August 2013 | www.rtands.com
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
What goes into ideal m/w machinery?
plus
Ballast maintenance Maintenance mirco-planning And also
AREMA News p. 35
Contents August 2013
News
5
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
Features
31
17
Industry Today 5 Supplier News 8 People
Taking full advantage of track posession Tight work windows are a challenge every engineering department deals with and there is software available to manage tasks down to the minute.
22
22
Good ballast means healthy track Well maintained track often means keeping ballast in top shape.
31
What do railroads want in their m/w machines Of all the must-have features incorporated into today’s m/w equipment, the one non-negotiable element is safety.
Departments 12 TTCI R&D 35 Arema News 43 Products 44 Calendar 45 Advertisers Index
A GREX Dump Train. Photo courtesy of Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.
Columns
3
On Track Taking on the constancy of change
11
45 Sales Representatives 46 Professional Directory 47 Classified Advertising
Stories on page 22 and page 31.
NRC Chairman’s Column Rain, rain go away
17
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Railway Track & Structures
August 2013 1
On Track
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
Vol. 109, No. 8 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Brent Laing/Guest Editor 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 George S. Sokulski/Associate Publisher Emeritus Mary Conyers/Production Director Wendy Williams/Creative Director Maureen Cooney/Circulation Director Jane Poterala/Conference Director Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204654), (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, N.Y. 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified individual in the railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/ Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00. BOTH Print & Digital Versions: 1 year Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $24.00; all others $69.00; foreign $120.00; foreign, air mail $220.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $45.00; all others $128.00; foreign $209.00; foreign, air mail $409.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2013. 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 circulation@sbpub.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 10, Omaha, NE 68101-0010.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 10, Omaha, NE 68101-0010.
Taking on the constancy of change
I
was asked to write a guest column piece for Railway Track and Structures by your editor, Mischa, while she was on maternity leave. I was a little perplexed when it came time to put words to paper and thought long and hard about what I would write. As vice president of engineering for a Class 1 railroad, I am more inclined to look at designs, specifications and standards, than write something thoughtprovoking for our industry’s leading trade magazine. I have been in the railway industry for 30 years now and one thing that is constant is the element of change. Longer trains, increased locomotive efficiency and improved track components are just some of the things that have changed since I joined Canadian Pacific as a junior engineer. I remember sitting in a meeting room at our headquarters in Calgary just a few years ago and realized that I was the only person in the room with grey hair. I was the “old guy.” It was a bit of a revelation to me, but my wife already knew my hair was grey. But I had also changed. It is through the industry associations that support the railways that we all get to change and evolve. Suppliers, consultants and contractors must adapt to new demands put on them by the railways and regulators to ensure and enable safe and cost-effective operations. Through interaction at association meetings and conferences, we all begin to understand the demand for new and safer tools and materials to propel our industry forward. But more important than equipment and tools, it is ideas that will transform our business and take our industry to the next level, and ideas come from people. Railways need to encourage our younger staff to get involved and sit on committees and attend industry conferences. To listen and learn from one and other, to influence others with new ideas and approaches to old problems. Our
suppliers, consultants and contractors cannot sit idle on their hind ends and watch the world go by, either; they must listen and be cognizant of what is happening around them. I am encouraged to see young and eager people entering our business looking to make a difference in our industry. Not only in the management ranks, but right down to the frontline employees. It is our job as current leaders within the railways and in the industry to encourage the transfer of knowledge before we move to the siding. With this, we all have an important role to play. While it has taken me a while to come to this realization, we, as the older generation of railroaders, need to encourage, endorse and push our new employees to be good communicators and innovators, not just with their peers, but with their industry counterparts, as well. They need to be active in our industry committees to help shape its future and it is our direct actions now that will either set the industry up for success in the long term, or keep us in a static position. I also know staying put is not the answer to our future needs, we also must look across industry boundaries. Solutions that are common to other industries are sometimes revelations to us in the railways. Technological change is happening at an accelerating rate and we need our people, as well as our suppliers, to look over the fence and see if we can apply some of these changes to the railways. We must be able to translate these changes into benefits for our employees, customers, shareholders and especially in the communities where we operate. I now encourage my team’s support and involvement in our industry’s committees and conferences. I see the importance. I hope you do, as well.
