December 2015 | www.rtands.com
Fix and fortify
montague Tubes
PLUS Hand-held tools G&W Safety awareness AND ALSO AREMA News p.34
Contents
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
December 2015
News
Features
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18
Industry Today 6 Supplier News 9 People
RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS
Columns
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24
Montague Tubes rebuild The rebuilding effort to fix New York City Transit’s Montague Tubes following heavy damage by Superstorm Sandy was called nothing short of heroic .
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A look at G&W safety Genesee & Wyoming attributes its enviable safety record to a daily commitment from its 7,500 employees.
MTA/ Patrick Cashin
Hand-held tools Manufacturers are developing more ergonomic and lighter weight tools that can still perform heavy-duty tasks.
24 Departments 14 TTCI R&D 34 Arema News 39 Calendar 40 Products 41 Advertisers Index
Work performed in the Montague Tubes. Courtesy MTA/Patrick Cashin. Story on page 24.
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On Track The news makers of 2015
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NRC Chairman’s Column Maintaining momentum into the new year
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42 Classified Advertising 43 Professional Directory
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41 Sales Representatives
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Railway Track & Structures
December 2015 1
On Track
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
Vol. 111, No. 12 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 860560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204654), (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly by SimmonsBoardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, N.Y. 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified individual in the railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/ Canada/Mexico) $16.00; 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. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2015. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195. For Subscriptions & address changes, Please call (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail rtands@ halldata.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172.
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The news makers of 2015
A
s we prepare to roll our calendars over to 2016, it seems appropriate to look back on the year that was and reflect on those stories that got the industry reading and clicking online. More specifically, what piqued RT&S readers’ attention in 2015 and why. The most popular series of stories from our website during the past year was our coverage of what was the impending Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline, which was originally set for December 31, 2015. While it was understood that the majority of railroads requiring the technology would miss the original deadline, there was a lot of confusion at the beginning of the year surrounding the Federal Railroad Administration’s enforcement strategy of the deadline. Once railroads began to layout service suspension plans, pressure was on Congress to extend the deadline. The House of Representatives passed a three-year extension on October 27 with the Senate following on October 28 and President Obama signing the legislation into law on October 29. Why was this topic so popular? I believe it goes back to the term I used a few sentences ago: Confusion. When there is uncertainty, it is natural to seek out answers and I hope that our coverage helped to provide some clarity. The PTC issue also had the potential to directly affect every person involved in this industry. If trains aren’t running, even a portion of them, we all could feel the negative effects. A thank you is owed to those industry associations and representatives who worked on the industry’s behalf in Washington, D.C., to make sure this issue saw a resolution. We also had two bridge stories crack our most popular list. The first was the opening of the West Rail Bridge near Brownsville, Texas, which is the first newly built U.S.-Mexico rail bridge in more than a century. The second was the beginning of construc-
tion on the Skyway Bridge that is part of Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) North Metro Rail Line. What makes this bridge special is that it will be the longest bridge in the RTD FasTracks Program, as well as the longest bridge in Colorado. While building a rail bridge is nothing out of the ordinary, when that bridge is the first of its kind in three to four generations or is being built to be the biggest or longest, there is a definite “wow” factor at work. The final two stories in our most popular list upped the “wow” factor and added a “cool” quotient in the form of innovation. In March, we first wrote about Union Pacific’s use of long rail: 480-foot sections of rail, manufactured in Japan and sent to the U.S. in a specially made ship. A quarter-mile length of the long rail requires two welds, which represents an 88-percent reduction versus standard rail. Coincidentally, also in March, BNSF was granted permission by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin patrolling its track with small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); aka, drones. The FAA and BNSF hope UAS usage will bring safety gains, especially for inspection operations taking place in remote areas. What can we look forward to in 2016? If I were a betting person, I would say some good, some not so good and hopefully, there is more of the first. Whatever happens, we hope RT&S will continue to be a resource to you. May your holiday season be as jolly as you wish it to be and may the new year be happy, successful, but most of all, safe.
Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor
Railway Track & Structures
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INDUSTRY TODAY UP opens Texas railport Union Pacific hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 3, for its new Kinney County Railport in Kinney County, Texas. The 100-acre, $40-million facility is located between Eagle Pass and Brackettville. The facility can be expanded to 470 acres and will clean and repair boxcars to meet food-g rade guidelines. The cars will be loaded by customers in Mexico and returned to the U.S. with product for distribution. The railroad says this will improve operational efficiency and network fluidity, which should help alleviate congestion that causes stopped or slow trains. “We appreciate the support from our regional partners in bringing this facility on line,” said Ivan Jaime, director - Public Affairs. “This is a great example of economic development and job creation.”
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Service restored along Siskiyou Rail Line following seven-year hiatus A ceremony held on Nov. 10, celebrated the completion of major repairs to restore the Siskiyou Rail Line in southern Oregon and marked the return of freight service, which was halted along 95 miles between Ashland and Weed, Ore., in 2007. The $13-million Siskiyou Summit Railroad Revitalization project repaired and revitalized a 65-mile section of the 296-mile stretch of the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP), including rail, tunnels, ties and bridges, as well as upgrading its freight capacity to handle the 286,000-pound industry standard for rail cars. Currently, timber companies and other manufacturers must ship by freight rail north to Eugene to meet the Union Pacific line into the Southwest. In 2012, a $7-million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant was awarded to the Oregon Department of Transportation and California’s Siskiyou County for the Siskiyou Summit Railroad Revitalization project. CORP provided a 25 percent match. Additional funding came from Douglas and Jackson counties. “Opening the line will provide major opportunities for southern Oregon and northern California shippers,” said Don Seil, project development general manager for the Genessee Wyoming Railroad Pacific Region, parent company of CORP. “The basic plan is five-daya-week service between Weed and Medford.” Seil said each train will be loaded to 12 to 14 cars in length. Repair work started last spring. Crews replaced 42,000 new ties, some dating back to the late 1940s, as well as 50,000 linear feet of new rail. More than 20 trestles were rehabilitated with new timbers and walkways. Tunnel 14, located south of Ashland, was in such bad shape that some of its 175 timber supports were collapsing. Tunnel repairs included spraying the walls with shotcrete and adding new rail, ties and ballast. “Anytime a line has been shut down for several years, there are items that need to be accomplished, such as removing weeds and trees that have grown up near the tracks, crossings that aren’t working properly and an accumulation of debris that’s fallen near the tracks,” said Seil. A second, $5.7-million project, funded with $4.5 million through the ConnectOregon IV program, improved the clearances of tunnels and other rail infrastructure between Douglas and Jackson counties. It will open access to the Rogue Valley with modern, highcapacity rail car equipment.
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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Crosslinx Transit Solutions has signed a CA$9.1-billion (US$6.8 billion) contract to complete the Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit project, delivering the LRT by 2021. GANNETT FLEMING CANADA ULC, a subsidiary of GANNETT FLEMING TRANSIT & RAIL SYSTEMS, will serve as the technical and program management consultant on the Metrolinx GO Transit rail network electrification project. Gradall Industries, Inc., entered into an agreement with Kinshofer Crane and Excavator Attach-
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G&O, R&N to add new operations in North Carolina and Pennsylvania The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) selected Gulf & Ohio Railways, Inc. (G&O), to operate and market the state-owned Global Trans Park (GTP) railroad line in Lenoir County following a competitive solicitation for proposals. The NCDOT Board of Transportation approved the new GTP Lease & Operating Agreement at its Nov. 5, 2015 meeting. Under the terms of the agreement, G&O will operate, maintain and market freight service on the GTP line. Located just west of Kinston, the rail line connects to the North Carolina Railroad on its south end and extends 5.7 miles north to the GTP. The railroad was built in 2011 and is strategically located to provide service to the GTP, the Morehead City State Port and eastern North Carolina. In other shortline news, Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad (R&N) announced on Nov. 24, 2015 that it will take over ownership of the rail infrastruc-
December 2015
ture at the Humboldt Industrial Park beginning Jan. 1, 2016 through an agreement with the park’s owner, CAN DO, Inc., according to CAN DO President Kevin O’Donnell and Andrew Muller, Jr., owner and chief executive officer of the rail company. In addition to owning and maintaining all tracks at the Hazelton, Penn., site, R&N will also provide service to all of the customers in the industrial park. CAN DO and R&N entered into an agreement in 2012 with R&N to take ownership of the more than seven miles of rail line inside Humboldt at the end of 2016, but the timeline was moved to Jan. 1, 2016 following negotiations with the park’s current provider, Norfolk Southern. CAN DO constructed the 7.5 miles of track in its Humboldt Industrial Park, which is the region’s largest rail-served industrial park. Currently, more than 15 industries are dependent on rail service to the park.
