RT&S September 2015

September 2015 | www.rtands.com

Railway Interchange 2015 Industry converges in Minneapolis

PLUS AREMA’s Bowman Reflects NY&A Bridge Project Valley Metro’s Central Mesa Extension AND ALSO AREMA News p.51

Contents

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

September 2015

5

Industry Today 6 Supplier News 16 People

Valley Metro

Columns

44

Features

arema

News

28

NY&A’s bridge in a box NY&A modifies a concept used in Mexico to gain clearance in a Queens, N.Y., tunnel by building a bridge that is only 16 inches high.

34

Bowman takes a bow Randy Bowman looks back on his term as AREMA president and discusses what he accomplished and what may be in store for the future.

44

Valley Metro opens first LRT extension The Central Mesa Extension is the first light-rail expansion Valley Metro has completed since the initial system opened in 2008.

34 Departments 22 TTCI R&D 51 Arema News 68 Calendar 66 Products 69 Advertisers Index

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On Track No clear solution for security

19

NRC Chairman’s Column Save the date and book your trip

69 Sales Representatives 70 Classified Advertising 71 Professional Directory

David Briginshaw New york and atlantic

Plasser American machine on display at Railway Interchange 2011.

Minneapolis will host the 2015 show.

Special Section

56

AREMA Conference Full Schedule 56 2015 Full Schedule 58 Functional Group Sessions

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Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 1

On Track

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

No clear solution for security

T

he debate surrounding the safety and security of our freight and passenger railroads has been a cyclical subject during my years in the industry. It was discussed at length following the September 11, 2001 attacks; again after the 2004 Madrid train bombings and 2005 London bombings and it’s most recent discourse comes after three Americans foiled an attack on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris.

It is understood that our railroads have vulnerabilities and, as it pertains to passenger lines, it is assumed that airport-level security screening of rail passengers would not work.

Many rail carriers have their own police force and there are added elements of security, such as the Transportation Security Administration’s Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams.

However, the largest element in rail security is the vigilance and alertness of those people who use these systems every day. The “see something, say something” model. In the case of this last thwarted attack, the vigilance model worked. Although, to be fair, this specific event held a healthy dose of heroics. If it had been anyone other than those three Americans, who knows if their reaction would be to take the shooter down or run as fast and far in the opposite direction as a person could get.

The issue with relying on vigilance is figuring out how to fight complacency. How do you make sure folks remain alert when they are in the midst of a routine? The two are almost polar opposites in that if you do something enough times, muscle memory kicks in and you’re not always engaged. Yet, the user vigilance security model requires that ones senses and brain be attuned to the environment in order to notice when something might be off.

When it comes to freight secu2 Railway Track & Structures

rity, the fluidity of operations has a heavy hand in the security of a given trains contents. For example, in Chicago, there have been more than 100 gun thefts from trains in yards on the south side of the city.

Chicago isn’t known for its fluid freight movement and reducing the time a shipment is idle in a yard would help situations, such as the one mentioned above.

Yet another vulnerability to our rail infrastructure can be found in the current migrant “blitz” occurring at the Channel Tunnel connecting France to the United Kingdom. While the motives of those running for the Eurotunnel are not related to terrorism, the tunnel is being breached. What would happen here if a similar breach occurred by someone with more sinister and destr uctive objectives in a place such as the Northeast Corridor?

I know I’ve asked a lot of questions without offering an equal amount of answers. Regarding passenger rail, until a solution is found that increases security without taking away convenience, the user vigilance model will remain in place. On the freight rail side of things, freight railroad selfinvestment, as well as programs, such as the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program, are working to improve freight movement throughout North America and they should be supported in the appropriate manner.

Finally, the debate surrounding rail security is critical and one that needs to happen away from a major incident.

This is a complicated problem still waiting for a multi-faceted solution.

September 2015

Vol. 111, No. 9 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.

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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.

Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor www.rtands.com

INDUSTRY TODAY Most railroads to miss PTC deadline

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The West Rail Bridge, the first rail bridge connecting U.S. and Mexico in more than 100 years, became operational August 7.

The bridge is part of the West Rail Project, which also includes construction of a six-mile rail line on the U.S. side that replaces the existing rail connection between Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Mexico. Maintaining border security was a focus of the project and X-Ray scanning machines will scan rail cars for illicit cash, drugs and other contraband.

Project stakeholders say the project also improves safety, travel time and the free flow of legal trade between the U.S. and Mexico, benefitting Texas jobs and economic opportunity. Fourteen grade crossings were eliminated in the Brownsville area, including some nearby school zones.

Cameron County, the city of Brownsville and the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA), all located in Texas, have been working on the rail relocation project for the past 15 years. The entire project’s final price tag exceeded $120 million, with about $75 million of infrastructure investment on the Mexico portion of the project.

“This is a project that will leave a lasting effect on our community for many years to come,” said Cameron County Judge Pete Sepulveda, Jr. “Providing this new link to move goods and services more efficiently is going to bring enormous advantages and opportunities to the consumer, the supplier and to markets throughout North America and the world.”

“This project puts the Rio Grande Valley on the map,” explained David Allex, CCRMA chairman and an expert in logistics and economic development. “To have this new transportation artery that will help serve our region on both sides of the border is paramount to the success of the region.”

CCRMA

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sent its mandated Status of Positive Train Control Implementation report to Congress Aug. 7.

The report states that most railroads will miss the Dec. 31, 2015 positive train control (PTC) implementation deadline that Congress established in 2008.

FRA noted its assistance and support to help railroads become PTC compliant and also cited ongoing challenges railroads face, including finding wireless spectrum availability, a limited number of suppliers with proven capabilities of providing PTC technology and potential radio interference.

FRA reiterated its commitment to providing assitance to railroads in order to implement PTC, but also expressed its intention to enforce the mandate against non-compliant railroads.

First U.S.-Mexico rail bridge in more than a century opens

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 5

INDUSTRY TODAY INRD opens new White River Bridge near Elnore, Ind.

Supplier News R. J. Corman Railroad Company completed its aquisition of the former Carolina Southern.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a $17.8-million contract with Gruen Associates to design the Aviation/96th Street Station.

Iowa Pacific Holdings selected RailComm’s computer-aided dispatch system to operate six of its railroads located in U.S. Railworks Track Services, Inc., won a contract for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s Project 52G – Central Rail Maintenance

6 Railway Track & Structures

Indiana Rail Road (INRD) and elected officials celebrated the grand opening of its new White River Bridge with an event Aug. 20.

The new steel-girder and pre-stressed concrete bridge, located two miles north of Elnora, Ind., will handle trains at 40 mph and loads of 286,000 pounds, keeping southern Indiana shippers competitive in the global marketplace. The previous pin-connected truss bridge was built in 1899 and, in recent years, had weight restrictions and a speed limit of 10 mph due to its age. The railroad says the bridge will support commerce and economic development from Daviess County to the Ohio River for another century.

“We look at this (bridge) as such a critical part of the growth of southern Indiana,” said Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN). “You hear a lot of stories about partisan politics, but this is a perfect example of everybody working together, making sure our communities thrive and grow.”

INRD President and Chief Executive

September 2015

Officer Peter Mills said the new bridge makes possible numerous business development opportunities for the railroad and the region.

“Thanks to our Odon Transload’s close proximity to Naval Support Activity Crane and Interstate 69, we see a host of economic development opportunities for the town of Odon and the entire I-69 corridor,” Mills said. “With a combination of superior customer service and aggressive co-marketing of the region with our local partners, we can bring a lot of opportunities for growth.”

Construction on the new bridge began in July 2014 and the Indiana Department of Transportation contributed $8 million toward the $14-million project.

INRD performed a major rehabilitation to the existing bridge piers and reinforced each with a concrete casing before the new bridge sections were put in place. The wood pile approaches were replaced with modern precast concrete and steel decks.

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Facility Exterior Car Wash Track, Transfer Table Track and Track Crossing Repair.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority awarded SENER the contract to develop the engineering and environmental services for the Palmdale to Burbank section.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded contracts to Siemens Industry Inc. ($156.2 million) and Thales Transport & Security ($49.6 million) for the installation of a Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signaling system on the Queens Boulevard Line; MTA also approved a

8 Railway Track & Structures

Port of Vancouver USA’s new rail entrance to ease congestion The Port of Vancouver USA and its partners held a ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 13 for a $30-million rail project that the port says will help ensure trains move, goods flow from regional businesses and Washington state remains competitive in the global market.

Known as “the trench,” the project has been called the crown jewel in the port’s $275-million West Vancouver Freight Access project (WVFA), which helps reduce regional rail congestion by up to 40 percent, ensuring businesses along the West Coast and between Portland, Ore., and Chicago can effectively move products from source to market.

Prior to the trench being built, trains entering the port had to cross several mainlines, meaning regional train movements often delayed port-bound traffic. However, with the construction of a piling-supported, watertight trench that supports the new grade separated rail entrance into the port, millions of tons of cargo will now travel under the BNSF bridge that crosses the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver, Wash.

September 2015

Approximately 1,400 feet of new track was built within a concrete superstructure that sits atop more than 410 pilings. Each piling, made of U.S. steel, is embedded 80 to 90 feet into the river’s northern bank and serves to both support the trench above the riverbank and securely anchor the structure during periods of high water. Designed to be submerged, the watertight trench will withstand hydraulic forces from the river, ensuring safe and efficient movement of freight into and out of the port.

Currently, the WVFA project is about twothirds complete with full completion expected in 2017, roughly a year ahead of schedule and about $50 million under original estimates.

The trench was completed $8 million under budget and ahead of schedule.

Funding for the rail entrance included a $2.94-million grant from the Washington State Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board and a $15-million grant from the Federal Rail Administration’s High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program.

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News separate $1.2-million contract for Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. to develop and test CBTC software and systems.

Skanska has signed a contract with Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit for the renewal of three train stations on the Sea Beach Line in Brooklyn, N.Y. STV inc. was awarded a contract with the California High-Speed Rail Authority to prepare environmental and engineering documents for the Burbank to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Anaheim project sections.

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FTA proposes rule to establish new safety program The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) proposed a rule to establish a Public Transportation Safety Program under FTA’s new safety oversight authority established by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

The proposed rule would create an overall framework for FTA to monitor, oversee and enforce safety in the public transit industry and is based on the principles and practices of Safety Management Systems (SMS).

The proposed rule would implement FTA’s authority to conduct inspections, audits and examinations; testing of equipment, facilities, rolling stock and the operations of a public transit systems and for FTA to take appropriate enforcement actions, including directing the use or withholding of federal funds and issuing directives and advisories.

The rule would establish SMS as the foundation for FTA’s safety program, which focuses on organization-wide safety policy and accountability, proactive hazard identification and risk-based decision making.

September 2015

The proposed rule also defines the contents of a National Public Transportation Safety Plan (National Safety Plan), which FTA expects to publish in a separate Federal Register notice for public review and comment in the next several months. The National Plan will include safety performance criteria for all modes of public transportation, minimum safety performance standards for transit vehicles used in revenue operations, the definition of “state of good repair,” a Safety Certification Training Program and other content determined by FTA. “With transit ridership at its highest levels in generations and our nation’s transit agencies facing increased pressure to meet the demand for service, we must continue to ensure that safety remains the top priority,” said FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan. “This rulemaking is a major step forward in establishing FTA’s safety regulatory framework, as all future safety-related rules, regulations and guidance will be informed by the Public Transportation Safety Program.”

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INDUSTRY TODAY RTD to build Colorado’s longest bridge The Skyway Bridge, a br idge along Denver Regional Transportation District’s Nor th Metro Rail Line, will be the longest in the FasTracks program, as well as the longest in Colorado.