Brent Laing Vice President Engineering Canadian Pacific
Guest editor’s appearance should not be viewed as an endorsement of products, advertisements or opinions found within this issue. www.rtands.com
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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News
The Fort Worth & Western Railroad entered into a five-year agreement with CTC Inc. to maintain the railroad’s grade-crossing warning systems and base radios. J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc., received an on-call contract from the city of Anaheim Department of Public Works for design and construction management services for transportation projects. Messer/Prus/Delta JV was awarded a contract for construction of the Cincinnati streetcar system. Tutor Perini Corporation was awarded a contract by
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Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto presented the the Transport and Communications Infrastructure Investment Program 20132018 on July 15 in which he said that his administration plans to invest Mex$4 billion (US$318 million) in infrastructure projects over the next five years. President Peña Nieto said the program is a plan to improve roads, railways, ports, airports and telecommunications “to consolidate Mexico as a true emerging economic power in the 21st Century.” The program’s aim concerning railways is to restore passenger rail transport and encourage greater use of freight trains. The program calls to reduce travel costs and times, through the construction of infrastructure, which will help improve the speed of the country’s rail systems. There are 12 rail-specific plans under consideration consisting of three passenger, eight freight and one national railway project. Reviving passenger rail seems to be of particular interest to President Peña Nieto, who would like to see restored service along a 36-mile route between Mexico City and Toluca; as well as the 132-mile route
http://en.presidencia.gob.mx
Axion International Holdings, Inc., shipped 500 composite crossties to Calgary Transit for use in crossings.
Mexico announces plan to revitalize transportation infrastructure
between Mexico City and Queretaro and the 184-mile route between Merida and the Riviera Maya, better known as Punta Venado. The president declared that having quality infrastructure in the transport and communications sector is essential to achieving a modern, developed Mexico and crucial to accelerating economic activity and social development. Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Transport Gerardo Ruiz Esparza called freight trains key factors in developing an effective logistics strategy and referenced four bypasses that will be built in urban areas to speed the movement of freight trains.
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INDUSTRY TODAY
CSX Facebook
Norfolk Southern, CSX complete maintenance blitzs on key network sections
Norfolk Southern wrapped up $22.6 million in track, bridge and signal improvements along its major coal line through Pennsylvania’s Monongahela Valley. The annual maintenance blitz along
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the “Mon Line” began with a partial shutdown of train traffic on June 24 before kicking into high gear with a full shutdown on June 29. NS crews labored through intense summer conditions, with some days seeing humid-
ity at nearly 100 percent. Some 400 Norfolk Southern employees from across NS’ 22-state system installed 26,904 ties and 75,000 tons of ballast; laid 13 miles of new rail; resurfaced another 110 miles of rail; added 961 new bridge ties; replaced 22 culverts and cleaned 110 and upgraded 40 road crossings. The crews also replaced a retaining wall and a 140-foot timber bridge with a ballast deck over the Pigeon Creek in Monongahela. “Jobs, both railroad and non-railroad, depend on the vitality of the Mon Line,” said Mike Wheeler, NS’ vice president engineering. “The work completed here will help keep this line safe and help us serve customers efficiently.” CSX also completed a maintenance jamboree in three southeastern states during eight days at the beginning of July. The railroad timed its jamboree to take advantage of historically lighter rail volume during the Fourth of July holiday week. This year, the work focused on key routes between Shelby, Ky., and Spartanburg S.C., and from Bostic to Monroe, N.C. Nearly two-thirds of CSX’s network-wide system production teams, as well as division engineering teams, signal teams and bridge forces were involved in the jamboree. Crews replaced or installed more than 64,000 crossties and 150,000 linear feet of rail, while smoothing and shaping the track roadbed and ballast over 40 track miles, as well as upgraded crossings. Without the eightday effort, the work would have taken 18 weeks to complete. The jamboree is part of CSX’s $2.3 billion capital spend for 2013, designed to help enhance the network in advance of increased demand for freight transportation services – estimated to more than double nationwide by 2040, according to the United States Department of Transportation. “Thanks to our dedicated employees, we’re able to complete an incredible amount of work, while minimizing disruptions to our customers, to keep rail traffic moving safely and reliably,” said Oscar Munoz, executive vice president and chief operating officer. www.rtands.com