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INDUSTRY TODAY Broken heel block assembly led to Banff derailment says TSB The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report into a derailment of a Canadian Pacific train in December 2014. The report concluded that a broken heel block assembly led to the derailment that destroyed the bridge over 40 Mile Creek near Banff, Alberta. Derailed cars loaded with fly ash, soybeans and lentils were breached, spilling product into the waterway. No initial injuries were reported; however, a crew member sought medical attention for fly ash inhalation. The investigation revealed that the westbound CP train derailed 15 cars at Mile 82.1 on the Laggan Subdivision, when the end of the north switch point rail fractured in the heel block assembly. The report says the heel block assembly had been weakened due to looseness in the joint, occurring over time under train traffic. The TSB says that although the regular, detailed and visual
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Supplier News
track inspections were performed in compliance with regulatory and railway requirements, they did not specifically identify the deteriorating condition of the heel block assembly. The investigation determined that if loose joints cannot be identified in a timely manner, particularly in the vicinity of switches, the resulting relative movement in the joint will increase over time, increasing the risk of cracks in the rail leading to brokenrail derailments. The investigation also highlighted the need for crew members to discuss hazards associated with the commodities carried, prior to, or during, an inspection of derailed cars, in order to address the risk to crew members and other emergency responders. Following the accident, Transport Canada requested that the railway industry formulate rules with regards to joint bar inspections and repairs in continuous welded rail territory.
ments to include Kinshofer’s attachments on Gradall machines. LILEE Systems deployed its Positive Train Control Systems Management Gateway on its third Class 1 railroad. SNC-Lavalin realigned its business processes, brands and market strategy, integrating its rail and transit market sectors. Steel Dynamics, Inc., made a rail shipment to L.B. Foster Co. in November, which was its millionth ton of rail distributed since SDI Structural and Rail Division became a rail supplier.
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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Sterling Construction Company, Inc. subsidiary, Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company, LLC, was selected by Denver’s Regional Rail Partners as a subcontractor for a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Graham Contracting on two Regional Transport District projects. The city of Edmonton, Alberta, Can., selected TransEd Partners to design, build, operate, maintain and finance the eight-mile stage one of the Valley Line LRT. Wabtec Corporation signed a $27-million contract with Regional Rail Partners to provide Phase I signaling and communications systems, including Positive Train Control equipment, for the new North Metro Rail Line in Denver, Colo.
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Maryland SCMaglev project receives franchise approval; federal grant Stakeholders in the proposed Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (SCMaglev) train between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., had two reasons for celebration during the past month: A multi-million federal grant and approval of a rail franchise. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded a $27.8-million grant to the state of Maryland for preconstruction and planning costs for the potential development of the SCMaglev. The funding may be applied to preconstruction planning, engineering analysis and other capital costs for fixed guideway infrastructure. FRA said it would evaluate the viability of this maglev project to achieve its high safety standards while assessing the potential of this technology to address future intercity travel needs. In 2005, Congress authorized $90 million for maglev transportation projects that would be capable of safely transporting passengers faster than 240 miles per hour. The Baltimore-Washington corridor was one of three corridors in the United States eligible to apply for these funds for maglev projects. The Maryland application for the federal grant was submitted in April with the understanding that the Japanese government will be a source of significant financial backing for the project, along with privatesector support from Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail LLC (BWRR). “The ability to travel between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., in only 15 minutes will be absolutely transformative, not just for these two cities, but for our entire state,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said. “This grant will go a long way in helping us de-
December 2015
termine our next steps in this transportation and economic development opportunity.” In support of these private-sector efforts to explore building high-speed rail in Maryland, on June 4, Gov. Hogan and Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn joined executives from the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and the Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail to ride the 27-mile-long Yamanashi Maglev Line located outside of Tokyo, Japan. The high-speed rail line is equipped with SCMaglev technologies, which uses magnetic forces to accelerate trains smoothly and rapidly to speeds of more than 300 miles per hour while levitating inches off the ground. The JR Central train achieved a recordbreaking 375 miles-per-hour earlier this year. During his trade mission to Asia in May, Gov. Hogan and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on a Memorandum of Cooperation between the state of Maryland and the government of Japan. Specific areas of cooperation outlined in the Memorandum of Cooperation included: high-speed rail, specifically SCMaglev; liquefied natural gas; life sciences; trade and investment and academics. About a week after news of the grant was released, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved BWRR’s request to acquire a passenger railroad franchise previously held by the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad Company and abandoned in 1935. In the coming months, BWRR and TNEM will focus on conducting an Environmental Impact Statement process, which will help determine routes, Federal Railroad Administration safety reviews and Surface Transportation Board construction reviews.
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PEOPLE Anacostia Rail Holdings, Inc., promoted Michael Shore to vice president-operations of the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad and James Bonner to vice president of the New York & Atlantic Railway. Arup hired Peter Guest, PE, as principal in infrastructure in its New York office. CSX appointed Drew Glassman as vice president-strategy. Chicago’s Metra has named Hilary Konczal as its first chief safety and environmental officer. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tapped New Jersey Department of Transportation veteran Richard Hammer as the agency’s acting commissioner and will formally nominate him to succeed Jamie Fox. New York City Transit named Veronique Hakim as the eighth permanent president of the agency. RailComm hired Troy Haworth as vice president of sales. Sound Transit selected former Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff as the agency’s new chief executive officer. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority promoted Scott Sauer to assistant general manager of system safety. Texas Central Partners, LLC, appointed Holly Reed to managing director, external affairs; Doug Jones to managing director, design build program and Lori Willox to chief financial officer. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority named Paul Wiedefeld general manager and chief executive officer.
Obituaries Constantine “Gus” Vorgias, 85, of St. John, Ind., and former employee of E.J. & E Railroad and ESCO, passed away at home on Nov. 9, 2015. William J. Quinn, whose 40-year railroading career culminated as chairman and chief executive officer of the Milwaukee Road, died Oct. 24, 2015. Linda J. Morgan, 63, the former U.S. Surface Transportation Board chair and board member of Canadian Pacific, died Nov. 4, 2015, after a long battle with cancer. www.rtands.com
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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN Maintaining momentum into the new year
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 end of the year is only weeks away and the rail industry continues to roll forward. As we look to the 2016 construction season, we are optimistic that a few pieces of positive legislation coming out of Washington, D.C., will create some nice momentum. Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) VII grant awards were recently announced. These discretionary grants are awarded to fund capital investment projects focused on transportation infrastructure that will create significant impacts, with $500 million in available funding this year. As has been the case in past six rounds of these grants, there was tremendous competition. A total of 627 applications were deemed eligible and the total dollars requested were more than $10 billion, or 20 times the available funding. Of the 39 projects awarded funding, all demonstrated key transportation goals related to safety improvements, technology innovation and the ability to bring future opportunities and within that list were 18 rail-related projects receiving $245 million in funding. On the transportation appropriations front, the overall budget deal recently r e a c h e d i n C o n g r e s s p r ov i d e d a n additional $25 million for ‘domestic discretionary appropriations’ and the NRC was pleased to work with the OneRail Coalition to advocate for a significant chunk of that spending to flow into transportation. Based on Senate action shortly before Thanksgiving, we believe that effort was successful and that the final legislation will include reasonable funding levels for a TIGER VIII program, Amtrak capital investment, rail transit New Starts and Railroad Safety Grants. The major long-term (likely five years) surface transportation bill is also working its way through Congress and we believe will be completed by mid December. This bill, while not quite as robust as we’d advocate, will be an improvement over the status quo for freight investment (highway and some multi-modal eligibility too), rail transit investment and intercity passenger rail policy. It will improve the Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program, expedite project delivery across all modes and increase the efficiency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. By providing some longterm certainty and funding levels that will likely increase a bit higher than the rate of
inflation, we believe this bill will provide a small shot in the arm to the transportation infrastructure construction industry. Another positive for the coming year is the annual NRC Conference, coming right up in early January. This year’s conference will take place from Wednesday, January 6, through Saturday, January 9, at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, Calif. The hotel has been sold out since early October, the quickest sell-out ever for our association, but don’t fret - there are other hotels in close proximity to the conference that still have rooms available. Please visit http:// www.nrcma.org/2016nrcconference for more information regarding these hotels. As is the case each year at our conference, the association brings together many of the key leaders within the rail industry under one roof for one great event. Speakers will include executives from the Class 1 railroads, shortline railroads and many of the larger transit agencies throughout the country to give our members a clear view of their planned capital spending programs for the coming year. Also in attendance each year at our conference is Anthony (Tony) Hatch. Tony is the president of ABH Consulting, a veteran analyst and financial consultant to many companies within the rail industry. Tony will share a wealth of analysis regarding the future of the rail industry. We’ll also have an Federal Railroad Administration expert on hand to discuss the new Minimum Training Standards rule and its effect on rail contractors. The speaker sessions are the primary attraction for many of our membership companies. They attend the conference to hear the planned spending programs, play a round of golf with a client or two and conduct some meetings with customers in a very relaxed and casual setting along with some fun in the sun at a terrific resort on the ocean out west. In closing for the year, I would like to wish all NRC member companies, the NRC Board of Directors, the staff at Chambers Conlon & Hartwell, as well as everyone in the rail industry, a safe and happy holiday season. I hope to see many of you at our conference in January in sunny California. Please travel safely through the holidays everyone. For further information on all NRC planned events, please visit www.nrcma. org. Have a safe day. by Bill Dorris, Railway Track & Structures
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TTCI R&D Continued evaluation of the effects of heavy-axle-loads at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing
by Joseph LoPresti, scientist and Semih Kalay, senior vice president technology, TTCI.
TTCI evaluates tests to assess methods of reducing dynamic forces in special trackwork. Figure 1, below: Tie and fastener test gauge widening. Figure 2, opposite page: RCF assessment scale.