The construction on the 9,533-foot long bridge began in early August and it is estimated to take two years to build.

The Skyway Bridge is part of the 18.5-mile-long North Metro Rail Line project that will run from Denver Union Station through Commerce City, Northglenn and Thornton. It’s scheduled to open in 2018.

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SacRT, Valley Metro mark openings of light-rail system extensions Light-rail extensions in Arizona and California were celebrated with grand opening ceremonies at the end of August.

Valley Metro began service Aug. 22 on the Central Mesa Extension, its first lightrail extension, which connects riders with downtown Mesa, Ariz.

In a website post, Valley Metro called the opening of the extension “a historic day for the Valley’s public transportation system, the city of Mesa and the entire region.”

Valley Metro and the city of Mesa hosted station celebrations at the four new stations located along the 3.1-mile extension.

Valley Metro and its contractor, Valley Transit Constructors, began construction of the Central Mesa light-rail extension in summer 2012. Funding of the extension was provided by a $75-million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, as well as $71 million in countywide transportation tax funds and $53 million in federal air quality funds.

Valley Metro will continue to expand in

September 2015

the East Valley with two additional miles of service to Gilbert Road. Opening is anticipated in 2018.

Meanwhile, in California, the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) held a grand opening of the new Blue Line to Cosumnes River College light-rail extension on August 24.

The 4.3-mile extension opened earlier than the original September 2015 date to coincide with the start of the fall semester for Cosumnes River College and the Los Rios Community College District campuses. With the opening of the Blue Line extension, SacRT now operates 43 miles of light rail serving Sacramento, Rancho Cordova and Folsom.

“The completion of SacRT’s Blue Line to Cosumnes River College is a major milestone in growing Sacramento’s transportation system,” says Rep. Doris Matsui (DCA). “This extension links Cosumnes River College and will provide much-needed congestion relief along Highway 99.”

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INDUSTRY TODAY New UIUC lab to focus on advancing rail technologies The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) officially opened its Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) located at the Harry Schnabel, Jr., Lab. The university said the work being done at RAIL is critical as the industry continues efforts to move freight across the continent safely, efficiently and economically and with rail transit systems undergoing substantial expansion.

The 3,500-square-foot lab, which is part of the UIUC’s Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC), was established through grants and support from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, the Federal Railroad Administration, railroads and rail industry suppliers.

“This laboratory is an important new tool to develop a fundamental understanding of how track components and track systems respond to heavy-axle-loads, high-speed trains and rail transit vehicles,” said Christopher Barkan, who is a professor and George Krambles

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faculty fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and executive director of RailTEC. “Such understanding is critical to improved future designs.”

“We’re adapting methodologies and procedures that we’ve developed through prior research in the railroad industry and applying them to solve rail transit problems,” said Riley Edwards, a senior lecturer and research scientist. “As is the case with the railroad research, the objective is to engineer transit infrastructure components so they better perform their intended function and at the same time reduce costs for these public agencies.”

“Thanks to the research conducted at RAIL, we will see better designed track and components,” concluded Barkan. “It will be engineered to withstand the increased demands on the track system from higher speeds and heavier-axle-loads. If you’re a passenger, it will mean you’re riding on safer and more reliable infrastructure, that is less likely to have outages that delay service.”

SEPTA, CSX separate operations Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) finalized separation of its West Trenton Regional Rail Line from a CSX line in late August.

Separation of the sixmile shared track section between SEPTA’s Woodbourne and West Trenton stations will help to alleviate train congestion in this area and clears the way for SEPTA to complete Positive Train Control implementation.

S E P TA r e c e i v e d a $10-million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant in 2013 for the $38-million project.

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INDUSTRY TODAY WSDOT begins landslide mitigation work; details funds needed to bring state shortlines up to par A study recently released by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Washington State University Freight Policy Transportation Institute found that more than half of the state’s shortline rail miles are not up to modern standards.

The study, Washington State Short Line Rail Inventory and Needs Assessment, was originally released in June.

Many of the state’s 29 shortline railroads are local and serve farmers in agricultural and timber-growing communities by hauling their products to larger railroads. The study found that more than 55 percent (740) miles of all shortline track miles within the state are not able to efficiently handle the 286,000-pound rail cars used in modern freight transport.

Bringing the lines up to modern standards could cost more than $600 million, the study determined.

Recently, the Washington Legislature passed and Gov. Jay Inslee signed a new revenue package, which included more than $107 million for statewide freight rail track improvements. The funding includes $47 million for the state-owned shortline rail system and $31 million for the Freight Rail Assistance Program, which supports economic development and rail preservation initiatives.

In other WSDOT news, state crews began landslide mitiga-

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tion work near Mukilteo and Everett aimed at limiting landslides that disrupt passenger train service north of Seattle.

WSDOT is spending $16.1 million in federal funds on slide management projects to help shore up slopes along rail lines. Six historically slide prone sites were selected for work. Two projects were completed in 2014. This summer and early fall, work will take place at three sites near Mukilteo and one near Everett.

Work will include building retaining walls to catch debris before it hits tracks; building slide detection fences for early landslide warning; slope stabilization/erosion control and improved drainage systems.

WSDOT, Amtrak, BNSF, Sound Transit and other partners formed the Landslide Mitigation Work Group in 2013.

The group has researched historical slide locations and causes along coastal bluffs and used that data to identify the six project sites. The group also meets with local governments and citizens about ways landowners can help prevent slides on their property.

In the past 10 years, there have been more than 200 landslides along the Seattle to Everett coastline. Each slide that covers or disturbs rail lines triggers a mandatory 48-hour halt to passenger train traffic while BNSF clears tracks and ensures the area is stable.

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PEOPLE American Public Transportation Association named Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Grabauskas as U.S./North America representative to the policy board of the International Association of Public Transport for the 2015-2017 term.

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association appointed David Collins, senior vice president of commercial support, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc., to its 11-member Executive Committee.

Canadian National Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Luc Jobin will assume leadership of the company while Claude Mongeau receives medical treatment. Mongeau is expected to return full-time in the fall.

Art Hadnett joined HNTB Corporation as senior vice president and president of the firm’s West Division.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) named James Ferrara as interim president of MTA New York City Transit.

National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association named Lindsey Collins vice president of Grassroots Advocacy and Matthew Bell vice president operations.

Deborah Butler, executive vice president planning and chief information officer of Norfolk Southern, will retire Oct. 1, 2015.

Veteran railroad civil engineer and operating officer Alfred Fazio, P.E., joined the staff of Railway Age as a contributing editor; the magazine also awarded Cesar A. Vergara the 2015 W. Graham Claytor Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to Passenger Transportation.

Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association, Inc., named Sean Winkler as grassroots coordinator.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority General Manager Joseph Casey, who has led the authority since 2008 and completed 34 years of service in a number of roles, will retire September 30, 2015.

Utah Transit Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Allegra will retire and step down on August 28, 2015; he will remain available as a senior advisor to the chair of the board of trustees through March 2016; Vice President of Operations Jerry Benson will serve as interim general manager until a permanent replacement has been made.

Whitmore hired Robert McCreary as international sales manager and Douglas Reid as vice president of product development.

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN Save the date and book your trip

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

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It’s mid-September and registration is open for the NRC’s 2016 conference in sunny California. This year’s conference will be the NRC’s 38th annual event. The conference will be held at the famed Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, Calif., and will run from Wednesday, January 6, through Sunday, January 9. This year, the NRC has offered a new online registration process available to everyone who plans to attend.

All registrations, including conference registration, golf tournament registration, sailing tournament registration and spouse program registration, can be done online together – one stop shopping for a busy, productive, networking and learningheavy, fun-filled experience in January with the NRC. To register, go to www. nrcma.org/2016nrcconference. And don’t forget to book your hotel rooms ASAP: https://aws.passkey.com/event/13930003/ owner/10689/home.

This year’s conference will see a few firsts and records. We are aiming for another attendance and exhibitor size record. It would be our eleventh attendance record in 12 years. With that growth comes some constraints – namely, we’re running out of hotels in our preferred locations with ballrooms big enough to hold our exhibit hall. So, this year the exhibit hall will be in a 35,000-square-foot high-end stand-alone tent, set up in one of the hotel’s parking lots. As always, the exhibit hall will include every aspect of the rail industry, contractors, suppliers, technical support, etc.

Another first for our conference will be a sailing tournament. Given the challenges of fishing off the coast of San Diego in early January, we’re replacing the fishing tournament with this event, which will take advantage of the hotel’s coveted location just off the San Diego Bay. The race officials will handicap the yachts, sound the horn as each boat crosses the finish line, times will be noted and final scores will be tallied to establish the winning team. For anyone concerned about holding such an event with a bunch of railroaders as opposed to sailing experts, each boat will come with a licensed captain that will brief his crew on strategy and sailing techniques before the race begins. This should be a fun filled time that could become an annual event for our conferences held on the west coast going forward, so sign up and bring your sea legs.

In last month’s column, I informed everyone about the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) final decision on the “Training, Qualification and Oversight for Safety-Related Railroad Employees” rule that is now officially in place. This rule requires railroad employees and contractors who perform “safety-related”work (i.e., most of what you all do) to be trained and qualified to comply with all relevant federal railroad safety laws, regulations and orders and for that training to be approved in advance by the FRA and documented. This change represents the first time that railroad contractors will be directly regulated by the FRA, rather than just having your work regulated by virtue of the railroad regulations. The NRC recently hosted a webinar for our member companies, with two speakers from the FRA, Rob Castiglione, staff director, human performance programs - Office of Railroad Safety and Alan Nagler, FRA counsel for Part 243, to help get everyone up to speed on how these changes could affect their business and to begin to understand the process for building the required training plans for contractors’ use in documenting the required training. The speakers explained the Part 243 requirements, the important dates tied to this rule and the role of associations such as the NRC. The NRC intends to work with the FRA to build templates that NRC members can then use with hopefully minimal changes needed.

While I write this, it is August in Washington, D.C., and official Washington is on hiatus; as soon as Congress comes back from recess, we expect surface transportation legislation, which will likely include a robust passenger rail and freight rail title, to be a major topic of discussion. The NRC will be actively involved on a wide variety of these issues, from passenger rail and rail transit funding to freight policy, from rail safety provisions, such as the Positive Train Control implementation deadline to project delivery permitting reform, from Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing loan program enhancements, to truck size and weight maximums.

And again, don’t forget to book those conference hotel rooms. No time like the present. Have a safe day.

by Bill Dorris, NRC Chairman Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 19

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TTCI R&D Trials of a RCF measurement system in revenue service

by Jay Baillargeon, senior engineer and Harry Tournay, senior scientist, TTCI and Brad Kerchof, director, research & test, Norfolk Southern.

TTCI and Norfolk Southern evaluate the performance of an eddy current measurement system for rolling contact fatigue in rails.

T

ransportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), is working to encourage the development of systems capable of measuring rolling contact fatigue (RCF) in rails.

As part of this initiative, TTCI and Norfolk Southern (NS) have conducted an initial evaluation of an RCF crack detection and measurement system that utilizes eddy current technology.

Figure 1: Trolley-mounted eddy current device.

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September 2015

An eddy current system was tested at the Transpor tation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., as well as on NS revenue ser vice mainlines.

Reported crack measurements were compared against the actual measured depths from cross sections cut from the rail. Results from this initial evaluation suggest that the device is capable of detecting the surface cracks associated with RCF, measuring crack length and providing a relative measure of crack density. Crack depth is not measured, but rather calculated using the measured length and an assumed crack angle. The results show the variation of the system’s measurements from the true value of crack depth to be between five percent and 33 percent across these samples, assuming a crack angle of 25 degrees, resulting in an estimated error less than 0.003-inch per onedegree. This suggests the accuracy of this system is heavily dependent upon the assumed crack angle selected by the user.

