The department is proud to work with everyone involved to make today a reality.”

The ICTF will allow FEC to build 9,000-foot unit trains within the facility without blocking any city streets and will allow cargo to move through Port Everglades to/from Atlanta, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C., in two days and Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., in three days. FEC’s connections to Class 1 railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern allow for rail service to 70 percent of the U.S. population within four days.

Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director Steve Cernak credited Broward’s Commission for having the foresight to plan for the facility 17 years ago, “The ICTF ensures that Port Everglades remains competitive with other U.S. East Coast gateways, and, most importantly, it will give our port a cost and time-to-market advantage over many of these gateways, thereby putting more and more South Florida residents to work as a result of the additional business opportunities it will generate,” he said.

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Port Everglades

AECOM Technology Corporation and URS Corporation have executed a definitive agreement under which AECOM will acquire URS.

FEC opens intermodal facility near Florida’s Port Everglades

INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Harsco Corporation received its second major railway track and infrastructure maintenance equipment award from Swiss Federal Railways in Switzerland; it is valued at more than $100 million and calls for 59 high-speed catenary vehicles, which will be used for the construction, maintenance and repair of overhead catenary systems throughout Switzerland; Deliveries will begin in 2016 and continue through 2017.

6 Railway Track & Structures

INRD ups train speeds following track and crossing improvements T h e I n d i a n a R a i l R o a d C o m p a ny (INRD) increased the speed limit for trains on a portion of its Indianapolis Subdivision mainline between West Street and Stop 11 Road following improvements to track and crossings.

Most of this six-mile segment of railroad has had a speed limit of only 10 mph since the railroad ’s found ing in 1986, but multi-million dollar investments in new rail, crossties and ballast allowed the speed to be increased to 30 mph.

According to INRD, the most notable benefit for southern Marion and Johnson County residents will be the greatly-reduced time required for trains to pass at-grade road crossings. The railroad mentions that it takes a mile-long train six minutes to pass a grade crossing when running at 10 mph. At 30 mph, a train of the same length will pass in two minutes.

Once ongoing track improvements are complete, the entire Indianapolis-Barg-

August 2014

ersville segment will operate at 30 mph.

The railroad’s total investment for the 2014 grade-crossing replacements is approximately $990,000. INRD said it has completely rebuilt 10 road crossings in Indianapolis with two more to be complete by August. Additionally, in Johnson County, the railroad has or soon will complete full replacement of Smith Valley Road, County Road 144 in Bargersville, Peterman Road, State Road 44 and County Roads 250N, 100N and 100S. “By 2016, the 30th anniversary of our company, Indiana Rail Road will have invested more than $200 million of our own private capital to create a state-ofthe-art, heavy-haul transportation system capable of delivering millions of tons of commerce consumed in Indiana and made by Hoosiers,” said INRD Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Hoback. “We continue to invest with an eye on future economic development opportunities.”

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INDUSTRY TODAY CSX performs successful annual Maintenance Jamoboree CSX successfully marked another Maintenance Jamboree in its books during the Fourth of July week. More than 525 CSX employees safely replaced about 68,000 railroad ties and 200,000 feet of rail and completed nearly 120 miles of surfacing work.

Established in 1999, CSX’s Maintenance Jamboree is an annual blitz that accomplishes about a year’s wor th of rail, crosstie, signal and bridge work into one week to reduce impact on customers and communities. In addition to CSX’s regularly scheduled maintenance and infrastructure work, during the Jamboree CSX crews under took additional engineering projects that promote train safety, reliability and service and benefit customers across CSX’s network. They also support community safety by helping to maintain smooth crossings where roads and highways meet the tracks at grade level.

“The annual Maintenance Jamboree is

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Supplier News

one more example of CSX’s commitment to investing in both the safety and reliability of our network to better serve our customers and the communities in which we operate,” said Oscar Munoz, executive vice president and chief operating officer.

“This program depends on the dedication and hard work of our engineering teams, who work tirelessly through the holiday period to ensure our network can move customers’ freight efficiently and continue to connect American businesses to the global economy.”

The $25 million wor th of work, focused on CSX tracks and br idges across Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Nor th Carolina and South Carolina.

CSX said trackwork was concentrated on key routes between Shelby, Ky., and Greenwood, S.C., and from Bostic to Monroe, N.C. In addition to the track and tie work, CSX crews also converted several open deck bridges to more modern concrete ballast decks.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority issued a Notice of Recommended Award to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Chantilly, Va., to design and build the rail yard and maintenance facility for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc., has been awarded a $7-million contract by the North County Transit District to provide bridge inspection and manage-

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 7

INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News ment services for the district’s major bridge structures.

RailWorks Corp. supplied and installed 3.85 miles of embedded doubletrack, including 17 pieces of special trackwork for the Tucson Sun Link Modern Streetcar project as part of a joint venture with Granite Construction Company.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) approved a

8 Railway Track & Structures

Line acquisitions: MassDOT for future passenger service, WisDOT for freight The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors authorized MassDOT Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Richard Davey to execute an agreement to purchase a 37-mile line, the Berkshire Line, from the Housatonic Railroad Company.

The agreement includes $12.13 million to acquire the line and an estimated $35 million for initial track improvements, funded by the 2014 Transportation Bond Bill approved by the Massachusetts legislature.

The initial track improvements will permit the operation of passenger trains but serve freight trains until the Connecticut portion of the project is completed. A final round of track improvements will be required along with improvements on the Connecticut portion of the line prior to the start of passenger rail service. The Transportation Bond Bill included $113 million for the purchase and Massachusetts portion of the track improvements. A date for the beginning of passenger

August 2014

service is dependent upon completion of the upgrades in both states.

In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) signed an acquisition agreement for the purchase of the 70-mile Madison to Reedsburg and Cottage Grove rail corridor from Union Pacific, which also includes a bridge over Lake Wisconsin at the village of Merrimac.

The total cost of the purchase is $30 million with $5 million going toward track improvements and the other $25 million for land. The purchase is being made jointly with the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission (WRRTC) with funds from the Freight Rail Preservation Program. Service on the line will continue to be provided by the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad under lease with the WRRTC. The purchase of the corridor is expected to be complete by late 2014, while the acquisition waits for approval from the Surface Transportation Board.

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Minneapolis, Met Council reach tentative agreement on Southwest LRT Minneapolis and the Metropolitan Council (Met Council) have reached a tentative agreement, which includes two memoranda of understanding, regarding the plan to build the Southwest Light Rail Project from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, Minn.

At the city’s request, one memorandum of understanding awaiting approval by both sides calls for the Met Council to: redesign the Minneapolis portion of the Southwest Light Rail Corridor to remove the light-rail tunnel north of the water channel connecting Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles; add back the 21st Street Station and add city-requested pedestrianaccess, noise mitigation, landscape restoration and other improvements along the portion of the corridor in Minneapolis. If approved by both sides, the Met Council’s revised budget for Southwest light rail will be reduced by $30 million, from $1.683 billion to $1.653 billion, as a result of these changes to the preliminary design of the project.

Separately, the parties tentatively agreed to a second memorandum of understanding that commits the Met Council to work closely with Minneapolis and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority to ensure that the Kenilworth freight corridor remains in public ownership, which the parties agree will decrease the chances that freight trains will increase in frequency or carry more dangerous cargo through the corridor.

The tentative agreement will become final after it has been approved and signed by both the Met Council and city of Minneapolis.

Met Council Chair Susan Haigh said, “[The] tentative agreement serves as a path forward to accomplish our mutual goals and to ensure this project gets built as a critical component of our 21st century transit system. Not only have we found a means for improving the project for Minneapolis’ residents and neighborhoods, but together the city and Met Council will be able to save taxpayers $30 million. This is a win-win outcome.” www.rtands.com

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News $1.6-billion contract with Skanska, Traylor and Shea, a Joint Venture, to construct the 3.9mile first phase of the Purple Line Extension subway. The agency also signed a $918-million contract with the joint venture of Skanska and Traylor Brothers, Inc., for the construction of the Regional Connector.

Additionally, LACMTA signed a $6.5-million contract with J.L. Patterson and Associates for finalizing the design of a double track project from Raymer to Bernson along the Ventura County Line.

10 Railway Track & Structures

Report outlines short-term strategies to improve Walk Bridge The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) released a report outlining recommendations for shortterm fixes to improve the reliability of the New Haven Line’s Walk Railroad Bridge in Norwalk, Conn.

The 118-year-old bridge, which is owned by Connecticut, recently malfunctioned twice within a two-week period, causing train delays on Metro-Nor th’s commuter line. The State Bond Commission approved $3 million to fund the improvements recommended in the report.

C o n n D OT C o m m i s s i o n e r Ja m e s Redeker said that the fixes will include establishing a separate drive system to open and close the movable pieces of rail that lock the bridge into place, installing electronic switches and implementing repairs to rollers and rods in the center pier on which the bridge pivots. A gear and shaft system will also be readjusted to properly align wedges at either end of the movable span that lock it into place. The new mechanisms will be programmed into the automation of the bridge to reduce the manpower currently needed to open the bridge.

After holding a Walk Bridge “crisis summit” on June 9 with Metro-North, Gov. Malloy announced the establishment of a Shor t Ter m Action Team (STAT) charged with reviewing, investi-

August 2014

gating and determining the best approach to improve the mechanical reliability of the Walk Bridge. The team consisted of ConnDOT engineers and bridge inspectors, Metro-North engineers and consultant bridge inspectors and engineers.

STAT’s work produced a report that outlines a series of modifications that can be made over the next nine months that will improve the operating systems and reliability of the bridge until it can ultimately be replaced. The state funding will pay for work on the devices that lift the rails and re-seat them and other improvements that will restore the automated operation to the bridge.

“The New Haven Line is the busiest commuter rail line in America and one malfunctioning bridge can disrupt the entire Northeast Corridor. Because our customers – and our economy – rely on this system every day, we are implementing these fixes to increase reliability in the near term until the full replacement of the Walk Bridge can begin,” Gov. Malloy said. “I commend the team of professionals who completed the thorough engineering evaluation of the bridge and developed these recommendations in record time, as well as the Metro-North personnel who have been manually operating the bridge without failure since we met in June to discuss the fate of the Walk Bridge.”

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PEOPLE Harsco Rail hired Craig Fairley as plant manager of its Columbia, S.C., production facility.

Kansas City Southern promoted Mike Naatz to senior vice president operations support and chief information officer and Jeff Songer to senior vice president engineering and chief transportation officer; Steve Truitt’s position has changed from vice president safety training and standards to vice president transportation and safety.

John Goldman, vice president of the Louisville & Indiana Railroad, has been promoted to president, succeeding Mike Stolzman, who is joining Colo Railroad Builders in Houston, Texas.

Midland Manufacturing appointed Steve Herbst as product manager for pressure car products and remanufacturing services and Bill Galbreath as product manager for general purpose railcar products.

Parsons Brinckerhoff named Lauren Isaac manager of sustainable transportation in its San Fransisco, Calif., office; Charles Reed supervising communications and security engineer in its New York City office and Robert Clifford vice president andTampa area manager.

SNC-Lavalin Group appointed Marc Rivard to the role of executive vice president infrastructure engineering, within the company’s Infrastructure Group.

The Sound Transit Board officially designated Sound Transit Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mike Harbour as acting CEO as Joni Earl continues her medical leave; Harbour has been deputy CEO since October, 2012.

TriMet hired Dee Brookshire as executive director of finance and administration.