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T
he evaluation of track components and structures at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) is an important part of the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) research program. FAST experiments are regularly updated and modified to ensure
December 2015
that the program continues to meet the needs of the industry. New and untried products, as well as structures more than 100 years old can be evaluated under controlled conditions that would be difficult or impossible to replicate in revenue service. Testing at FAST provides important information on the performance of components and structures to the railroad industry, without exposing railroads to potential risks that could be associated with revenue service testing. Since September 2014, 172 million gross tons (mgt) have been accumulated on track components and structures at FAST, adding to the milestone four billion gross tons (bgt) of traffic accumulated from 1976 to September 2014 (reported in December 2014 RT&S). Also since then, two riveted steel bridge spans (each more than 100 years old) were installed and tonnage on these spans is now 108 mgt, whereas the first riveted steel span (also more than 100 years old) installed at FAST in 2009 has reached 840 mgt. Tonnage on the concrete spans that remain in test has reached 1,633 mgt. Premium rails installed for testing in 2014 have reached 280 mgt and tonnage on the intermediate strength test rails is now 458 mgt. Tie and fasteners tests continue with more than 2,000 mgt on some plastic-composite ties, 1,005 mgt on most of the wood ties and some concrete ties and www.rtands.com
893 mgt on the concrete ties that are part of the improved track strength test section. Two hundred new, plastic-composite ties and one hundred new wood ties were installed during the summer of 2015. Electric flash-butt (EFB) welds with postweld treatments intended to reduce the soft heat-affected-zones associated with EFB welds were also installed. A test of second generation electric-flash, headrepair welds has been concluded. Tests to assess methods of reducing dynamic forces in special trackwork include modifying vertical and lateral stiffness and compliance, manipulating track gauge through switch points and modifying lateral switch point stops and braces. Tonnage at FAST is accumulated with an 18,000-ton train; most of the cars are loaded to 315,000 pounds. Typical train operating speed is 40 mph. This speed results in an overbalance of about 1.7 inches in the five- or sixdegree curves. Traffic is bidirectional, with about 50 percent in each direction. This article is a summary of results from selected experiments. More detailed results from these and other major experiments will be presented in future RT&S articles. Testing at FAST is part of the Association of AAR’s Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) Heavy-Axle-Load (HAL) Implementation Program.
Ties and fasteners
Testing to better understand the performance of the tie and fastener systems under HAL continues at FAST. The current test section is being conducted in a six-degree curve with five inches of superelevation. The test section includes zones of hardwood ties with elastic fastening systems or cut spike/AREMA plate systems, softwood ties with elastic fastening systems or cut spikes/AREMA plate systems, plastic-composite ties with cut spikes/AREMA plate systems and two varieties of concrete tie fastening systems. Primary metrics for assessing performance are documenting common failure modes and evaluating gauge strength with gauge restraint measurement systems (GRMS) and lateral track loading fixture (LTLF) testing. The major failure mechanisms observed at FAST for the various tie and fastener systems are: • Severe plate cutting in softwood ties (for both elastic fasteners and cut spikes) • Raised cut spikes in composite ties, www.rtands.com
requiring re-driving • Screw spikes appear to fail predominantly by breaking (instead of raising) especially for plate designs that place the gage side screw spikes closer to the rail • Drive spikes appear to fail predominantly by raising (instead of breaking) • Plate cutting corresponds to gauge side hold-down condition – more field side plate cutting was observed on a given tie if the gauge side hold-down spikes were in poor condition or had failed. • Broken field side insulators were observed on traditional type concrete tie fastening systems GRMS and LTLF testing are two ways to apply a gauge-widening load to the track and measure the ability of the tie and fastener systems to resist gauge widening. The GRMS results reported here are from the FRA’s T-18 research vehicle, which applied an average lateral load of 13.6 kips and an average vertical load of 18.9 kips in the test zone. This equates to an average L/V ratio of about 0.7. LTLF testing utilizes a hydraulic cylinder that applies nine-kip lateral loading at the rail web or at the railhead, with no vertical load. Results of the GRMS and LTLF testing is summarized as follows: • Unloaded gauge on the traditional type concrete tie fastening system and on all softwood tie zones was higher than any of the hardwood tie zones. This is likely due to broken field side insulators in the concrete tie zones and to plate cutting on the softwood ties. • The GRMS delta gauge and LTLF gauge widening were highest in the com-
posite tie and softwood tie zones, especially on cut spike/AREMA plate fastening systems • The hardwood tie and elastic fastener zones perform similarly to the concrete tie and fastener systems in regards to GRMS delta gauge. Results of GRMS and LTLF testing are shown in Figure 1. The top portion (a) shows GRMS data and the bottom portion (b) shows LTLF data.
Premium rail
The current premium rail test started in 2014 when six rail types were installed in a nonlubricated, 1,000-foot long, fivedegree curve with four inches of superelevation. The latest generation rails available from JFE Steel (JFE-C) voestalpine (UHC), Tata Steel (MHH), Nippon Steel (HEX), ArcelorMittal (AHH) and Panzhihua (PZH) have accumulated 280 mgt. Rails from each of the rail types were cut into 40-foot lengths and these 40-foot rails were installed in interspersed segments throughout the curve; each rail type was installed in at least four separate locations (one was installed in five locations). The rails are being evaluated for rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage, wear and fatigue related rail failures. After 280 mgt of HAL traffic, there have been no fatigue-related rail breaks or rail shells in the test section. Rail profiles are measured periodically with five measurements taken per 40-foot rail section. The most recent measurements were taken at 268 mgt. Results for the hi-rail of the curve are shown in Figure 4, with the same A-F designations used in Figure 3. The differences between rails are relatively small at this point and
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TTCI R&D Figure 3,top: Visual RCF ratings. Figure 4, middle: Hi-rail area loss after 268 mgt. Figure 5: Riveted steel bridge spans at FAST.
ing the severity of RCF, the systems all have limitations in quantifying the severity and depth of RCF. So, the current assessment method is a subjective, visual assessment based on a zero to three rating scale shown in Figure 2. The rails with the least RCF were rated zero and those with the most RCF were rated three. Each of the rail types was assessed by the same engineer at each tie in the test section. Two assessments were made, one before rail profile grinding and one after the rail was ground to remove RCF damage. Figure 3 shows the results of the assessments; the tie-by-tie ratings are averaged by rail type. The rails are labelled A-F due to the preliminary nature of the findings. The rail grinding removed most, but not all of the RCF. Figure 3 shows the rail type judged to have the most RCF before grinding (type E) had the least RCF after grinding. This result suggests that the RFC on type E rail, while more widespread, was not as deep as on the other rail types.
Steel bridge span
total area loss includes one corrective rail grind. While there are commercially-available systems for assess-
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December 2015
Four of the seven bridge spans being evaluated at FAST are open-deck, deck plate girder, riveted steel spans and all four bridge spans have been installed during the past six years. Riveted steel spans have been called the workhorses of the railroad bridge inventory; there are thousands in service and many are more than 100 years old. Understanding their performance is an important part of the continued safe utilization of this type of bridge span. Figure 5 shows the two newest additions to the FAST bridge inventory; they are both more than 100 years old and are representative of many spans in revenue service. Both spans were installed early this year in a five-degree curve with four inches of superelevation. The 24-foot span with 6.5-foot girder spacing was fabricated in 1913 and the 32-foot span with nine-foot girder spacing was fabricated in 1904. The spans have accumulated 108 mgt with no performance problems. Strains and deflections are being measured in both spans and a test to determine the effects of selected member failure is being planned.
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Importance of tools cannot be measured in size Manufacturers look to customer requests to fullfill the needs and wishes for the powerful, but tiny tools in this big industry. Stanley Hydraulics’ HGL80 Long Handle Horizontal Grinder.
by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor
T
he railroad industry is filled with large, loud and bulky equipment, but sometimes the most significant improvements are made with the smallest of tools.
Cembre
Cembre has developed an 18V battery rail drill LD16BY and is making headway with the Cembre Robokatta automatic rail saw with several major Class 1 railroads invested in the concept of removing the operator from the danger zone, an industry first, notes Chris Drew, vice president of sales. The company says it has seen positive results throughout 2015, with investment in all sectors of the industry. “We are expecting growth within 2016 due to new products, such as the LD16BY battery rail drill and continuing growth with the Robokatta rail saw,” Drew explained. Drew says that safety is always at the top of Cembre’s list when designing new products. “We are also considering the environment and Environmental Protection Agency restrictions; hence the Cembre battery drill that eliminates any type of gasoline,” he said.
Gage Bilt
President of Gage Bilt Inc. Bruce Godfrey says that business has been strong in 2015, with significant increases in the 18 Railway Track & Structures
December 2015
rail sector. He also says that the increased demand for tanker cars to move crude oil has contributed to increased requirements for tools and fasteners. Recently, Gage Bilt has developed a special clearance tool, the GB512BOM, used to install Huck® fasteners in commuter rail cars. The hydraulic installation tool was designed specifically for the efficient installation of a wide variety of lockbolt and blind bolt fasteners. “Safety is a primary influence for Gage Bilt,” noted Godfrey. “All new products are assessed for possible safety issues and cycle tested at full loads over recommended pressures in accordance with CE standards. Each tool is also tested under load for 2,000 cycles prior to shipment to ensure quality.”