A recent investigation conducted

by TTCI on RCF in premium rails removed from the High Tonnage Loop (HTL) has shown that the angle of the cracks can vary quite significantly depending on their location on the railhead; cracks closer to the gauge corner tend to be much shallower than those at the top of the railhead.

This insight suggests that this and www.rtands.com

other systems dedicated to the measurement of RCF need to have the ability to vary the assumed crack angle along the surface of the railhead or, ideally, provide a means of accurately measur ing this value through nondestructive means.

Mobile eddy technology

At present, there is a growing interest in the utilization of eddy current technology for the detection and measurement of cracks associated with RCF. In this report, TTCI and NS have conducted an initial evaluation into the effectiveness of one eddy current system (Figure 1) currently ava i l a b l e . A c o m p a ny b a s e d i n www.rtands.com

Figure 2, top: Orientation and layout of a typical RCF crack.

Figure 3: Results for individual depth readings.

Germany has developed a hand-pushed trolley-mounted eddy current system for measuring surface cracks along the top and gauge corner of the railhead.

The device incorporates four probes housed in ceramic casings that adapt to the profile of the rail and each probe covers 0.3-inch band, or “active areas.� The position of each probe is adjustable across the head of the rail. The casings prevent the probes Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 23

TTCI R&D Figure 4, top: Trolley output on the same 100-foot segment preand post-grind following 2nd, 3rd and 5th passes (α = 25°) Figure 5: Cross section of the high rail at Glen Lyn, Va.

from making direct contact with the rail while providing protection to the probes. This configuration allows the device to record multiple channels of crack data, pinpoint the location of the cracks among the four longitudinal fields and determine the severity of the cracks.

Electromagnetic testing (i.e., eddy current) generates a magnetic field in a conductive material using various types of coils. The signal generated by one set of coil windings is compared to the signal received by another set of coil windings and a change in signal indicates a flaw in the material. Flaws are detected when they are open to the surface, making eddy current well suited for rail surface testing.

The trolley relies on the user to enter an assumed crack angle, as the actual angle cannot be determined through nondestructive testing at present. Using the user-defined crack angle, a trolley-mounted computer calculates crack depth from the measured crack length. Figure 2 presents a typical crack with angle. The selectable default setting for α is typically 25 degrees.

The trolley was tested to determine its capabilities and limitations to measure rail cracks at TTC’s Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) and on a NS revenue service line in the eastern United States.

Testing at TTC

Section 7 of the HTL at FAST is located within a 1,000foot, five-degree curve with four inches of superelevation.

The normal operating speed of the test train at FAST is 40 mph, although the balance speed for the curve is 34 mph. Rails within this curve are not lubricated. This section currently hosts the Association of American Railroads’ premium rail performance test, where 10 different rail grades from seven manufacturers are being evaluated with

24 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

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TTCI R&D Table 1, top: Summary of validation results from Glen Lyn (α = 25 degrees).

Table 2: Summary of calidation results from Glen Lyn (Actual).

respect to wear and RCF growth. During train operations, the HTL accumulates an average daily tonnage of approximately 1.6 mgt.

Test rails were installed in 40-foot segments within the curve and were measured for pre- and post-grind assessment of crack depth using the trolley. Pre-grind measurements were conducted at approximately 340 mgt and post-grind measurements at 410 mgt. Figure 3 shows the results for one 40-foot segment (i.e., one specific grade of rail).

Testing in revenue service

To supplement the results observed at FAST, the trolley was tested on a NS heavy-tonnage coal line in Wabun, Va. Initial testing was conducted on a six-degree curve and coincided with work of a production rail grinder. Railhead cracks along a 100-foot segment of the low rail were measured before grinding, as well as after each of five consecutive grinding passes. The trolley’s results, shown in processed graphical form in Figure 4, reflect a reduction in crack depth with each grinding pass, from 0.14 inch pregrind to less than 0.04 inch post-grind. Visual inspection of the rails following the grinding had revealed faint cracks still visible among the grinding stone marks. Noteworthy is that the grinding stone abrasive marks did not appear to interfere with the trolley’s measurement of the cracks associated with the RCF.

Validation of trolley data

In an effort to validate this eddy current technology, NS

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conducted additional testing on a heavy-haul coal line near Glen Lyn, Va. Data collected from a one-degree curve was compared to actual crack measurements taken from rail cross sections. Using microscopy, the maximum depth of the cracks was measured and compared directly against the processed output from the trolley. Figure 4 displays one such cross section from Glen Lyn. The depth of the crack in the red box in Figure 5 measured 0.071 inch. The trolley, assuming a crack angle of 25 degrees, reported a maximum depth within this area to be approximately 0.083 inch, a difference of 16.7 percent from the actual value. Multiple cross sections had their actual and trolley depth measurements compared and the results showed the variation from the true value to be between five percent and 33 percent across these samples, assuming α = 25 degrees (see Table 1).

Post-processing of the data involved using the actual

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 25

TTCI R&D Figure 6, top: Orientation of RCF cracks in premium rail in the gauge corner (Location X).

Figure 7: Orientation of RCF cracks in premium rail at the top of the rail (Location Y).

investigation found that the angles of the RCF cracks located at or near the gauge corner (Figure 6) were much shallower than those at the top of the railhead (Figure 7) and that cracks became progressively larger moving from the gauge corner to the top of the rail (i.e., from location X to location Y in Figures 6 and 7). Cracks at the top of the railhead entered the rail at nearly a 90-degree angle.

Conclusions

crack angles from the cross sections to recalculate the depth values in the trolley-mounted computer. This effort greatly reduced the majority of percent differences obser ved between the results obtained from the cross sections in the laboratory and those from the trolley (Table 2). As Table 2 shows, the fourth sample actually resulted in an increase in the percent difference under the actual crack angle than under the assumed ιι = 25 degrees. As 26 Railway Track & Structures

the actual crack depth for this sample was very shallow, the relatively small difference observed between the values resulted in a large percentage error.

Upon the completion of the latest round of the premium rail performance testing at FAST, premium rails previous measured by the trolley in Section 7 were removed and analyzed to provide additional insight into the characteristics associated with RCF in these high-strength rail steels. This

September 2015

Initial studies aimed at validating the trolley have shown that the eddy current readings are highly dependent upon the assumed crack angle entered by the user. Assuming the default value of equal to 25 degrees, an error up to 0.003-inch per one degree was determined for the measurements taken at Glen Lyn. Post-processing of the data using the measured crack angle collected from each of the samples greatly improved these estimates in most cases. Additional samples will need to be gathered and analyzed in a similar fashion to more accurately define the percent error associated with the trolley.

Validation effor ts suggest that eddy current technology is effective in measuring crack length, while the accuracy of the crack depth measurements is highly dependent on the accuracy of an assumed crack angle. As such, the benefits of eddy current technology for rail inspection lie in its ability to determine the presence or absence of RCF cracks in rails, as well as the location and density of such damage, which can aid in optimizing grinding operations.

Acknowledgements

For mer TTCI employee Daniel Szablewski was the principal investigator of the work reported in this article. www.rtands.com

Building a bridge

in a box New York & Atlantic Railway utilizes ingenuity, as well as its leadership’s past experience to find an affordable, quick and effective solution to gain 16 inches of clearance.

by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

M

oving freight trains in and around New York City can be a jigsaw puzzle. Add in city infrastructure that is more than a century old and never designed for modern standards, and a railroad may be facing an operational predicament.

For New York & Atlantic Railway (NY&A), that predicament along portions of its line involved finding a way to bring up clearances within the existing city infrastructure to allow 17-foot Plate F cars.

Prior to an effort to expand those clearances, all NY&A lines west of Fresh Pond, including the Bushwick Branch and the lower Montauk Line to Long Island City, had a maximum height clearance of 16 feet, which prevented those lines from receiving Plate F cars.

“This infrastructure was built 150 years ago and, back then, it was never envisioned that a car could be as high as 16 feet,” said Paul Victor, president of NY&A. As Victor explained in the Fall 2014 installment of the railroad’s Moving Forward newsletter, “Many of the cars that are 17 feet tall are refrigerated, carrying food and other items.

Height restrictions along the Bushwick Branch limit the company’s ability to do business west of the Fresh Pond Rail Yard. The principal objective here is to remove that impediment and better serve our customers.”

Nearly one-third of the railroad’s traffic 28 Railway Track & Structures

originates or terminates in the territory west of the Fresh Pond Rail Yard. Additionally, Victor says shippers to and from this territory were required to find older Plate C boxcars, which are no longer being built to a 15-foot, six-inch standard.

“The new boxcar is going to fit a Plate F or 17-foot template. Getting this work done with the clearances, permits us to handle the evolving dimensions of the national car fleet and participate in interstate commerce because we can fit the cars,” said Victor.

A critical piece of NY&A’s Plate F clearance project was finding a way to add an additional 16 inches of clearance along a 630-foot underpass in Queens.

Complicated challenge

Any eng ineer who has designed a new structure to fit into an old structure’s footprint is aware of one fact: Inches matter.

The bridge that was needed within the 630-foot section was an integral and final component to the railroad’s Plate F clearance project. NY&A’s task to find additional clearance was com-

September 2015

plicated by the location of the underpass and the inability to move other delicate infrastructure elements.

The underpass sits below two major streets in Queens, Metropolitan Ave. and Fresh Pond Road. Under those streets are not only three tracks, but also a vital fuel pipeline and sewer line.

“The pipeline carries a lot of the fuel for New York City, as well as for LaGuardia and Kennedy airports, a very critical infrastructure item. Then, there are the tracks and immediately under the tracks is a 100-year-old sewer main that is the key drainage and sanitary sewer from Central Queens,” explained Victor. “ If we were to build a conventional bridge, you would have the height of the tie, plus the height of the rail and the tie plate, which is 16 inches, then under that, you would need a two-foot girder. We’d have less height than we originally had.”

Originally, the sewer main was directly under three feet of ballast and dirt, which spread the load enough that damage to the sewer was not an issue.

However, as Victor points out, if you www.rtands.com

NY&A Bridge Opposite page: The bridge, shown here with a sample rail, used I-beams instead of conventional girders to gain an extra 16 inches of clearance.

This page: NY&A modified a concept used on bridges in Mexico to restore service following storms.

take away a foot of ballast in order to gain clearance, the load becomes too concentrated and the risk of breaking the sewer main increases.

“I do not want to break the sewer,” says Victor. “There are 1.5 million people hooked into that thing.”

In order to gain an extra foot of clearance with an additional four inches of dynamic clearance, a little outside of the box thinking was needed to build a bridge within a box.

“We had to think of some other way, short of getting the sewer people to build a completely new sewer or raising the street. If we wanted to get this thing done quickly and without some sort of super unknown way to do it,

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we had to figure out a way to get the bridge from 3.5 feet, top to bottom, to around 16 inches,” said Victor.

Modified rail over rail

NY&A’s solution came from its leader’s past experiences in Mexico getting rail lines operational following strong storms.

“In Mexico, especially in the south

east of the country, you have repetitive hurricanes. And you have a country with a lot of low-level altitude areas that are marginally above sea level, very swampy, jungle-type territory.

Every few years, there would be some sort of cataclysmic event,” said Victor. “A hurricane comes through and the piers of the bridge would gener-

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September 2015 29

NY&A Bridge A diagram helps illustrate the bridge’s structural details.

ally stay, but the bridge is lifted up and sent downstream. We had to be staged in such a way, where a bridge could be rapidly restored to service.”