Watco Companies named Dan Smith executive vice president and chief operating officer; Stacy Grant general manager for the Great Northwestern Railroad and Travis Chamberlain general manager of the Wallula switching site.

Obituary

Richard Wilder Sprague, 85, retired senior vice president of Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, died peacefully on July 5, 2014, in Malvern, Pa. www.rtands.com

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August 2014 11

INDUSTRY TODAY

WMATA

Silver Line opening expands WMATA rail system by 10 percent; first new rail line since 1991

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) opened the first phase of the Silver Line on July 25.

The new rail line is the largest expansion of WMATA’s rail system and the first time a new color has been added to its map, since the Green Line opened in 1991.

WMATA said the Silver Line project is widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated rail system projects in the world, featuring innovative design, state-of-the art technology, pleasing architecture, natural light and modern finishes that enhance the passenger experience. Construction of the first phase of Silver Line began in March 2009 and included five new stations, 11.7 miles of track, a rail yard expan-

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sion at West Falls Church and a new railcar maintenance facility.

The combined phases of the Silver Line make it the largest and one of the most complex transportation projects in the United States. It is also the first expansion of WMATA rail beyond the system’s original five rail lines and the first time an extension was constructed by an entity other than WMATA. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is managing Silver Line construction. WMATA took control of the first phase of the Silver Line less than two months ago, on May 27. The milestone, known as the “Operational Readiness Date” (ORD), marked the point where care and control of the line was formally transferred

from the MWAA to WMATA. “From the beginning, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has understood that the Silver Line is a game changer for the Dulles Corridor, Northern Virginia and the entire metropolitan Washington region,” said Tom Davis, MWAA Board of Directors. “Construction of the Silver Line is a testament to what can be best accomplished when people from jurisdictions across the region, from the private sector, from all types and levels of government and from across the political spectrum work together for the common good.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is providing $975 million toward the $3.14-billion total project cost for Silver Line’s first phase. The federal funding consists of $900 million in a Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant (New Star ts) Funding and $75 million in other USDOT funds.

In addition, USDOT has approved a $1.875-billion Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for construction of the second phase of the Silver Line extension to Loudoun County—the largest TIFIA loan in the program’s history.

The remaining cost is being covered by state and local funding sources.

Work has already begun on phase two of the project, which will extend another 11.4 miles to six new stations including Reston Town Center, Herndon, Washington Dulles International Airport and Ashburn.

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN

Running wide open – fighting the calendar

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

14 Railway Track & Structures

NRC member contractors are fighting the calendar this time of the year. Efforts are being made to finish up ongoing and planned work that got a later than normal start this year due to the long and severe winter. Even with a late start, customers expect their projects to be completed by year-end, so many contractors will be accelerating some projects in order to get everything completed. Resources this time of year get spread very thin based on volume verus time. This is the trend most years and it’s even more dramatic this year as a greater volume of work has been pushed into the fourth quarter. The better the projects are planned, the better they will do in the end and the more likely they will finish on time. Good luck to all our membership companies in achieving their goals safely and successfully while meeting their customers’ expectations.

As we look just beyond the 4th quarter into 2015, the very first event on your calendar for 2015 (perhaps other than sleeping in on New Year’s Day and watching college football bowl games) should be the 2015 NRC Conference.

This year’s conference will be held in Hollywood, Fla., at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa. The conference begins on January 7 and runs through January 10.

This is the first time that the NRC has held our conference at this venue; it is an excellent property and we are excited to welcome you there.

I attended my first NRC Conference in 2003, with about 300 people in attendance.

Since then, I have seen the attendance grow dramatically, along with the size of the venue needed to accommodate us.

Long before I was around, the NRC held its first organized conference in 1978 at the Holiday Inn near Lambert International Airport in St Louis, Mo. It was attended by a dozen or so people. Little did they know 36 years ago, but this was the start of something great.

Attendance at the NRC Conference now tops 1,000 people, we have set August 2014

attendance records for 10 consecutive years and we remain optimistic that this number will continue to grow for years to come. The conference features 125plus exhibitors these days and is held at some of the finest resorts and hotels in the country, generally in lovely weather in early January. Along with changes in attendance and location, the program f o r m at h a s e vo l ve d , a s we l l . O u r conference program is now lined up with guest speakers from the rail industry that include key engineering and procurement representatives from the Class 1 and shortline railroads and major rail transit agencies. These speaker s focus on explaining their railroad’s capital spending plans and highlighting opportunities for contractors and suppliers. We also have expert speakers on hand to enlighten our membership to trends regarding rail legislation, regulation and financial issues.

If you are a rail industry professional, you should be in attendance for this event. I can’t emphasize enough the i m p o r t a n c e o f o u r m e m b e r s h i p ’s involvement at our conferences. You will be afforded many opportunities during the course of the four-day event to reach out and introduce yourself to many of the industry leaders face-to-face. I look forward to seeing you in January for our 37th annual conference at the beautiful Westin Diplomat Resort. Registration is open online at www.nrcma.org.

The NRC remains the only trade association dedicated solely to the rail construction and maintenance industry today and it continues to grow and gain new members each year. If your company is a long-time member, thank you for your participation. If your company hasn’t joined the NRC or you haven’t been to the NRC Conference recently, come on down to Florida in January and check it out.

Have a safe day.

by Bill Dorris, NRC Chairman www.rtands.com

TTCI R&D Post-service evaluation of pin-connected truss joints TTCI examines pin joints of recently replaced pin-connected trusses on a Class 1 railroad.

P

in-connected trusses are a small part of the total inventor y of railroad bridges, but their importance far outweighs their appor tionment. According to investigations of Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), they represent only 4.4 percent of the steel bridge inventory by length on the Nor th Amer ican Class 1 railroad system and only 2.5 percent

Figure 1: Distribution of pin-connected trusses by type and deck type.

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August 2014

by Stephen Dick, principal investigator II and Duane Otter, principal investigator II, TTCI

of the total bridge inventory. Total length of pin truss bridges on the North American railway network is approximately 40 miles. However, many pin-connected trusses are in place at critical locations on busy mainlines and important secondary l i n e s. R e p l a c e m e n t o f m a ny o f these is expensive and could create operational issues during the construction phase of a replacement str ucture. Pin-connected tr usses represent a distinct period in railroad c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d d e ve l o p m e n t .

World War I represents the end of the construction period for the majority of pin-connected trusses.

Pin-connected tr usses can be a concer n because of conditions associated with their age. The design loads for these bridges were generally lower than the current use of the Cooper E80 loading recommended

by AREMA and the general condition of these spans after 100 years of s e r v i c e m ay r e q u i r e a d d i t i o n a l maintenance expenditures beyond the normal requirements.

TTCI examined characteristics of the inventory on Class 1 railroads along with examination of pin joints from a recent major replacement of several pin-connected trusses. The inventory study examined the major features of the pin truss inventory; whereas, the pin joint deconstruction www.rtands.com

Figure 2,Top: Average length of pinconnected trusses by type and deck type.

examined the overall condition of the eyebars and pins.

Characteristics

The information provided by Class 1 railroads was placed into broad categor ies for type of str ucture, length and deck type. Figures 1 and 2 display the major findings of the analysis. This inventory represents a high number of through trusses ver sus deck tr usses, which may mean that many of these through trusses are needed in locations with limited clearances for separation of g rade between the track and the natural ter rain or the built environment. Such items would include navigational and waterway clearances. This inventory data was also categorized by deck type (open deck versus ballast deck).

Figure 1 shows that whether it is a through truss or a deck truss, 91 percent of pin-connected truss bridges are open deck. This is likely due to two primary reasons: (1) the original construction was generally open deck construction and the continued use of open decks maintains ver tical clearances and (2) the use of ballast decks lowers the available live-load rating versus open decks due to the increased dead load of ballast decks. Note that Figure 1 shows that a larger share of deck trusses have ballast decks ver sus through tr usses, although open decks are the major ity for both types of trusses. Given that deck trusses do not create their own vertical clearance limitations, the use of the ballast deck is available given sufficient live-load capacity in line with operational needs. www.rtands.com

Figure 2 provides data displaying the average length of the four types of pin-connected trusses. The data shows that in general, the open deck through truss has the longest average length and is the only type that has an average length greater than 200 feet. The other three categories all have an average length less than 200 feet. The length analysis showed that two-thirds of the spans in the data were less than 200 feet long with only a third of them above 200 feet.

(four girders per track or similar) have been designed up to 200 feet in length. This provides a viable replacement option for any deck truss of appropriate length and can be used at through truss locations where sufficient clearance under the bridge would allow for the increased depth of section necessar y. No estimate of the total number of bridges that could be replaced with this type of girder span is available, but can be considered in the future.

Options for repair

Pin joints for testing

Maintenance work for pin-connected trusses, like any other bridge, is tailored to specific issues that might exist for each bridge. For pin-connected trusses, this includes eyebar shortening and tightening of diagonal counters, which are common repairs. Pin replacement is an infrequent activity that is performed when necessary, but at times is necessary to do. Floor system replacement has been done on pinconnected trusses and it is an activity that has been performed on any type of steel span that has a floor system.

If replacement of the tr usses is contemplated, cur rent designs for multiple deck g irder br idges

Sixteen pin joints were removed from one of the trusses of a bridge on a main route of a Class 1 railroad and donated to TTCI for examination of their condition. The pin locations that were provided included the upper, inter mediate and lower connections (U1, M1, L1) for the fir st inter ior hanger in the end truss panel, along with the L2 bottom chord location. The L2 location is where the built-up and riveted bottom chord member became eyebar s for the inter ior bottom chord panels of the trusses.

The size and composition of the selected joints varied considerably Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 17

TTCI R&D

Figure 3: Typical evidence of rusting of eyebars to adjacent material.

Figure 4: Pins removed from the joints.

Results of testing

Disassembly proved challenging for the larger joints.

All of the joints that were tested were frozen so that the eyebars were not rotating on the pins at the time the pin joints were removed from the bridge. Removal of the pins on the smaller joints (L1, M1) was accomplished relatively easily while the large joints required some of the pins to be destroyed by boring them and using jacks for removal from the joint. In addition to the frozen pins, some adjacent eyebars had rusted together and some required wedging to separate them (Figure 3). From the disassembly, 36 eyebars were available for testing.

The holes in the eyebars all measured to match the original dimensions at the time of their forging. Minor grooving and wear in the pins from the eyebars were noticeable (Figure 4). The lack of wear in the eyebar holes and only minor grooving in the pins was unexpected, given the age of the truss and the amount and type of traffic that had been passed over the bridge.

X-ray testing also showed that no cracks were detected in either the eyebars or the available pins in any part of them. The eyebar and pin material was also tested for Brinell hardness of the steel. The hardness of the eyebars ranged from 115 to 142 and the pin material ranged from 137 to 184. While the pins were harder than the eyebars, both materials are considered mild steels with this range of hardness. from simple and small joints for the hanger, with the U1 and L2 joints being very large assemblies. The major joints (U1, L2) and some of the intermediate joints (M1) had remnants of reinforcement in the joints, with square rod and turnbuckles present. This is indicative of past repairs where members had likely loosened.

No evidence of any heat straightening was seen on the eyebar pieces on the joints, but the pieces of the eyebars at the joints were cut so it was not possible to make a complete examination.

The examination included disassembly of half of the pin joints to make physical measurements of the eyebars and pins to measure the wear of the 120 years of service to which the bridge was subjected. After the disassembled pins and eyebars were measured and physically examined, they were subjected to x-ray testing to determine if any cracks had developed.

