RT&S November 2014

november 2014 | www.rtands.com

CN’s effort to enhance

Kirk yard PLUS CSX’s new track geometry car Switch stands, switch machines and also AREMA News p. 32

Contents

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

November 2014

News

5

Features

18

Industry Today 5 Supplier News 9 People

Switch stands and switch machines Top requests for switch stands and switch machines include safety, ease of use and ease of maintenance.

Columns

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24

CSX’s Track Geometry Vehicle 3 Understanding track health allows railroads to make immediate fixes to those areas that need it and assesses longer-term maintenance planning.

28

CN’s efforts to expand Kirk Yard CN is enhancing its largest U.S. classification yard with a multi-year effort to improve productivity and create capacity.

2

On Track Mergers, theories and the Chicago connection

11

NRC Chairman’s Column The rail renaissance and career opportunities

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Departments 14 TTCI R&D 32 Arema News 39 Calendar 40 Products 41 Advertisers Index 41 Sales Representatives 42 Classified Advertising 43 Professional Directory

Canadian National

Work at CN’s Kirk Yard has improved interchange with other rail carriers.

Photo courtesy of Canadian National.

Story on page 28.

24

28

Railway Track & Structures

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On Track

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Mergers, theories and the Chicago connection

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or those in the industry who took vacation during the entire month of October, completely unplugged from the grid or decided to try domestication below a hard surface, you missed an interesting news cycle The Wall Street Jour nal kicked off with a single article about a proposal to merge Canadian Pacific and CSX. The following days were filled with stories, earnings calls, blogs and other reports detailing why a CP-CSX merger would/wouldn’t work, as well as hashing out other speculative Class 1 pairings.

The proper focus was given to the operation side of the proposal, which would result in a mega Class 1, but what about the maintenance repercussions? If there were to be a CPCSX merger, reports put total track miles at 35,000 and revenues at $18 billion. Using a wide spread of 15-20 percent of revenues to estimate a possible annual capital expenditure of the entirely hypothetical railroad, that figure would be between $2.7 and $3.6 billion. In the same neighborhood as the $3.9 billion Union Pacific is expected to spend on its capex program across its 32,000-mile network this year, but not near the behemoth $5-billion plan BNSF laid out for its 32,500-mile network.

Further, CP’s E. Hunter Harrison, brought up one point in the freight network: Chicago. Specifically, avoiding it by rerouting traffic away from Chicago and through Albany and Buffalo, N.Y. We’re all familiar with the Theory of Constraints that says a system can only move as fast as it’s slowest point, which helps to target bottlenecks in a given network. Chicago has long been recognized as THE freight bottleneck in North America, but there is a solution cooking in the form of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program. The CREATE partners, which include the federal government, 2 Railway Track & Structures

state of Illinois, city of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak and six of the seven North American Class 1 railroads (including CP and CSX), are working hard to fix Chicago for rail traffic, but they also recognize this is a long-term commitment with no quick fix.

While funding hurdles hound the program, in the little more than a decade since CREATE’s inception, there has been a 30 percent decline in crosstown transit times in Chicago, yet it’s still a point that Harrison called “fragile at best.”

In the debate to fix Chicago versus avoid it; we know where Harrison stands. He was at the helm of Canadian National during its acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (EJ&E). The integration of the EJ&E into CN’s network and the enhancements made at Kirk Yard (story on page 28), have helped CN dodge the Chicago quagmire. Now, Harrison would like to see a similar course of action with CP. While news of the proposed merger got all of us talking, the chances of it, or any Class 1 mega merger, coming to fruition are small. Various Class 1 heads point to regulatory hurdles, as well as past merger messes as to why.

Harrison said, ultimately, the deal just didn’t have momentum.

As polarizing a figure as Harrison can be perceived, he has held the top spot at two Class 1 railroads, positions that are not offered to folks who hold mediocre ideas or who allow ego to drive merger banter.

The line separating an agitator and an innovator can be hair thin. While I will refrain from acting as discerner as to which label you apply to Harrison, I will say one thing: The man knows how to keep things interesting.

November 2014

Vol. 110, No. 11 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 Supplier News

AECOM completed its acquisition of URS Corporation.

Axion International Holdings, Inc., received an order for 1,000 of its ECOTRAX® rail ties to be shipped to Russia for its transit system; the company also received a purchase order from a major West Coast-based transit line for approximately $377,000 in switch ECOTRAX ties for 26 turnouts.

Sound Transit has awarded HDR its construction management services contract for East Link’s light rail Bellevue Segment.

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Stakeholders marked the opening of the $142-million Englewood Flyover, a railroad bridge that eliminated a significant source of train delays on the south side of Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 23.

The flyover bridge replaced a crossing between the Metra Rock Island tracks and a set of Norfolk Southern tracks at 63rd and State St. With the completion of this project, 78 weekday Rock Island Line trains are now carried over the busy freight tracks used by approximately 60 freight and From left to right: Erica Borggren, acting Secretary of TransAmtrak trains, eliminating conflicts portation, state of Illinois; Don DeGraff, South Holland Mayor between trains that result in service and Metra Board of Directors; Rep. Bobby Rush; Rep. Dan delays. There is also room for an Lipinski; Martin J. Oberman, chairman, Metra Board of Direcadditional track to be built on the tors; Donald Orseno, Metra executive director/CEO; State bridge and two additional tracks Senator Martin Sandoval and State Senator Mattie Hunter. below to meet future train traffic needs.

The flyover was the first project planned under the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program, a partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation, the state of Illinois, city of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak and the nation’s freight railroads working to reduce railroad bottlenecks in the Chicago area. Its completion is a major accomplishment for CREATE and lays the groundwork for two more CREATE projects. The planned 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, which published a combined Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision in October, will divert trains on Metra’s Southwest Service to the Rock Island District at a point south of Englewood. The planned Grand Crossing Project will divert six daily Amtrak trains to Norfolk Southern tracks east of Englewood. With the flyover in service, the 75th Street and Grand Crossing projects can move forward without creating further bottlenecks at the busy Englewood interlocker.

The flyover was funded with $126 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act High-Speed Rail funds, $4.9 million in other federal money, $8.2 million from the state of Illinois and $3 million from the railroad industry, including Metra.

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Metra

Bay Area Rapid Transit has selected the Acumen Parsons Joint Venture to provide general engineering services over the next five years.

CREATE’s Englewood Flyover opens for business

INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Hensel Phelps Construction Co. has been awarded the contract to design and build the rail yard and maintenance facility for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

London Trackwork Inc. has been awarded a several million dollar supply contract for special trackwork for the Confederation Line in Ottawa, ON, Canada; it will take one-and-a-half years to complete.

Ferromex railroad has chosen RailComm to provide yard auto-

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CSX opens the Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center The Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center (ILC) in Winter Haven, Fla., which began operation earlier this year and provides a centralized hub for transportation, logistics and distribution serving Orlando, Tampa and other regional Florida markets, got its official grand opening ceremony last month with CSX, federal, state and local officials.

The 318-acre intermodal terminal has capacity to process up to 300,000 containers a year and is designed for scalable expansion as freight volumes continue to grow. The terminal incorporates advanced environmentally-friendly technology including three high-powered electric cranes, solar panels and high mast exterior lighting to maximize energy efficiency.

“The Central Florida ILC is the result of strategic collaboration between the city of Winter Haven, numerous state and local partners and CSX to create jobs and further strengthen Florida’s transportation system,” said Michael Ward, chairman, resident and

November 2014

chief executive officer at CSX. “CSX is proud to invest in this important development in our home state that will help to drive Florida’s economy and position the state for continued growth in the future.”

“The Central Florida ILC is a game changer for Winter Haven not only because of the opening of the state-of-the-art terminal, but because of the economic development potential this project represents,” said Winter Haven Mayor Nathaniel Birdsong. “Winter Haven is now a partner in the freight distribution industry and is in the position to serve as an inland port for the global entry of goods and merchandise in Florida. We are proud to be the home of such an extensive project, which sets the stage for tremendous growth in the Polk County region.”

The terminal is surrounded by 930 acres that are being developed in phases to build up to 7.9 million square feet of warehouse distribution centers and light industrial facilities.