Because keeping extra gird-

30 Railway Track & Structures

ers on hand was not feasible, Victor explained one way to restore service to a storm ravaged bridge was to utilize a rail over rail design.

“It’s not the best engineering prac-

September 2015

tice, but it does work. You use old rails and lay them parallel to one another, one right side up, the next upside down and you would put eight rails on each side over the pier and then you put your tie on top of that and then running rail on top of that. Essentially, you’ve taken the girder and, instead of being vertical, it becomes a de facto horizontal girder that will take the bearing weight of a train,” said Victor.

He explained further, “For some railroad lines in Mexico, you don’t have lots of highway capacity or parallel roads, when the railroad is down, you’re cutting off part of the country from critical services. You really have to get up and running.”

Victor took the concept used in Mexico and modified it to fit NY&A’s situation.

“What we had fabricated was a piece of steel, plate steel and instead of using

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rails, we affixed I-beams to the bottom of the plate in a parallel layout, as though they were rails. We had a plate of steel, under that were I-beams, which became the load bearing members and then a plate of steel and then the base for the rail was affixed directly to the steel plate. From the bottom of the I-beam to the top of the rail is 16 inches. That was the goal and that’s what we did,” said Victor. “It’s the rail over rail concept from Mexico, but with proper I-beams and slightly better engineering calculations. The bridge rating on it is good enough for a Class 1 mainline. It can handle 286K cars no problem.”

He notes that two of the three tracks in the underpass remain at 16 feet, but says NY&A only needed one track with added clearance to break through the restriction.

“I know the concept was odd and as unseemly as it might be, I’m not a PE, I’m an operation guy, I know how to get the railroad running. Using that concept, we had to collectively think, how do you fit this item in the space you have,” said Victor.

Construction process

Once NY&A had approval from the New York State Department of Transportation and a steel fabricator secured, construction began on the 21-foot bridge with special care taken when activities neared the delicate sewer main.

“Everything in the underpass is a museum piece, I don’t think it’s of architectural or historical significance, but it is old. When it came to where we had to get down to the sewer and uncover it, and it wasn’t just the top, we had to dig down beside it, we mechanically took the track off, then we used some machinery to remove the ballast, but the last foot, we dug by hand. We did not want to take any chance of hurting that sewer.

We used shovels and picks and were very careful,” said Victor.

In addition to performing heavy construction around a critical piece of city infrastructure, Victor said the drawings and the actual location of the sewer did not match exactly.

“We had to tweak the design of the bridge slightly and change the design of the concrete piers. Inches mattered, because we had to have the pieces fabricated,” said Victor.

When asked if this type of solution would be considered in the future, Victor said it would, but only if the conditions were similar.

“One thing about this option is that the bridge can only be so long. The longer the bridge, the more deflection there will be. We have three inches under the bridge to the top of the sewer for the complete design deflection under load.

This kind of solution doesn’t work much over a span of 26-27 feet because then you get into ever-thicker I-beams and ever-thicker base plate, which means you add an inch, not a big deal, except in this situation where we needed every inch,” said Victor.

At the end of the project, Victor is pleased the railroad was able to find an effective, affordable and quick solution.

He places the total cost of the 21-foot bridge, which used about 40 yards of concrete, at around $250,000 including labor and materials.

“It was hugely efficient. From concept to bid to execution to completion, we began in September 2014 and finished in April 2015. Any other option would start at $3 million and up and who knows how many years of work. The longer we waited to find a solution, the more trouble our customers had getting Plate C cars because there are fewer of them. This was not the photogenic solution, but we got it done,” said Victor.

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September 2015

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Joe Smak, AREMA President 2013-2014, welcoming then new President Randy Bowman 2014-2015, during the AREMA Annual Conference in Chiago, Ill., in September 2014.

Outgonig AREMA President Randy Bowman reviews his year at the helm of the association and shares hopes for the future.

year in review

Bowman looks back on the past year as

by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor

arema president

R

andy Bowman, president of AREMA for the 20142015 term, focused his efforts towards expanding student chapers and growing railroad programs at colleges and universities. Here, he shares with RT&S what he accomplished and what he sees for the future of AREMA.

34 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

RT&S: How did your day job prepare you for your role as AREMA President?

Bowman: First, I’d like to say that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve as AREMA president this year.

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arema president Many who have served in this role before me have had a background in civil engineering. I took a different route.

My degree is in materials engineering and I started my career as a metallurgist in the research and tests department rather than the engineering department.

Many times, I worked with people in different disciplines ,across departmental lines and sometimes had to be a mediator between them. This gave me a chance to look at a broader perspective of railroad operations. That is one thing that helped prepare me to handle some of my responsibilities at AREMA. Getting actively involved in AREMA early in my career shaped my appreciation for the importance of the association. Making technical presentations and getting involved in committee leadership went a long way in getting me over my fear of public speaking. Obviously, speaking in front of large audiences is required when you are AREMA president.

RT&S: What are your thoughts on the past year as president of AREMA?

Bowman: I think this has been a challenging, but very positive year for AREMA. First, I star ted my ter m without an executive director. Larry Etherton did an

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outstanding job as interim executive director, working well with me, the staff and the Board of Governors to keep AREMA operating very smoothly. The intent was not to have Larry there for a year, but issues arose that had to be addressed before we could hire a new executive director.

With all that transpired this year, the association never skipped a beat. Committees met their deadlines for Manual revisions, seminar s were conducted, presentations were selected and prepared for the technical sessions, board meetings were held and planning and preparation was made for the annual conference. This all happened because we have such a dedicated membership and a highly professional staff.

RT&S: Have you reached all the goals you set? Was

there anything you wanted to do that you did not get around to or could not do?

Bowman: One of my goals this year was to continue to add to and strengthen our AREMA Student Chapters and help foster additional railroad engineering programs in our colleges and universities. I’m glad to say that we did add one additional student chapter this year, bringing our current total to 18. I’ve been in contact

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 35

arema president

“With all that transpired this year, the association never skipped a beat.”

Opposite page: Bowman and wife, Michelle, attend the AREMA 2014 Annual Presidents’ Dinner in Chicago, Ill.

with the student liaison at my alma mater, Nor th Carolina State, and have arranged to speak at its student chapter meeting in September. I am looking forward to this opportunity to encourage our student members and, hopefully, spark some interest in other students to explore the railroad industry as a career.

I also had the privilege of speaking at t h e f i r s t p - R E E S ( Pa s s e n g e r R a i lway E n g i n e e r i n g E d u c at i o n Symposium) this year. This was organized by the American Passenger and Transit Association (APTA) in par tnership with AREMA and NURail in an effor t to encourage faculty interest in rail and transit engineering. It was encouraging to meet and talk with some of the 32 college and university faculty from the United States and Canada.

Another one of my goals was to increase participation in the AREMA Educational Foundation, encouraging ever y committee to actively par ticipate. While the number of scholarships may not have increased, there was broader participation from the committees. This is an area that I can continue to work on even after my term as president ends.

RT&S : What did you accomplish

dur ing your ter m in office?

W h at a r e yo u m o s t p r o u d o f having accomplished?

Bowman: I can’t take full credit for the things that were accomplished this year. These achievements were definitely realized through a team effort. I had much guidance from and full suppor t of the Board of Governors. We were able to update many of the policies and procedures for our headquarters staff this year.

The AREMA staff ’s number one job priority is “to serve the membership of AREMA.”

36 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

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arema president

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Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 37

arema president

President Bowman with his family.

“I can’t take full credit for the things that were accomplished this year.

These achievements were definitely realized through a team effort.”

We were also able to prevent an attempt by some in our industry to make AREMA a subsidiary of the American Association of Railroads this year. This allowed us to remain an independent organization with our mission unchanged. So, I guess what I’m most proud of is the support I received from our Board of Governors in protecting AREMA and making changes that will ensure our long-term success as the premier railway engineering association.

I am grateful for the feedback I received throughout the year on my monthly articles in Railway Track & Structures. It was encouraging to hear that people read the articles and appreciated what I had to say. One gentleman recently told me he had his whole family read my latest installment. That’s when you feel you really made an impact.

RT&S: Where do you see the organization going from here? Five years from now? Ten years from now?

38 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

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Bowman: AREMA has continued its steady course with Interim Executive Director Larry Etherton leading the staff. AREMA will continue to fulfill its mission, “the development and advancement of both technical and practical knowledge and recommended practices pertaining to the design, construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure,” and it will continue to run with the utmost professionalism and integrity. AREMA has emerged stronger from this year’s past experiences and will continue to serve the industry as the premier railway engineering association in the world.

As for the next five to 10 years, I see the membership getting younger and more diverse. That underscores the importance of getting more participation in the committees by the young railway engineers. These new members will be the leaders of our committees, functional groups and, eventually, the entire AREMA organization.

RT&S : What do you see in the future for AREMA? What do you think AREMA needs to do in the future to succeed?

Bowman: AREMA is a strong , well-managed and fiscally-sound organization. It has the support from the Class 1 railroads, shor tlines, passenger and transit and the supply industry. With this backing, the association has to keep up with emerging technology and incorporate that into its technical presentations, publications and educational seminars.

Our members are the ones integrating this technology into the railroad industry and, thus, will be responsible for sharing that knowledge.

AREMA has to continue to attract some of the brightest young talent into the railway industry by being persistent in its promotion of student involvement through student chapters. We also must continue our efforts in working with the faculty at our colleges and univer sities to encourage them to include railway eng ineer ing in their cour ses and curricula. We have made great strides in these areas in the past several years and I am now seeing the fruits of our labor.

40 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

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light rail Rolls in

arizona

Valley Metro celebrates the first extension of its light-rail system since the initial 20-mile segment opened in 2008.

by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor; photos courtesy Valley Metro

D

epending on who is asked, Valley Metro’s 3.1-mile light-rail extension to Mesa, Ariz., which opened for service Aug. 22, can take on various representations. For Valley Metro, it’s the first of what the transportation agency hopes will be many expansions of its now 23-mile light-rail system. To residents in the area, it’s a way to escape traffic and provides great-

44 Railway Track & Structures

er connectivity between Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. And, to Mesa Mayor John Giles, it’s the realization of a dream.

“This is a monumental moment.

Light rail is rejuvenating downtown Mesa, offering residents and visitors across the Valley an opportunity to travel to new destinations and discover Mesa,” said Mayor Giles at the project’s opening ceremony.

September 2015

The extension’s route runs along Main Street between Sycamore and Mesa Drives and includes four new stations and a 500-space park and ride.

“Riders will enjoy the convenience of the extension, but they will also enjoy all of the unique artwork along the alignment. Artwork screening was even incorporated in the Traction Power Substations to provide for a more aestheti-

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Valley Metro Central Mesa Extension Opposite page: The Aug. 22 grand opening of the 3.1-mile light-rail extension featured dignitaries, as well as confetti cannons.

This page: The extension’s Alma School Road station taking shape.

cally pleasing look at the substations,” said Corinne Holliday, public information specialist at Valley Metro.

What riders may not be aware of is the amount of effort behind building an additional three miles of rail. Holliday notes that extra time was spent properly identifying underground utility ownership. In addition to the more than 31,000 feet of track that was laid, Valley Metro’s and the extension’s contractor, Valley Transit Constructors (VTC), had to replace 3,850 linear feet of sewer main and 14, 390 linear feet of water main.

“Working in the narrow right-ofway was challenging, but expected,” said Holliday. “Purposeful construction

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phasing helped alleviate the issue along with appropriate traffic control needed to maintain and keep traffic flowing.”