Hougen
Hougen Manufacturing Inc. Trak-Star® has taken its gaspowered impact wrench and modified it to increase its durability and made it more reliable. The company says it took a look at the high-wear parts and redesigned them to extend service life. Overall, it has been a good year for Trak-Star, noted Bill Rickard, field technical representative. Business has held up to forecasting and is looking toward an even better year www.rtands.com
hand-held tools in 2016. “Hougen stands for the safety of not only its employees, but the customers who use its tools,” explained Rickard. “We look for input from our customers who use the tools daily and work to implement their suggestions into our products.” Transits that are expanding , contractors that maintain the rail and, of course, the Class 1 railroads that have big projects have kept the TrakStar group very busy. “As far as a particular segment goes, I would say that the Class 1 railroads are in the lead with a close second to contractors and transits,” noted Rickard regarding business segments that the company serves. Trak-Star says it works hard to communicate with customers. This is done by spending a lot of time in the field getting to know and talking with customers. “We love to get out and speak to them face to face and get their input on any and all tools to make sure they are safe and very efficient,” he said.
Modern Track Machinery
and safest equipment in the world,” he explained. “It keeps us evolving to be the best.”
PortaCo
PortaCo has more than 30 years of experience manufacturing handheld tools and hydraulic power units for the railroad industry. In 2015, the company developed three new tools, a spike setter, post driver and pile driver. In a continued effort to improve the performance and safety of its hand-held tools, PortaCo re-engineered a number of tools, as well, including its tie drill, e-clip installer and e-clip remover. Business in 2015 started strong and slowed, but has remained steady since June, noted Craig Cook, North American sales manager at PortaCo, Inc. Various Class 1 railroads are working with PortaCo to engineer new tools, as well as modify existing tools to fit their needs to improve workers safety, quality and performance. “Listening to our customers and building these relationships as a motivated partner will be instrumental
in our long-term success,” he said. “We expect 2016 to be a good year with the development of not only new ergonomic hand-held tools, but also the development of our relationships with all our customers.” Cook says the company continually listens to customers to find ways to improve and develop tools that will reduce the risk of injury and strain. The company says that with consistent field support with the end user and keeping an open dialog with customers about tools safety keeps them ahead of the curve. “Quite simply, we listen to all our customer’s needs and work tirelessly to ensure we have the tools they are looking for,” he explained. “We are realizing growth with Class 1 and contractors and will invest more time and energy working with shortlines and transit in 2016. PortaCo’s abilty to stock products and parts allows us to ship orders within 24 hours which all segments of the railroad industry appreciates.” Cook says a decline in oil fracking has had a negative impact in the upper Midwest, as well as the push for
Modern Track Machinery, Inc., now offers a portable, lightweight gas tamper, the Geismar model VPS. At 38 pounds and complete with protective carrying pouch, the company says it is easy for one person to handle for those small, but necessary tamping requirements. “With this tool, all hand tamping can be eliminated, creating a safe and ergonomic environment to carry out these tasks,” explained Alan Reynolds, general sales manager. Reynolds says that 2015 business remained solid, but is a bit cautious going into 2016 due to the overall economy. “We are interested in seeing how the tone is set early in the year,” he said. When it comes to safety, Reynolds says it is paramount in the industry and in order to be successful, one must design it into the products. “Sometimes, we are a little slower to market due to making sure that we have properly tested new equipment prior to release,” he noted. “Safety is an area that cannot be compromised.” Although MTM sees demand from all segments of the industry, Reynolds says the Class 1 railroads are still the driving force for the company. “They task suppliers to build the most efficient, ergonomically designed www.rtands.com
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December 2015 19
hand-held tools an oil pipeline. “We hope to see an increase in crude oil prices to help the oil business pick up and pray that our politicians realize the most effective way to transport oil is by rail,” he noted.
Racine Railroad Products
Racine Railroad Products, Inc., has several new and also improved hand-held tools for the 2016 season. The company has developed a new Racine HS gasoline rail drill. This model has a smaller footprint specifically targeted for use in electrified third rail applications. Improved operator ergonomics with a single pull operating handle has been added and other standard amenities, such as quick disconnect chucks and multi-use rail shoes have been incorporated to increase production and add value. Racine has also added a two-stage Spike Puller to its product line to meet customer’s specifications to increase operator safety by lessening the amount of “kick” when pulling spikes. “Racine Railroad Products has successfully launched our new ‘flip over’ feature of our Hydraulic SprintSaw rail saw,” explained Steven Ries, sales and product support manager. “This will allow operators to cut from both sides of the rail without removing the rail clamp, which will increase production and allow more cuts per cut-off wheel, adding
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December 2015
value to the railroad.” Also in 2016, Racine is launching its new Gasoline Tie Drill, which is available with an optional bit guard for increased safety. It also incorporates a drilling depth gauge for more consistent holes without over-drilling. Business has been strong for 2015, exceeding forecasts in some segments, noted Reis. He says improving safety and increasing production will further boost sales for 2016. Ries says that heat is a primary reason for hydraulic tool failure. To help prevent overheating, Racine developed a portable Trak Pak II Hydraulic Power Unit that offers a thermostatically-controlled electric oil cooler fan and a large, nine-gallon hydraulic reservoir to efficiently disperse heat and keep hydraulic fluid temperatures lower, increasing tool longevity and adding value.
Railtech Matweld
“With the need to operate equipment in limited access locations of transits and the rights-of-way, we were requested to develop a new style hydraulic power source,” noted Alex Hellkamp, vice president sales and marketing at Railtech Matweld. “It had to be one that can functionally be transported by two people safely, not exceeding safe carrying practice limits to the work site. Historically, the power source is large and too heavy to be
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hand-held tools carried into these tight access locations, he noted. Focusing on the factor of what an employee can carry safely by weight is where the company started in the design so as not to exceed this all-important issue. “The new Modular Power Unit succeeded in this challenge and is designed to be easily transported in two lightweight sections that simply couples together for immediate use,” he noted. With technology advancements, it is always a fine line on what a supplier can incorporate into equipment; a degree of automation and diversification of function while being able to perform and survive in the rough environment of this industry does not always coexist, Hellkamp explains. “Not only does equipment have to survive, but it must be financially affordable to accomplish the task at hand or you can engineer a product that is not practical or sustainable to the end user,” he noted. “Our goal as suppliers in the industry, is to manufacture our products functional, lightweight and affordable with an emphasis on safety, while allowing operators to have repeatable results.”
Rail Product Solutions
Rail Products Solutions, Inc. (RPS), will kick off 2016 as a part of Progress Rail Services Corporation. The sale was official in October of 2015 and the company says it
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will expand the offerings of both Rail Product Solutions and Progress Rail to better meet the evolving needs of its customers. Progress Rail Services has a broad line of on- track equipment from in-track welders to brush cutters and ballast regulators. By adding hand tools to the portfolio, Progress Rail says it can now offer a full line of tools to support almost all track maintenance and construction activities. To meet the needs of the growing Progress Rail product portfolio, a complete line of hand-held tools are available for each fastener, including rail anchors, e-clip, ME-series and SL-series fastening systems. Most recently, Progress Rail began manufacturing the Buy America-compliant e-clip in its Atchison, Kan., facility. The corresponding hand-held e-clip tool was designed to be lightweight, with aluminum construction and an ergonomic design for quick, easy and safe installations. “All Progress tools are designed in a similar style to be lightweight, with most weighing less than 25 pounds, but tough enough to handle installations in demanding environments,” explained John Stout, vice president sales and marketing. “The Progress EZ-Wrench, for example, is specifically engineered for safe and efficient installation of our spring anchors. A unique three-piece mechanical advantage design transfers the most power with the least effort by more than four times the amount of applied force.”
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December 2015 21
hand-held tools New tool design can be created based on the specific application and need, explains Stout. For example, after the Progress development of MACRO Armor, a rail seat repair and protector plate, a custom tool was designed to position the MACRO Armor and repair the tie to its original geometry. Stout says safety is always a top priority at Progress Rail. In addition to the standard line of hand tools, Progress Rail also develops custom designs to meet the unique needs of customers. Each new design is rigorously tested in the lab located in Atchison, followed by field trials to reach an optimum combination of performance and durability.
redesigned handle, which eliminates the hydraulic oil from the handle, improves tool balance and user comfort. Not to mention, a short and longer handle version, which gives users a choice about which one feels better.” RPS’ MACRO Armor Tool.
Stanley Hydraulic Tools
Stanley Hydraulic Tools launched a new line of hand-held hydraulic grinders to replace the company’s current line. The new HGL grinders offer many advantages over its prior model including a 12 percent weight reduction, highperformance motor and an overall focus around ergonomics. “Ease of use is the number one factor along with productivity that we look at when we are making decisions in relation to redesigning or developing product at Stanley Hydraulics,” explained Anthony Saraceno, North American sales manager. “For example, our new HGL design changes were all centered around ease of use and productivity for our end users. A few examples with the HGL would be the
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December 2015
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NYCT rebuilds the
Montague tubes
MTA/NYCT Marc A. Hermann
The only thing more difficult than completely rebuilding stormdamaged subway tunnels, would be to build them from scratch. by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
O
n October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy pummeled New York City with a series of mean punches. The storm cut power, flooded the transit system and forced the “city that never sleeps” to shutdown long enough for the water to drain. While crews worked to restore transit service, the damage caused by the salt water required a more extensive rebuilding effort to be undertaken. M e t r o p o l i t a n Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
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Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT) sustained $4 billion in damage across its system. One of the heaviest hit elements was the under river tunnel infrastructure. Nine of the 14 tunnels were damaged with the Montague Tube seeing the worst of the destruction. The Montague Tube, which carried 65,000 daily riders prestorm along its 1.9 miles, was shutdown for 53 days after being inundated with 27 million gallons of salt water.