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INDUSTRY TODAY Construction on LACMTA’s Regional Connector kicks off Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) officially began construction in late September on the $1.420-billion Regional Connector Light Rail Project in downtown Los Angeles.

The project, scheduled to be completed in 2020, is expected to attract nearly 17,000 new daily riders and provide access to more than 88,000 passengers, saving commuters up to 20 minutes off their daily commutes. It will provide a one-seat, one fare ride for commuters from Azusa to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica without the need to transfer between rail lines for major east/west and north/south trips.

The Regional Connector Project completes a 1.9-mile segment between the Metro Blue and Expo Lines and the Metro Gold Line by providing a direct connection with three new stations planned for 1st Street/Central Avenue, 2nd Street/Broadway and 2nd Place/Hope Street in downtown Los Angeles.

In April, the LACMTA Board of Direc-

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tors approved a $927.2-million contract to Regional Connector Constructors, a joint venture between Skanska USA Civil West California District, Inc., and Traylor Brothers Inc. to design and build the Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project.

In awarding the contract, it was noted that Skanska/Traylor had the overall highest ranking including the highest technical score and the highest evaluated score for pricing, based on the criteria in the request for proposals.

In recommending the award of the contract, staff noted that Skanska/Traylor indicated that they plan to finish construction 115 days early and will absorb the cost of any delays caused by LACMTA or subcontractors.

The project will be funded by the voterapproved Measure R half-cent sales tax ordinance for LA County transportation improvements, as well as a $670-million Full Funding Grant Agreement with the federal government and a $160-million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan.

Supplier News mation to 80-plus newly-installed switch machines, which will be controlled via the RailComm Domain Operations Controller in Torreon City, Mexico.

Rock Hill Capital Group has completed a majority recapitalization of Rail Service & Logistics, LLC, a railroad services provider involved in the removal and disposal of wood crossties and also acquired the assets of Rail Tie Solutions from Savage Transportation Management

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Inc., an affiliate of Savage Companies.

Siemens has been awarded a contract worth approximately US$32 million by the state government of Nuevo León (Secretaría de Obras Públicas del Estado de Nuevo León) to equip Metro Line 3 in Monterrey, Mexico, with telecommunications, signaling and operations control systems.

SYSTRA has launched its RAILSIM X® Software Suite analytical software for rail systems modeling and simulations.

8 Railway Track & Structures

Federal Railroad Administration green lights Caltrain’s PTC plan The Federal Railroad Administration has given Caltrain the green light to proceed with the installation and testing of its Positive Train Control (PTC) technology. Caltrain will utilize an Interoperable Incremental Train Control System, which it says meets the needs of a commuter rail corridor that shares tracks with freight and intercity traffic, to provide safety and operational benefits for trains in the Caltrain corridor.

Caltrain said the new technology will allow it to enhance safety at grade crossings, improve schedule reliability, operate trains closer together so more trains can serve the corridor, improve flexibility and enhance safety during construction work alongside the tracks.

“We set a goal of creating a train control solution that would not only provide substantially greater safety improvements, but would improve the efficiency and performance of the Caltrain corridor,” said Chuck Harvey, deputy chief executive officer, Engineering, Construction and Operations for Caltrain. “But as a corridor that is also used by freight and other rail service providers, we needed a system that

November 2014

would work with others that are likely to be in use on this corridor one day. We’re thrilled to be leading the way with this new technology, which we hope will prove useful for other rail corridors throughout the country facing similar operating environments.”

This approval is considered an important step toward meeting the federal implementation deadline. Caltrain began installation work along the rail corridor last year and will begin installing and testing the software and wayside technology that will interact with onboard software as its next step once installation of the fiber optics is complete. System testing is expected to be completed by October 2015.

The advanced signal system, which includes PTC technology, is part of Caltrain’s Modernization Program. The program includes electrifying the Caltrain system and purchasing new electric multiple units to provide more frequent service and/or reduce travel times for more riders at more stations. The program will also decrease noise and pollution in the corridor by more than 80 percent.

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INDUSTRY TODAY PEOPLE Auto Truck Group hired Joe Foster as Midwest national sales manager and Jesse Hopperstad as national sales manager for the Western region; Bill Carey was promoted to national strategic account manager.

California High-Speed Rail Authority appointed Melissa DuMond to director of planning and integration.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit board of directors re-elected Robert Strauss as their chair for the coming year; Plano and Farmers Branch representative Faye Moses Wilkins was re-elected vice chair; also re-elected were Richard Carrizales as secretary and Gary Slagel as assistant secretary.

HDR hired Norma De La Garza-Navarro as the firm’s Central Texas transit lead.

Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. hired Tim Gerbus as director of sales.

Kansas City Southern appointed Lora Cheatum to senior vice president human resources.

UP Texas yard progresses Union Pacific will move forward with plans for a new classification rail yard in Robertson County, Texas. Seven different UP rail lines converge in Southern Robertson County, connecting the markets of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, the Gulf Coast and the rest of East Texas. “ T h i s r a i l f a c i l i t y w i ll c o n n e ct t h e l a r g est and fastest growing Texas markets to the state’s existing freight transportation infrastructure,” said Brenda Mainwaring, Union Pacific vice president - public affair s. “The development of this project will create more than 1,400 construction jobs over a two-year period. We estimate 200 permanent jobs will be needed to operate the site once it is completed. At full operation, this yard is also expected to contribute an additional 184 indirect regional jobs.”

T h e r a i l r o a d s a i d Te x a s i s e x p e r i e n c i n g exponential population growth, resulting in increased demand for building materials and consumer goods.

Marsh hired Kevin Myles as vice president in its Global Rail Practice.

New Jersey Transit appointed Gardner Tabon as the chief of the recently-established Office of System Safety.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority named David Mayer its new chief safety officer.

Parsons Brinckerhoff named Randy Hubler manager of contract performance and Periklis Papadopoulos supervising communications systems engineer in the company’s New York office.

Rocla Concrete Tie Inc. named Eliseo Bandala executive vice president, Zach Hansen national sales representative and Dana Head project manager.

Sam Schwartz Engineering hired Ken Sides, PE, as a project manager and senior transportation engineer in the Civil Design group of its Tampa, Fla., office.

STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates hired Dave Wyatt as a special projects senior manager in the Rail Division.

Obituary

William J. Ronan, generally acknowledged as the architect of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and who served as its first chairman, died on October 15, 2014, at his home in West Palm Beach, Fla. www.rtands.com

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October 2014

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN The rail renaissance and career opportunities

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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The rail industr y continues to grow and expand. Billions and billions of dollars are being spent annually to make needed repairs and upgrades to existing rail infrastructure, as well as building new rail lines to serve new business opportunities. New rail lines and storage yards are being constructed wherever shale oil can be extracted and that’s a lot of places: the Bakken in North Dakota and Montana, Niobarra in Wyoming, Barnett and Eagle Ford in Texas, Utica and Marcellus in Pennsylvania and New York. Extracting “tight oil” from these shale formations has become the new Gold Rush. Refineries are building new storage yards along the coasts to accommodate the increased shipments of crude by rail and transload facilities are under construction in the Midwest to support the new business.

Intermodal facilities also continue to grow and expand on the outskirts of most major cities.

The need for employees associated with this new business is in addition to the overall expected needs of the rail industry in general.

The industry is starting to see large numbers of talented, experienced railroaders coming up on their retirement age. Filling openings with new bodies is only part of the hiring concern. It is also about replacing the abilities and skill sets that these experienced people will be taking with them when they leave the rail industry. The rail industry must accelerate our efforts to groom the next generation of employees that will be needed to fill the vacancies created by retirement and handle the potential growth and expansion of rail.

So, there is a critical need to hire the young engineers and business managers that will lead the next generation. The freight railroads are already conducting the industry’s largest hiring spree in decades. The numbers of needed employees for the railroads is big and continues to grow. Great career opportunities are available in our industry – spread the word.

To encourage these badly-needed rising stars of the next generation, the NRC is proud to offer a merit-based scholarship program for tuition assistance to children or grandchildren of employees of NRC member companies. This program offers scholarships to three students, with the first place winner receiving $8,000, second place $4,000 and third place $2,000.