Construction on the $199-million project began in June 2012 and opened seven months ahead of schedule.

Funding for the extension was comprised of a $75 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, as well as $71 million in county wide transportation tax funds and $53 million in federal air quality funds.

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September 2015 45

Valley Metro Central Mesa Extension The Central Mesa extension alingnment prior to service commencing.

“The successful collaboration with stakeholders allowed us to accelerate the project ahead of schedule and on budget,” said Holliday.

That collaboration extended into community outreach efforts in order to bolster businesses during construction of the extension.

46 Railway Track & Structures

“It is a priority for Valley Metro and its city partners to support existing businesses during construction. Communication with businesses along the corridor begins early on, well before construction ever begins,” said Holliday.

“A wide array of business assistance programs are also made available

September 2015

to the neighboring business community to keep them well-positioned during the construction phase. The programs provide a wide range of services including directional signage, marketing, business counseling, technical assistance, loan programs and peer-topeer forums. Programs are also customized with support of city partners and to fit the impacted community.

“A Community Advisory Board was also established. It gives residents and business owners face-to-face interaction with contractors and allows them convenient access to construction updates and project updates. The board was developed during the first 20 miles of light-rail construction for the Central Phoenix/East Valley project and the current extensions under construction, the Northwest exten-

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Valley Metro Central Mesa Extension sion, also has a Community Advisory Board,” explained Holliday.

Even when it came time to test service on the extension, Valley Metro and VTC kept the community in mind.

Six light-rail vehicles were loaded with 105 tons of bottled water to simulate passengers during the testing phase. Once testing was completed, the 184,000 bottles of water were donated to the United Food Bank in Mesa.

As Chris Chaffee, VTC project manager, Southwest District, explains, “During the hot summer months, there is an increased demand for bottled water in the Valley. We hope the donation relieves some of the strain on the local food bank.”

For a region that is expected to double in population during the next 30 years, providing dependable public transportation is important to support that growth. The opening of the Central Mesa Extension is the first of an ambitious growth plan for the area’s light-rail system.

Holliday says there are six light-rail

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By the numbers Utilities replaced • 3,850 linear feet of sewer main • 14,390 linear feet of water main Infrastructure installed • 31,226 feet of track • 20,000 cubic yards of track concrete • 425,000 linear feet of electrical pipes • 755,000 labor hours • 700 jobs annually during peak construction extensions planned or under construction that will create a 66-mile system by 2034.

This past August, Phoenix voters

September 2015

approved Proposition 104, which will raise $31 billion dollars during the next 35 years via a tax increase to support multi-modal transportation planning. Prop. 104 has been pointed to as a catalyst to development in the area and will help triple the size of the current light-rail system.

“Prop. 104 will usher in the next major expansion of our light-rail system, including the South Central and I-10 West extensions. These lines will provide a fast and efficient transportation option to thousands of residents and will promote major economic development and investment along the entire stretch,” said Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski.

“Our residents spoke with one voice, saying that they wanted more transportation options, including more bus service and light rail,” said Councilwoman Kate Gallego. “Especially for our residents in south Phoenix, establishing funding for light rail on Central Avenue means connections to work, school and all downtown has to offer.”

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AREMA NEWS Professional Development Seminars

If you need additional continuing education credits, plan to attend one of AREMA’s seven seminars being held in conjunction with the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN, October 4 – 7, 2015.

Message from the President

All roads lead to....

Minneapolis

Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering October 2 - 4, 2015 Rail Bulk terminal design October 3, 2015 environmental permitting issues in railroad construction projects October 4, 2015 practical track measurements techniques & tools October 4, 2015 intermodal terminal engineering October 7 - 8, 2015 track alignment design October 7 - 9, 2015 FRA 213: track safety standards October 7 - 9, 2015 Please visit www.arema.org to register and to find out more information about these seminars or contact Desirée Knight at dknight@arema.org.

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Brian A. Lindamood, PE AREMA President 2015-2016

As the busy summer season draws to a close, long days are consumed with completing projects before the winter sets in, the fall traffic blitz ramps up and the constant monitoring and re-balancing of budgets.

At the same time, the work effort starts to shift from what needs to get done by the end of this year, to what is going to be the focus upon next year. This effort, for me at least, includes what went right this year, what went wrong and what have we learned so that next year will go better.

It is appropriate during this season of introspection and planning that the industry is to convene the first week of October in Minneapolis, Minn., at Railway Interchange 2015. As the premier North American railway infrastructure event, opportunities abound for all industry personnel for technical education, the exchange of information and ideas and the chance to meet with vendors from all over the world to learn about their products and services. I am especially looking forward to the technical program that AREMA has assembled. From Positive Train Control (PTC), to masonry arch rehabilitation, to high-speed rail, to bridge deck tie replacement, there are interesting topics to peak nearly anyone’s interest.

For more detailed educational opportunities, AREMA will be offering seminars before and after the technical conference for new and seasoned railroaders alike. AREMA members have invested thousands of hours in the development of seminar material that is technically relevant and current. The instructors themselves are subject matter experts, eager to share information and answer specific questions. Having contributed to some of these seminars myself, I am proud of what we have produced and hope you take the time to join us in a seminar, whether to delve into a new area of interest to you, like intermodal terminal design, or just to keep current on issues like environmental permitting.

Many of us have problems that need better solutions. Railway Supply Institute, Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association and Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc., have assembled more than 300,000 square feet of exhibition space with hundreds of vendors for products and services. There will also be a large on-track exhibit to see some of the equipment first-hand.

If you are looking to the future, there will be a “Meet the Next Generation” event and similar events where you can meet recent and soon-to-be college graduates who are interested in railway careers.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the conference provides a means for us to get together and exchange information, compare solutions and catch up with old friends and colleagues. There are many means for providing an education and many times it does not come in the form of a book or a slide presentation. Many of the challenges we face are not new, nor isolated to a single railroad.

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September 2015 51

AREMA NEWS

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

2015 Upcoming Committee Meetings Sept. 23

Committee 28 - Clearances

Colorado Springs, CO

Nov. 3-4

Committee 37 - Signal Systems

Atlanta, GA

Vancouver, WA

Nov. 4-5

Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems

Atlanta, GA

Oct. 27-28 Committee 4 - Rail

Stockton, CA

Nov. 5-6

Committee 30 - Ties

Oct. 18-19 Committee 34 - Scales

Tucson, AZ

To see a list of all committee meetings being held at the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference please visit www.arema.org/meetings/2015.

FYI‌

Avo i d t h e l i n e s of o n - s i t e registration and pre-register online today at www.arema.org for the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference being held as part of Railway Interchange 2015, October 4-7, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN. AREMA badges will be honored for full access into the exhibition halls during operating hours.

Book your 2016 AREMA exposition booth now for the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition in Orlando, FL, August 28-31, 2016. For more information and to book your exposition space, please contact Christy Thomas at cthomas@arema.org.

AR E MA we b s i t e a d ve r t i s i n g . . .

Want to be listed on the AREMA w e b s i t e t o ga i n e x p o s u r e f r o m the more than 6,800 AREMA members? Contact Lindsay Hamilton a t 3 01. 4 5 9 . 3 2 0 0 , e x t . 7 0 5 , o r lhamilton@arema.org to get advertising rates.

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

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.

52 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

Whether it is PTC, continuous welded rail inspection, or replacing aging bridges under heavy traffic demands, the opportunity to sit down with my counterparts on other railroads and seek advice on situations that our railroad is experiencing and compare approaches and solutions with others is simply invaluable.

So, as 2015 starts to move towards completion and before 2016 kicks-off, I hope you take the time to join us in Minneapolis. I look forward to seeing you there.

LinkedIn networking at AREMA 2015 conference Be sure to check out the LinkedIn Networking Hour at the Annual Conference on Sunday, October 4, 8:00 am – 9:00 am in Seasons on the 2nd level of the Minneapolis Convention Center.

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

Not an AREMA Member?

Join today at www.arema.org www.rtands.com

Getting to know Brian Lindamood We are pleased to feature AREMA's 2015-2016 president, Brian Lindamood, as the September spotlight.

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

LINDAMOOD: It was not entirely intentional. I was eager to work in the railroad industry since high school.

The railroad industry in the mid-1980s was beginning to flourish post-Staggers Act. I love transpor tation, especially logistics. I presumed that I would have a career in operations. However, I left college with a degree in civil engineering. Although I wound up in the railroad industry as I had hoped, it was not exactly as I expected.

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

LINDAMOOD: I enjoy cycling, books and board games.

Alaska has a lot of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, so camping, hiking and exploring are also things I frequently do.

AREMA: If you could share one interesting fact about yourself with the readers of RT&S, what would it be?

LINDAMOOD: I have worked on-and-off as a bicycle mechanic for 30 years. I spend a fair amount of my time working with the local bicycle community and ride my bike to work most days, even throughout the winter.

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

LINDAMOOD: G e t i nvo l ve d a n d g e t c o n n e c t e d .

There are so many opportunities available today as the industry continues to prosper. AREMA student chapters are a great source of learning and provide access to information, but they also offer opportunities to connect with railway professionals throughout the industry. Once school is finished, the experience that I have gained through AREMA committee membership has been invaluable to both my career, as well as my employers.

www.rtands.com

Brian Lindamood AREMA President 2015-2016 Director - Capital Projects Alaska Railroad

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 53

AREMA NEWS

AREMA Publications 2015 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: • Track • Structures • Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems Management. The Manual is an annual publication, released every April. It is available in a multi-volume loose-leaf format, CD-ROM, revision set (looseleaf only) and individual chapters (downloadable format).

Downloadable Chapters Available Online.

2015 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices

©

2016 edition will be available in October.

The Communications & 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 released every October.

Downloadable Sections Available Online.

©

The Portfolio of Trackwork Plans consists of plans and specifications that relate to the design, details, materials and workmanship for switches, frogs, turnouts and crossovers, crossings, rails and other special trackwork. This is a companion volume to the Manual for Railway Engineering.

AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook ©

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

Practical Guide to Railway Engineering ©

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

Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE

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.

54 Railway Track & Structures

2014 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans

September 2015

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.) www.rtands.com

www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 55

AREMA 2015 Annual Conference & Exposition Schedule

Friday, OCTOBER 2 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Registration: Seminars Only 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering Seminar (Day 1) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Registration: Conference and Seminars 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering Seminar (Day 2) 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Rail Bulk Terminal Design Seminar 12:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Building the Steel Interstate Seminar Committee Meetings 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Committee 27 Committee 24 Committee 5

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Registration: Seminars Only 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

LinkedIn Networking Hour 8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Practical Track Measurements Techniques & Tools Seminar 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering Seminar (Day 3) 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Environmental Permitting Issues

in Railroad Construction Projects Seminar 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Registration: Conference and Seminars 11:00 a.m.

Outdoor Yard Exhibits Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Outdoor Yard Exhibits Open Indoor Exhibits Ribbon 1:00 p.m.

Cutting Ceremony Indoor Exhibits Open 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Committee Meetings 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

10:00 am - 1:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Committee 5 Committee 24 (Breakout Only) Team 40 Team 41 Committee 10 Committee 17 Team 43 Team 42 Committee 33 Committee 12 Committee 14 Committee 16 Committee 6 Committee 11

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 6:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration: Conference and Seminars 6:45 a.m. - 7:15 a.m.

Continental Breakfast (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) Musical Entertainment 7:30 a.m.

Combined AREMA/CMA Opening General Session Presentation of Colors 7:30 a.m. - 7:35 a.m.

Safety Briefing 7:35 a.m. - 7:40 a.m.