December 2015
More than 4,000 linear feet of the tube remained full of salt water for nearly a week after the passing of the storm. Pumps located in lower Manhattan did not have electricity, which delayed the water removal. NYCT said that while train service was restored December 21, 2012, the effects of the salt water reduced the expected service life of every piece of equipment in the tube. The deteriorating conditions of the components
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Fix & fortify: Montague Tubes OPPOSITE PAGE: The Montague Tubes were submerged in salt water for a week, greatly reducing the expected life of all components. THIS PAGE: Workers installing new rail clips in the Montague Tubes.
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MTA/NYCT Patrick Cashin
within the tube were contributing to mounting delay-causing failures. NYCT decided to close the Montague Tube for 14 months as part of its Fix&Fortify initiative, the agency’s most extensive and wide-ranging reconstruction effort in history to repair damage from Superstorm Sandy. Amanda Kwan, media relations for MTA, explained, “If we had intermittent shutdowns, the work would have stretched out to several years, which would mean several years of regular and frequent service disruptions. We wanted to minimize the amount of time that our customers would be disrupted. A full Montague shutdown was the best solution considering the
substantial work required to repair the tunnel and the amount of time our customers would be affected.” That substantial work carried a price tag of $250 million and includ-
ed repairing the tube’s concrete walls, ceiling, duct banks and trackbed. The flooding damaged cables to Whitehall Street and Broad Street relay rooms, 48 signal locations with line and track
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December 2015 25
Fix & fortify: Montague Tubes relays and other associated equipment. The Whitehall Street pump plant was completely submerged, rendering all of the pumping equipment, electrical feeds and controls inoperable. Track, third rail and communications systems also suffered severe damage. At the time of the tube’s closing for rebuilding work, MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas F. Prendergast said, “The job we have ahead of us is the closest thing there is to building an under river tube from scratch.”
Getting to work
The Montague Tube was shut down August 3, 2013, to allow workers unfettered access to remove damaged equipment from the two tunnels and demolish concrete and terra cotta duct banks in both tubes that had collapsed. James Cutolo, senior director, Operations Support Division of Operations Planning Office of the executive vice president, wrote that one of the major challenges faced by the project’s managers was a severe shortage of workspace. The envelope of an under river tube is
26 Railway Track & Structures
designed for subway trains and is barely larger than the train itself, so the scheduling of particular jobs and even the ordering and placement of work trains is a study in efficiency. For the Montague Tube rebuild, it also proved impossible to use the motorized equipment normally employed during demolition as the cast iron liner and limited space did not permit the use of heavy equipment. “The first major repair job we did after Sandy was work along the outdoor Rockaway branch of the A Line, which is largely at grade. It was wideopen space with plenty of room for work and machinery. This project in the Montague is the exact opposite and required us to come up with some innovative approaches,” explained John O’Grady, program executive, Sandy Recovery and Resiliency. Construction crews had to enter the 4,000-foot section under the East River from entry points in Manhattan and Brooklyn, removing all debris and bringing in all equipment and tools through the tunnels themselves. Cutolo wrote that one of the heavi-
December 2015
er tasks performed was the demolition of the old concrete duct banks. To combat the dust created by duct bank demolition, multiple levels of protection were developed including the use of misting and waterfall systems that use water to keep the air clear of dust. Additionally, sturdy wooden bulkheads were built at each end of the tube effectively blocking off the work area from the customer environment. The Montague Tube contains four duct banks – one on either side of both tubes and demolishing the old ones was a labor-intensive job. Workers broke down the old bench wall and duct bank and then pulled and cut up the miles of cable located inside. In many cases, the cable had to be pulled from the duct bank first, so the duct bank was easier to break up. Once the duct bank was broken down, workers put the pieces in one-ton concrete demolition disposal bags and then placed them onboard the work trains to be hauled out. By the time demolition was complete, the work trains removed more than 18
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Fix & fortify: Montague Tubes New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast walk during an event to mark the reopening of the Montague Tubes following a 13-month, $250-million rebuild project.
28 Railway Track & Structures
MTA/NYCT Patrick Cashin
million pounds of debris, including 500,000 feet of cable from the tubes. Ultimately, the 14-month project was accomplished in 13 months and approximately $60 million under budget, according to NYCT. The first trains to use the rebuilt Montague Tube rolled through on September 15, 2014. “Sandy took an enormous toll on our infrastructure and from the beginning, we realized that the job we had ahead of us would rival the original construction of the tubes nearly 100 years ago,” said O’Grady. “We worked hard to return this vital link to our customers as quickly as possible.” Crews replaced 11,000 feet of track and associated hardware, including resilient rail fasteners designed to provide a smoother ride; installed five new track switches; constructed 30,000 lin-
ear feet of concrete and terra cotta duct banks that contained more than 78,000 feet of power cable; replaced 105,000 linear feet of communication cable, 34,000 feet of antenna cable and 35 emergency alarms and telephones. The project installed a new signal system with 295,000 linear feet of signal cable,
December 2015
53 stop machines, 60 junction boxes, 33 track cases and 60 signal heads. A new signal room with 18 cabinets at higher elevation was also installed. Additional component work included the installation of three new pumps capable of removing more than 1,900 gallons of water per minute, installation of an emergency pump control at a higher elevation, 37,000 linear feet of new tunnel lighting cable with 1,300 tunnel lighting fixtures and 59 new valves and fittings on the existing wet fire line in the tunnel. At the event marking the reopening of the Montague Tube, Prendergast said, “New York’s transit network suffered more damage during Sandy than anyone at the MTA has ever seen in our lifetimes. The effort required to rebuild the Montague Tube was nothing short of heroic. It took more than a year of round-the-clock reconstruction in difficult conditions, but we have restored the R Subway train with a smoother and more reliable ride in a tunnel built to handle future climate risks.” In addition to the Montague Tube, the Greenpoint Tube has undergone Fix&Fortify work and returned to service September 2, 2014. NYCT is currently working on the Steinway, Cranberr y, 53rd Street and Joralemon Tubes, which represent a combined $332.1-million investment. Work to fix the remaining three tubes to suffer storm damage is currently in the design phase. NYCT says work will begin on those tubes after careful coordination with other major capital projects and service plans. www.rtands.com
Genesee & Wyoming focuses on making sure employees get home to their families every night by placing accountability at the regional and local levels. Photo courtesy of G&W.