The scholarships were established in memoriam of Vinnie Vaccarello (former NRC board member, co-president of All Railroad Services Corp.) and Patsy Crisafi (former NRC Safety Committee member, executive vice president of Roadway Worker Training, Inc.), both industry leaders that lost their lives traveling

together in a small plane crash in October 2012.

In addition to providing transcripts and personal narratives describing their stories and accomplishments (engineering tutors, national honors society members, tennis team captains, vice presidents of student body government, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, even a Salvation Army bell ringer), applicants were asked to write a 500word essay addressing a specific example of a contractor engaged in a collaborative partnership and describe the extraordinary results that were recognized. The essays we received were well thought out and well written, with applicants covering everything from the Charlotte Lynx light rail and Charlotte Streetcar projects to the massive Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program.

This year’s list of applications included 28 smart and talented students, sponsored by 25 different NRC member companies. The NRC Scholarship Committee (thanks to Steve Bolte of Harsco, Joe Daloisio of Railroad Construction Company, Scott Goehri of HDR, Daniel Stout of STX Railroad Construction and Mischa WanekLibman of RT&S) that sorted through these applications had some tough decisions to make, but they were able to come to a conclusion and I’m pleased to announced the following winners of the NRC Scholarship awards for 2014: First Place: Weston Craig, attending Miami University of Ohio, son of Scott Craig of KSA. Second Place: Laura Isdahl, attending Gustavus Adolphus College, daughter of Darwin Isdahl of Loram Maintenance of Way. Third Place: Rebecca McDonald, attending Austin College, daughter of Phil McDonald of Koppers.

We congratulate our 2014 winners and wish to encourage all NRC member companies to sponsor at least one applicant next year for this opportunity.

Let’s give our judges even more work to do. We would also like to thank all of this year’s applicants for their participation – our industry needs the talent that these young people have to offer.

If you haven’t yet, it is strongly recommended that you register for the NRC 2015 Conference and NRC/REMSA Exhibition, which will be held Wednesday, January 7, through Saturday, January 10, at the Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla. Rooms are filling up fast. Confirmed speakers include engineering executives from the Class 1s, shortlines and some of the biggest and most active rail transit agencies in the country. For additional information regarding the conference, please visit www.nrcma.org. Have a safe day.

by Bill Dorris, NRC Chairman Railway Track & Structures

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TTCI R&D Phased array ultrasonic rail-flaw inspection TTCI works to find missed rail flaws through the development of a prototype phased array rail inspection vehicle.

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Figure 1: Conventional ultrasonic inspection coverage.

14 Railway Track & Structures

anagement of the rail life-cycle asset is critical to railroad operations. Preventing broken rail derailments, rail service failures and interruptions to the rail networks requires processes to reduce or mitigate the risk driven by heavy-axle-loads.

Conventional ultrasonic inspection has proven effective at finding most rail flaws, but inherent limitations leave some flaws undetected. A new technology referred to as phased array ultrasonic inspection is the next step toward detecting the missed flaws.

Transportation Technology Center, Inc., (TTCI) is engaged in facilitating the development of a prototype phased array rail inspection vehicle that will demonstrate the approach.

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by Matt Witte, scientist

Ultrasonic rail-flaw detection i s a n o n d e s t r u c t i ve e va l u a t i o n technique for finding flaws inside the rail material. It induces ultrasonic sound waves in the rail and senses r e f l e c t i o n s. D e p e n d i n g o n t h e strength and timing of the return signal, microprocessor algorithms can determine if the reflection is from a flaw. The ultrasonic probe is a piezoelectric device that operates both as a sound energy emitter and a sound energy receiver. Its crystal vibrates when a voltage is applied and it generates a voltage when the crystal is vibrated. By sequentially applying voltage signals and sensing return vibrations (voltages), internal defects can be identified.

Several factors limit the capability of conventional ultrasonic detection.

Foremost is the directionality of the inspection beam. Ultrasonic signals are direction specific, which works both for and against the inspection objectives.

The benefit is that measurements can be accurately focused in a given direction. The drawback is that the directions must be selected and controlled; there is no broad coverage from a single crystal probe.

Conventional inspection uses several probes pointed in specific directions to inspect certain areas of the rail cross section. Figure 1 shows a typical probe arrangement for conventional ultrasonic inspection of rail.

The directionality of the inspection beam inherently limits the area of the head that gets inspected. In itself, this limitation is overcome by adding more roller search units (RSU) and more www.rtands.com

Figure 2, top: Illustration of how rail profile can affect direction of the ultrasonic inspection beam.

Figure 3, middle: Illustration of beam focus and beam steering by phasing element pulses.

Figure 4: Phased array probes configured inside the RSU.

probes to the inspection truck. But there is another physical limitation and it is related to the physics of sound wave transfer between different materials. The physics of ultrasonic wave propagation dictate that the ultrasonic beam will change direction or refract whenever it moves from one medium to another. As the ultrasonic wave transitions from the water-filled RSU to the metal of the rail, it refracts. The refraction angle is defined by the physical properties of the water and steel, which do not change and, also, by the geometry of the interface, which changes as the rail wears. As such, the direction of the ultrasonic inspection wave within the material will be different on a worn rail than on a new rail. Figure 2 illustrates this effect. It shows an RSU conforming to different rail profiles and simulates refraction angles as a result of the rail contour.

Phased array is ultrasonic inspection with the added ability to steer and focus the inspection beam. This is accomplished by placing rows of inspection crystals (an array) on the tip of the probe and electronically firing them in sequence (phasing). The result is to control the direction of the wave front that comprises the inspection beam. Figure 3 shows examples of how applied time delays can focus or steer the inspection beam.

The phasing is determined by a set of numbers called the focal law. The focal law serves to direct the beam in the intended direction. Instruments for controlling phased array probes are commercially available. These highspeed instruments both trigger and receive data from the probes. When coupled with appropriate computer www.rtands.com

equipment, the result is to steer the beam to the intended target every time.

The prototype vehicle being tested

by TTCI is based on a conventional rail inspection platform. The vehicle and carriage are carryover. The probe configuration is optimized for complete inspection of the head and web at 20 mph. The probes consist of three

125-element matrix probes and one 54-element linear array probe. Figure 4 shows the probe configuration. This configuration provides 429 crystal elements for inspecting the rail on a single pass.

The RSU for holding the probes fits in the place of a conventional RSU on the vehicle carriage. Figure 5 shows the

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TTCI R&D Figure 5, left: Prototype RSU containing phased array probes in inspection position.

Figure 6: MPA=matrix phased array, LPA=linear phased array, TD=transverse defect. Weld flaw detected with phased array.

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phased array RSU in inspection position.

TTCI is testing the prototype at its Rail Defect Test Facility (RDTF). The RDTF has known rail flaws of all types and sizes. On early trials, the phased array system is performing as expected. Figure 6 shows an example of the indication for a transverse flaw in a weld.

TTCI expects to demonstrate the system at speed in early 2015.

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Staying on the

right track A voestalpine Nortrak Inc. HY-100 Automater trailable yard switch machine.

While technology advances design, reliability and safety are also important factors suppliers are offering the railroads.

by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor

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anufacturers and suppliers of switch stands and switch machines continue to develop equipment that is easier to use and easier to maintain.

Alstom

“Alstom’s Rail Mounted Switch Circuit Controller (Model 7R) allows for the fastest industr y mounting and ‘true’ point detection due to its rail clamping method,” said Randy Brundridge, director - North American product sales at Alstom. “It’s tough design allows it to withstand the highest levels of vibration, without contact chatter. Unlike the larger conventional switch controller s, Alstom’s 7R offers customers a unique advantage. The unit’s compact and sleek design enables easy mounting between standard tie spacing for simple installation and also provides a 18 Railway Track & Structures

convenient solution to temporary point detection during construction and expansion projects.”

The GM4000A has been upgraded with new point-detection-contacts designed for contact dependability in harsh environments. Additionally, the GM4000A has been revamped with a new electronic controller, which is said to have a higher resistance to vibration. A new controller power coupler has also been introduced to help reduce water ingress during flood conditions. Brundridge says the machine’s modular component concept allows faster resolution to damage and other field maintenance issues without removal from infrastructure.