56 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

7:40 a.m. - 7:45 a.m.

AREMA Welcome Randy L. Bowman, AREMA President Norfolk Southern Corporation 7:45 a.m. - 7:50 a.m.

RSI/CMA Welcome Jeff Stearns, Wabtec Corporation 7:50 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

REMSA Welcome Trent E. Marshall

Progress Rail Leasing, Ltd. 7:55 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

RSSI Welcome John J. Paljug Siemens Rail Automation 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Keynote Address - Never Quit Robert J. O'Neill

Team Leader, Naval Special Warfare Development Group 9:00 a.m. - 9:05 a.m.

AREMA Executive Director Introduction 9:05 a.m. - 9:20 a.m.

AREMA Scholarship Winners' Announcement 9:20 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.

Coffee Break (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) 9:50 a.m.

AREMA General Session Resumes 9:50 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

AREMA President's State of the Union Randy L. Bowman AREMA President Norfolk Southern Corporation 10:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Member-Get-A-Member Campaign Winners 10:10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Presentation of 2015 Dr. William

W. Hay Award for Excellence Michael W. Franke, AREMA Treasurer Chair, Hay Award Committee Amtrak 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Engineering Services Presentation Bellevue Yard Expansion Construction Mark Dewberry Norfolk Southern Corporation 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Communications & Signals Presentation

A Review of Safety Control and Indication Systems for Railway

Movable Bridges Anthony Fazio and Lester DeLago, Amtrak Track Presentation 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Tower 55 Multimodal Improvement Project Patrick Halsted,

Union Pacific Railroad and

Brian Large, BNSF Railway 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Structures Presentation

Robinson Creek Tunnel Fire Emergency Response Randy K. Zeiger, PE, AMEC Foster

Wheeler and Angela B. Johnson CSX Transportation 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Passenger & Transit Presentation

Comparative Research on Engineering

& Economics of US & International HSR Standards John Gregory Green, PhD, PE, Hatch Mott MacDonald

Francis J. Miller, PE, Jacobs and www.rtands.com

AREMA 2015 Annual Conference & Exposition Schedule

Hualiang Teng, PhD, University of Nevada Las Vegas 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Maintenance Presentation

Managing Freight Railroad

Contractor Safety and Security Training Challenges Edwin B. Frazier, Jr., HDR Engineering, Inc. 1:30 p.m.

End of General Session 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Meet The Next Generation

(Sponsored - See pages 64-65 for sponsors) Committee Meetings 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Committee 2 Committee 18 Committee 1 (Sub 5 Only)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6 Registration: Conference 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Seminars 7:00 a.m. - 7:45 a.m.

Continental Breakfast (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) Functional Group 7:55 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Technical Sessions • Communications & Signals • Engineering Services • Maintenance • Passenger & Transit • Structures • Track Coffee Break (Sponsored 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) 12:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

AREMA Annual Chairs' Luncheon

(Ticketed Event - Separate Fee Required) James A. Squires, President, Norfolk Southern Corporation Featured Speaker Committee Meeting 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Committee 13

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 6:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Registration: Conference and Seminars 6:45 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) 7:45 a.m.

Closing General Session 7:45 a.m. - 7:50 a.m.

Safety Briefing Brian A. Lindamood, PE

AREMA Senior Vice President and Program Committee Chair Alaska Railroad 7:50 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Installation of 2015-2016 AREMA Officers 8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Railway Industry Update Anthony B. Hatch, Transportation Industry Analyst ABH Consulting 8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Structures Presentation

CREATE P1, Englewood Flyover

Joseph G. Ott, PE, METRA

David J. Irving, PE, TranSystems www.rtands.com

Corporation and Marc P. Beisler, PE,

Alfred Benesch & Company 9:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Track Presentation

Evaluation of the Potential Benefits

of Superelevation for Mainline Turnouts in Heavy Axle Load Service

David D. Davis, PE, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. 9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Communications & Signals Presentation

Positive Train Control: Developing Lessons Learned About Automation

and High Reliability From the Aviation Industry

Greg Placencia, PhD, University of Southern California 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Coffee Break (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) 10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Engineering Services Presentation

Toward Next Generation of Railroad

Professionals – Collaboration by

NURail and Rail Industry Pasi Lautala, PhD, PE, Michigan Technological University

Dimitris Rizos, PhD, University of South Carolina 11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Maintenance Presentation

Concrete Rail Seat Repair

Mark E. Austin, CSX Transportation 11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Passenger & Transit Presentation

Rehabilitation of the PATCO Commuter Tracks Across The Ben Franklin Bridge

Alex Lawrason, PE and John Parola, HNTB Corporation 12:15 p.m.

Adjournment of the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference Intermodal Terminal Engineering 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Seminar (Day 1) 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Track Alignment Design Seminar (Day 1) 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

FRA 213: Track Safety Standards Seminar (Day 1) Committee Meetings Committee 38 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Committee 39 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Intermodal Terminal Engineering Seminar (Day 2) 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Track Alignment Design Seminar (Day 2) FRA 213: Track Safety Standards 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Seminar (Day 2) Committee Meetings Committee 38 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Committee 39 Friday, OCTOBER 9 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Track Alignment Design Seminar (Day 3) 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

FRA 213: Track Safety Standards Seminar (Day 3) Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 57

Tuesday Functional Group Sessions Communications & Signals - 10/6

Session Sponsored by The Okonite Company

7:55 a.m.

Safety Briefing and Group Comments

Victor R. Babin 8:00 a.m.

Video Analysis of Railroad At Grade Crossing Pedestrian Usage Gerard Reminiskey, HDR Engineering, Inc. 8:30 a.m.

A Novel Approach to Obsolescence Engineering for Long Term Classification

Yard Infrastructure James P. Langan, BNSF Railway 9:00 a.m.

Benefits of Railroad Signal Software Simulation Terry D. Harris and Jason J. Schroeder CSX Transportation 9:30 a.m.

Ballast Resistance Measurement - Theory and Practice

Stuart Landau, PE, CH2M HILL 10:00 a.m.

Coffee Break (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) Deploying a Solution for Dynamically 10:30 a.m.

Predicting Hot Box Detector

58 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

Session Chair: Victor R. Babin AREMA Functional Group Vice President NICTD

(HBD) Failures

Mario Montag, Predikto Analytics 11:00 a.m.

System Level Full Scale Lightning Testing

of PTC Wayside C&S Systems Marlin Matthews and Timothy S.Winter

CSX Transportation and Rodney A. Perala

Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc. 11:30 a.m.

The Trouble with Towers Kevin Keller, PG, CGWP, HDR Engineering, Inc. 12:15 p.m.

AREMA Annual Chairs' Luncheon

(Ticketed Event - Separate Fee Required)

Featured Speaker: James A. Squires, President,

Norfolk Southern Corporation 2:00 p.m.

E-ATC as a PTC System Dale R. Hein, PEng and Richard A. Morris, Hatch Mott MacDonald

2:30 p.m.

Challenges of Positive Train Control Interoperability Guy Cranor and Clark Palmer, Meteorcomm

www.rtands.com

Tuesday Functional Group Sessions Engineering Services - 10/6

Session Sponsored by voestalpine Nortrak Inc.

7:55 a.m.

Safety Briefing and Group Comments Glenn T. Hay, PE 8:00 a.m.

Implementation and Use of Class 1 Railroad Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement Ronald M. Gagne, Canadian Pacific and

Matthew G. Dick, ENSCO, Inc. 8:30 a.m.

Wide Span Gantry Intermodal Yards in an On-dock Environment Michael Leue, PE, Parsons and Carlo Luzzi, Port of Long Beach

V/TI Monitor Cluster Analysis 9:00 a.m. and Implementation

Dwight W. Clark, Union Pacific Railroad and

Matthew G. Dick, Ensco, Inc. 9:30 a.m.

Critical Capacity – Expanding to Meet the Rise of the ND Economy Zach Hartjes, PE, HDR Engineering, Inc., Jim Hoschka, PE, TKDA and Benjamin Steinkamp,

BNSF Railway 10:00 a.m.

Coffee Break (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) 10:30 a.m. Railway Education for the Greater Good

Dallas R. Richards, PE, Bruce A. Anderson, PE and Ashley Backhus, CTSM, TranSystems Corporation

www.rtands.com

Session Chair: Glenn T. Hay, PE AREMA Functional Group Vice President Design Nine, Inc.

11:00 a.m.

Oregon International Port of Coos Bay Rail Reactivation Services Gene A. Davis, PE, Stantec Consulting, Fred

Jacquot, Port of Coos Bay and Duke Rodley, ARG Trans 11:30 a.m.

Fast-Track Conversion of CP Golden, BC,

Car Shop to a Locomotive Shop T. Chris Evensen, PE, ARCADIS U.S., Inc. and Allan D. Amundson, Canadian Pacific

AREMA Annual Chairs' Luncheon 12:15 p.m.

(Ticketed Event - Separate Fee Required)

Featured Speaker: James A. Squires, President, Norfolk Southern Corporation

Project Ignition - Revving up the 2:00 p.m.

Capacity Plan

Kyle K.Williams, BNSF Railway and Jeff Jones,

PE, Bartlett & West 2:30 p.m.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s Automated Grade Crossing Survey System

Eric Sherrock, ENSCO, Inc. 3:00 p.m.

Clearance Improvements Along the CSX Trenton Line Christopher W.Wright, PE, AECOM and Derek

S. Mihaly, CSX Transportation

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 59

Tuesday Functional Group Sessions Maintenance - 10/6

Session Sponsored by Rail Construction Equipment Co.

7:55 a.m.

Safety Briefing and Group Comments Bruce E.Williams 8:00 a.m.

Rehabilitation of Connecticut Southern Railroad Bridge 1.1

William Riehl III, PE, Genesee & Wyoming

Railroad Services, Inc., Matthew Chrapek,

PE, Thouvenot,Wade & Moerchen, Inc., and

Michael J. Tweet, PE, Koppers Railroad Structures 8:30 a.m.

Installation of a Geothermal Switch Heater

Colin Basye, PE, Transportation Technology

Center, Inc., and Brad Kerchof, Norfolk Southern Corporation Developing an Expedited and More Effective 9:00 a.m.

Bridge-Tie Replacement Methodology

Jason D.Williams, PE, Anderson & Associates, Inc. 9:30 a.m.

Evaluation of Two TOR Products on River Grade Track

Marcia M. L.Yu, PhD, L.B. Foster Rail

Technologies Corp. and Peter J. Ray, PE, The

Indiana Rail Road Company 10:00 a.m.

Coffee Break (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors)10:30 a.m.

Case Studies Using Gage Restraint

60 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

Session Chair: Bruce E. Williams AREMA Functional Group Vice President Progress Rail Services

Measurement to Detect Weak Track Conditions on Concrete Tie Track

Jacinda Clemenzi, ENSCO, Inc. and Robert Wilson, The Volpe Center 11:00 a.m.

Case Studies in Emergency Railway Geohazard Mitigation Colby Barrett, Geostabilization International 11:30 a.m.

Effect of Hand Tamping on Transition Zone Behavior Timothy D. Stark, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 12:15 p.m.

AREMA Annual Chairs' Luncheon

(Ticketed Event - Separate Fee Required) Featured Speaker: James A. Squires, President,

Norfolk Southern Corporation Aerial LiDAR Survey of Track Geometry in 2:00 p.m.

Union Pacific’s Strang Yard Christopher M.Villar, Surveying and Mapping, LLC 2:30 p.m.