INDUSTRY TODAY UP performs $36 million worth of trackwork in three states Union Pacific is performing several million dollars worth of trackwork in Illinois, Iowa and just completed a project in Oregon. UP began nearly $17 million in upgrades on its line between Manlius and Edelstein, Ill., in July. The work, which should be completed in August, includes the installation of nearly 34 miles of new rail, replacing two switches and renewing the surfaces at 37 grade crossings. In Iowa, the railroad will perfor m nearly $10 million in trackwork on its line between Boone and Denison. UP began the work in early July and should be finished by early September with the replacement of 46,500 concrete crossties. The railroad’s line between Nor th Powder and La Grande, Ore., received 15 miles of new rail at a cost of $8.9 million in July. All three projects are par t of UP’s
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Supplier News
planned investment across its network to “improve train operating efficiency, reduce motorist wait times at crossings and enhance safety.” In related news, UP and the Illinois Department of Transportation are performing the next phase of upgrades to Illinois’ high-speed route for future 110 mph passenger service between Chicago and St. Louis. The construction work includes the installation of new premium rail with concrete crossties and ballast; upgrades to bridges, culverts and drainage; signal and wayside equipment installations and upgrades and grade crossing improvements. These infrastructure improvements will allow Union Pacific crews to enable Amtrak to operate service at speeds up to 110 mph, an increase from the current maximum of 79 mph in effect over most of the route.
Amtrak to construct an underground concrete casing beneath the Eastern Rail Yard of the Hudson Yards site in New York City. Pacific Imperial Railroad, Inc., has entered into a construction agreement with Watkins Environmental, Inc., to restore the Desert Line in Southern California. Wabtec Corporation signed a $9-million contract with Herzog Technologies Inc. to provide Positive Train Control equipment and services for North County Transit District (NCTD) in Oceanside, Calif.
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PEOPLE Amtrak named Michael Logue chief safety officer. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen National Vice President Willard Knight is retiring following a 44-year railroad career. Canadian Pacific hired Tony Marquis as its new vice president operations Eastern Region and Robert Johnson as vice president U.S. operations. Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority Board of Directors appointed Santa Monica Mayor and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Member Pam O’Connor to chair. Georgetown Rail Equipment Company hired Walt Bleser, PE, as director of railway asset management. Holland L.P. promoted Russ Gehl to North American sales manager maintenance of way. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors appointed city of Lakewood Councilmember Diane DuBois to chair. James Smith, Jr., was appointed secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation. Robert Smith was named administrator for the Maryland Transit Administration. Thomas Prendergast has been named chairman and chief executive officer of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Regional Transportation Authority in Chicago hired Susan Bisno Massel as director of communications and public affairs. Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., named George Furnanz president. Stantec hired Peter Josefchak as heavy rail lead for the U.S. Midwest. Strategic Rail Finance has hired Morris Levin as senior financial analyst. SYSTRA hired Anthony Lee, AICP, as planning and environmental manager and Wes Coates as vice president, sector manager, planning and operations analysis. TranSystems hired Sam Mansour, PE, as senior vice president and client manager for the company’s passenger and freight rail practice areas. Watco Mechanical Services promoted Marty Riedlinger to vice president of marketing and sales; Watco Companies, LLC, appointed Matt McKenzie to executive vice president and chief financial officer. Obituary New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Senior Advisor to the Chairman Susan Kupferman passed away the morning of June 26. 8 Railway Track & Structures
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INDUSTRY TODAY Transit update: CATS, RTD, MTA projects advance; Dulles line needs more time Federal and local officials gathered to celebrate the start of construction on the 9.3-mile LYNX Blue Line extension from downtown Charlotte, N.C., to the University of North Carolina Charlotte campus. The new extension, which is expected to be completed in 2017, will double the length of the existing light-rail system and is being funded by a Federal Transit Administration New Starts grant, as well as state and local funding. Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) officials said the extension will add service along what will become an 18.6-mile light-rail corridor in Northeast Charlotte and will help to reduce congestion along Interstate 85 and US Route 29, where commercial and residential growth is expected to continue.