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Conclusions

The disassembly and testing of the eyebars and pins indicated that the material was in good condition with no apparent cracking or internal flaws. The results are not a generalization for trusses or pin-connected trusses in other locations, but the results were encouraging that many of these bridges can continue to perform adequately up to their available ratings.

Future plans for the remaining pin joints and eyebars include fatigue testing of the assemblies and fatigue testing of the individual eyebars. Fatigue test data for these members is not as substantial as for welded bridge details currently used in bridge design. Additional knowledge of f atigue behavior of eyebar s and the assemblies would fill an important gap for assessing the adequacy of these types of bridges going forward.

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Advancements in research and equipment are helping railroads with ballast maintenance and distribution.

NMC Railway Systems’ 320EL Reduced Radius Hi-Rail Excavator.

creating a firm foundation with

ballast maintenance

by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor

I

t may be small in size, but ballast plays a major role in railroad maintenance and pulls its weight by keeping track in place and aiding in proper drainage.

Brandt

Brandt Road Rail Corporation is introducing a new piece of equipment called the Brandt RTB130 at the AREMA Annual Conference and Exposition in September. Brandt said it is a purpose-built hi-rail backhoe based on the 710 John Deere Chassis.

“It exceeds the AREMA engineering standards for on-track hi-rail equipment, which makes it a very safe reliable piece of rail maintenance equipment,” explained Neil Marcotte, sales and marketing manager. “It is ideal for many ballast maintenance items including undercutting, ditching, tamping and ballast distribution. Of course, there are many other jobs it is very useful performing. Tie removal, replacement, crossing replacement and handling rail, plates, spikes, etc.; it is a very useful all-purpose tool that every gang would be more productive with.”

BTE

Ballast Tools Equipment (BTE) is now making available 20 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

its BTE-420F Hi-Rail Backhoe System. The company says that with the integrated, easy-on-off hi-rail system and a full line of rail maintenance attachments, the BTE420F is an extremely versatile piece of equipment and with the dedicated hi-rail system on the backhoe, it is capable of traveling into remote areas to perform multiple track maintenance tasks.

“Our backhoe system utilizes a two-motor, four-tool tamper attachment,” explained Matt Weyand, sales engineer.

“This versatile attachment makes short work of tamping difficult areas, such as diamonds, switches and turnouts.

With the integrated, programmable logic controller (PLC), BTE has automated the tamping functions on the attachment to replicate the operations of a production tamper. The PLC control system also provides increased safety for the crew with the use of safety interlocks which help prevent operator error.”

BTE is also offering its new BTE-312E Hi-Rail Excavator System (HREX). The BTE-312E-HREX is equipped with dedicated hi-rail gear and is available with an entire suite of rail maintenance attachments. The attachments include a heavy-duty, 10-foot undercutter bar with 360-degree rotation and a four-motor, eight-tool, www.rtands.com

ballast maintenance

high-production tamper. BTE says the excavator is capable of undercutting while traveling on the rail, increasing productivity and reducing track time needed for undercutting.

BTE offers lease and purchase plans for all equipment and has delivered equipment throughout North America to Class 1 railroads and other lines, as well as contractors. The company’s service team also follows the BTE machines wherever they go to help provide service and upgrades in the field.

“Machine up-time is important every day and day-after-day, too,” noted Joe Smith, sales engineer. “Due to shorter work windows and long travel distances, we have seen higher demand for easy on/off track service equipment. This combination of high performance, multiple uses and the ability to quickly get out of the way,

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maximizes the work that can be done safely and effectively in small work windows with limited manpower.”

Dymax Rail

Dymax Rail is a manufacturer of specialty attachments, rail car ts/ equipment lowboys and accessories for the railroad industry. Dymax Rail is focusing on product research and development, continuous performance improvement and reducing equipment maintenance costs.

The company offers many ballast maintenance tools to the railroads, including its Ballast Blasters, off-track undercutters, which can be found in Europe, Australia, South America and throughout North America. Dymax Rail says it has continued to improve the performance of these machines, which reduces the cost of maintenance.

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 21

ballast maintenance The BTE CAT 312 Excavator with magnet attachment.

The Ballast Blaster features a direct drive operating system that eliminates the need for a gearbox, along with increasing torque and improved cutting efficiency; 360-degree continuous rotation, providing the ability to cut in both directions; patent-pending automatic chain tensioning on larger models and patent-pending blaster bar with replaceable ROK-GAARD chromium carbide replaceable wear plates.

Dymax Rail’s Ballast Tamper has a 360-degree rotation; beveled paddles for improved ballast penetration and the single motor model has a rebuildable motor.

The company also offers its Loader Slot Buckets and Rail Sweeper to its customers.

“Track time is limited and the ability to get on track is decreasing,” noted Kevin Klenklen, market development manager. “Dymax Rail products are plug and play and ready to go on standard construction machines. This means an ability to perform critical maintenance tasks even with very short work windows.”

Georgetown

Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX) says it

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ballast maintenance

GREX’s BallastSaver out on track.

remains committed to advancing ballast assessment and delivery technology.

“By inspecting mainline track with BallastSaver ®, a LIDAR-based track inspection system designed to calculate ballast deficiencies in the cribs, shoulders and side slopes of the ballast section, railroads can effectively

24 Railway Track & Structures

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prioritize ballast requirements systemwide,” noted the company. “This approach has resulted in a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent Office for claims related to LIDAR-based track inspection for calculating missing ballast volume.”

R e c e n t a d va n c e m e n t s o f t h e technology now provide the ability to calculate real-time ballast needs immediately available to personnel in the BallastSaver hi-rail truck while scanning. With the goal of optimizing track time in spec tion win d ows, G R E X h a s a l s o i n t e g r at e d t h e BallastSaver technology on the same hi-rail platfor m with the Aurora ® automated tie inspection system to allow for simultaneous tie and ballast condition assessments.

To b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d t h e relationship between ballast deficiencies and track geometr y deterioration, GREX has partnered

with Dr. Allan Zarembski at the University of Delaware. This research h a s s h ow n s t r o n g r e l at i o n s h i p s between missing ballast and the de ve lopme n t of track g eo m et r y defects, which will result in a safetyfocused method to prioritize ballast needs, GREX explains.

“BallastSaver inspection data p r ov i d e s t h e f o u n d at i o n f o r a n accurate ballast deliver y process using GREX’s GateSync® automated ballast deliver y technology,” the company explained. “The combined ser vices of BallastSaver and the customer-owned model of the GateSync delivery solution, allow for specific ballast tonnage requirements to be delivered at speeds up to 10 mph, exactly where needed.”

Harsco

Harsco Rail says Surface Fitting, an available feature for a number of its

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ballast maintenance

tampers, provides automatic control of surface during tamping, designed to give the best possible result with the smallest possible lift.

“Surface Fitting takes the guesswork out of applying sufficient lift to correct the largest errors, while not lifting the track any higher than necessary,” the company noted. “The operator can give more attention to other aspects of operating the machine, as the control of the lift is fully automatic. In situations where surfacing the track would otherwise require more than one pass, Surface Fitting can often reduce the number of passes necessary.”

Harsco says benefits include less ballast used (particularly if one or more passes are eliminated) and smaller lifts disturb the track less.

“With the rubber banding feature, the operator can quickly adjust the lift by clicking and dragging the Surface Fit graph into the desired location,”

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The Knox Kershaw KBR 860 Ballast Regulator cab.

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 25

ballast maintenance

Loram’s shoulder ballast cleaner performing ballast maintenance.

said Harsco. “This is especially helpful when working around fixed structures, or as ballast conditions change.”

HRSI

“Manual pre-dump ballast surveys are subjective,” said Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. (HRSI). “Every person that performs a survey derives a different estimation as to how much ballast is needed. Our new ballast profiling system removes that human subjectivity and gives a detailed assessment of exactly how much ballast is needed based on the railroad provided template.”

HRSI recently received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent Office on claims related to detecting and accounting for anomalous trackbed conditions identified during ballast profiling. HRSI says its patented syste m im proves upon LI DARbased track surveying and profiling processes by identifying anomalous

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ballast maintenance

Plasser American’s Unimat 09-475/4S N-Dynamic.

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Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 27

ballast maintenance

to HRSI’s P.L.U.S./SMART trains for precise unloading.

Knox Kershaw

A Herzog Railroad Services, Inc., LIDAR- which includes excessive slope, washout areas, cut shoulders, ballast based track survey.

track data with image data and adjusts computer-generated ballast distribution information accordingly.

“In addition to deliver ing the standard ballast profiling calculations, HRSI’s ProScan system utilizes complex algorithms to identify anomalous track bed conditions,

28 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

overages and unmarked facilities,” the company explained.

With the HRSI LIDAR-based track survey, ballast is dumped only where it is needed and clients are provided with a detailed report so they can make a more informed decision on where and how to effectively utilize their ballast train fleet. The survey can then be sent

Knox Kershaw Inc. introduced the latest version of its compact, contractor grade ballast regulator, the KBR 860.

The KBR 860 Ballast Regulator has been updated from previous models to a larger, 14-foot wheelbase, which allows it to accommodate a more spacious cab with greater visibility, a side-mount A/C, optional joystick control and power transmission, while “maintaining an optimum length to facilitate loading and hauling to the work site,” the company said.

“The broom has also been updated with a new reel design, which improves sweeping around fasteners,” s a i d C o u r t n e y K e r s h aw, m e d i a coordinator. “The machine comes equipped with a one-pass-type plow with bolt-on blades, reversible side

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ballast maintenance

wings and a broom attachment.”

Based in Montgomer y, Ala., Knox Kershaw Inc. manufactures railway maintenance equipment to suit the needs of all its customers, from Class 1s, to shortlines to contractors. The company is a supplier of ballast regulators, tie cranes, kribber adzers, snow fighters, yard cleaners, material handlers and other maintenance-ofway equipment in the U.S. and internationally.

Loram

Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., offers ballast services that include shoulder ballast cleaning, spot undercutting, production undercutting and track lifting. Loram has expanded features of the track lifting to include track positioning and an improved sledding blade replacement module. The company has also added services to include HAZMAT cleanup to its Railvacs to improve versatility.

Loram’s says its customers continue to spotlight speed, performance and reliability when asking for equipment and services.

“Railroads continue to pursue advancements in machine performance that will optimize productivity,” said Scott Diercks, manager product development. “Productivity gains allow our customers to complete more work during a

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Miner’s electric AggreGate.

season and reduce costs. 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

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 29

ballast maintenance their budgets in the most effective and efficient manner.”

Railroads continue to see long-term sustainable benefits through increased budgets for ballast maintenance activities, he notes.

“Customers are working to maintain their ballast section in a preventative maintenance mode,” Diercks explained.

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

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

“The Railvac is designed to work on tough Class 1 railroad conditions, but flexible enough to accommodate transit and commuter railroads,” Diercks said. “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 reach hard-to-reach track structures.”

Miner Enterprises

Miner Enterprises, Inc., recently improved the performance/ life cycle of the linear actuators and electrical systems used

in its Miner Electric AggreGate®. The electric, stand-alone AggreGate enables independent operation of the car from anywhere within a ballast train, eliminating the need for grouping manual and automatic cars.

“Miner has been working on ways to simplify the application of the AggreGate Systems,” explained Chris Gaydos, manager mechanical engineering. “We are making these changes to help car builders and car shops streamline the applications and reduce labor costs.”