Track Leveling and Alignment Stability:

Options and Approaches for Very Weak Subgrade Bryan Duevel, PE, GE and Mark Pinske, PE, McMillen Jacobs Associates

www.rtands.com

Tuesday Functional Group Sessions Passenger & Transit - 10/6

Session Sponsored by Parsons Brinckerhoff

7:55 a.m.

Safety Briefing and Group Comments Nathan J. Higgins, PEng, PE 8:00 a.m.

Construction Challenges of the MBTA Green Line Extension Randy H. Henke, HNTB Corporation and

Mary R. Ainsley, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 8:30 a.m.

Reconstruction of the Milwaukee Intermodal

Station Train Shed and Platforms William Zippel, PE, SE, Alfred Benesch &

Company and Hanno Weber, Hanno Weber & Associates Chicago – St. Louis High Speed Rail 9:00 a.m.

Program Update

Philip G. Pasterak, Parsons Brinckerhoff and

Patrick Halsted, Union Pacific Railroad Michigan DOT - High Speed Rail Projects 9:30 a.m.

Shaun Bates, PE, Michigan Department of

Transportation, Daniel Schulte, PE and W. Robert

Moore, PE, Quandel Consultants, LLC 10:00 a.m.

Coffee Break (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors) 10:30 a.m.

High Level Station Platforms and

www.rtands.com

Session Chair: Nathan J. Higgins, PEng, PE AREMA Functional Group Vice President Hatch Mott MacDonald, Ltd.

Passenger Safety

Gustavo V. Da Silva, PE, Long Island Rail Road Atlanta Streetcar Test Commissioning and 11:00 a.m.

Startup Program Rickey Green, HNTB and Carl Jackson, City of Atlanta 11:30 a.m.

Integration of Two Simulation Software Packages in the Context

of a LRT System

Eric Vaillancourt, Hatch Mott MacDonald 12:15 p.m.

AREMA Annual Chairs' Luncheon

(Ticketed Event - Separate Fee Required)

Featured Speaker: James A. Squires, President,

Norfolk Southern Corporation 2:00 p.m.

Monitoring of Electrical System Assets

Protect Environment and Improve Service

John Eastman, INCON - Division of Franklin Electric 2:30 p.m.

NYSDOT-Amtrak Hudson Line Improvement Project

Craig O.Weed, Jr., Amtrak and David W. Emerich,

PE, CHA Consulting, Inc.

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 61

Tuesday Functional Group Sessions

Structures - 10/6

Session Sponsored by TranSystems

7:55 a.m.

Safety Briefing and Group Comments Howard C. Swanson, PE, SE 8:00 a.m.

Amtrak’s Hudson Yards Concrete Casing Right-

of-Way Preservation Project Craig Rolwood, PE, Amtrak 8:30 a.m.

HCB Railroad Bridges - From Proof of Concept

to Revenue Service John R. Hillman, PE, SE, HCB, Inc., John F.

Unsworth, PEng, Canadian Pacific and Duane Otter, PhD, PE,Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

Masonry Arch Viaduct Rehabilitation – NS 9:00 a.m.

Bridge MV-25.13 Over Wissahickon Creek

Solomon Brown, PE, Jacobs, RuthV. Brown,

PE, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Donald S.

Herbert, Contech Engineered Solutions, LLC Towards Better Estimation of Steel Railroad 9:30 a.m.

Bridge Life Matthew Hebdon, Purdue University 10:00 a.m.

Coffee Break (Sponsored

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors)

10:30 a.m.

Resistance and Loading for Steel Bridge Fatigue Life Evaluation Robert A. P. Sweeney, PhD, DEng, PEng, Eng, Hon.

Mbr. AREMA, Canadian National Railway (retired) 11:00 a.m.

BNSF Bridge 294.1 Replacement - Winter

Construction Window in Ponca City, OK James P. Hyland, TranSystems Corporation, Preston

62 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

Session Chair: Howard C. Swanson, PE AREMA Functional Group Vice President Norfolk Southern Corporation

Friend, BNSF Railway and Douglas J. Kolb, PE, OCCI, Inc. 11:30 a.m.

Vehicle-Based Detection of Changes in Bridge Condition Anna M. Rakoczy, PhD and Duane Otter, PhD, PE,

Transportation Technology Center, Inc. AREMA Annual Chairs' Luncheon 12:15 p.m.

(Ticketed Event - Separate Fee Required) Featured Speaker: James A. Squires, President,

Norfolk Southern Corporation 2:00 p.m.

Controlled Progressive Collapse of PA SR345

Concrete Arch Bridge over Norfolk Southern’s Harrisburg Mainline Matthew F. Walicki, PE, AECOM and Thomas M.

Bracey, Norfolk Southern Corporation 2:30 p.m.

Indianapolis Union Station - Inspection and Rating Steven P. Lorek, PE and Michael Sondles, HDR Engineering, Inc. 3:00 p.m.

Rehabilitation to Correct Poor Operating

Behavior at NS Bridge DH-514.47

Robert J.Tosolt, PE, Stafford Bandlow Engineering,

Inc., David J. Bonas, Norfolk Southern Corporation and

Garry Miller, Fenton Rigging & Contracting 3:30 p.m.

Huey P. Long Bridge Widening: The Railroad

Side of the Story

Buck Ouyang, PE, Modjeski and Masters, Inc.

www.rtands.com

Tuesday Functional Group Sessions

Track - 10/6

Session Sponsored by RailWorks Corporation

7:55 a.m.

Safety Briefing and Group Comments

David A. Becker, PE 8:00 a.m.

Rail Life Extension and Improved Welding

Strategies in HAL Revenue Service Jay P. Baillargeon and Megan B. Archuleta,

Transportation Technology Center, Inc. 8:30 a.m.

Shoulder Ballast Cleaning Effectiveness Scott Diercks, Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., S.

Caleb Douglas, PE, PhD, Union Pacific Railroad and

Michael O. Brown,Transportation Technology Center, Inc. 9:00 a.m.

Lateral Forces as Indicator for

an Efficient Friction Management Implementation Richard Stock, PhD, L.B. Foster Rail Technologies Corp.

Ballast Properties and Degradation Trends 9:30 a.m.

Affecting Strength, Deformation and In Track Performance

Erol Tutumluer, PhD, University of Illinois Coffee Break (Sponsored 10:00 a.m.

- See pages 64-65 for sponsors)

10:30 a.m.

Rapid Soil Stabilization Methodology for High Volume Mainline Track

www.rtands.com

Session Chair: David A. Becker, PE AREMA Functional Group Vice President Norfolk Southern Corporation

Jeffrey R. Hill, PE, Hayward Baker Inc. and Daniel P.

Colwell, Canadian National Railway 11:00 a.m.

The Rise of Steel Ties: Understanding of Steel Ties and Applications Allene B. Rieger, TranSystems Corporation and Matt

Violin, NARSTCO, Inc. 11:30 a.m.

Asphalt Railway Trackbeds: Recent Designs, Applications, and Performances

Jerry G. Rose, PE, PhD and Reginald R. Souleyrette,

PhD, PE, University of Kentucky 12:15 p.m. AREMA Annual Chairs' Luncheon

(Ticketed Event - Separate Fee Required) Featured Speaker: James A. Squires, President,

Norfolk Southern Corporation 2:00 p.m.

Evaluation of Turnout Foundation Improvements for Heavy Axle Load Service Rafael Jimenez and David D. Davis, PE,

Transportation Technology Center, Inc. 2:30 p.m. Designing of Well-Performing Railway Transitions

Timothy D. Stark, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 63

PRODUCTS

Fastener system

POP® Advel® introduced its NeoBolt® Lockbolt Fastener System, a non-breakstem lockbolt fastening system for heavy-duty structural applications, which is designed to deliver vibration resistance and structural strength with no pin break. The two-piece NeoBolt fastener features a collar and a pin with fine pitch locking grooves that, when installed, provides vibration resistance and fatigue performance. The company notes that there is no pin break, so there is no metal waste, reduced noise, no installation shock, no risk of pintails being dropped into the application or work area and no corrosion at a pin break surface; with no shock loads, tool life is extended and operator fatigue reduced. The reduced pin weight and size offers environmental benefits of using fewer raw materials and less energy throughout manufacturing, shipping and storage. Pop Advel notes that NeoBolt fasteners are quickly and easily installed in seconds to provide a secure, maintenance-free, long-lasting joint. To install the NeoBolt fastener, the pin is placed through the materials to be joined and the collar screwed onto the pin thread with just a single turn. This collar “fit-up” feature enables pre-assembly in joints and avoids the need to support the pin during the subsequent swaging operation. A tool with an open collet is placed over the pin tail end and when actuated, the collet closes and pulls the pin. The anvil moves onto the collar, closes any joint gaps and swages the collar wall down into the pin locking grooves. Once full swaging load is reached, the tool travel stops and returns to release the pin. NeoBolt lockbolts are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 3/16-inch to one-inch in diameter, with a grip range from 0.520-inch to 6.23inch. Phone: (877) 364-2781.

66 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

www.rtands.com

Ballast regulator

Nordco Inc. launched its RoadReady™ RBR-1000 Ballast Regulator, which attaches to over-the-road tractortrailers for easy transport between job locations. All components lift and fit within the frame to meet height and width requirements for permit-free travel and can ride at posted highway speed limits, allowing operators to get on and off the track quickly. The RBR-1000 is equipped with an integrated turn table that allows the machine to deploy at road crossings with a clear 30 foot turning radius. It can go from RoadMode to RailMode in under 10 minutes. Phone: (203) 438-9696.

Switch lubricant

Railmark offers its improved biobased switch lubricant, which was first introduced in 2012. Railmark’s universal switch lubricant has seen additional improvements and now meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s criteria for its Environmental Preferable Purchasing program and has been designated as a USDA BioPreferredT product. Now with a higher viscosity index, it instantly penetrates, lasts longer and needs to be applied less often, notes the company. The lubricant is also available as a frigid climate switch lubricant when temperatures remain below freezing for extended periods of time in more frigid and northern climates. Applicators are available. Phone: (248) 960-9440. www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 67

CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 12-15. ASLRRA Central Pacific Region Meeting. Hilton Scottsdale. Scottsdale, Ariz. Contact: Jenny Bourque.

Phone: 202-585-3449. E-mail: jbourque@aslrra.org.

Website: www.aslrra.org.

14-18. RailroadTrack Inspection & Safety Standards.

University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Knoxville,Tenn. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865-974-3889.

16-17. Fundamentals of Railway Train Control and Signaling. University of Wisconsin - Madison. The Pyle Center. Madison, Wis. Contact: David Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: dmpeter5@wisc.edu. Website: www.edp/engr.wisc.edu/webR312.

22-24. Maintaining and Inspecting Railroad Track.

University of Wisconsin - Madison. Hilton Garden Inn - Chicago O’Hare. Des Plaines, Ill. Contact: David Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: dmpeter5@wisc. edu. Website: www.edp/engr.wisc.edu/webR313.

28-29. Basic Railroad Track Maintenance. University of Tennessee - Knoxville. New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

Joe Spot Training Center. New Orleans, La. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865-974-3889.

30-Oct. 2. Railroad Track Design. University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Knoxville, Tenn. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865 974-3889.

OCTOBER 4-7. Railway Interchange 2015. Minneapolis Convention Center. Minneapolis, Minn. Website: http:// railwayinterchange.org/.

13. Western Railway Club Meeting. Union League Club of Chicago. Phone: 847-877-1514. E-mail: info@western railwayclub.com. Website: www.westernrailwayclub.com 17-20. ASLRRA Eastern Region Meeting. Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel. Erie, Pa. Contact: Jenny Bourque. Phone: 202-585-3449. E-mail: jbourque@aslrra.org. Website: www.aslrra.org.