Maryland Purple Line gets boost Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has allocated nearly $650 million in transpor tation investments for Prince George’s County, including $280 million for design work and land acquisition
for the proposed Purple Line light-rail transit project. The funds will be used to complete right-of-way acquisition and final design for the Purple Line, a proposed 16-mile light-rail line from Bethesda to New Carrollton.
Silver Line delayed The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), in conjunction with Dulles Transit Partners, said expected substantial completion of Phase 1 of the Metrorail Silver Line project will be delayed by approximately eight weeks. MWAA said further testing is needed to assure the safety and performance of the systems and equipment before it is transferred to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. In a presentation to the MWAA Board of Directors at its monthly board meeting, officials of Dulles Transit Partners explained that the eight-week estimate is based on what is currently known and might be adjusted. Project managers said additional tests will help them formulate a more specific assessment, which will be announced at the authority’s September board meeting. Rail installed in Denver The Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) contractor for the East Rail Line, Denver Transit Partners, installed the first track toward Denver International Airport (DIA) along Peña Boulevard on July 17. This work is part of the construction of the RTD FasTracks East Rail Line between downtown Denver and DIA. www.rtands.com
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NRC inaugural scholarships available The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) has made two, $2,000 scholarships available for tuition assistance to children or grandchildren of NRC members. To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must be a son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter of a current employee of an NRC member company and be enrolled at the time of application as a full-time college student at an accredited twoyear college offering an associate’s degree or an accredited college or university offering a bachelor’s degree. The NRC Scholarship Committee is accepting applications through August 30, 2013, for consideration for the following academic term. Please visit www.nrcma.org for more information.
Correction :
On page 38 of RT&S July 2013, the photo above carried an incorrect caption. The photo shows Progress Rail Services’ vertical switch.
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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN
Rain, rain, go away
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 NRC Board of Directors held a special joint board of directors meeting with the board of the Railway EngineeringMaintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) in Banff, AB, Canada, about 80 miles west of Calgary, this past June. I would like to thank the chairman of the REMSA Board, John Fox of NARSTCO, for making our Canadian trip a reality. The NRC board worked through our agenda with detailed discussions on grassroots political events, legislative strategies, conference planning, our new NRC scholarship, safety practices and regulations and membership growth. In addition, I would like to extend a special thank you to our railroader guests who attended this meeting and participated in productive discussions about how contractors and suppliers can best help railroads accomplish their daily missions: Brent Laing of Canadian Pacific, Dale Ophardt of CSX, Jim Carter of Norfolk Southern, Scott Linn and Ryan Ratledge of Genesee & Wyoming, Ken Koff of OmniTrax and Joe Smack of Amtrak. The time spent with our colleagues from REMSA and our railroader guests was very informative and enjoyable. In fact, Mother Nature noted what a great time we were having in Canada and didn’t want us to leave. While we were in Banff, historically heavy rains in Calgary and the mountains to the west of Calgary caused epic flooding in all of Southern Alberta. Our planned trip from Banff to Calgary was rendered impossible when the flooding washed out the CP track and washed out the main Highway 1 to Canada (the TransCanada Highway) and also washed out the two alternative highway routes to Calgary. Our group eventually re-routed about 300 miles west of Banff, over the Continental Divide, to the lovely town of Kamloops in British Columbia, where people could eventually catch flights home.