Living the
safety culture by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor
T
he railroad industr y is ever chang ing. New technolog ies continue to push the limits and ingenuity consistently develops new processes. However, one thing never changes – a constant focus on safety. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. has a reputation for its impeccable safety culture, which is evident through its countless safety awards and continued downward injury frequency rate (IFR) – 1.0 this year. The shortline holding company attributes this safety performance to the result of the company culture being lived by 7,500 people across the organization. Two key aspects of this culture that drive safety performance are: one, safety is first priority and, two, a decentralized operating philosophy that puts decision-making and accountability for safety at the regional and local level. “Success is not just measured in safety,” noted David Brown, chief operating officer. “We focus on the FRAreportable employee IFR per 200,000 hours, obviously, because we want our employees to return home to their loved ones each day. But the attention to detail necessary to eliminate injuries translates to every aspect of operations and results in efficient, well-run railroads. So, it’s key to our railroads’ overall performance, not just our safety performance.” Awareness is a large part of G&W’s successful safety strategy including internal training and public outreach programs. One program the company says has made a
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December 2015
difference started in 2007 when G&W went outside the rail industry to DuPont, a leader in safety best practices, and instituted its safety training for G&W railroads. The focus is on relentless elimination of unsafe behaviors and unsafe conditions. If an employee sees something, he or she is expected – obligated – to speak up and correct it on the spot. More than 1,000 people across G&W have attended the training and brought its methods back to their railroads. G&W participates in Operation Lifesaver™, a national, nonprofit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highwayrail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way. Just this year, employee volunteers from G&W railroads have given 478 Operation Lifesaver presentations to nearly 63,000 schoolchildren, school bus and truck drivers, law enforcement personnel, first responders and other individuals to discuss the importance of rail-crossing safety. “Our people live in the same communities they serve and these efforts might save one of their neighbor’s lives,” explained Brown. Tyrone James, senior vice president, safety and compliance, says there’s a safety component to everything they do. “Every company meeting starts with safety,” James said. “In the field, rules compliance is a condition of employment and people look out for each other’s safety. We provide the training, the rules, the resources, tools and equipment and the leadership that all make clear to people that safety
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LIVING THE SAFETY CULTURE
comes first.” There has been a notable decrease in incidents, injuries and derailments for G&W since 2007. James says this all began when Jack Hellmann became chief executive officer and committed to achieving a lower IFR than the Class 1 railroads, which many thought was impossible given the switching-intensive nature of shortlines, with people on and off equipment much more frequently than on longerhaul railroads. “Well, we’re now in our seventh consecutive year with a combined IFR that’s lower than any Class 1 railroad,” James explained. G&W’s motto “Zero Injuries – Our Goal Every Day” is not just a slogan, it’s a belief system. Brown says employees really believe achieving zero is possible. There are many G&W railroads that have already accomplished that – some for many years consecutively. “This represents the heartfelt belief that through hard work, attention to detail and being our brother’s keeper, all of our roads can prevent every injury and accident every day,” noted Brown. “We are also investing in our properties, investing in our people through improved training and careful attention to behaviors with a positive approach to corrective action and always seeking out best practices internationally. G&W is unique in that we have an international perspective. Therefore, we have exposure to other cultures and can learn from them and adopt best practices internationally regardless of the origin.” The focus this year is on integrating G&W’s acquisition of the Freightliner Group in Europe and Australia, which added 2,500 new employees. “It’s an excellent cultural fit and they’re embracing our safety methodology,” explained Brown. In 2006, the combined IFR of G&W railroads was about 2.0 and was improved to 0.5 in 2010. In 2013, when it doubled the size of its North American operations with the acquisition of RailAmerica, the IFR of the RailAmerica
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December 2015
railroads was about 1.8 and Freightliner’s is currently at about 2.0. “So, we’ve successfully integrated this number of people before and we see every indication that Freightliner’s safety performance will soon match that of the other G&W railroads,” Brown noted. Through October, the combined IFR of G&W railroads, including Freightliner, is about 1.0, which is on par with the Class 1 average. Excluding Freightliner, G&W is at 0.6, which is safer than any Class 1, Brown explains. About 90 percent of G&W railroads are injury-free each year and a couple have won the Jake with Distinction Award for 17 consecutive years. The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) recognized a record 82 G&W railroads with the Jake Award With Distinction in 2014, which is presented to member railroads who complete the year with perfect safety records. Additionally, G&W railroads won the E.H. Harriman Gold Award for their man-hour categories in the past few years that it was presented. Additionally, Kevin Sheffield of G&W’s South Buffalo Railway is the only shortline employee ever to receive the Harold F. Hammond Award recognizing outstanding individual safety achievement. Notably, James was ASLRRA Safety Professional of the Year in 2012; Susie Klinger of G&W’s Tomahawk Railway was ASLRRA Safety Person of the Year in 2013 and Mike Lundell, G&W vice president of compliance and safety, was last year’s ASLRRA Safety Professional of the Year. “Among the most important outside recognition is from our customers around the world,” Brown noted. “In our biennial customer-satisfaction surveys, customers rated ‘Employee commitment to safety’ as our number-one attribute in every survey to date. Awards are wonderful recognition of our performance, but the point is always continuous improvement. As Tyrone is known for saying, ‘Safety is never fixed’ and our real goal is to become an injury-free organization.”
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AREMA NEWS Professional Development Seminars
Message from the President
Participation is key
Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering February 23-25 Fort Worth, TX
track alignment design February 29-March 1 Fort Worth, TX
Brian A. Lindamood, PE AREMA President 2015-2016
Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering April 2016 Las Vegas, NV
Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering July 2016 Toronto, Canada
Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering August 26-28 Orlando, FL
Please visit www.arema.org to find out more information about these seminars or contact Desirée Knight at dknight@arema.org.
34 Railway Track & Structures
December 2015
I was fortunate enough to represent AREMA at the 97th Annual Railway Tie Association (RTA) Symposium and Technical Conference in Tucson, Ariz., this fall. The conference was excellent, with many great presentations regarding scientific testing, the state of the tie industry, as well as the railway industry. AREMA has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with RTA and we look forward to continuing that rapport well into the future. While I was there, I took the time to stop into AREMA’s Committee 30 Ties, meeting. With many of the committee members already present at the RTA event, the technical committee took advantage of the location. This is a frequent occurrence. Just as a railway is the sum of its parts, AREMA’s Manual for Railway Engineering and the Communications and Signals Manual are maintained by 31 different technical committees covering a wide variety of subjects related to the planning, design and maintenance of railroads and railway facilities. Many committees hold their meetings in conjunction with other events, which typically draws a substantial portion of their membership (e.g. Committee 18 - Light Density & Short Line Railways, usually meets at American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association events and several of the passenger and transit committees meet in conjunction with the American Public Transportation Association’s [APTA’s] annual conference). These relationships are not limited to the people who belong to multiple organizations. Our publications rely heavily on standards and practices developed and codified by others including ASTM International, American Institute of Steel Construction, American Welding Society and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, to name only a few. By incorporating others’ standards where appropriate, AREMA saves substantial time and expense in developing recommended practice for the railway industry. Further, it helps ensure that the resources we recommend to be employed in the railway industry are generally available, saving the specialty items for areas where they are specifically needed. The relationships AREMA maintains, either formally through AREMA’s headquarters, or informally through our membership, are critical to the health of the organization. As we develop recommended practices and training materials for the industry, we must constantly weigh current practice with new technologies, new regulations and the practices and standards of other industries to keep material current. Having open and direct lines of communication with other organizations allows AREMA, as a body, to confer with the industry on technical issues and evaluate changes both present and anticipated, to help move the industry forward. Your membership and participation are important to AREMA, but it is also important to participate in other related organizations of interest if you are able. Whether it is APTA, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, or others, the experience of being involved in these other organizations provides perspective in your work, but as you participate in AREMA, you bring that experience and perspective to this organization. I would www.rtands.com
Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA Committee Meetings can be found online at http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.
Upcoming Committee Meetings Jan. 7
Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Construction
Hollywood, FL
Feb. 24-25
Committee 7 - Timber Structures
Las Vegas, NV
Jan. 21-22
Committee 8 - Concrete Structures & Foundations
New Orleans, LA
Feb. 25-27
Committee 24 - Education & Training
Fort Worth, TX
Feb. 2-3
Committee 15 - Steel Structures
San Antonio, TX
March 8-10 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment
San Antonio, TX
Feb. 4
Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures
March 8-9
Jacksonville, FL
Spring, TX
Committee 39 - Positive Train Control
argue that the ability to contrast AREMA and our recommended practice with other organizations, which may not directly involve the railway industry, is just as valuable as intricate technical knowledge of specific subject matter. If other industries which draw upon the same resources are moving to or away from certain practices or recommendations, the technical committees need to know it. AREMA may not elect to change our recommended practices, but it is important to know how and why others are changing such that we can make an informed decision. As this article arrives in your mailbox, the industry will soon be convening in San Diego, Calif., for the 2016 NRC Annual Conference and NRCREMSA Exhibition. I will be there not only representing AREMA and continuing the great relationship our organizations have enjoyed for years, but to learn and confer with other industry personnel on issues that are important to the railroad to which I work. I hope you have the opportunity to attend this excellent event, as well.
Call for Mentors As the years pass, it becomes more vital to introduce and educate the next generation about the railroad industry. To aid in this cause, AREMA has developed a mentoring program to benefit the AREMA student members. We would like to extend an invitation to industry professionals to influence the next generation. As part of the mentoring program, you will be paired with a mentee that is an AREMA student member. The pairing will try to match student members with someone with experience in the areas of the railroad industry they are interested in. Please visit the AREMA website under Education & Training to become a mentor today.
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. http://www.careers.arema.org.
Not an AREMA Member? Join today at www.arema.org www.rtands.com
FYI…
Happy Holidays. AREMA would like to wish you and your family a very happy and safe holiday season. Now available: 2016 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices. Please visit www.arema.org or contact Morgan Bruins at 301.459.3200, ext. 711, or mbruins@arema.org to place an order. Call for entries for the 2016 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence. The selection process for the eighteenth W. W. Hay Award has begun. Entries must be submitted by May 27, 2016. Please visit www.arema.org for more information. Book your 2016 AREMA exhibit booth now for the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition in Orlando, FL, August 28-31, 2016. For more information and to book your exposition space, please contact Christy Thomas at cthomas@arema.org. AREMA website advertising... Want to be listed on the AREMA website to gain exposure from the more than 6,80 0 AREMA member s? Contact Lindsay Hamilton at 301.459.3200, ext. 705, or lhamilton@arema.org to get advertising rates. AREMA on social media... S t a y up-to-date on the most recent AREMA information through all official social media outlets. Become a fan of the AREMA Facebook Page and join the AREMA LinkedIn Group. Railway Track & Structures
December 2015 35
AREMA NEWS
Getting to know Gary Gaumer Each month, AREMA features one of our committee chairs. We are pleased to announce that the December featured chair is Gary Gaumer, chair of Team 43 - Signals Maintenance Steering Team. AREMA: Why did you decide to choose a career in railway engineering? Gaumer: I always liked working outside and the work is ever changing and challenging on a daily basis given the environment we operate in. AREMA: How did you get started? Gaumer: I started in the track department in 1974 after talking with the local depot agent in southern Iowa about a job, was interviewed and went to work the following week. After that, I transferred to the Signal Department the following year and have remained there ever since. AREMA: How did you get involved in AREMA and your committee? Gaumer: I have been a member of AREMA for several years and got involved with the signal maintenance committee chair position when the committee was restarted after being inactive for years. AREMA: Outside of your job and the hard work you put into AREMA, what are your hobbies? Gaumer: Boating, fishing and woodworking projects, along with attending the grandchildren’s activities. AREMA: Tell us about your family. Gaumer: My wife Sue and I have four children and six grandchildren with another due to arrive in January. AREMA: What advice would you give to someone who is
Student chapter highlight: North Carolina State University
When was this AREMA Student Chapter established? NC State’s AREMA chapter was chartered on November 12, 2013. How many members does this student chapter currently have? Our chapter currently stands at 11 members. Who is your chapter president? The duties of president are currently shared between Caroline Bojarski and Thomas Rickabaugh. Has this student chapter had any recent exciting events occur that you would like to share with the readers of RT&S? It has been a busy semester. On September 22, four members visited and toured Norfolk Southern’s Charlotte Intermodal facility. A few weeks later, on October 4,
36 Railway Track & Structures
Gary Gaumer Chair, Team 43 Signals Maintenance Steering Team Director Signal BNSF Railway
trying to pursue a career in the railway industry? Gaumer: Find out all you can about the industry prior to going to work. This will help when you make your choice of the department within the railway you would like to pursue.