20-23. Track Safety Standards Part 213 Classes 1-5 Workshop. Council Bluffs, Iowa. Phone: 800-228-9670.

E-mail: studentservices@sb-reb.com. Website: http://www. railwayeducationalbureau.com/TrkInspWrkShp.html.

27-28. Railroad Environmental Conference. Urbana, Ill. Phone: 217-244-4600. E-mail: rrec-conf@illinois.edu.

Website: http://railtec.illinois.edu/RREC/overview.php.

NOVEMBER 3-5. 97th Annual Railway Tie Association Symposium and Technical Conference. Marriott Starr Pass Resort.

Tucson, Ariz. Phone: 770-460-5553. E-mail: ties@rta.org.

Website: www.rta.org.

68 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

www.rtands.com

Ad Index Company

Phone #

Fax#

e-mail address

Page #

18th International Wheelset Congress +86 28 61315190 info@iwc2016.com Amsted RPS

913-345-4807 913-345-4818

jstout@amstedrps.com debbi.lewis@lonza.com Arch Wood Protection, Inc., - a Lonza Company 678-627-2275 AREMA Marketing Department

301-459-3200 301-459-8077

marketing@arema.org 973-748-5885 973-784-4520 stacyw@atlantictrack.com Atlantic Track & Turnout Co. Auto Truck Group 816-412-2131 816-412-2191 eschoenfeld@autotruck.com

306-791-7533 306-525-1077

nmarcotte@brandt.com Brandt Road Rail Corporation J.F. Brennan Co., Inc. 800-658-9027 ext.236 608-785-2090 markbinsfeld@jfbrennan.com 440-591-9018 866-814-1961 russell@constructionpolymerstech.com Construction Polymers Technologies, Inc. 800-338-1122 513-645-7000 info@conteches.com Contech速 Engineered Solutions LLC Custom Truck & Equipment 816-241-4888 816-241-3710

bboehm@cte-equipment.com

Danella Rental Systems

610-828-6200 610-828-2260

pbarents@danella.com Delta Railroad Construction, Inc. 440-994-2997 440-992-1311 info@deltarr.com 866-712-7622 303-922-6178 www.encorers.com Encore Rail Systems, Inc. ENSCO Rail 703-321-4515 dick.matthew@ensco.com 609-285-5492 609-799-5404 office@us.frauscher.com Frauscher Sensor Technology USA Inc. Georgetown Rail Equipment Company

512-869-1542 ext.5292 512-863-0405

bachman@georgetownrail.com 216-265-9000 rspeese@postle.com Hardface Technologies Harsco Rail

803-822-7551 803-822-7521 mteeter@harsco.com

816-233-7757 tfrancis@hrsi.com Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. 816-233-9002

816-233-7757

Herzog Services, Inc. 816-233-9002 rebersold@herzogservices.com 800-274-7245 319-455-2914

HiRAIL Corporation info@hirail.com Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.

866-245-3745 800-309-3299

info@trak-star.com Huddig AB info@huddig.se Knox Kershaw, Inc.

334-387-5669 ext.208 334-387-4554 knox@knoxkershaw.com Koppers Railroad Structures 800-356-5952 608-221-0618 rrdiv@koppers.com Landoll Corporation 800-428-5655 888-293-6779 jim.ladner@landoll.com Lewis Bolt & Nut Co. 800-328-3480 952-449-9607 dbarry@lewisbolt.com Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. 763-478-6014 763-478-2221

sales@loram.com Messe Berlin GMBH +49 30 30381852 +49 30 3038 2278 just@messe-berlin.de Modern Track Machinery Inc. 847-697-7510 847-697-0136 info@geismar-mtm.com Neel Company, The

703-913-7858

703-913-7859

jlewis@neelco.com NMC Railway Systems

866-662-7799 402-891-7745

info@nmcrail.com

Nordco Inc. 414-766-2180 414-766-2379 info@nordco.com NRC 202-715-2920 202-318-0867 info@nrcma.org Omega Industries, Inc.

360-694-3221 360-694-3882

omegaxings@aol.com OMNI Products, Inc.

815-344-3100

815-344-5086

bcigrang@omnirail.com Pandrol USA, LP

1-800-221-CLIP

856-467-2994 Plasser American Corp.

757-543-3526

757-494-7186 plasseramerican@plausa.com PortaCo, Inc.

218-236-0223 218-233-5281 info@portaco.com Racine Railroad Products

262-637-9069 262-637-9681 custserv@racinerailroad.com 630-355-7173

Rail Construction Equipment Co. 866-472-4510 dennishanke@rcequip.com

217-522-6588

RAILCET 866-724-5238 grif1020@yahoo.com Rails Company 973-763-4320 973-763-2585 rails@railsco.com Railway Educational Bureau, The

402-346-4300 402-346-1783 bbrundige@sb-reb.com RailWorks Corporation 866-905-7245 952-469-1926

jrhansen@railworks.com

262-473-2441 262-473-4384

mktg@schenckprocess.com Schenck Process Sealeze Unit of Jason, Inc. 804-275-1675 ext.235 smaclaughlin@sealeze.com

Sperry Rail Service 203-791-4507 robert.dimatteo@sperryrail.com Stella-Jones Corporation

800-272-8437 412-894-2846

kdulski@stella-jones.com Tensar North American Green

404-214-5374 404-250-9185

cmgovern@tensarcorp.com Unitrac Railroad Materials, Inc.

412-298-0915 865-693-9162

ppietrandrea@unitracrail.com V&H Inc., Trucks

715-486-8800 714-387-0657

a.thoreson@vhtruck.com Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc. 773-254-9600 773-254-1110 cp@wch.com Whitmore Manufacturing Company 972-771-1000 972-772-4561 sales@whitmores.com Willamette Valley Company 541-484-9621

541-284-2096 03alishab@wilvaco.com

30 5 58 55 33 15 40 34 60 3 25 7 11 Cover 4 24 Insert 17 40 27 37 23 67 8 10 46 4 36 47 36A-F 66 45 6 59 39 18 61 63 31 9 44 62 32 12 16 50, 68 35 48 38 Cover 2 49 13 29 38 16 14 41

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

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

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

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 69

Professional Directory

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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

Grapple Trucks Magnets & Self Propelled

Section Trucks Telescoping & Articulating Cranes

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

and many more truck configurations...

Track Maintenance Trucks

877-888-9370

ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL 46 Railway Track & Structures

September 2015

www.rtands.com RT&S2013revAd.indd 1

2/12/13 2:57 PM

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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

E-Mail: RelamCFE@aol.com Tel: 440-439-7088 Fax: 440-439-9399

EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, SJ, SJ2, Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW REGULATORS, KRIBBER/ADZERS, TIE CRANES, PLATE BROOMS, BRUSH CUTTERS, & SNOW FIGHTERS KBR-850-925-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1050 Kribber/Adzers KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Models CX and SS Spikers Model SP2R Dual Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAIL HEATERS Pettibone Model 445E Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Rail Heaters - Single Sided, Dual Sided, Self-propelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts

MOW Integrated Carbide Tools 6700 Tamping Tool JK-635

MKIV Tamping Tool JK-215L/R

GRM3000 Tamping Tool JK-560C

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

• Class 1 product approval

• Genuine OEM parts

To order, call: 1-800-800-6410 Email: railparts@harsco.com Visit us at Railway Interchange, Booth 5027

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

Rotary Dump

Grapple Truck

Hytracker

LEASE or BUY Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter

Available for Lease 4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 100 ton Automated/Manual Ballast Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 50’, 70 ton mechanical refrigerated boxcars Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com

Hirail Service/Maintainers Truck

Custom Build New or Used Chassies.

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

RAILROAD SERVICES

Est. 1910

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

www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

September 2015 47

ndustry – Special Discounts – Call or Visit Our Website

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT Pickup Grapple Truck

PARTS • SALES • SERVICE

Elevated Platform

Also: ■ Heavy Duty Push Carts ■ Hytracker, Stone Cars, Pettibone ■ DMF & Fairmont parts, service, installation

Crew Cab Boom Truck

ax: 315-455-6008 • Syracuse, NY • Please visit our website www.franktartaglia.com

ilson

ub.com

Products and services

P. O. Box 162 • Arcola, IL 61910

M & W Equipment for Sale/Rent

(1) Jackson 6700 Complete Re-build, John Deere power . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE 2001 Mark IV Tamper, 2004 System V, V4.10, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! 1999 Mark IV Tamper, 2003 System V, V4.10, Surface fit, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . CALL! 1997 Mark IV Tamper, 2003 System V, V4.10, Surface fit, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . CALL! 1995 Mark IV Tamper, 2007 System V, V4.10, Surface fit, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . CALL! (4) 1993 Mark IV Tampers, System V, 4.10, Smart I/O, Surface fit, Laser . . . . . . . . CALL! Remanufactured Mark III ECTR-130G Tamper, four wheel drive, combo clamp . . . . . CALL! (5) 1996 - 1983 Mark III, ECTR-130G Tampers, combo clamp, 4 wheel drive, AC . . . CALL! (2) STM Switch Tampers, no jacks. Enclosed cabs. Nice machines! . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (16) Fairmont Tamper Mark I, II, ES, ES-TDAG, EA, EAS, JRM Tampers available! . . . . CALL! (5) Harsco TR-10/TR-1’s Tie Remover/Inserters, 1998,1996,1991 Models & Older . . CALL! (2) Kershaw / RTW Tie Cranes & Bridge Cranes. Enclosed cabs, GM 3-53 engines . . CALL! (3) Kershaw Model 35-13 Tie Plate Sweepers, diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (3) Nordco Auto-lifts (one new 2008 unit!) Hatz diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE! Racine Dual Anchor Spreaders and Dual Anchor Adjusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE! (3) Teleweld Rail Heaters w/vibrators, self propelled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (1) Speed Swing 441-D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (1) Nordco model “C” Spike driver with PLC upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! Call Rob Wiskerchen at 715-897-2619 (2) Nordco model “C” Spike drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! Tollabove Free:equipment 888-405-0110 (All of the is located in Illinois) JERrob@wisktrucks.com OVERHAUL INC. / NEWMAN MACHINERY e-mail: • www.wisktrucks.com Equipment Website: www.newmanmachinery.com EMAIL: Eric Headrick, eheadrick@jeroverhaul.com JER Website: www.jeroverhaul.com SALES & RENTAL Tel# (217) 259-4823 PARTS & SERVICE: Tel# (217) 268-4823 • Fax# (217) 268-4813

REESE WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

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

K. W. Reese, Inc.

Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236

(717) 328-5211 •

fax

(717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com

2013, 2014 NRC SAFETY AWARD GOLD MEDAL WINNER

NEW & USED

Grapple Trucks, Roto Dumps,

Mechanics Trucks and Pickups.

WE ALSO RENT!

Phone: (330) 479-2004 Fax: (330) 479-2006 4313 Southway Street, S.W. Canton, Ohio 44706 Web Site: www.sperlingrailway.com E-mail: info@sperlingrailway.com

QUADRILL® Rail Scrap Retriever OTM Retriever Tie Plugger Carriers Plate Picker Personnel Carriers Powered Cart Tie Marking Machine Bulk Material Loader Heavy Duty Material Carts Wheel & Axle Assemblies Hitch Pins/Tow Bars Railroad Signs Crossbucks/Switch Targets

Railway Track & Structures

April 2011 49

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!”

48 Railway Track & Structures

Get the inside scoop on and off the track

September 2015

RAIL BRIEF: The Weekly RT&S Email Newsletter SUBSCRIBE AT: www.rtands.com/RailBrief

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