During the past year, Miner has supplied twin cylinder, remote-control-operated ballast systems for cars built in and exported to South America. In addition, Miner is currently providing AggreGates to two Class 1 railroads for new cars and car conversions and continues to supply various models for other car conversions and ballast car upgrades. 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

One of the newest products to the NMC Railway Systems’ product line is the 320EL Reduced Radius Hi-Rail Excavator (RR HRE). The 320EL RR HRE has the ability to run a multitude of attachments, but to best combat ballast maintenance projects, the company exclusively equips the unit with a 10-foot undercutter bar with its spoil management system. The newly-developed bar is built to handle the demands of the railroad with the ability to stay compact in tight areas and features an auto tensions system, a bi-directional carbide chain, a 360-degree rotation and spoil management system control.

“NMC Railway Systems has placed a focus on the hi-rail design exclusively on Caterpillar equipment,” said Mark Anderson, sales manager. “With the ability to move on-track, off-track and hi-rail track travel, the hi-rail series of excavators are ideal for handling maintenanceof-way projects.”

NMC Railway Systems says its focus is to provide equipment that increases maintenance-of-way productivity.

“To ensure our equipment is always productive in the field, NMC Railway Systems has invested in more dedicated field support, to fulfill Class 1 and railroad contractor’s service needs,” explained Anderson. “Today’s railroads continue to place demand on hi-rail equipment to combat the ever-growing maintenance concerned due to their increased train traffic.”

Plasser American

“Track possessions for turnout maintenance are scarce, often requiring work windows on two adjacent tracks when working on crossovers,” noted Plasser American Corp.

“Moreover, pre-depositing material with ballast trains creates the need for additional work windows.”

For this, Plasser offer s its Unimat 09-475/4S N-Dynamic, which is cur rently operating on the Austrian Federal Railways. The new design of the Unimat N-Dynamic includes integrated ballast handling, enabling work units to interact in new ways. In addition to tamping, the machine also performs ballast profiling, ballast sweeping, stabilizing and measuring. Surplus ballast 30 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

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ballast maintenance is collected by the sweeper unit, stored temporarily and unloaded in the tamping zones while working, making it possible to lift the track enough to correct the geometry errors, since the exact amount of ballast needed is already deposited at the tie.

“The Unimat N-Dynamic combined with the BLS 2000 Ballast Loading Station and the MFS 60 Conveyor and Hopper Car has more to offer,” the company said.

“One hopper of a MFS 60 can store about 95 tons of ballast. (The actual capacity depends on the permissible axle loads.) The ballast is used in the turnout as required.

Immediately before the work is performed, it is unloaded exactly where it is needed for the lifting values to be achieved by the tamping machine. The ballast is distributed in the turnout using the slewing conveyor belts on the Unimat N-Dynamic.”

Plasser says that in most cases, a ballast train is not needed for turnout maintenance and this is why additional track possessions for pre-depositing ballast are no longer necessary. As the work is performed in less time and with higher quality.

Progress Rail

The Kershaw division of Progress Rail Services Corp. has recently launched its new Model 4600 Ballast Regulator.

“This machine addresses many issues that have been

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discussed with customers during product meetings,” noted Randy Chubaty, national sales manager. “The machine is designed utilizing a cab-forward design, offering enhanced visibility and improved operator ergonomics. The machine design also addresses many issues regarding component location and accessibility, making all components easily accessible for maintenance purposes.”

Progress Rail Ser vices is also active in offering new designs of ballast regulators for the international market, including high-powered machines with hoppers for transferring ballast, sand fighting machines and single pass ballast regulating machines. Ballast cleaning and ballast reclamation is another area where Kershaw has been working with customers to address concerns for new products. Kershaw recently delivered a new KSC2000 High Speed Shoulder Cleaner that is capable of cleaning the shoulder ballast, screening and spoiling the waste and returning the cleaned ballast back onto the shoulder.

“Our equipment leasing affiliate, Prog ress Rail Equipment Leasing, also has a full fleet of ballast maintenance equipment that is available for short-term rental or long-term leases,” Chubaty said. “Progress Rail Equipment Leasing offers customized leases based on each customer’s need and each lease can be customized to satisfy any requirement.”

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Bridge endurance:

Canadian National’s

Bonnet CarrÉ Spillway bridge A historical look at the construction and maintenance practices that have had a hand in keeping CN’s Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge functioning.

A

fter almost 80 years in service, it is time to recognize the three longest timber railroad bridges in America, the Illinois Central Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge, now part of Canadian National, and its nearby (smaller) cousin the Valley Spillway Bridge and Kansas City Southern Spillway bridge opened in 1936 at 9,501 feet. The longest, CN’s Bonnet Carré Bridge completed in May 1935 near New Orleans, La., is 11,735 feet in length and the Valley Bridge completed in January of 1935 checks in at slightly under 8,000 feet in length.

To date, they have endured six major hurricanes including Camille, Katrina and, most recently, Isaac. The Bonnet Carré Spillway has also been witness to major floods and the resulting opening of the spillway gates on 10 occasions. Of course, the big question is, why build such a long structure(s) in the first place? The answer lies in the history of the city of New Orleans and the great flood of 1927.

To answer the “question” you have to get a grasp of the history and topography of the lower Mississippi River basin. First, New Orleans has been plagued by flooding since the very first settlers set up shop there in 1717. At 32 Railway Track & Structures

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least these hardy French folk chose the driest (highest) location, which is today the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Almost immediately, they began to set up a grid pattern of drainage ditches and so began the first efforts at trying to control flooding in the city. Concurrent with these early ditches, the process of building levees began to try and control the unpredictable floodwaters.

As early as 1752, the levee system extended more than 12 miles south of New Orleans and more than 30 miles north on both sides of the Mississippi River. By 1828, subsequent flooding brought a strict standard for the size of levees and higher taxes to extend and maintain them. Again the Mississippi had the last word and in 1849, a breach in a levee above New Orleans gave the city wet feet for 48 continuous days.

With a repeat performance in 1850, the United States government became involved and grants were given to build a “continuous” levee system.

The continuous levee system turned out to be a “devil’s handshake” and in the high water events of 1882, multiple breaches occurred above New Orleans.

The torrent of water that followed kept the city at flood stage for 91 days and took a terrible toll on the populace.

This was followed by 1893 storms that brought 30-foot waves, which overtopped the southern levees killing an estimated 1,500 people. Even with all these hardships, New Orleans continued to grow to the nation’s 14th largest city by 1920. During this time frame, the levees continued to grow in length and height in an attempt to channel the Mississippi River with catastrophic results.

Some of the worst flooding ever recorded came in 1927 and, as before, the Mississippi ignored the efforts of man. Noting the unprecedented rise in the river, Louisiana’s governor ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to blow up the levee along St. Bernard Parish to allow the floodwaters to drain across the flat plains and wet lands to Lake Borgne and then to the Gulf of Mexico.

While this action saved the better part of New Orleans, it also killed more than 200 people and left tens of thousands of unfortunate souls homeless.

This “disaster” marked the end of the policy of relying on levees to protect New Orleans. Dramatic changes would now follow.

With bipartisan support, the 1928 Congress acted swiftly to address the flood control problems. By law, no longer could the Mississippi be controlled www.rtands.com

bridge endurance Opposite page: A panoramic view of the length of the nearly 80-year-old bridge.

This page: An Osmose crew performing inspection and preservative services.

only by the building of levees. Congress mandated that a system of spillways and reservoirs (nine in total) be built as far north as New Madrid, Tenn., continuing down the Mississippi and ending at the Bonnet Carré Spillway.

By name, a “spillway” is a system of gates that can be lifted to divert a percentage of the flow water to a safe area. Starting in the early 1930s, the great spillway projects began and everything in the path of the projected spillway (outflow) had to rise up or get out of the way. The concrete-reinforced 7,000-foot long Bonnet Carré Spillway is comprised of 350 “bays” and 7,000 4x4 Southern Yellow Pine creosote treated “pins” that hold back the flow until lifted by dedicated mobile cranes that move across the spillway. It takes at least 36 hours to raise all the pins to unleash the design capacity of 250,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) (that’s the equivalent of 1,870,000 gallons per second).

On three occasions, the spillway has exceeded these outflows with the most famous opening starting May 9, 2011, where the flow was 316,000 cfs (26 percent above design capacity). This torrent of water would have a negative effect on the CN/IC Spillway Bridge.

C.C. Westfall, the engineer of bridges for the Illinois Central was given the task of building two of the longest railroad timber structures almost simultaneously. Work on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Bridge began in July 1934 and finished January 1935. Work began on the Bonnet Carré Spillway bridge (double track, ballasted deck) May 4, 1934, and was completed May 7, 1935 with a length of almost two miles. Both structures were built adjacent to the existing tracks so as not to interfere with traffic. Clearly, this was one of the most ambitious bridge building jobs completed by any railroad at that time.

Prior to the start, soil borings indicated very poor conditions and piling lengths had to facilitate the depth of penetration to achieve bearing. Test www.rtands.com

At 80 years old, the forces of nature are waging an ever-increasing battle and the costs to maintain the bridge have escalated, meaning C.C. Westfall’s masterpiece of bridge building can not go on forever. piles indicated pile lengths from 78 to 90 feet. It was also noted that in certain areas, pile lengths of 90 to 105 feet. were required. In bents where extra-long piles were desired, it was decided to splice untreated pile tips on the creosoted piles in order to procure the full length. The goal was to use no more than six spliced piles per bent, but it was typically limited to four per bent. With 12 piles per bent, spliced caps and 23 stringers per span to support the ballasted double tracks, the Bonnet Carré Spillway required an enormous amount of timber.

For piling alone, more than 10,000 creosoted southern yellow pine piles of extraordinary length were procured.

This equates to 850,000 lineal feet or 4,500,000 board feet of treated timbers. In addition, another 1,676 untreated piles were driven under the concrete firewalls spaced every 500 feet, which then comprised one section. Span lengths average 13 feet center-to-center. Every effort was made

to provide the best possible treatment because of the high decay climate of southern Louisiana. All piles were treated to a retention of 18 lbs. coal-tar creosote per cubic foot. Every cut pile top was also treated using metal rings tapped into the top of the piles where hot creosote from two large kettles provided the supplemental treatment to exposed wood surfaces. This mixture was allowed to soak into the pile tops. To speed things up, roofing felt was employed and secured by wire to form containers for the hot creosote to be poured on top.

The driving of the bridge was accomplished using two specially designed pile drivers per C. C. Westfalls specifications, starting at each end of the bridge. A very detailed account of the drivers attributes and their functions were discussed in Westfall’s 1934 October presentation to the American Bridge and Building Association held in Chicago, Ill. Briefly, the pile drivers were designed to move on top of Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 33

bridge endurance A CN train traversing the Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge.

the driven piles from above so that the leads could make use of the longer piles. This arrangement was further necessitated due to the poor soil conditions that would not support the drivers alone. These moving drivers could place a 12-pile bent, while working from the pile cut off of the past driven bent. Both spillway bridges were built using these methods. It also helped that the pile drivers were off the ground in instances of heavy rains and could keep operating.

The value of the concrete firewalls was tested in early 1981 when a grass fire burned most of section 12. The oversized concrete firewalls performed flawlessly and prevented the fire’s spread. This section was rebuilt using the pile cut-offs with square sawn timber. Prior to this fire, the adjacent rail had been pulled up on the eastern portion of the structure. This allowed simplified inspection of the spillway bridge, until the decision was made in early 2000 to remove the entire deck from underneath the abandoned track.