The Model 6 yard machine is now available with an optional twowire mode controller, which facilitates operation in yards where only twowire power cables exist. This feature

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saves the retrofit cost of expensive field copper cabling and allows users to upgrade their existing products.

“The signaling market overall has received steady growth in the current economy however this past year several customers have identified an impact to maintenance budgets as a direct result of Positive Train Control (PTC),” stated Brundridge. “With deadlines rapidly moving closer, the emphasis on implementation continues to be a primary focus for our customers.

Alstom is making efforts to align our capabilities to meet the needs of our customers. Material availability will be an area of significant focus for Alstom in 2015.”

Ansaldo STS

Ansaldo STS is introducing a new motor on its Style M switch m a c h i n e s. T h e u p g r a d e d m o t o r www.rtands.com

switch stands/machines

features increased horsepower output and higher torque, which helps meet the demand of the industry as it uses higher grade, heavier rail, says the company.

Ansaldo STS Style M switch machines now feature a cycle counter that allows the end user to maintain the machine on a basis of operation instead of over a period of time. An isolation module is now available for its Electronic Circuit Controller (ECC) machines, which allows the end user to chain multiple machines together for one indication line instead of multiple lines.

The company’s Electronic Biased Neutral Controller (EBNC) provides Style M switch machines with new capabilities. With the EBNC, switch machines can be operated with a MicroLok® II or any other wayside processor, which Ansaldo STS says can eliminate the need for external vital electromechanical relays and reduces operating cost. The EBNC also extends the switch machine’s performance capabilities through direct overload protection based on time and current, which removes the need for external overload protection. The EBNC uses a bipolar input to control the switch movement, meaning that there are only two leads going out to the switch machine instead of the typical three or five wire control wiring.

“Ansaldo STS continues to see steady growth in the switch machine market due to the reliability and low total cost of ownership of the M23 and M3 switch machine families,” explained Russell Glorioso, head of external communications, Americas. “With more than 7.3 billion hours of successful, safe operation, Style M switch machines are a clear choice for customers looking for safety and reliability. Since freight railroads are investing to insure they reach critical milestones with PTC implementation and transit agencies are under increasing cost pressure, Ansaldo STS has seen that the proven reliability of the Style M switch machines has become a key driver in the

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eyes of customers.”

With the integration of PTC, there is an opportunity to record more information and detect possible failures before they happen, Glorioso says. Overall, it maximizes safety, allows for a reduction in failures and has the potential to increase efficiency.

“To maximize these benefits, Ansaldo STS is designing its next generation ECC for Style M switch machines,” noted Glorioso. “The next generation ECC will maintain all the attributes of the current ECC, including eliminating component wear in the controller, providing LED diagnostics, manual or automatic latch-out and more, but will also be more ruggedized and feature enhancements that allow it to align with PTC activities. It will internally store the intelligence data that is inherent to PTC activities.”

Ansaldo STS offers a full service refurbishment program to keep machines running optimally, allowing customers to maintain their current products at a much lower price than replacing a machine. Customers can also sell back any old Style M switch machine cores that are in their possession for a refurbished machine.

“Customer service is of paramount importance when it comes to the Ansaldo STS switch machine refurbishment program,” explained Glorioso.

National Trackwork

National Trackwork supplies several models of manual and automatic switch stands. A new edition to the company’s product line is its FLOOD-GUARD stands. The company says these switch stands are elevated 12 inches above the base plate and are desirable for areas prone to flooding.

All National Trackwork models (1004ARS, 1008ARS, 1003ARS, 1002RG) can be made as FLOOD-GUARD switch stands. A patent has been applied for.

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November 2014 19

switch stands/machines

Siemens Rail

Siemens Rail offer s an ar ray of mainline and yard switch machines for the global marketplace and continues to invest in the research and development of switch point m o n i t o r i n g s y s t e m s t o p r ov i d e customers with predictive maintenance infor mation to minimize and/or eliminate switch turnout downtime.

Despite fluctuations in the global e c o n o my, S i e m e n s R a i l s ay s i t continues to experience year-over-year growth in its transportation markets.

“Siemens provides a number of PTC solutions by upgrading existing product offerings and developing new products to meet our customer’s needs” said Lenny Wydotis, product line manager electromechanical. “We will continue to deliver on current projects and look for new opportunities in the market.”

There has been a significant reduction in the purchase of new mainline switch machines over the past 10 years due to the large number of third-party manufacturers that offer refurbished machines at a reduced price, notes Wydotis.

“This trend has had a significant impact on the OEM manufacturers,” he said. “Because of the reduced volume, the costs to manufacture new machines continue to rise.”

r e q u i r e m e n t s. F r e i g h t r a i lway s , meanwhile, have increased their orders for our Racor manual switch stands. The Racor Automater HT, our power switch machine for yards, has taken off in its second full year since introduction.”

As PTC continues to draw upon railroad technical resources to finish

the implementation and then to maintain it reliably, voestalpine Nortrak Inc. has seen greater demand for products that make it easier to maintain the safety-critical equipment that underlie the system. Ouelette says the PHOENIX MDS (Modular Diagnostic System) fits this philosophy

voestalpine Nortrak Inc.

This year, the voestalpine Nortrak Inc. signaling division introduced the Unistar HR to North American customers.

The Unistar HR incor porates a modular design, allowing for a variety of mounting options. It suppor ts mechanized surfacing, reduced clearances (for example, in tunnels) and multiple drive points controlled through a single interface to the signal system. In this way, the Unistar HR can control a set of switch points with one or multiple throw positions, including an associated moveable point frog.

“The economy has boosted our business,” noted Ken Ouelette, vice president marketing. “On the transit side, our embedded CSV-24 power switch machine and CSV-34 manual drive have benefitted from a healthy increase in transit projects that must comply with Buy America funding www.rtands.com

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November 2014 21

switch stands/machines

Top, Alstom’s GM4000A has been upgraded with new

point-detection-contacts.

Middle, National Trackwork’s Flood Gaurd Switch Stand.

Vossloh’s VSM-24 switch machine installed.

SCM works across all brands and types of switch machine.

“We have seen yard and terminal expansions to handle increased volumes (such as crude-by-rail), which has in turn created demand for our Racor Automater HT yard switch machine,” explained Ouelette. “The Automater HT combines the fully trailable Racor 22 stand with a solar or AC-powered electro-hydraulic drive. In this case, HT stands for Hand Throw, because the manual fallback hydraulic hand pump on the standard Automater has been replaced with a robust mechanical hand throw lever. This means that if problems develop with communications or power systems, or even if the hydraulic actuator, hoses and motor are completely removed from the machine, the Automater HT can still be operated in manual mode in the same way as a traditional main line switch machine. Setting the selector lever from POWER mode to HAND mode mechanically disengages the power drive from the switch points and allows the operator to gain control of the points through movement of the hand throw lever. With the Automater HT, if anything happens to affect the power drive, there is no need for yard crews to refer to special fallback instructions and maintenance forces don’t need to be called out on overtime for repairs.”

Vossloh Signaling

with its SCM (Switch Condition Monitoring) and TCM (Track Circuit Monitoring) modules. SCM monitors every throw of a switch machine and generates alerts or alarms as plant conditions deteriorate over time. This allows railroads to predict and prevent failures before they cause train delays.

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November 2014

“Vossloh Signaling is constantly listening and working with key customers to understand their objectives and enhance their solutions,” said Anthony Musa, vice president, sales and marketing for Vossloh Signaling. “Continuous improvement is in our DNA. We’ve focused on yard automation and can now offer a comprehensive turnkey solution. This was achieved through working with our customers to enhance both our direct drive TS-4500LP Hydraulic Switch Machine and RailMaster Yard Control System.

Vossloh continues to grow its key areas of business in both yard automation and as a supplier of new mainline switch machines, such as the VSM-24 (an M-23 replacement) and switch layout kits. The company is expanding its re-manufacturing segment; orders of the TS-4500 direct drive hydraulic switch machine have also increased.