Luckily, the bus trip west provided spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies, including a few good looks at CP’s famous spiral tunnels in Yoho National Park, a rail engineering and construction marvel that still astonishes today. And, in an industry full of executives who have made a living by being flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, it wasn’t surprising that the group rolled with the punches admirably and made the best of a challenging travel situation. Now that we’re back on dry land in the good ‘ol USA, I hope to see everyone at the AREMA/REMSA/RSI/RSSI Railway Interchange Conference, September 29 October 2, in Indianapolis, Ind. Finally, don’t forget to save the date: the 2014 NRC Conference will be held at J.W. Marriott in Palm Desert, Calif., from Sunday, January 5, 2014, through Wednesday, January 8, 2014. Updated information is available at www.nrcma.org/go/conference, you can now register online at www.nrcma.org/form3.cfm and you can book your hotel room at the J.W. Marriott Desert Springs by calling the resort at 877-622-3140 and mention that you are with the “NRC Conference” or go online to https://resweb.passkey.com/go/nrcma2014. At the conference, we’ll have senior engineering and procurement executives from the major freight railroads, commuter railroads and rail transit agencies presenting the details of their organization’s upcoming capital investment plans. And, given that it’s in Palm Springs in January, we’ll try to leave a few minutes here and there for attendees to get outside and enjoy the weather too. Until next time, work safe and keep those around you working safe. by Terry Benton, NRC Chairman
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TTCI R&D Remediation of:
Track substructure problems under heavy-axle-loads by Colin Basye, principal investigator and Dingqing Li, scientist, TTCI
TTCI scientists evaluate track substructure problems in HAL environment.
T
ransportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), is investigating the effectiveness of a remedial method to address a track substructure (ballast, sub-ballast and subgrade) instability problem in a heavyaxle-load (HAL) revenue service environment. A revenue service site in the eastern United States has been experiencing ongoing embankment stability problems and related track instability. Figure 1: NS line near Captina, Ohio.
A section of track approximately 700 feet long has exhibited chronic and excessive deformation, resulting in the need for weekly track maintenance. TTCI, in conjunction with Norfolk Southern (NS), HyGround Engineering and Tensar International Corporation, coordinated a geotechnical remedial effort for this track section. This research was initiated to determine the efficacy of two different technologies to produce more stable track geometry and to reduce track maintenance frequency to acceptable levels.
Site description
One primar y method of coal transpor t from the mines of eastern Ohio to consumers has been by rail and some of these railroad lines are more than 100 years old. When they were built, cut areas in the mountain fronts were transported by hand or mule to fill areas in the valleys, with little compaction effort during placement. Fill materials usually consisted of what was available adjacent to the valley and resulted in variable track suppor t and drainage conditions. NS track personnel observed ongoing problems in maintaining track geometry in a section of track approximately 700 feet long that was built on 20 to 25 feet of fill material sometime near the beginning of the last centur y (see Figure 1). The presence of fine-grained soils in 12 Railway Track & Structures
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the fill material and wet subgrade conditions caused primarily by seasonal precipitation and a shallow perched water table beneath the area has resulted in the need for weekly track maintenance. Ongoing placement of ballast needed to maintain track elevation and geometry has resulted in the formation of ballast pockets up to seven feet thick in two areas located approximately 450 feet apart, with moderately thickened ballast profiles in other areas. The added weight and downward migration of the ballast, combined with the higher hydraulic permeability of the ballast relative to the surrounding lean clay soils, has created a bathtub effect on the accumulated water in the embankment. The saturated clay soils in the embankment exhibit lowered shear strength, resulting in outward deformation of the embankment under dynamic train loading.
Investigation and recommended methods
Test engineers used ground penetrating radar (GPR) to characterize this section of track in order to map out highmoisture zones and ballast pockets. TTCI’s Track Loading Vehicle (TLV) was also used to characterize subgrade stiffness and perform cone penetrometer tests (CPT). TTCI analyzed the results of the GPR and TLV testing to help determine the root causes of the problems and to determine a proper remediation. Figure 2 shows ballast
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Figure 2: TLV Cone Penetrometer results, showing ballast thickness.
pocket locations and thick ballast sections in the study area in terms of TLV/CPT tests conducted. Based on the results of the field investigation, TTCI and HyGround recommended two methods for concurrent implementation to correct the problems, placement of a
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TTCI R&D
Figure 3, above: Contrast in forces produced in nonsupported ballast versus ballast with a layer of geogrid. Figure 4: Placement of geogrid on top of sub-ballast.