Beginning in 1965, the IC railroad recognized the importance of maintaining this critical link to New Orleans. After careful review, it decided to try a company called Osmose and their “new” process of detailed inspection followed by in-place preservative treatment to extend the service of the piling and caps in this high-decay climate. The first step was to “cruise” or sample the bridge to see if in fact decay was present. This process was 34 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

further quantified by taking shell and void readings to determine void size inside the piling and caps. From that point on it was obvious that preventive measures must be undertaken or the bridge would be consumed by decay activity. IC immediately contracted to have this specialized service performed to extend the service life of this massive timber structure.

Fast-forward to 1981 and the Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge had experienced three openings of the spillway gates and one large hurricane called Camille. Once again, Osmose was called on to provide detailed inspection and in-place preservative treatment of the aging structure. While some voids in the piling had increased, but the vast majority of decay activity had been held in check. After this treatment, the bridge saw another two openings of the spillway gates due to flooding in the Mississippi and when Hurricane Francis gouged at New Orleans in 1998.

On July 1, 1999, CN acquired the Illinois Central and with it came the two timber giants of the south.

CN immediately began exhaustive reviews regarding the condition of the Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge. It had been more than 16 years since the last treatment and the bridge was now out of a recommended treatment cycle, but the pilings were still found to be sound. While the third re-treatment of the Spillway Bridge was delayed, in place was a stepped up maintenance focus to post out deficient pil-

ings and frame-out bents, if necessary.

Again, the spillway had endured the horrifically damaging effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that, literally, destroyed many larger permanent structures. The old Grey Lady came through as before with minor damage to her embankments. Beginning in 2007, CN began a measured approach to the third re-treatment cycle, treating three to four sections a year until 2012. C.C. Westfall’s timber monument had withstood almost everything Mother Nature had thrown at her; this was proved different during the great Mississippi flood of 2011.

Prior to 1985 and going forward a few more years, the Bonnet Carré Bridge could be walked from below for much of its length (although it was very muddy). With each opening of the spillway gates and the successive hurricanes, the topography slowly eroded away. A 13-foot drop from the spillway gates, along with a five-mile flood plain tilted towards Lake Pontchartrain, allows the outflow to pick-up speed. In 2011, heavy snow combined with a very wet spring sent an unprecedented amount of water down the Mississippi. On May 9, 2011, the Mississippi river hit the calculated threshold of 1.25 million cfs in the main river and by May 12, 102 bays of the Bonnet Carré Spillway were opened to relieve the pressure with the height of the water heading towards New Orleans.

Over the next couple of days, the volume of water continued to grow until approximately 316,000 cfs was blasting through the spillway gates and heading for Lake Pontchartrain, with the piling of the old timber double track railroad bridge at the end of the outflow.

During spillway openings, the railroad increases its inspections and monitoring, which proved worthwhile, when on May 22, the deluge claimed an entire bent by knocking it over. CN closed the spillway to all traffic to figure out a method to drive steel H-piles while battling five to seven feet of water moving at 20-30 mph. Using its own crews and locomotive pile driver, CN succeeded in driving a five pile www.rtands.com

bridge endurance The deck of the Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge.

steel bent. A concrete cap was welded onto the piles to complete the bent.

A beam span with the deck already attached to it was then swung into place between the new bent and the existing concrete pier to close the gap.

A preassembled deck panel with steel stringers was assembled and placed into the void. The bridge reopened for traffic on May 26. It was later determined that one of the natural channels for the flood waters was overwhelmed and in conjunction with an adjacent concrete pier supporting a through plate girder span over the channel, sufficient hydraulic turbulence was created to scour out a 30-foot hole and sweep away the driven piling.

At 80 years old, the forces of nature are waging an ever-increasing battle and the costs to maintain the bridge

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have escalated, meaning C.C. Westfall’s masterpiece of bridge building can not go on forever. While final plans for a new bridge have not been released, given the structure’s age, one

can infer that replacement options are being considered. Until a new structure can be built, a little luck may be involved as the Mississippi may dictate its own terms.

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August 2014 35

Railroads are looking to their next generation of equipment to increase productivity without sacrificing safety or ease of operation.

NS says a new machine associated with the distribution/installation of tie plates is needed to reduce worker exposure.

compiled by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

N

orth American railroads are seeing an increase in business. While great for the bottom line, it leaves maintenance forces with tighter work windows to operate within. The equipment used must be reliable, versatile and have a positive effect on productivity. Safety continues to be the top priority among railroads, but as it pertains to equipment, it is no longer considered a feature as much as it is a standard.

RT&S surveyed the Engineering Departments from North America’s Class 1 railroads. Their answer s show what those departments need and expect out of their machinery and what they would like to see in f u t u r e e q u i p m e n t i n c a r n at i o n s.

RT&S thanks those railroads who 36 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

What does an engineer really

want?

participated in this survey.

1.

Equipment features

What features do you look for when in the market for m/w machinery?

For example, is it safety, reliability, speed of operation, ease of getting on and off track, ease of maintenance, cost, productivity or something else?

Amtrak: Features in priority order are as follows: Safety, reliability, ease of maintenance, standardization of parts and components, cost.

Canadian National: Safety is always priority Number One, reliability and productivity are essential; we

e n c o u r a g e ve n d o r s t o i m p r ove ergonomics to ease fatigue of operation.

Canadian Pacific: Safety, service/ after sales support, reliability, ease of troubleshooting.

Kansas City Southern: At Kansas City Southern, safety and reliability are two main considerations when in the market for m/w machinery. Safety and ergonomics for the operator and/or maintenance technician is a primary concern. Reliability, speed of operation and productivity work hand-in-hand. If machine downtime is minimal this helps speed and production.

Norfolk Souther n: Safety and productivity are always at the forefront when selecting equipment. Reliability follows closely behind. www.rtands.com

engineering trends 2014

2.

Most important

What is the most important single feature, after safety, for you and your railroad? Why? Amtrak: Reliability and ease of operation, these two factors impact our production the greatest.

CN: After safety, the single most important feature is productivity in order to maximize our work blocks.

CP: Ease of function and reliability for production purposes.

KCS: Operator proficiency is the most important feature after safety.

If the machine is designed around maximum operator visibility, ergonomic controls and seating and ease of daily maintenance procedures, production will be maximized and operating cost for the unit will be minimized.

NS: Automation to improve prod u c t i v i t y. W i t h t h e i n c r e a s e d demand on the infrastructure, we

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have to find ways to do our work with less track time.

3.

New features

In today’s market, what new features or improvements in m/w machinery have the most appeal to you?

Amtrak: Enhanced surf ace fit features and on-board diagnostics to aid trouble-shooting.

CN: Machinery incorporating the latest technology, with the best ergonomics.

CP: Programmable Logic Controls (PLC) allows easier troubleshooting and has drastically increased reliability.

KCS: PLC machines have the most appeal to KCS. The use of PLC controllers (opposed to hard-wired units) has greatly minimized downtime by assisting the technician with troubleshooting procedures.

NS: Anything that improves reliability

and offers improvements in utilization of the workforce.

4.

The ideal machine

If you could write the specs for an ideal m/w machine, what features would you include?

Amtrak: Standardization, including engines, components and par ts.

This would reduce inventory costs, repair man and operator training requirements and reduce downtime.

CN: The specs would include outstanding ergonomics in the cab, as well as great visibility, welldefined safety components, plenty of horsepower and the latest in technological advances in controlling functions of the machine. Ease of maintenance and operation will always be something that we look to improve in our specs each year.

CP: PLC controls, easy changing of major components, good supply

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 37

Engineering trends 2014

CSX concluded its annual Maintenance Jamboree in July. For more information see page 7.

of spare parts availability, ease of operation with minimal training and low cost of ownership.

38 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

KCS: Writing the specs for an ideal m/w machine would depend on the application of that specific unit.

Standardization of equipment, such as engines and major components f r o m ve n d o r t o ve n d o r i s ve r y important. In terms of tie gang or steel gang equipment, a machine that combines tasks or minimizes manual material handling is of the upmost importance. For instance, a spiker that would lift the rail, install the plate, nip the tie and drive the spikes would greatly improve production and minimize labor.

NS: The ideal m/w machine is one that removes manual labor (and associated worker exposures) from the work environment, is highly productive with good mobility between worksites, can quickly engage at the worksite, has robust components that require little maintenance, self-diagnostics for

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engineering trends 2014 problem resolution, intentional service friendly accessibility and [is] produced by a manufacturer with a solid service support network.

5.

Beneficial machines

Looking at recent purchases, what big-ticket piece of equipment has offered the most benefit to your railroad? What about among lowerpriced equipment?

Amtrak: The one lower cost machine that stands out is the Rail Lifter/Plate Placer; this machine is a man saving device.

CN: High production tampers, new rail pickup units and rail laying equipment.

CP: Pettibone Speedswings and Nordco CX Spikers–very reliable. Pregaugers for rail crews.

KCS: Surfacing equipment, as a bigticket item, offers the most benefit to our railroad. Anchor equipment (anchor applicators, spreaders and

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adjusters) is the most dependable and cost-efficient among the lowerpriced equipment.

NS: A big-ticket item continues to be the flash-butt welding trucks focusing upon in-track joint removal and associated maintenance. Lower-priced equipment are the small powered hand tools and the attachments to backhoes that reduce manual labor, as well as the improvements made in bridge tie installation equipment.

6.

Solutions oriented

What is your biggest m/w headache: track time, productivity, etc.?

What kind of machine or features would you like to see from suppliers to help alleviate the problem?

Amtrak: Reliability and training. The manufacturers need to produce more reliable equipment and hold more in-depth training classes for operators and repairmen in order to support their products.

CN: Work block availability is a headache. We look for high-productive/ reliable machinery to help alleviate the problem.

CP: As we are running a busy railway, track time is always a challenge.

Interchangeability of parts from one machine type to another would be one opportunity to explore, which would reduce inventory and make us more efficient.

KCS: Our biggest m/w issue is work windows. With minimal track time, the equipment must be dependable and ready when the opportunity arises. Multi-task machines would greatly improve productivity: m/w equipment that does one function several times, such as two or three head tamping machines or drones that are capable of doing a specific task.

NS: As noted above, increased traffic (which is a good thing for our business), is driving our need for equipment that is more productive and requires less track time to do the same or more work.

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 39

7.

Railroad/supplier interface

When you meet with suppliers, what are you telling them about your m/w machinery needs? Do you find suppliers responsive to your requests?

Amtrak: [We constantly request] reliability and simplification.

The manufacturers have incorporated too many complicated hydraulic and electronic systems. As a result, the machines are too difficult to maintain and repair; any advertised productivity gain is lost in down time and training.

CN: New machines need to be more reliable. Ergonomics must be improved and there must be improvements in service and parts delivery. Suppliers are for the most part responsive to our concerns.

CP: [We discuss the] direction we would like to go in the future regarding types of equipment. Suppliers are usually responsive to our present and perceived future needs.

KCS: Generally, most suppliers are willing to listen to equipment issues, study problems and make corrections.

NS: The primary new machinery need is associated with the distribution/installation of tie plates. It’s the industry’s most recognized opportunity to reduce worker exposures and to make a generational leap in productivity of the large production gangs. The suppliers are aware of the need and are investigating solutions.