“We’re in the switch machine business and sales of both our mainline switch machine (VSM-24) and yard switch machine (TS-4500) have seen a nice uptick,” explained Musa. “The efficiencies gained from Vossloh Signaling yard automation systems are recognized instantly. With the instant gratification and efficiencies gained form a commissioned yard system, others tend to follow and want to implement systems in their yards. One terminal superintendent stated that they gained an hour per shift in improved efficiency. That’s three hours per day, 21 hours per week, etc. The beauty is in the numbers.” www.rtands.com

Multi-tasking

track inspection CSX

CSX’s newest track geometry car fleet pushes the envelope of what the railroad can inspect in a single test pass. by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

S

ince the inception of track geometry cars, the focus has been on enhancing safety. Modern track geometry vehicles continue that focus, but as railroads and suppliers develop and advance technology, more data is being gathered and disseminated to give a clearer picture of overall track health.

Most track elements can be seen dozens, hundreds or even thousands of times while traversing any given railroad subdivision. Track geometry vehicles are different in that they are developed and built much less frequently. “[Track geometry cars] are unique,” said Leo Kreisel, director track testing at CSX, “You build one and then in five or six years, another railroad will build the next one.”

For CSX, developing the Track Geometry Car 3 (TGC3) was a multiyear, multi-million dollar project.

TGC3 has been in operation since April 2014 and Kreisel says he is happy 24 Railway Track & Structures

with the results.

“We can cover more miles in a day, all other things being equal and we can test faster. The TGC3 consist has a passenger locomotive, which helps in those track areas where tests speeds can occur at a higher speed, which is a help to my transportation partners, who are concerned about running slow speed test cars; we can get out ahead of them, do what we need to do and be gone,” said Kreisel.

He continued, “I like the idea that we try to incorporate a lot of technologies onto one platform because that maximizes your oppor tunity to do more with less track time. We understand that track time is limited, capacity is limited, networks are constrained and we want to do as much as we can with as many single platforms as we can. The more things we can do on the same platform is the way to go, even if it’s a multi-car consist, you can test and get all those things resolved in a single pass.”

November 2014

TGC3 capabilities

TGC3 is a rebuilt 1961 Budd car converted from passenger service to track geometry service with modifications and improvements performed mostly by Gateway Rail Services. Plasser American Corp. developed the car’s instrumentation and measuring systems.

TGC3, in the words of Kreisel, has more bells and whistles than any existing track geometry vehicle in operation in North America. The car is capable of measuring track geometry, rail profile, optical gauge and clearance, takes right-of-way and track component video, performs thermal imaging and also includes a hot bearing simulator and corrugation analyzer. In addition, TGC3 is outfitted with a conferencing area, theatre viewing gallery, network computers and subsystems, Wi-Fi and a kitchenette. CSX uses the TGC3 to test at up to 79 mph, but the car’s measuring systems and locomotive are rated to operate at up to 110 mph. www.rtands.com

CSX Track Geometry Car 3 On a demonstration run of the TGC3 for AREMA Committee 2 – Track Measuring Systems, Bernhard Metzger, manager track recording research at Plasser American Corp., described the individual systems housed on the TGC3.

“The inertial navigational unit and non-contact track geometry measuring system gives [CSX] multiple representations of the track geometry parameters at once. All FRA required parameters, as well as additional chord and space curve representations of the track are measured simultaneously. The system also measures the track gradient.” said Metzger.

He explained that TGC3 does not need any compensation for the vertical parameters (Longitudinal Profile, Superelevation, Gradient, Twist) measurements due to the instrumentation being mounted on a measuring frame, “We only need compensation for horizontal (alignment) measurements, which are performed by means of the Optical Gage Measuring System.

Another feature of the system is that it has no minimum speed requirement.

“In addition to the track geometry measuring system, there is a rail profile measuring system, that can measure the full rail profile, once a foot and can measure all the rail wear parameters, such as height and width wear, as well as calculate the remaining height and remaining width, but [Plasser’s] system also identifies the rail type in realtime,” said Metzger.

TGC3 is further equipped with a corrugation measuring system and a track component video system, which utilizes a line scan camera to generate crisp images of the track bed, the ties, rail surface and fasteners.

“The car also has a rear view video system, a clearance measuring system with a 360-degree laser scan and a thermal imaging system and that gives the railroad temperature images.

[There are] heat pads to simulate a hot axle box and accelerometers to measure the vertical and horizontal axle box, as well as vertical and lateral car body accelerations,” said Metzger.

He notes that the track geometry measuring system, the rail profile measuring system and even the video systems are standard systems for Plasser to include on a track geometry www.rtands.com

Looking out from the viewing gallery on the TGC3 in Jacksonville, Fla.

car, but what Metzger really appreciates about the TGC3 is the fact that all measuring and video data is stored synchronously, thus allowing synchronous data review and analysis in an offboard environment.

“If you look at measurements and video images recorded at the same track location side-by-side, you get a comprehensive overview, especially in the areas where track exceptions or clearance infringements were detected (in areas with wide gauge, you may, for example, see loose or missing fasteners in the track component video images),” said Metzger. “GPS is an inherent part of the inertial navigational system and it allows inserting events, such as switches and mileposts into the geometry data automatically in real-time from a Facility Database, so CSX is always in the right location, so everything is synchronized and at the same time, relieving the operator from manually inserting mile post and track events. This is a multi-functional car that allows the railroad to measure and inspect a lot more parameters in one run than ever before.”

Dealing with data

While the TGC3’s single platform, multi-function can do wonders for efficiency, it also produces a tremendous amount of information about the railroad. The goal of TGC3 and its crew is to test in excess of 200 miles of track per day, which produces 80 to 100 gigabytes of data. At an average of 20 test days per month, the TGC3 is producing

1.6-2 terabytes of data every month.

CSX is able to analyze in real time all the data it needs and then transfers the rest to storage for future use.

“We still do the traditional method, in terms of on a daily basis, extracting the exceptions, providing those exceptions to the local forces to take care of and we have a lot more robust information to feed the back office in terms of long-term planning and what that means to capital planning,” said Kreisel.

“We’ve reached the stage where we can keep that data. In some of the older systems, you pulled what you needed and got rid of what you didn’t; now, we can keep a lot more. We’re trying to store a lot of that big data and we’re running through some programs and deciding how we’re going to decipher all that information. I think there are still some synergies there that we haven’t closed in on yet,” he said.

Another area where CSX is exploring data usage is with the thermal imaging information. Kreisel says that while a transit would use the information to identify hot spots along the third rail, it could be useful to CSX by aiding in the discovery of mud spots and other anomalies of that nature.

“We’re still sorting through that, building the algorithms and playing with the data to get what we want out of it,” said Kreisel.

Room for more development

Kreisel says there is a lot of new technology and the envelope is being pushed in terms of what CSX and the

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November 2014 25

CSX Track Geometry Car 3 TGC3 operators are able to analyze pertinent data from various measuring systems in real time.

industry at large can accomplish and gain from track geometry cars.

He notes that collaboration among supply partners, as well as other railroads, is critical to foster and encourage

26 Railway Track & Structures

the overall desire of continuous development in the track measurement field.

“I have found so many ideas, both from suppliers and other railroads. This is where the AREMA committee comes

November 2014

in [Committee 2]. It’s kind of hard to find your counterpart [in a phonebook] and just call them up for a conversation versus serving on a committee together, forming a relationship and saying, ‘hey, what do you guys do with this,’ so there’s a lot more collaboration going on,” said Kreisel. “If you have a question, chances are someone has figured out an answer. For example, when we were trying to figure out what to do with all the data, I had a conversation with Norfolk Southern and was able to find out what worked and what didn’t for them and understand why.”

He continued, “We share each others creative processes; it just makes us all better as a group. Sure, we’re all commercial competitors, but in terms of the engineering science, we’re all cohorts in what we need to do. By pushing the envelope today, you encourage someone else to push the envelope tomorrow and I can learn from that too. We all take something away from each other and that’s how we continue to move forward.”

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CN installed more than 334,000 feet of rail at the newly-expanded Kirk Yard.

Expanding Canadian national’s

Kirk yard

Canadian National makes great strides in completing its colossal

by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor expansion at Kirk Yard.

K

irk Yard in Gary, Ind., is Canadian National’s largest classification yard in the U.S. and the center of CN’s Chicago Terminal operations. The 350-acre yard was acquired as part of the railroad’s purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E) in 2009. CN is currently in the midst of a massive expansion of the yard and relocation of its Chicago-area locomotive repair shop to the upgraded freight car classification facility in Northwest Indiana.