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multiaxial geogrid layer in the ballast and installation of cross drains at ballast pocket locations. Geogrid installed in ballast provides two potential benefits. It reduces stresses transmitted to the underlying layers and confines movement of ballast particles. Figure 3 illustrates the contrast in forces produced in nonsupported ballast versus ballast that has had a layer of multiaxial geogrid installed. The interlocking effect of the geogrid on the ballast produces a mat-like support layer at depth, spreading the dynamic forces out on the underlying subgrade soils, resulting in improved shear and reduced settlement in the subgrade.
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Figure 5, left: Ballast drain and trench installation. Figure 6: Settlement of clay subgrade is measured by subtracting the measurement to the top of the geogrid from the total measured settlement.
Initial plans were to install geogrid 12 inches below the bottom of ties as part of the ballast undercutting operations. However, actual installation was accomplished by removing the track panel and 12 inches of ballast. Tensar TriAx TX190L geogrid was then installed (Figure 4) and the ballast was replaced, followed by tamping.
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During installation, tell-tales were placed on top of the geogrid for track settlement surveys, as Figure 5 illustrates. These indicators provide long-term settlement results of the sub-layers below the geogrid. Top-of-rail elevation surveys were also performed to monitor longterm track settlement.
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TTCI R&D Ballast drains began functioning immediately with water draining from the pockets, while the remainder of the reconstruction took place (Figure 7).
Preliminary performance and future work
Figure 7: Ballast drain is still functioning one month after installation.
Ballast trenches were dug to install cross drains in the two areas that exhibited the deepest ballast sections. As Figure 6 shows, the trenches were designed to be 30 inches wide, with an elevation of at least six inches below the bottom of the pocket (located approximately seven feet below top of tie). Trenches were filled with clean ballast after trenches were dug and contact was made with the wet ballast pockets.
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After approximately six months following installation, TTCI has had ongoing discussions of track performance with NS representatives. The track maintenance cycle has been reduced from weekly to only one maintenance event since October 2012. Surveys of track geometry performance continue, although it is evident that poorly compacted fine-grained soils and ballast pocket problems can be remediated on a localized basis. This investigation is part of the HAL Track Substructure Research sponsored by the Association of American Railroads and the Federal Railroad Administration.
Acknowledgements
TTCI wishes to acknowledge the efforts of the following individuals and organizations: Steve Hazel and Ron Holman of Norfolk Southern, Jim Hyslip of HyGround Enginneering, Jayhyun Kwon of Tensar International Corporation and retired TTCI engineer Dave Read.
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An Industrial Engineer’s Dream Job:
Track Maintenance by David Burns, industrial engineering consultant
Software technology helps maintenance planners get the most out of tight work windows.