8.

Trending in 2014

Checking trends, would you say today’s equipment is getting safer, more reliable, more productive or other qualities? On the negative side, what trends are out there, such as machinery being too costly, too complicated, etc.?

Amtrak: The trend to build safer machines creates a p o s i t i ve i m p a c t o n r a i l r o a d m a i n t e n a n c e a n d i s appreciated by all those that work with the equipment.

Now, the industry needs to focus on reliability and quality of the product, this industry needs to be able to count on its machinery to perform when we have track time.

CN: The equipment is much safer to operate today than in past years. Reliability has to improve. When a new product is purchased, we expect it to be reliable.

[Additionally,] the cost to maintain a piece of machinery has risen dramatically over the past several years.

CP: Yes, lots of progress being made, but costs are rising, which will impact our buying power.

KCS: Today’s equipment is definitely continuing to improve in many areas. Productivity generally leads to a more complicated machine that requires additional training of the operator and technician. If we have machines that are reliable, the production will be there.

NS: Today’s equipment is definitely safer, more reliable and more productive. On the negative side, training and experience become increasingly important and we need operators that will stay with the equipment for extended periods of time rather than hopping from machine to machine or job to job.

40 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

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AREMA NEWS Professional Development Upcoming seminars railroad 101 August 22, 2014 Phoenix, AZ

Message from the President

Thanks

By Joe Smak

railroad bridge load rating - steel structures September 15, 2014 New Orleans, LA Please visit www.arema.org to register and to find out more information about these seminars or contact Desirée Knight at dknight@arema.org.

Please see cover 3 to find a listing of all seminars being held in conjunction with the AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition.

online seminar Introduction to pipe ramming method of culvert installation and replacement October 22, 2014 1p.m.-2p.m. EST Presented by: Michael Lewis, Parson's Brinckerhoff (retired and part-time consultant), vice chair, Committee 33, AREMA and George Pristach, NE region manager, PB Transit & Rail Systems, Inc., past chair of AREMA's Committee 33.

Please visit www.arema.org to register and to find out more information about these seminars or contact Mandie Ennis at mennis@arema.org.

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Joe Smak AREMA President 2013-2014

I received a phone call from AREMA headquarters, alerting me of my final “Message from the President” column. It is hard to believe, but just 12 short months ago, I was introducing myself in my first column.

Now, a year later, I am saying farewell and thanks.

I have been honored and humbled to have served as the AREMA president this past year; and what a year it has been. From Railway Interchange 2013 in Indianapolis, Ind., through the upcoming AREMA 2014 Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago, Ill., I have had the wonderful privilege to work with the many fantastic people that make up this great organization we know as AREMA. My first and foremost thank you goes to my wife, Pam. Without her support and understanding, none of this would be possible. She has done a fine job as first lady, a role that she accepted and carried out elegantly. The rest of my family showed their support, as well and I thank them kindly.

A big thank you goes out to Chuck Emely and the AREMA staff.

Chuck has done a great job with the organization and has helped me tremendously along the way. The AREMA staff made my job easy, taking care of all the details in the execution of my position.

My gratitude goes to Beth Caruso, Stacy Spaulding, Vickie Fisher, Desireé Knight, Janice Clements, Lindsay Hamilton, Christy Thomas, Allison Kolwicz, Chip Emely and Mandy Ennis for all their assistance throughout the year. It takes hard work to run an organization like AREMA and they do it well. You get a true appreciation of the inner workings when you go behind the scenes at AREMA. And I must thank the AREMA Board of Governors for their diligence in taking care of business at AREMA. Mike Franke, Jim Carter, Randy Bowman, Fred Smith, David Ferryman and John West have done a fine job in guiding the organization. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the board of directors for all that they do. The Functional Group vice presidents, directors, committee chairs, vice chairs, secretaries and all the committee members are the core of AREMA. Their knowledge and expertise produce the material that is the basis of AREMA. I am leaving the presidency of AREMA in good hands with my good friend and colleague Randy Bowman. I can’t think of a better person to take the helm, as Randy has had many years of AREMA leadership.

Brian Lindamood steps up as senior vice president and he will also help steer the organization. Congratulations, Randy and Brian. I need to thank Past Presidents Jim Carter and Bob Verhelle, among others, for their guidance.

I also have to thank the industry organizations that have been part of my journey as president. One of my goals this year was to strengthen the relationship between AREMA and the other industry organizations and I think I have accomplished that. AREMA has always had good relations with Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association, Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc., and Railway Supply Continued on page 42 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 41

AREMA NEWS

2014 - 2015 Upcoming Committee Meetings Aug. 13-14 Sept. 4-5 Sept. 16-17 Oct. 5-6 Oct. 15 Oct. 22-23 Nov. 10-12

Committee 7 - Timber Structures Committee 8 - Concrete Structures & Foundations Committee 15 - Steel Structures Committee 34 - Scales Committee 28 - Clearances Committee 4 - Rail Committee 37 - Signal Systems

Cincinnati, OH Denver, CO New Orleans, LA Tucson, AZ Orlando, FL Kansas City, MO Overland Park, KS

Nov. 12-13 Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing

Warning Systems Overland Park, KS Jan. 6-7 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Foundations Hollywood, FL Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures Jan. 29 San Diego, CA Jan. 29-30 Committee 8 - Concrete Structures

& Foundations Panama, Central America Feb. 3-4 Committee 15 - Steel Structures San Diego, CA

Committee meetings being held in conjunction with AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition can be found at www.arema.org.

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

FYI…

Register now for the AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition, September 28 - October 1, 2014, in Chicago, IL. To register online, please visit www.arema. org. The reduced registration rate deadline for the AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition and events is August 20, 2014. You may still register after August 20, but rates will increase.

Rooms are still available at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel (overflow hotel, not location of the conference) to accommodate the guests of the AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition being held September 28 - October 1 in Chicago, Ill. Please mention AREMA when booking your room to receive the negotiated discount rate. Register now at www.arema.org, as rooms are quickly filling up.

Interested in gaining company recognition and building awareness?

Think about sponsorship for the AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition.

P lease contact Linds ay Ham i l t on at lhamilton@arema.org or +1.301.459.3200, ext. 705, for more information.

AREMA’s Official Facebook Page Become a fan of the official AREMA Facebook Page and stay up-to-date on the most recent AREMA information.

The Official AREMA LinkedIn Group Join the official AREMA LinkedIn Group by visiting www.linkedin.com and searching groups for “American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association.”

Not an AREMA Member?

Join today at www.arema.org 42 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

Continued from page 41 Institute and I hope that I have strengthened our relationships. We continue to have strong relations with the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association and the Railway Tie Association and I feel that I had a part in making the relationship even stronger. We renewed our Memorandum of Understanding with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and are embarking on a joint AREMA/APTA effort to improve wheel/rail interaction. I feel that I reached my first goal and I will continue to work with these groups to keep our working relationships strong.

My second goal was to increase student activity in AREMA. I have a strong belief that our students are the future of the railroad industry and I want to do everything in my power to help this cause. AREMA now has 17 student chapters and I am still working on adding more to the list. As president, I was able to visit with several student chapters and other railroad engineering program students throughout the year. I was enthusiastic during these presentations, as I was warmly greeted by the students. I was able to detect their genuine interest in railroad engineering and they showed great promise with their insightful questions and comments. It is good to see the railroads and the rest of the industry hiring students as summer interns and management associates. I plan to continue to work with the students and the student chapters to keep this movement going into the future.

I want to thank the many friends and acquaintances, both old and new, who have crossed my path this past year. AREMA is a unique organization that is composed of railroaders, manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, institutions of higher learning, regulatory agencies and consultants. This diverse blend of talent makes AREMA the leading railroad engineering association in the world and I am proud to have been one in the long line of notable railroaders that led this organization. Thank you for your trust and confidence and I hope that I have lived up to your expectations.

It has been a great year and I am honored and humbled to have served as your president. As I step down, I promise that I will stay active in AREMA, to somehow repay for the experience that this position has given me. I urge you all to get actively involved in AREMA, as it is the best experience one can have in the railroad engineering discipline.

Put your career on the right track with AREMA’s Railway Careers Network. Services are FREE and include confidential resume posting, job search and e-mail notification when jobs match your criteria.

Please see ad on page 50 for details on August specials for discounts on career postings.

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Getting to know Anne Gill Each month, AREMA features one of our committee chairs. We are pleased to announce that the August featured chair is Anne Gill, chair of Committee 2 - Track Measuring Systems.

AREMA: Why did you decide to choose a career in railway engineering?

GILL: I knew I wanted to be an engineer since I was in eighth grade. I had actually planned on going into highway engineering, but there was no highway funding for my graduate thesis. There was funding for a project on track degradation in the railroad program, so I transferred to the railroad side. I’ve loved it ever since.

AREMA: How did you get started?

GILL: A consulting firm was associated with Queen’s Univer sity in Kingston, ON, Canada (where I did my M.Sc.), that specialized in rail-related work, so I simply transitioned from a grad student working on their projects to an employee. I stayed there a couple of years and then was offered a job in Chicago with the Association of American Railroads.

AREMA: How did you get involved in AREMA and your committee?

GILL: I actually worked for AREMA back when it was AREA; as the director of engineering. This time around, I was working as director track measurement at BNSF and wanted to get back into AREMA so it was a natural fit for me to join Committee 2.

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

GILL: I have a nine-year-old daughter who takes up the majority of my time. But we share the same hobbies, namely golf and karate, which allows us to spend as much time together as possible. My daughter is already a black belt; I should get mine next spring. I have also started competing in triathlons – I’ve done three in the past year and would like to fit in a couple more before winter hits. On a more intellectual level, I coach my daughter’s Odyssey of the Mind team, which is an internal competition geared toward creativity.

AREMA: Tell us about your family.

GILL: Stateside, it is just my daughter and me. Plus, a cat, a hamster and two crazy dogs. I am originally from Canada and my parents, brother and sisters still all live there – we make plenty of trips north to see them.

AREMA: What is your biggest achievement?

GILL: Being considered a mentor for those that follow me. I’ve never really thought of myself as a role model, but in the past few years, people at BNSF have sought me out for career guidance and mentoring. I had a terrific mentor early in my career who taught me a lot; he also told me that he expected me to share my experiences and guidance whenever I reached that stage in my career. I guess I’m there now and it is a really rewarding experience.

AREMA: What advice would you give to someone who is trying to pursue a career in the railway industry?

GILL: It’s a very rewarding career, but requires a lot of www.rtands.com

Anne Gill Chair, Committee 2 - Track Measuring Systems Director Engineering Planning, BNSF

dedication. It is a lifestyle more than a job. There are many evenings/weekends you may need to work or be away from home – you’ll miss holidays and birthdays more than once. But, if you have the support network for it, there is no better way to earn a living.

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August 2014 43

AREMA NEWS

Student Chapter Highlight: Virginia Tech

When was this AREMA Student Chapter established?

The chapter was chartered in the spring of 2012 and its first activities were held the following fall.

How many members does this student chapter currently have?

More than 100 different students have attended AREMA at Virginia Tech events over the past two years. However, a core group of around 20 students has continued to participate in the club.

Who is your chapter president?

Chapter founder Greg Pope, a civil engineering student who graduated in May 2014, is handing over the reins this summer to Margaret King, a rising sophomore in civil engineering.