The new Kirk Yard can handle longer and more efficient trains, has improved interchange with other railroads and consolidated CN’s switching operation in the Chicago area at one primary yard. CN notes that Kirk Yard delivers significant gains in productivity and creates new capacity for growth in the Chicago area.

Increasing capacity

The expanded Kirk Yard will handle traffic from across the Chicago Terminal and beyond. Prior to the EJ&E, CN had switching yards at Markham, Glenn, Hawthorne and Schiller Park, Ill. “The acquisition and expansion of Kirk Yard has allowed CN to move most switching and interchange with other carriers to one larger classification yard,” explained Patrick Waldron, manager, public affairs U.S. “The $142-million expansion’s goal was to create that primary classification yard with the extension and addition of receiving and departure tracks, classification tracks, hump capacity and the 28 Railway Track & Structures

November 2014

construction of a new administration/tower building.”

The yard’s reconstruction increases its capability to process cars: up to 3,200 cars per day (from 1,780 in 2011 when the project started), increased the humps capacity to 2,500 cars per day (from 1,100 at the project start) and increases the number of classification track to 53 from 42.

What the expansion will do

By linking CN’s Chicago-area rail lines and bringing switching and interchange to Kirk Yard, CN has increased efficiencies in its Chicago area operations with higher car velocity and throughput. With the Kirk Yard expansion and the EJ&E integrated into the CN network, the operational benefits include: Multiple interchange points around the Chicago Terminal being streamlined into Kirk Yard, car velocity in the terminal increasing and dwell time decreasing and travel times through Chicago being reduced to four to six hours with fewer handoffs and fewer crews.

“The integration of the EJ&E and Kirk Yard means CN trains going through the center of the Chicago terminal and the switching carriers (Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad and Belt Railway Company) have been removed, freeing up needed capacity in Chicago,” said Waldron. “The EJ&E and Kirk Yard improvement is CN’s contribution to the goals of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transpor tation Efficiency (CREATE) project and a contribution to the health of the overall North American www.rtands.com

Expanding cn’s Kirk yard rail network.�

By the end of 2014, CN will have spent more than US$145 million on infrastr ucture improvements to the former EJ&E network, such as improved connections, track extensions and signaling. CN is also spending US$142 million for upgrades to improve the capacity and efficiency of the Kirk Yard, plus roughly US$60 million to date on environmental and safety mitigation.

CN will spend nearly US$60 million on the two grade separations in Aurora, Ill., and Lynwood, Ill., that were mandated by the Safety Transportation Board.

Challenges faced

CN says the Kirk Yard project presented multiple challenges beginning with the task of identifying, relocating, eliminating or protecting a host of utilities from the area where new track or structures was installed. The project team worked with those utilities to permit the Kirk Yard trackwork and the

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Three bridges were built in order to increase capacity.

utility work as one project.

The expansion and upgrades of this major classification yard have been done while the yard has been receiving increased amounts of traffic due to

growth in business, the movement of interchange to Kirk Yard and the completion of new capacity. Every improvement was done under traffic, not an easy feat.

Railway Track & Structures

November 2014 29

expanding CN’s Kirk Yard

Left, reconstruction increased capability to process up to 3,200 cars per day, up from 1,780 in 2011.

CN installed more than 118,000 crossties at its expanded yard.

30 Railway Track & Structures

November 2014

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Expanding cn’s Kirk yard CN has completed similar projects before, including the US$100-million, multi-year expansion of CN’s Harrison Yard in Memphis, Tenn., completed in 2009. In that project, a new yard was effectively built on an existing yard while never ceasing rail operations. The $140-million expansion of the 350acre classification yard has also been done without ceasing traffic.

“The Kirk Yard project’s design was developed by modeling the yard and simulating train movements to see what kind of capacity was needed to serve a particular number of cars,” noted Waldron. “That model determined how much new track was needed to be built.”

fuel and ser vice center, plus a runaround track, is currently under constr uction. Additionally, one crossover remains to be built at Kirk Yard Jct. These projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

CN has been working with the Gary-Chicago International Airport (GCIA) on the re-alignment of the mainline tracks into Kirk Yard since

CN acquired the EJ&E. The realigned mainline track that wraps around the extended airport and back into Kirk Yard, adding approximately one mile to the route into Kirk Yard, has been built. CN continues to work with GCIA on completing the necessary agreements to cut over to the new alignment. That cut over is expected to occur by the end of October 2014.

Completed/what’s next

A 25,000-square-foot administration building and tower was completed in August 2011, which is home to CN’s Chicago Division transportation officers and staff, locker room facilities for train crews, training and conference room space and a new yard operations control tower. Additionally, all significant trackwork at Kirk Yard is complete, including new receiving and departure tracks, classification tracks and the Clark Road overpass.

A two track, covered locomotive

Kirk Yard project: by the numbers • Size of site: 575 acres • More than 334,000 feet of rail • More than 118,000 crossties • 325,000 cubic yards of fill moved • 158 turnouts • 110 retarders • Three bridges

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November 2014 31

AREMA NEWS Professional Development If you need additional continuing education credits, plan to attend one of AREMA’s seminars or online seminars.

Message from the President

The extra mile

Building the steel interstate February 3, 2015 Lanham, MD Please visit www.arema.org to register and to find out more information about this seminar or contact Desirée Knight at dknight@arema.org.

Randy Bowman AREMA President 2014-2015

online seminars new paradigm for transportation infrastructure funding November 18, 2014 1p.m.-2p.m. EST introduction to railroad and transit security: a practitioner's look December 9, 2014 1p.m.-2p.m. EST railway electrification: an introduction and overview January 14, 2015 1p.m.-2p.m. EST Please visit www.arema.org to register and to find out more information about these seminars or contact Mandie Ennis at mennis@arema.org.

32 Railway Track & Structures

November 2014

Where did the term “go the extra mile” come from? It refers to acts of service that go beyond what is required or expected. I believe it came from Roman Empire times when a Roman soldier was allowed to conscript a native to carry his pack or equipment for one mile. A Roman mile was 1,000 paces (a pace is two steps), so that could easily be measured. Therefore, people would know what they were required to do. Most would do what was required, but no more. Thank goodness the majority in our industry doesn't share in that mindset.

Most are willing to go the extra mile and even more.

The extra mile I’m referring to in this instance is volunteering to serve in AREMA. We are fortunate to have so many who go that extra mile. No one (that I am aware of) gets paid extra to work on AREMA business. It’s purely volunteer work that is done for the betterment of our industry by individuals that have a passion for what they are doing. It starts simply by joining a technical committee or team and becoming an active member. Then there are those who take that next step and serve as a sub-committee chair. After that, there are those who agree to serve in the committee leadership roles of secretary, vice-chair and chair with the responsibility of managing the administrative functions of the full committee.

As members are recognized for their dedicated service to this association, some are asked to serve in different capacities within AREMA and gladly accept the extra duties and added responsibilities.

Some are asked to serve on the Membership, Nominations, Educational Foundation or Conference Operating Committees.

Others are asked to chair one of these committees. Others are asked to serve as Functional Group directors and vice presidents. Then others are asked to serve in the senior vice president, president and past president roles. These are all important positions that play key roles in the operation and function of AREMA. Without these many members stepping up to go those extra miles, this association would not be as strong as it is today.

There is one specific individual I would like to recognize who has gone more than one or two extra miles for this association. This member has served in most if not all of the roles I mentioned above.

He served as president in 2007-2008 and continues to serve as chair of the Conference Operating Committee, even after his retirement from railroad service. When asked to come out of retirement and take on the role of interim chief executive officer of AREMA, he did not hesitate. He said yes because he was willing to go the extra mile for this association and for the railroad industry. I want to thank you, Larry Etherton, along with your wife Teresa, for going yet another extra mile.

Your willingness to serve has made this transition period seamless.

As we head into the Thanksgiving season, let us all reflect on those who have gone that extra mile for us. We are all blessed in one way or another to know someone (family, friend or co-worker) who is willing to do that for us. For that we can all be thankful.