A
n industrial engineer’s dream or nightmare is maintaining railroad track, it all depends on your perspective. A specific task can require anywhere from one to 30 or more machines, each with a different designed rate of production, which then varies with machine condition, track condition, weather and even the mood of the operator. How do you get this “collection” of machines to work as a team to maximize output and minimize cost? Unlike the North Americans, who selectively maintain track replacing ties and rail only when necessary, Europeans periodically renew track, cascading reusable material to secondary lines. Overall, this reduces long-term possession time for maintenance, which is critical when operating up to 250 trains per-day per-track. A Trans-European passenger train delayed in Italy because of track maintenance can have an impact on train connections in northern Germany. To minimize track maintenance possession and, more importantly, to ensure reliability for clearing the track for the next train, Europeans have developed very comprehensive track maintenance micro-planning software. This type of computer-aided planning has been used for years for management of complex construction projects. Each machine owned by the railroad or contractor is carefully analyzed to determine the standard production rates under various conditions: ties-per-mile being replaced and track location relative to obstructions, such as bridges, restrictions such as embankments and multiple tracks or depth of or condition of ballast being cleaned. For each machine owned, labor requirements and standard capital, maintenance and operating costs are loaded through a series of dialog boxes into the program. The detailed planning is undertaken by entering data into a series of site or operation-specific dialog boxes. These interrogate the planner to ensure that the required data is input. The planner enters the site location and the program downloads the relevant section from digitized track charts or, if those are not available, from a site visit. The work to be undertaken and the process to be used are entered in another dialog box. There are a series of boxes for machines, freight cars, labor, obstructions and restrictions www.rtands.com
that will impede production. The software has a series of prompts making various recommendations. If a specific high-speed tamper is to be used, it recommends the appropriate ballast regulator and dynamic stabilizer. It also recommends the appropriate labor force. This type of software can plan by the day, hour or even minute. The shorter the track possession and the more complex operation, the more that can be gained by shorter time increments of timing. For example, for fast moving gangs such as surfacing, it is important to know exactly when the S & T crew should undertake its tasks. Computerized micro-planning is even more important with variation of track possession as is typical with a freight railroad. The six hour promised possession, with maybe an hours notice, can be reduced to four hours. The roadmaster must reorganize the gang, by inputting the new possession into a laptop and then, almost immediately a new work plan will appear. At the end of the day, the roadmaster plots the shift’s production and can quickly identify problems with the gang or machines. For major operations, such as ballast cleaning or track renewal, some railroads monitor in real time the progress of each major machine so that problems can be quickly identified and measures can be taken to correct or minimize the impact of the problems. With today’s ever-narrowing window for maintenance work, it is critical that the maximum amount of work is done during each track possession. It is reasonable to assume that the use of computer-aided planning will become more important as these work windows shrink. A relatively simple example of micro-planning for a ballast cleaning operation is shown in figure 1 and 2. Using this type of software it is not uncommon to find full track renewal of half a mile of track or more in a 3.5-hour (last train to first train) possession with a 60-man crew. Often, there is only a slow order on track rebuilt that day. The following two pages give an example of what the microplanning software looks like and how to read the data. Railway Track & Structures
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Micro-planning
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micro-planning
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In order to keep track in shape, an aggressive ballast maintenance program is key.
Ballast maintenance by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor
R
ailroads know that ballast maintenance isn’t something you let fall by the wayside. Ballast helps keep track tight and drainage flowing for track to stay in optimal shape. Through heavy R&D programs, suppliers are offering railroads machines that multi-task for those tight work windows.
Balfour Beatty Balfour Beatty Rail, Inc., and its partner, Zetica, offer a suite of geophysical and geotechnical solutions for application within the railroad industry. During the past 12 months, BBRI has enhanced its Railroad Asset Scanning Car (RASC) hi-rail inspection vehicles with the introduction of upgraded GPS systems, stereo and 360-degree cameras, GPR array systems and the very latest in LIDAR scanning technology. “These integrated systems provide greater value for the money and for the time spent on track collecting data,” noted Steve Atherton, manager of technical services. “They improve decision making based on a more holistic measurement and analysis approach. Understanding that the formation has failed in certain areas, or that moisture is ponding in others, can lead to cost-effective remediation and maintenance in a single visit. Included in the analysis are LIDAR information on surface 22 Railway Track & Structures
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profiles (drainage) and high-quality imagery to map assets such as tie type.” Balfour Beatty Rail’s new ZRL200 20D high-speed LIDAR scanning system produces surface profiles of the ballast. This can be compared with customers’ trackbed templates for both tangent and curved track to identify areas of noncompliance. The system also allows detailed structural clearance measurements to be obtained during routine surveys. “Through these technological enhancements and our fleet of RASC inspection vehicles, we are able to offer maintenance engineers and managers a cost-effective and optimized solution for trackbed and asset condition assessment,” explained Atherton. “Our highly-experienced survey crews maximize the speed of data collection and minimize the impact on daily operations.” Balfour Beatty Rail also develops customized data acquisition systems that integrate its GPR with existing third-party track geometry, GRMS and VTI systems. Balfour Beatty Rail and Zetica have many research and development initiatives in progress designed to improve the use of radar technology within the railroad environment. An example of this is the deployment of the next generation of antennas that will further enhance information on the trackbed,
including material types and moisture. “Until now, this had not been fully validated by the industry,” Atherton said. “We continue to invest in upgrades to our test site so we can investigate a wider range of trackbed conditions and surface asset types. We are also assessing new inspection and monitoring technologies.”