the chapter flew to Minneapolis, Minn., for the AREMA Conference and 2015 Railway Interchange. And most recently, Amtrak’s President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Boardman visited NC State on October 15 to speak with professors and present on campus. Additionally, last April, as part of NC State’s railroad engineering class, members of the AREMA chapter visited Norfolk Southern’s Linwood Hump Yard. We are very thankful to have had so many opportunities. Do you have any upcoming events you would like to share? Yes. On November 16, Randy Bowman of Norfolk Southern will visit NC State and give a presentation to our AREMA chapter. We are very excited for an NC State Alum and AREMA past president, to spend time with us.
December 2015
Four of NC State’s AREMA members traveled to Railway Interchange 2015 in Minneapolis, MN. The Milwaukee Road #261 steam locomotive was on display at the live outdoor exhibit and served as a reminder of how far the industry has progressed. Thomas Rickabaugh and Margaret Ray (left) and David Miller and Caroline Bojarski (right).
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Call for nominations Notice to all members of AREMA
AREMA Publications 2016 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices
©
The 2015-2016 Nominating Committee, under the chairmanship of Immediate Past President Randy Bowman, hereby solicits suggestions and recommendations of candidates to serve on the Functional Group Board of Directors of AREMA in the following positions:
2014 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans ©
Now available The Communications & Signals Manual is a manual of recommended practices written by AREMA technical committees in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety or efficiency and economy. The Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices is an annual publication released every October. Downloadable Sections Available Online.
2015 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: • Track • Structures • Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems Management. The Manual is an annual publication, released every April. It is available in a multi-volume loose-leaf format, CD-ROM, revision set (loose-leaf only) and individual chapters (downloadable format). Downloadable Chapters Available Online.
The Portfolio of Trackwork Plans consists of plans and specifications that relate to the design, details, materials and workmanship for switches, frogs, turnouts and crossovers, crossings, rails and other special trackwork. This is a companion volume to the Manual for Railway Engineering.
AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook ©
The AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook provides a comprehensive source of information and criteria for bridge inspections for engineers engaged in the assessment of railway bridges. This handbook is published as a guide to establishing policies and practices relative to bridge inspection. It covers such topics as confined spaces, site conditions, loads & forces, nomenclature, bridge decks, timber, concrete & steel bridges, movable bridges, tunnel and culvert inspections, and emergency & postearthquake inspections. Also included are many color photographed examples in several chapters, as well as a glossary in the back of the book.
Practical Guide to Railway Engineering
All must be members of AREMA in good standing. * (1) Senior vice president : oneyear term Must be a current or past member of the AREMA Board of Directors and must be employed by a railway or transit company. * (4) Functional group vice presidents: two-year term (Track, Maintenance, Passenger & Transit and C&S) Must be current or past members of the AREMA Board of Directors. Nominating recommendation should be submitted via letter or fax and should include all documentation to substantiate the recommendation. This must be signed by the member making the recommendation. Deadline for Receipt of Recommendations is January 31, 2016. The Nominating Committee will consider all recommendations. Submission of a recommendation should not be construed as affirmative committee action on that recommendation.
©
Reflections on a Half Century of Railway Engineering and Some Related Subjects ©
Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE
To see a complete list of available publications and to order, please visit www.arema.org or contact Morgan Bruins at +1.301.459.3200, ext. 711, or mbruins@arema.org.
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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.)
Please fax or mail to: Randy L. Bowman Nominating Committee Chair AREMA 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 130 Lanham, MD 20706 USA FAX +1.301.459.8077
Railway Track & Structures
December 2015 37
38 Railway Track & Structures
December 2015
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CALENDAR JANUARY 6-9. NRC Annual Conference & NRC-REMSA Exhibition. Hotel Del Coronado. San Diego, Calif. Contact: Matt Bell. Phone: 202-715-1264. E-mail: mbell@nrcma.org. Website: www.nrcma.org. 10-14. Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting. Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Washington, D.C. Phone: 202-334-3504. Website: www.trb.org. 12. Western Railway Club Meeting. Union League Club of Chicago. Phone: 847-877-1514. E-mail: info@westernrailwayclub.com. Website: www. westernrailwayclub.com. 21-22. 12th Annual Southwestern Rail Conference. Magnolia Hotel. Dallas, Texas. Website: www. texasrailadvocates.org/events. MARCH 1. Fundamentals of Railway Bridge Engineering and Management. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd.engr.wisc.edu. Website: https://epd.wisc.edu/courses/. 3. Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. Renaissance Washington. Washington, D.C. Contact: Kathy Cassidy. Phone: 202-585-3443. E-mail: kcassidy@aslrra.org. Website: www.aslrra.org. 7. Introduction to Railroad Engineering and Operations. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-4620876. E-mail: peterson@epd.engr.wisc.edu. Website: https://epd.wisc.edu/courses/. 14-18. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards. Chattanooga, Tenn. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865974-5255. Website: http://ctr.utk.edu/CTRrailcourses/ index.html. 15. Western Railway Club Meeting/Railroader of the Year. Union League Club of Chicago. Phone: 847-8771514. E-mail: info@westernrailwayclub.com. Website: www.westernrailwayclub.com. APRIL: 3-6. ASLRRA 2016 Connections Convention. Gaylord National Harbor. National Harbor, Md., (Washington, D.C.) Website: http://www.aslrra.org. 12-15. 2016 Joint Rail Conference. Columbia Marriott. Columbia, S.C. Contact: Mary Jakubowski. Phone: 212591-7637. E-mail: jakubowskim@asme.org. Website: https://www.asme.org/events/joint-rail-conference/. 13. Fundamentals of Traction Power Systems and Overhead Contact Systems. Contact: Dave Peterson. Phone: 800-462-0876. E-mail: peterson@epd.engr. wisc.edu. Website: https://epd.wisc.edu/courses/. www.rtands.com
Railway Track & Structures
December 2015 39
PRODUCTS
Aggregate delivery system
Herzog Railroad Services, Inc., released its Automated Conveyor Train (A.C.T.), its new aggregate delivery system. The 30-car consist has a 97-ton material capacity per car and can distribute various types of aggregate in curves of up to 13 degrees and super-elevation of up to five inches. Herzog Railroad Services says the A.C.T. can offload up to five-inch stone, mainline ballast, walking ballast and sand. The company says a fully-loaded A.C.T. with a 2,910-ton total capacity can be unloaded in 90 minutes.The A.C.T. has an automated plow on the front of the discharge car that allows for striking off of material that is off-loaded directly in front of the machine. The machine can discharge up to 2,000 tons of aggregate per hour via a 35-foot belt that is capable of delivering material at a 90-degree angle from the track and 50 feet from track center. The machine is also built to Plate C specifications. Phone: (816) 233-9002.
Anchor adjuster
Harsco Rail launched its Drone Anchor Adjuster machine for 2016. The continuous action machine is designed to automatically and safely travel on rail, while continuously adjusting the positional relationship of the rail’s anchors to the ties. The Drone Anchor Adjuster squeezes all four anchors on each tie and is used for out of face anchor squeezing. The adjuster can be pre-set to squeeze at every tie or every other tie and has a production rate of 21 ties per minute or more. Harsco says it has successfully tested the Drone Anchor Adjuster on three Class 1 railroads and notes it is the second drone maintenance-of-way piece that Harsco Rail has developed. Phone: (803) 822 9160. 40 Railway Track & Structures
December 2015
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Ad Index Company
Phone #
Fax#
e-mail address
Page #
Airtec International Ltd.
+44 141 552 5591
+44 141 552 5064
airtec@intl.co.uk
20
AREMA Marketing Department
301-459-3200
301-459-8077
marketing@arema.org
Cover 3
Auto Truck Group
816-412-2131
816-412-2191
eschoenfeld@autotruck.com
29
Construction Polymers Technologies, LLC
440-591-9018
866-814-1961
russell@constructionpolymerstech.com
26
Contech Engineered Solutions LLC
800-338-1122
513-645-7000
info@conteches.com
4
R. J. Corman Railroad Group
800-611-7245
859-885-7804
www.rjcorman.com
31
Custom Truck & Equipment
816-241-4888
816-241-3710
bboehm@cte-equipment.com
32
Danella Rental Systems, Inc.