Be safe and make a positive difference. www.rtands.com

2014 - 2015 Upcoming Committee Meetings Dec. 18

Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization

Jan. 8

Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Foundations

Philadelphia, PA

Jan. 22-24 Committee 24 - Education & Training

Hollywood, FL TBD

Jan. 29-30 Committee 8 - Concrete Structures

Feb. 3-4

& Foundations

Panama, Central America

Committee 15 - Steel Structures

San Diego, CA

Feb. 5

Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures

Feb. 11-12 Committee 7 - Timber Structures

March 3-4

Committee 38 - Information, Defect Detection

San Diego, CA Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville, FL

& Energy Systems

March 4-5

Committee 39 - Positive Train Control

May 19

Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures

Jacksonville, FL Kansas City, MO

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

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 this mentoring program. 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 listed under Education & Training to become a mentor today.

FYI…

Call for papers. Papers are now being accepted for the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference to be held in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2015 in Minneapolis, MN, from October 4 - 7, 2015. The deadline is December 15, 2014. Please visit www. arema.org for more information and to submit a paper online.

Now available: 2015 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices.

Please visit www.arema.org or contact Beth Caruso at 301-459-3200, ext. 701 or bcaruso@arema.org to place an order.

Railway Interchange 2015, October 4-7, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN. Registration will open on January 5, 2015. Visit www. railwayinterchange.org for more information.

If you're interested in sponsorship for the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference held in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2015, contact Lindsay Hamilton at 301-459-3200, ext. 705 or lhamilton@arema.org AREMA’s Official Facebook Page Become a fan of the official AREMA Facebook Page and stay up-to-date on the most recent AREMA information.

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

Union Pacific hosted Committee 14 – Yards & Terminals' spring meeting in El Paso, Texas, which included a first-rate field trip to the new UP state-of-the-art rail facility in Santa Teresa, N. M. This facility is located along the busy “Sunset Route” between El Paso and Los Angeles. The facility serves as a refueling station and a home base for UP employees operating long-haul trains out of the area. In addition, the facility has constructed and made provisions for future expansion of an intermodal block swap/switching yard and intermodal ramp. www.rtands.com

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.

Not an AREMA Member?

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

November 2014 33

AREMA NEWS

Getting to know Steven Lloyd Each month, AREMA features one of our committee chairs. We are pleased to announce that the November featured chair is Steven Lloyd, chair of Team 42 - Bridge Maintenance Steering.

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

Lloyd: My brother-in-law was an employee of Southern Railway and, often, I was intrigued by the conversations we had regarding the complexity of the day-to-day activities and the precision and accuracy it took to make certain that the infrastructure was maintained properly in order to move the traffic, both freight and passengers, safely from origin to destination.

AREMA: How did you get started?

Lloyd: I was told that Southern Railway was hiring engineering people in the Bridge Department in Monroe, Va., which was near my hometown. I applied, was interviewed and hired as a bridge and building apprentice on January 4, 1976. Since that time, I have held a number of various positions, including assistant bridge and building supervisor trainee, project supervisor, bridge and building supervisor and my current position as assistant division engineer- bridges at Norfolk Southern.

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

Lloyd: AREMA Past President James Carter and I were discussing the culture change that is taking place in our industry and the amount of knowledge that is exiting due to retirements and attrition. Our discussion led us to talk about all the experienced mentors we were able to gain knowledge from as we grew throughout our careers and what a huge role that played in our development, simply as a result of their past experiences. We talked about the need for new supervisors who are stepping into those roles to have a resource for basic bridge maintenance practices and their applications as their careers progressed. Our goal is to offer them the same support we received from the mentors we were fortunate enough to learn from.

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

Lloyd: My wife and I enjoy boating and anything that involves being near the ocean. We love to travel and spend most of our free time somewhere around the water. My favorite hobby is being with my two granddaughters whenever possible, who live in Virginia.

AREMA: Tell us about your family.

Lloyd: My wife, Diane proudly boasts of her role as a domestic engineer who enjoys reading and quilting. My son, Robbie, lives in Virginia with his wife, Casey and our two grandchildren, Madison, who is nine and Evangeline, who is seven.They are both actively involved in dance, as well as participating in softball leagues and cheerleading.

My daughter, Lindsey, resides in Pittsboro, Mass., and is 34 Railway Track & Structures

November 2014

Steven lloyd Chair, Team 42 - Bridge Maintenance Steering Asst Division Engineer-Bridges Norfolk Southern Corporation

busy planning for her upcoming wedding in April 2015 to our future son-in-law, Mike, who manages a little theatre group just outside Albany, N. Y. A beach wedding is planned and the whole family is excited about being together for their big day.

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

Lloyd: I enjoy cooking. Whenever there is a new cooking gadget introduced on the market I am usually the one at our home to get excited and purchase it.

AREMA: What is your biggest achievement?

Lloyd: My biggest accomplishment, in my opinion, is knowing that I have raised two successful children while doing a job that requires you to be absent from their lives on a frequent basis and, of course, being a grandfather.

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

Lloyd: Start by participating in an internship program if possible and then clearly thinking through all the demands of the industry before making a commitment. Railroading is a very rewarding career with unique personal challenges and time demands. Consult with others who have already been there and done that for guidance. www.rtands.com

AREMA Publications 2015 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices© The Communications NOW AVAILABLE & Signals Manual is a manual of recommended practices written by AREMA technical committees in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety or efficiency and economy. The Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices is an annual publication.

Downloadable Sections Available Online.

2014 Manual for Railway Engineering© There have been numerous updates to more than 5,000 pages of the Manual for Railway Engineering. The chapters are grouped into four general categories, each in a separate volume: • Track • Structures • Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems Management. The Manual is an annual publication, released every April. It is available in four-volume loose-leaf format, CD-ROM, revision set (loose-leaf only) and individual chapters (hard copy and downloadable formats).

Downloadable Chapters Available Online.

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.

www.rtands.com

2014 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans© 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 & post-earthquake inspections.

Also included are many color photographed examples in several chapters, as well as a glossary in the back of the book.

Practical Guide to Railway Engineering© This guide provides a comprehensive overview and understanding of the railway system. Whether you are new to the rail industry or a long-time contributor wanting to learn more, this bound book and CD-ROM offer in-depth coverage of railway fundamentals and serve as an excellent reference. (Also available in a CD-ROM version only.)

Railway Track & Structures

November 2014 35

36 Railway Track & Structures

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www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

November 2014 37

AREMA NEWS

Ask John

Q: Can ground freezing stabilize a tunnel with structural problems?

A: Ground freezing is a temporary stabilization technique

freezing is possible ground heaving and settlement after it is thawed.

Flowing ground water provides heat that will slow the freezing process. There is little concern that ground freezing would cause adjacent water or sewer lines to freeze because of the very short exposure time to the fluids during the freezing process.

Freezing is a quiet operation compared to grouting; once the requirement for freezing has been completed, there is no residue, unlike when using grouting, which is permanent. Additionally freezing is non-toxic.

usually used during construction or repair of a tunnel as a last resort. Ground freezing is accomplished by either pumping liquid nitrogen or a re-circulating brine solution through perforated pipes inserted ahead of the excavation.

Ground freezing can be accomplished quickly using liquid nitrogen or up to several weeks in advance when using brine, depending on the soil and the situation.

Ground freezing can be used in a wide range of soil types, but there must be at least five percent water content in the soil. Water can be added if needed.

Ground freezing can increase the strength of the ground and create an impermeable barrier. The goal is to stabilize the site for excavation and to provide enough standup time to line the tunnel. One drawback to ground

38 Railway Track & Structures

November 2014

(Sources: Tunneling Management by Design, by Alan Muir Wood; Introduction to Tunnel Construction, by David Chapman, Nicole Metje and Alfred Stark)

www.rtands.com

CALENDAR NOVEMBER 10-14. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards.

University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Chattanooga, Tenn.

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

18-20. Fundamentals of Railway Bridge Engineering and Management. Crowne Plaza Hotel Jacksonville Airport.

Jacksonville, Fla. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-4620876. Fax: 800-442-4214. E-mail: peterson@epd.engr.wisc. edu. Website: www.epd.engr.wisc.edu/webN887.

JANUARY 2015 7-10. NRC Annual Conference & NRC-REMSA Exhibition.