Has this student chapter had any recent exciting events occur that you would like to share with the readers of RT&S? A small group of students had the opportunity to ride Norfolk Southern’s track geometry train (pictured) between Roanoke and Christiansburg, Va., in March 2013. Later that spring, another group toured Norfolk Southern’s Roanoke locomotive shops and FreightCar America’s Roanoke manufacturing facility.

The chapter has also hosted the following railroad officers: Jim Carter, chief engineer bridges and structures at Norfolk Southern; Phil Danner, assistant vice president of signal engineering at Union Pacific and Brad Kerchof, director of research and tests at Norfolk Southern.

R e p r e s e n t at i ve s o f N o r f o l k S o u t h e r n ’s h u m a n resources and operations departments have also worked with the chapter to hold information sessions around career fair events.

Do you have any upcoming events?

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Plans are in the works for bringing speakers from the industry to campus for presentations. Ideas for field trips to Norfolk Southern facilities in the Roanoke and New River valleys are also being tossed around. The executive team is still putting the final touches on the fall semester agenda, so keep an eye on the chapter’s website (https://sites.google. com/site/vtarema/) for updates.

Professional Development Hours By attending the AREMA Annual Conference & Exposition, seminars and workshops, you are entitled to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs). PDHs for New York and Florida are available through AREMA’s special relationship with the Florida Board of Professional Engineers and the New York Professional Engineers Program. AREMA is also an approved provider for the state of Indiana. Individuals needing PDHs for other states may self declare using AREMA’s form.

In addition to PDHs, CEUs are available through a special agreement negotiated with the University of North Florida.

Committee meetings are also approved for PDHs through the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.

AREMA is also an approved provider of the Registered Continuing Education Program.

Please note that your individual state board has the final authority on approving all PDHs for activities attended.

The CEU and PDH form will be available at the conference and can be picked up at the AREMA Registration Desk or online at www.arema.org after the conference. Please visit www.arema.org for more information.

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

Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE

2014 Manual for Railway Engineering© NOW AVAILABLE 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, each in a separate volume: • Track • Structures • Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems Management. The Manual is an annual publication, released every April. It is available in four-volume loose-leaf format, CD-ROM, revision set (loose-leaf only) and individual chapters (hard copy and downloadable formats).

Downloadable Chapters Available Online.

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.

To order any of the AREMA publications, please visit www.arema.org or contact Beth Caruso at +1.301.459.3200, ext. 701, or bcaruso@arema.org.

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2014 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices©

New edition coming

The Communications October 2014 & Signals Manual is a manual of recommended practices written by AREMA technical committees in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety or efficiency and economy. The Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices is an annual publication.

Downloadable Sections Available Online.

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.)

2014 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans© NOW AVAILABLE

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.

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 45

Nominees for Election to the 2014–2015 AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors Nominated For Senior Vice President Name Brian A. Lindamood, PE Title Director - Capital Projects Organization/Company Alaska Railroad Corporation Lindamood has more than 25 years of broad railroad industry experience including railroad operations and economics, alignment and track design, traditional and intermodal terminals, the development of track standards, specifications and design/ maintenance practices. He began his career in 1989 as a research assistant at the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. In 1990, he interned at the Burlington Northern Railroad and in 1991, went to the Dakota Missouri Valley and Western Railroad.

He also interned at the Red River Valley and Western Railroad in 1992. He worked at HDR as a project engineer from 1995 – 1996 and in 1997, went to work for Hanson Wilson. He was a project engineer from 1997 – 1998 and vice president from 2002 – 2006.

He was an associate assistant vice president at TranSystems from 1998 – 2002. He started working at the Alaska Railroad in 2006 and is currently director capital projects.

He holds BS and MS Civil Engineering degrees from North Dakota State University. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Lindamood was the vice chair and chair of AREMA Committee 14. He was the vice president of the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors Engineering Services Group from 2011– 2013. He has provided significant contributions to AREMA publications and seminars.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1989 Predecessor Organization

Nominated For Vice President – Communications

and Signals Name Victor R. Babin Title Chief Engineering Officer Organization/Company Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation (NICTD) Babin has more than 23 years experience in railway engineering. Babin has worked at NICTD since 1991. He was hired as a chief electrical engineer and currently holds the position of chief engineering officer.

He has a BS ET degree from Purdue University.

Babin is a fellow, Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) and is a member, Local Committee, IRSE North American Section. He was an associate member of AAR Committee E from 1994-1997. He’s a member of Purdue University Calumet Department of Electrical Engineering Technology Industrial Advisory Committee. He has been heavily involved with Committee 37 and was the vice chair and chair of that committee. He is also the chair of AREMA Subcommittee 37-3. He has been on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Communications and Signals, 2012 – present.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1997 Predecessor Organization 46 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

Nominated For Vice President – Maintenance Name Bruce E. Williams Title Technical Training Manager Organization/Company Progress Rail Services Williams began his railroad career with the Western Pacific Railroad in 1972 as an assistant signalman. He left Western Pacific in 1980 to work for Electro Pneumatic Corporation, which is now part of General Electric. In 1984, he was offered a signal super visor’s position at Union Pacific. He held the position of general director signals at UP and retired in 2007.

In 2007, he assumed the position of president of Coast to Coast Signal Engineering, Inc. In 2010, Coast to Coast Signal Engineering was purchased

by Progress Rail Services where he is currently the technical training manager. During his 40-plus year railroad career, he has held various positions including signal maintainer, signal foreman, signal inspector, supervisor engineering services training, manager engineering ser vices training and general director construction.

He holds an AA in Electronics from San Joaquin Delta College, BA and Masters in Business Administration degrees from the University of Phoenix.

Williams was the committee chair of Committee 43 from 2002 – 2005 and is currently serving on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Maintenance.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1998 Predecessor Organization

Nominated For

Vice President – Passenger & Transit Name Nathan J. Higgins, PEng, PE Senior Vice President Title Organization/Company Hatch Mott MacDonald, Ltd. Higgins began his career in 1985 as a student engineer at Canadian National. In 1988, he was an engineering assistant at Canadian National. He held various positions at Falconbridge, Ontario Northland Railway, Systra and HDR Corporation and currently works at Hatch Mott MacDonald, Ltd. as senior vice president.

He holds a B. Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University at Kingston.

Higgins is a member of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineer ing, Amer ican Society of Civil Engineers and Permanent Way Institution (fellow). He has been very active on Committee 17 having served as committee chair from 20012004 and as subcommittee chair, as well. He has also served on the AREMA Membership Committee. He is currently serving on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Passenger and Transit.

Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization Joined AREA in 1988, B&B in 1989 and RDM in 1991 www.rtands.com

Nominated For Vice President – Track Name David A. Becker, PE Title Asst. Chief Engineer – Project Planning Organization/Company Norfolk Southern Corporation Becker began his railroad career in 1986 and since that time, has had broad based Class 1 experience that includes maintenance, design, constr uction and planning functions.

He has held various positions at Norfolk Southern, such as trainee maintenance of way, design engineer, geotechnical engineer, senior design engineer, assistant chief engineer design west and assistant chief engineer – project planning, his current position.

He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Michigan State University. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Becker has been active on AREMA Committee 1 having served as secretary, vice chair and chair. His AREMA experience includes 20-plus years involvement with committee work. He is currently serving on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as vice president – Track.

Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization Joined AREA in 1988

Nominated For Director – Communications and Signals Name Phillip A. Danner Title AVP, Engineering – Signal Organization/Company Union Pacific Railroad Danner has been in the railroad industry since 1991. From 1991 – 2007, Danner worked at Global Signaling, GE and the last position held there was vice president engineering. From 2007 – 2011, Danner worked at Intermec Technologies and was the vice president global product development. From 2011 – present, Danner has held the position of assistant vice president engineering – signal. He is currently responsible for signal operations throughout 23 western states, including an annual budget of more than $500 million and more than 2000 employees.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Virginia.

Danner has authored technical papers and has been a plenary and key speaker around the world at conferences such as ISA, ITC, i-comm and PosTech. He is also involved in the Virginia Tech Alumni Association.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREMA in 2011 Predecessor Organization

Nominated For Director – Track Timothy R. Bennett, PE Name Title Vice President Organization/Company HDR Engineering, Inc. Bennett began his railroad engineering career in 1985, accepting a position with Seaboard System Railroad (shortly thereafter becoming CSX) as an engineering management trainee. While with CSX, he held the position of assistant project engineer (Jacksonville, Fla., and Tampa, Fla.) and assistant roadmaster (Chicago, Ill.). He left CSX in 1990 to pursue a www.rtands.com

consulting engineering opportunity with Envirodyne Engineers in Chicago. While at Envirodyne, he was involved in several significant Metra design and construction projects and served as on-site project engineer for the new KYD Heavy Repair and Maintenance Facility on the Metra Electric District and resident engineer for construction of Building B2 at the Metra Milwaukee District Western Ave. layover facility. In 1994, he pursued a freight rail design opportunity with HDR Engineering in Chicago, later moving to Omaha, Neb. During the course of his many years at HDR, he achieved the designation of professional associate in recognition of his technical expertise and has been named a vice president in the company officer program (current position). Currently, he serves as project manager on large scale multidiscipline projects and he is HDR’s Union Pacific Railroad Client Services Manager.

He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Purdue University. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Bennett has been an active member of AREMA Committee 5 for more than 20 years. His Committee 5 leadership history also includes secretary, vice chair and chair for Subcommittee 8 – Track Geometry, as well as secretary, vice chair and chair for full Committee 5. Bennett is currently serving on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Track. He is also involved with the Transportation Research Board – member of Committee AR050 Track Structure System Design.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1986 Predecessor Organization

Nominated For Director – Structures Name Edward D. Sparks, II, PE Title Assistant Chief Engineer – Structures Organization/Company CSX Transportation, Inc. Sparks has worked at CSX since 1994. He has held various positions, such as project engineer, assistant roadmaster, bridge supervisor, senior engineer of structures, engineer of track and division engineer. Currently, his position is assistant chief engineer – structures.

He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from the University of Kentucky. He also has a Masters of Business Administration degree from Jacksonville University. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Sparks has been actively involved in AREMA Committees 5 and 15. He is currently serving on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Structures. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1994 Predecessor Organization

Nominated For Director – Engineering Services Trent M. Hudak, PE Name Title Director Engineering Services BNSF Railway Organization/Company Hudak joined BNSF in 1985 as a management trainee. He worked in various track supervisory positions for the first several years before joining the engineering services team. He has spent Railway Track & Structures

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AREMA NEWS

over 25 years in various design, planning, project management and leadership roles with engineering services. During this time, he has been the engineering lead with many railroad track and facility projects and programs; these include various mainline track expansions, yard expansions, passenger rail programs, intermodal facilities, automotive facilities, locomotive and car shops, wayside buildings and fueling facilities. In recent years, he has led various initiatives to establish BNSF guidelines and best practices with facilities, track expansion and project management.

Currently, his position is director engineering services.

He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Montana State University. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Hudak is a member of ASCE. He has been an AREMA committee member for more than ten years. He served a threeyear term as the secretary for AREMA Committee 11 and is currently an active member of Committee 14. He is currently serving on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Engineering Services.

Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization Joined AREA in 1988

Spatafore has been in the industry for 39 years. He was hired as a trackman in 1975 at the Chessie System RR and became a foreman in 1977 – 1985. In 1985, he was hired by CSX as an assistant roadmaster. He held various positions, such as roadmaster, engineer track, division engineer and then, in 2012, he became the director of ties, his current position.