610-828-6200
610-828-2260
pbarents@danella.com
17
Delta Railroad Construction, Inc.
440-994-2997
440-992-1311
info@deltarr.com
27
Gage Bilt, Inc.
586-226-1500
586-226-1505
kyle.lang@gagebilt.com
19
Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.
512-869-1542 ext.5292
512-863-0405
bachman@georgetownrail.com
Cover 4
Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.
866-245-3745
800-309-3299
info@trak-star.com
6
Moley Magnetics, Inc.
844-M-MAGNET (844-662-4638) 716-434-5893
sales@moleymagneticsinc.com
28
Neel Company, The
703-913-7858
703-913-7859
jlewis@neelco.com
7
NMC Railway Systems
866-662-7799
402-891-7745
info@nmcrail.com
24
Nordco Inc.
414-766-2180
414-766-2379
info@nordco.com
2, 23
North American Rail Products Inc.
604-946-7272
888-692-1150
cerhart@narailproducts.com
20
NRC
202-715-2920
202-318-0867
info@nrcma.org
10 8
PortaCo, Inc.
218-236-0223
218-233-5281
info@portaco.com
Progress Rail Services Corp.
913-345-4807
913-345-4818
jstout@amstedrps.com
5
Racine Railroad Products, Inc.
262-637-9681
262-637-9069
custserv@racinerailroad.com
21
RAILCET
866-724-5238
217-522-6588
grif1020@yahoo.com
22
Rail Construction Equipment Co.
866-472-4510
630-355-7173
dennishanke@rcequip.com
9 16
Railtech Matweld, Inc.
270-444-0085 ext.200
270-443-6180
ahellkamp@matweld.com
Railway Educational Bureau, The
402-346-4300
402-346-1783
bbrundige@sb-reb.com
39, 40
RailWorks Corp.
866-905-7245
952-469-1926
jrhansen@railworks.com
25
Willamette Valley Company
541-484-9621
541-284-2096
03alishab@wilvaco.com
Cover 2
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) 633-1165 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 Jerome Marullo (212) 620-7260 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1863 New York, NY 10014 jmarullo@sbpub.com AL, AR, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX Marc Condon (312) 683-5021 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 mcondon@sbpub.com
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AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada -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
Louise Cooper International Sales Manager 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 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
Responsible for advertisement sales in all parts of the world, except Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, Japan, and North America.
Julie Richardson International Sales Manager Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416368 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom jr@railjournal.co.uk
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
Suite N2, The Priory, Syresham Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3LB, UK
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
December 2015 41
Professional Directory
NEW & USED EQUIPMENT
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Grapple Trucks Magnets & Self Propelled
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Section Trucks Telescoping & Articulating Cranes
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and many more truck configurations...
4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 100 ton Automated/Manual Ballast Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com
42 Railway Track & Structures
Track Maintenance Trucks
877-888-9370
ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL
December 2015
www.rtands.com RT&S2013revAd.indd 1
2/12/13 2:57 PM
Elevated Platform Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter
NEW & USED EQUIPMENT
Also: ■ Heavy Duty Push Carts ■ Hytracker, Stone Cars, Pettibone Crew Cab Boom Truck ■ DMF & Fairmont parts, Est. 1910 service, installation Phone: 315-455-0100 • Fax: 315-455-6008 • Syracuse, • Please visit our website www.franktartaglia.com IS THERE SUCH NY A THING AS BEING OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER; YES - EST 1910
R. E. L. A. M., INC.
E-Mail: RelamCFE@aol.com Tel: 440-439-7088 Fax: 440-439-9399
EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, SJ, SJ2, Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW REGULATORS, KRIBBER/ADZERS, TIE CRANES, PLATE BROOMS, BRUSH CUTTERS, & SNOW FIGHTERS KBR-850-925-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1050 Kribber/Adzers KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Models CX and SS Spikers Model SP2R Dual Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAIL HEATERS Pettibone Model 445E Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Rail Heaters - Single Sided, Dual Sided, Self-propelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grappleadvertising Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) classified sales representative Craig Wilson 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars phone 212.620.7211 • fax 212.633.1325 • e-mail cwilson@sbpub.com 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts
to advertise contact
P. O. Box 162 • Arcola, IL 61910
M & W Equipment for Sale/Rent
(1) Jackson 6700 Complete Re-build, John Deere power . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE . . . . . . . . . . CALL! 2001 Mark IVDump Tamper, 2004 System V, V4.10, Smart I/O, Laser . . .Hytracker Grapple Truck Rotary 1999 Mark IV Tamper, 2003 System V, V4.10, Surface fit, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . CALL! 1997 Mark IV Tamper, 2003 System V, V4.10, Surface fit, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . CALL! 1995 Mark IV Tamper, 2007 System V, V4.10, Surface fit, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . CALL! (4) 1993 Mark IV Tampers, System V, 4.10, Smart I/O, Surface fit, Laser . . . . . . . . CALL! Remanufactured Mark III ECTR-130G Tamper, four wheel drive, combo clamp . . . . . CALL! (5) 1996 - 1983 Mark III, ECTR-130G Tampers, combo clamp, 4 wheel drive, AC . . . CALL! (2) STM Switch Tampers, no jacks. Enclosed cabs. Nice machines! . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (16) Fairmont Tamper Mark I, II, ES, ES-TDAG, EA, EAS, JRM Tampers available! . . . . CALL! Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter Hirail Service/Maintainers Truck (5) Harsco TR-10/TR-1’s Tie Remover/Inserters, 1998,1996,1991 Models & Older . . CALL! or Enclosed Used Chassies. (2) Kershaw / RTW TieCustom Cranes &Build BridgeNew Cranes. cabs, GM 3-53 engines . . CALL! Hirail Boomdiesel Dump Trucks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (3) Kershaw Model 35-13Also: Tie Plate Sweepers, engines Trucks (3) Nordco Auto-lifts (one newHirail 2008 Mechanics unit!) Hatz diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE! Racine Dual Anchor Spreaders Hirail and Dual Anchor Trucks Adjusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE! Section for moving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (3) Teleweld Rail Heaters Hytracker w/vibrators, self propelled equipment (1) Hudson Speed Swing 441-DCars . . .DMF . . . &. Harsco . . . . . parts, . . . . service . . . . .and . . installation . . . . . . . . CALL! Ballast (1) Nordco model “C” Spike driver with PLC upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (2) Nordco model “C” Spike drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! R A I L R OinA D S E R V I C E S Est. 1910 (All of the above equipment is located Illinois) JER OVERHAUL INC. / NEWMAN MACHINERY Equipment Website: www.newmanmachinery.com EMAIL: Eric Headrick, •eheadrick@jeroverhaul.com Ph: 315-455-0100 • Fax: 315-455-6008 Syracuse, NY • www.franktartaglia.com JER Website: www.jeroverhaul.com SALES & RENTAL Tel# (217) 259-4823 PARTS & SERVICE: Tel# (217) 268-4823 • Fax# (217) 268-4813
LEASE or
BUY
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
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QUADRILL® Rail Scrap Retriever OTM Retriever Tie Plugger Carriers Plate Picker Personnel Carriers Powered Cart Tie Marking Machine Bulk Material Loader Heavy Duty Material Carts Wheel & Axle Assemblies Hitch Pins/Tow Bars Railroad Signs Crossbucks/Switch Targets
Railway Track & Structures
April 2011 49
Turning Opportunities into New Business Get up-to-the-minute business intelligence by subscribing to GlobalRailTenders.com
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Railway Track & Structures
December 2015 43
NEW & USED EQUIPMENT
Authorized Harsco Remanufacturer For Sale
Remanufactured Harsco 6700 SJ2 Switch Production Tampers Equipped with the latest technology, considerably less expensive than new, and full one year warranty. Customer satisfaction guaranteed.
Have an old, worn out 6700 Tamper? We have your solution. Call 620-485-4277 or visit precisionrwy.com for more details.
Want to see some of our work? Scan the QR Code for our YouTube channel.
Remanufactured 6700 sales
On-site training
Equipment leasing
Trade ins accepted
Products and services PARTS • SALES • SERVICE
REESE WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
• Track construction and maintenance • On-track ditching and rotary dump service • On-track tree trimming and brushcutting • Storm and flood cleanup and debris removal • Tie distribution, removal and disposal
K. W. Reese, Inc.
Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236
NEW & USED Grapple Trucks, Roto Dumps, Mechanics Trucks and Pickups.
(717) 328-5211 • fax (717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com
2013, 2014 NRC SAFETY AWARD GOLD MEDAL WINNER
WE ALSO RENT! Call Rob Wiskerchen at 715-897-2619 Toll Free: 888-405-0110 e-mail: rob@wisktrucks.com • www.wisktrucks.com
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!”
44 Railway Track & Structures
December 2015
MARKETPLACE SALES Contact: Jeanine Acquart Ph: 212/620-7211 Fax: 212/633-1165 Email: jacquart@sbpub.com
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
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