Westin Diplomat. Hollywood, Fla. Contact: Ashley Bosch.

Phone: 202-715-1247. E-mail: abosch@nrcma.org. Website: www.nrcma.org.

11-15. Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting.

Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Washington, D.C. Phone: 202-334-3504. Website: www.trb.org.

15-16. 11th Annual Southwestern Rail Conference.

Holiday Inn Park Cities/SMU. Dallas, Texas. Website: www. texasrailadvocates.org/conference/.

26-27. Fundamentals of Rail Freight Terminals, Yards, and Intermodal Facilities. Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport. Jacksonville, Fla. Contact: Joni Graves. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: graves@epd.engr.wisc.edu.

Website: http://epdweb.engr.wisc.edu/Courses/Course. lasso?myCourseChoice=P743.

29. CWR and Thermal Forces Workshop. Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport. Jacksonville, Fla. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd. engr.wisc.edu. Website: http://epdweb.engr.wisc.edu/ Courses/Course.lasso?myCourseChoice=N890.

30. Understanding and Complying with FRA 213 Track Safety Standards. Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport.

Jacksonville, Fla. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd.engr.wisc.edu.

Website: http://epdweb.engr.wisc.edu/Courses/Course. lasso?myCourseChoice=N891.

MARCH 2015 23-26. 2015 Joint Rail Conference. The Fairmont San Jose.

San Jose, Calif. Contact: Stephen Crane. E-mail: CraneS@ asme.org. Website: http://www.asmeconferences.org/ JRC2015/.

JUNE 2015 23-26. Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. Renaissance Washington. Washington, D.C. Contact: Kathy Cassidy E-mail: kcassidy@aslrra.org. Website: www.aslrra.org.

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

Railway Track & Structures

November 2014 39

PRODUCTS Fastener removal tool

Alcoa Fastening Systems introduced a new line of installation tools designed to work with its BobTail速 fastener. These tools use direct-tension and swageforward technology and are ergonomically designed to be lighter weight than previous models (weight is less than five pounds) and more compact than conventional installation tooling.

The BobTail installation tools are made for use in difficult-toreach areas. Alcoa notes that the tools require little training to use and that it offers safe, quiet, low-impact installation, which means a reduced chance of hearing damage and repetitive stress syndrome in installation personnel. The reduced shockload contributes to extended tool life means the tool requires less maintenance than previous models and it comes with a limited lifetime guarantee. This new design allows for fastener removal with a collar cutter tool. Nosepieces, which feature a new puller design, are a performance improvement over the jaws and collet design of past nosepieces and are much more durable, the company says. Phone: 317-704-8840.

Modular industrial ethernet switch

Belden Inc. has extended its range of configurable modular industrial ethernet switches in the Hirschmann MSP30 family. The MSP30 Layer 3 switch offers extensive routing functions and enables communication between physically-separated networks. This managed switch also supports a wide range of security functions and Belden says it guarantees allaround protection for the network to ensure maximum productivity for connected systems and machines at all times. Belden notes that the Power over Ethernet Plus support allows for terminal equipment to be powered cost-effectively straight from the data line, eliminating the need for additional power supply units or extra cables. Due to its ruggedized design, the MSP30 Layer 3 is suitable for use in harsh conditions near the shop floor where it facilitates direct routing to other production floors without the need for a backbone router.

Phone: +31-77-387-8555.

40 Railway Track & Structures

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Ad Index Company Aldon Company, Inc. AREMA Marketing Department

Phone #

Fax#

847-623-8800

847-623-6139

e-mail address

Page #

e-rail@aldonco.com

6

301-459-3200

301-459-8077

marketing@arema.org

Custom Truck & Equipment

816-241-4888

816-241-3710

bboehm@cte-equipment.com

Danella Rental Systems, Inc.

610-828-6200

610-828-2260

pbarents@danella.com glippard@lbfosterco.com

Cover 3

5 9

L.B. Foster Co.

412-928-3506

412-928-3512

Harsco Rail

803-822-7551

803-822-7521

mteeter@harsco.com

Holland Co.

708-672-2300 ext. 382

708-672-0119

gpodgorski@hollandco.com

866-245-3745

800-309-3299

info@trak-star.com

26

Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.

4 16

Cover 4

Irwin Transportation

724-864-8900

724-864-0803

bspringer @Irwincar.com

31

Landoll Corporation

800-428-5655

888-293-6779

jim.ladner@landoll.com

21

Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

763-478-6014

sales@loram.com

17

MERCIER’S, Inc.

410-590-4181

Neel Company, The

703-913-7858

Plasser American Corp.

757-543-3526

Progress Rail Services

800-476-8769

Railway Educational Bureau, The

19

btemple@neelco.com

7

202-318-0867 info@nrcma.org

10

757-494-7186

27

256-593-1249

plasseramerican@plausa.com info@progressrail.com

30

grif1020@yahoo.com

8

217-522-6588

402-346-4300

402-346-1783

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

39, 40

763-972-2900

glafrance@rwy.com

3

jrhansen@railworks.com

29

gord.weatherly@voestalpine.com

Cover 2

763-972-2200

RailWorks Corporation

866-905-7245

craig@merciers.com

866-724-5238

Railway Equipment Co.

voestalpine Nortrak Inc.

703-913-7859

202-715-2920

410-590-4184

NRC

RAILCET

763-478-2221

307-778-8700

952-469-1926 307-778-8777

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

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

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

www.rtands.com

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

Africa, Britain, Belgium, France, Far East, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Middle East, South America, Rail Tenders Louise Cooper Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416917 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom lc@railjournal.co.uk Italy & Italian-speaking Switzerland Eastern Europe, Baltic States, Scandanavia Julie Richardson Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416368 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom jr@railjournal.co.uk

Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 +39-10-570-4948 V Piano, Int 9 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 16129 Genoa, Italy info@mediapointsrl.it Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, +81-3-5691-3335 Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 Tokyo 121-0824, Japan amskatsu@dream.com Classified, Professional & Employment Jeanine Acquart (212) 620-7211 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1325 New York, NY 10014 jacquart@sbpub.com

Railway Track & Structures

November 2014 41

Professional Directory

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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!”

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

2 Santa Fe Drive – Denver Colorado 80223 – 720-355-0664 www.Specialtrackwork.com

Available for Lease 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 100 ton Automated/Manual Ballast Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com

Products and services

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 and removal

K. W. Reese, Inc.

Some things never change.

Quality, Service, and Dependability. Since 1910.

Rotary Dump

Grapple Truck

Hirail Crew Cab

LEASE or BUY Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter

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

Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236

(717) 328-5211 • fax (717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com RAILROAD SERVICES

2013 NRC SAFETY AWARD GOLD MEDAL WINNER

RT&S Classified Section Jeanine Acquart 212-620-7211 42 Railway Track & Structures

November 2014

Est. 1910

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

jacquart@sbpub.com s r

r

TM

www.rtands.com

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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

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

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, 900 Tampers w/Jacks TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs TR-10s & TKOs 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 KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1000 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 (Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual 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 Hi-Rail Excavators w/Cold Air Blowers & Brush Cutters 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 CAT 320B Excavator on Hytracker Platform w/Gondola Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (Magnet, Rail Racks & Wireless Remote Optional) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars, 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts 5-ton Tie Carts & Hytracker Gondolas

   

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 www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures RT&S2013revAd.indd 1

November 2014 43 2/12/13 2:57 PM

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(All of the above equipment is located in Illinois) JER OVERHAUL INC. / NEWMAN MACHINERY 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

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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

EMPLOYMENT

April 2011 49

Mountain States Contracting is taking applications for a Roadmaster. This is not a Shortline position, trains are dispatched and operated by a Class 1 carrier. Position involves: • daily inspection • safety compliance • maintenance, planning, performance and coordination with tie and rail gangs • grinding program • annual ultrasonic and geometry testing.

Track is all Class 4, CWR, in the Southwestern United States. Salary B.O.E. Please send resume to resumes@mscrr.com or fill out an application at www.mscrr.com.

Get the inside scoop on and off the track

Rail Brief: The Weekly RT&S E-mail Newsletter Subscribe at: www.rtands.com/RailBrief 44 Railway Track & Structures

November 2014

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