He holds a BA in Histor y/Political Science from West Virginia University.

Spatafore has been the chair of Team 41 since 2009. He received the CSX Masters Award in 2001 for restoration of 50 miles of mainline double track that was heavily damaged by a major flood. He has also received operations excellence award for major new business. He was also awarded the CSX Trail Blazers Award in 2009 for environmental innovation on engineering procedures. He won the 2010 AAR Chafee award for the rail industry’s top environmentalist and then, received the 2011 Military Appreciation award for supporting managers that are in the military.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREMA in 2001 Predecessor Organization

Nominated For Director – Passenger & Transit Name James K. Kessler, PE Title Vice President – Engineering and Planning Organization/Company North Carolina Railroad Co. (NCRR) Kessler has been employed for more than 40 years, primarily as an engineering consultant to intercity passenger rail, commuter rail, rail transit and freight rail systems. Kessler has been an engineer at STV and Day & Zimmerman. In 1979, he began working at Thomas K. Dyer, Inc., as an engineer and then, was promoted to senior engineer. He held the title of principal engineer at HNTB and Hatch Mott McDonald until 2012. Since 2012, Kessler has worked at the North Carolina Railroad Co. and his current position is vice president engineering and planning. His position responsibilities include coordination with their Class 1 freight operator Norfolk Southern; existing intercity passenger rail providers and transit authorities (commuter and light rail) to develop standards and requirements such that passenger rail may be successfully implemented on the railroad while protecting the needs to provide freight service to customers. Kessler is also responsible for developing and implementing NCRR’s capital improvements in accordance with strategic goals.

He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from North Carolina State University. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Keller has been the secretary and vice chair of Committee 11. He is a member of the Amer ican Society of Civil Engineers (fellow).

Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1980 Predecessor Organization

Nominated For Director – Maintenance Name Stephen J. Ashmore Title Director Track Maintenance Organization/Company Union Pacific Railroad Ashmore became involved with Union Pacific in 2006, OMT Program. In 2007, he became the manager of track maintenance and in 2009, he was promoted to senior manager engineering methods. His current position is director track maintenance.

He holds a BS Engineering - Construction degree from the University of Nebraska. He also holds a Master Business Administration from Bellevue University.

Ashmore is the chair of AREMA Committee 5, Subcommittee 5 (turnout and crossing design, collaborating as necessary with Committees 1, 4 and 30). He presented at the 2013 AREMA Annual Conference.

Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization Joined AREMA in 2006

Nominated For Director – Maintenance Name Richard J. Spatafore Title Director of Ties Organization/Company CSX Transportation, Inc. 48 Railway Track & Structures

August 2014

Nominated For Director – Passenger & Transit Name Raymond Verrelle, Jr., PE Title Deputy Chief Engineer – Electric Traction Amtrak Organization/Company Verrelle started working at Railway Systems Design in 1993 – 1995. In 1995, he was hired by Amtrak and worked there from 1995 – 2000. In 2000, he accepted a position at Gannett Fleming Transit and Rail Systems and worked there until 2006. In 2006, he joined Amtrak and his current position is deputy chief engineer – electric traction.

He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Temple University. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Verrelle is the chair of Committee 33.

Joined AREMA or Joined AREMA in 2007 Predecessor Organization www.rtands.com

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CALENDAR AUGUST 26-27. 2nd Annual Michigan Rail Conference. John Lewis Center, Macomb Community College. Warren, Mich.

Contact: David Nelson. Phone: 906-487-1734. E-mail: 906487-1734. Website: www.rail.mtu.edu/mi-rail-conf.

SEPTEMBER 8-10. Railroad Track Design. University of Tennessee Knoxville. Knoxville, Tenn. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865-974-3889. Website: www.http:// www.ctr.utk.edu/ttap.

11-12. Basic Railroad Track Maintenance. University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Knoxville, Tenn. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865-974-3889. Website: www.http://www.ctr.utk.edu/ttap.

14-16. American Association of Railroad Superintendents 118th Annual Meeting. Union League Club of Chicago.

Chicago, Ill. Contact: Carrie Foor. Phone: 331-643-3369.

E-mail: aars@supt.org. Website: www.supt.org.

14-16. ASLRRA Eastern Region Meeting. Hershey Lodge.

Hershey, Pa. Contact: Jenny Bourque. Phone: 202-628-4500.

E-mail: jbourque@aslrra.org. Website: www.aslrra.org.

23-26. InnoTrans 2014. Messe Berlin Convention Center.

Berlin, Germany. Phone: +49(0)30 3038-2376. E-mail: innotrans@messe-berlin.de. Website: www.innotrans.de/.

28-Oct. 1. AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition. Hilton Chicago. Chicago, Ill. Contact: Lindsay Hamilton. Phone: 301-459-3200, ext. E-mail: lhamilton@ arema.org. Website: www.arema.org.

OCTOBER 12-15. APTA Annual Meeting & Expo. Hilton Americas & George R. Brown Convention Center. Houston, Texas.

Phone: 202-496-4839. E-mail: aatkins@apta.com. Website: www.apta.com.

12-17. International Railway Safety Conference 2014.

Maritim Hotel Berlin. Berlin, Germany. Phone: +49 30 29764448. E-mail: info@irsc2014.org. Website: www. irsc2014.org.

14-17. 96th Annual Railway Tie Association Symposium and Technical Conference. Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.

Orlando, Fla. Phone: 770-460-5553. E-mail: ties@rta.org.

Website: www.rta.org.

NOVEMBER 9-11. ASLRRA Central Pacific Region Meeting.

Worthington Renaissance Hotel. Fort Worth, Texas.

Contact: Jenny Bourque. Phone: 202-628-4500. E-mail: jbourque@aslrra.org. Website: www.aslrra.org.

10-14. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards.

University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Chattanooga, Tenn.

Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865-9743889. Website: www.http://www.ctr.utk.edu/ttap. www.rtands.com

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PRODUCTS

Flood warning system

Protran Technology has developed and deployed its real-time flood warning system, which detects water levels in flood areas that may affect transit operations. The system detects the flood event, determines the level of emergency (high, medium or low) and then takes action automatically to inform the control center and/or supervisors of the level of emergency. The system has several major unique warning features including sending a text message to supervisors; sending an automated voice message to the control center; sending an actual photo of the site and the level of warning and sending a real-time warning to any train in the immediate location or approaching the dangerous area. According to the company, this is the first fail-safe system for flood warning with the ability to give multiple warnings in real time. Protran Technology says that with human resources being stretched thin, it helps the agencies maximize use of personnel, avoid costly accidents and maintain a safe operating system. Phone: 973-250-4176.

Flagging tool

Can Auto Flag Inc., a Canadian company, has introduced its flagging tool into the U.S. railroad market. The automated flag is timer controlled and the company says will display the right flag at the right time, every time. This system includes yellow over red flags, two miles prior to the worksite, displayed trackside, per Federal Railroad Administration regulation, as well as red flags at each end of the worksite limits. This new device is said to ensure that the (red flag rule) flags will be displayed at the precise time defined on the train order each day and the flags will also return to the hidden position at the time when track protection expires. This automatic flagging device has been used in Canada for 20 years and is designed with benefits including reduced track occupancy permits, reduced train delays and less work time lost. Phone: 250-319-4604.

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Ad Index Company

Phone #

Fax#

Airtec International LTD. +44 141 552 5591 +44 141 552 5064 Amsted RPS 913-345-4807

913-345-4818 AREMA Marketing Department 301-459-3200

301-459-8077 Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. 888-250-5746 904-378-7298 Brandt Road Rail Corporation 306-791-7533 306-525-1077 R. J. Corman Railroad Group 800-611-7245 859-885-7804 Custom Truck & Equipment 816-241-4888 ext.2916 816-241-3710 Dixie PreCast 770-944-1930 770-944-9136 GENSCO America, Inc.

416-465-7521 416-465-4489 Georgetown Rail Equipment Co. 512-869-1542 ext.228 512-863-0405 Harsco Rail 803-822-7551 803-822-7521 Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. 816-233-9002 816-233-7757 866-245-3745 800-309-3299 Hougen Manufacturing, Inc. Knox Kershaw, Inc.

334-387-5669 ext.208 334-387-4554 L.B. Foster Co. 412-928-3506

412-928-3512 763-478-2221 Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. 763-478-6014 604-946-7272 888-692-1150 North American Rail Products Inc.

703-913-7859 Neel Company, The 703-913-7858

402-891-7745 NMC Railway Systems 866-662-7799 608-221-0618 Osmose Railroad Services, Inc. 800-356-5952

757-494-7186 757-543-3526 Plasser American Corp.

Progress Rail Services Corp.

800-476-8769 256-593-1249 RAILCET 866-724-5238 217-522-6588 Rail Construction Equipment Co. 866-472-4510 630-355-7173 402-346-4300 402-346-1783 Railway Educational Bureau, The RailWorks Corporation 866-905-7245

952-469-1926 Sealeze, A Unit of Jason, Inc. 804-275-1675 ext.235 404-214-5374

Tensar North American Green 404-250-9185 720-587-4606 Trimble Navigation Limited 715-486-8800

V&H Inc., Trucks 714-387-0657

e-mail address

Page #

airtec@intl.co.uk jstout@amstedrps.com marketing@arema.org info@bbri.com nmarcotte@brandt.com www.rjcorman.com bboehm@cte-equipment.com fbrown142@aol.com info@genscoequip.com karen@georgetownrail.com mteeter@harsco.com tfrancis@hrsi.com info@trak-star.com knox@knoxkershaw.com glippard@lbfosterco.com sales@loram.com cerhart@narailproducts.com btemple@neelco.com info@nmcrail.com dostby@osmose.com plasseramerican@plausa.com info@progressrail.com grif1020@yahoo.com dennishanke@rcequip.com bbrundige@sb-reb.com jrhansen@railworks.com smaclaughlin@sealeze.com cmgovern@tensarcorp.com rail@trimble.com a.thoreson@vhtruck.com

39 10, 38 Cover 3 22 9 2 5 39 9 Cover 4 15, 21 11 35 31 4 26-27 30 7 12 Cover 2 23 25 6 40 51, 52 37 8 24 28-29 8

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 general sales OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher (212) 620-7224 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 620-7224 New York, NY 10014 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada Quebec and East, Ontario Mark Connolly (212) 620-7260 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1863 New York, NY 10014 mconnolly@sbpub.com AL, AR, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX Emily Guill (312) 683-5021 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 eguill@sbpub.com

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AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada -足AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato (312) 683-5026 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 hdisabato@sbpub.com Australia, Austria, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Scandinavia, South Africa, Spain, Worldwide Recruitment Steven Barnes Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416375 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom sb@railjournal.co.uk

Africa, Britain, Eastern Europe, Far East, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, Middle East, South America, Rail Tenders, all others.

Louise Cooper Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416917 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom lc@railjournal.co.uk Italy & Italian-speaking Switzerland

Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, +81-3-5691-3335 Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 Tokyo 121-0824, Japan amskatsu@dream.com Classified, Professional & Employment Jeanine Acquart (212) 620-7211 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1325 New York, NY 10014 jacquart@sbpub.com

Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 +39-10-570-4948 V Piano, Int 9 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 16129 Genoa, Italy info@mediapointsrl.it

Railway Track & Structures

August 2014 53

Professional Directory

#9 115RE & 136RE AREMA Turnouts available for immediate delivery.

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August 2014

RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SERVICES, INC. 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!”

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