BTE/BTI “With ballast maintenance, as with any type of track maintenance, the ability to maneuver has always been an important factor, whether it’s the machine you’re working with or the attachment itself,” explained Matt Weyand, sales engineer at Ballast Tools Equipment Company (BTE). “Backhoe hi-rail systems are becoming increasingly popular because customers want the ability to easily perform on- or off-track tasks with the same piece of equipment.” Keeping that in mind, BTE has a new addition this year, a BTE/CAT 450 Backhoe Hi-Rail package with a nine-foot undercutter, tamper and tie head. This machine has built-in hi-rail for quick, easy movement on- or off-track. Its four-tool tamper tamps difficult spots, such as switches and diamonds and works for off-track undercutter support. The undercutter attachment rotates 180 degrees for full access to either www.rtands.com
Loram’s loader car.
Blasters include lengths of 12-ft., 10-ft., 8-ft. and 6-ft.; the later is designed for use on backhoe loaders. The new Dymax Rail Rider II Hi-Rail System will be revealed at the 2013 Railway Interchange in Indianapolis, Ind. Switzer notes that with the Rider II, “Every maintenance task can be performed, including undercutting and tamping and added features include pulling additional cars with 45 tons of tractive effort at speeds up to 20 mph.”
GREX
side of the track and is specifically designed for use with BTE backhoes. Ballast Tools Inc.’s (BTI) Skeleton Baffle Systems (for ballast regulators) with replaceable wear plates have gone through some significant improvements in the past year. BTI’s wear-resistant plates need only one person to install and eliminate the need for change outs of entire ballast baffle systems. BTI notes that its baffle systems can now last up to four years without needing a replacement. “Customers want to get the most out of what they’ve got,” noted Weyand. “In addition to providing parts with longer wear life, we’re performing machine upgrades on existing equipment. BTE provides undercutter upgrades, installing new high-performance motors that double the cutting speed, providing more torque in the cut. This upgrade also includes replacing the gear box and adding a customized BTI undercutter bar with field-replaceable wear strips. Not only did we make it more powerful, we reduced the need for maintenance, saving valuable time in the process.”
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Dymax DymaxRail’s Ballast Blaster Undercutter product lineup is now expanded to include a 15-foot undercutter with the Spoil Master System (SMS), which is ideal for 30 ton and larger excavators. Features of the bar include patent-pending wear plates, which are reversible and moveable to various locations and the 360-degree rotation of the Ballast Blaster allows the operator to operate in any position either on or off the track. The heavy-duty chain and bi-directional carbide tipped cutting teeth allow the chain to work in both directions. “The patent-pending hydraulic chain tension system keeps the unit working longer because the chain does not get loose when cutting,” noted Allen Switzer, general sales manager. The Dymax SMS has more than a year of field work under its belt and bolts on to the Ballast Blaster like an attachment, does not require a separate engine to operate and performs with rugged toughness, says Switzer. The remaining lineup of Dymax Ballast
Georgetown Rail Equipment’s (GREX) ballast maintenance offerings have undergone recent modifications to fur ther improve reliability and performance. “GREX’s Solaris is an electric over hydraulic kit that converts manually-operated ballast gates into a safe, remotely controlled operation,” explained Lynn Turner, vice president of marketing and sales. “GateSync builds on Solaris kits by providing automated and seamless ballast unloading at speeds up to 10 mph, safely eliminating the need for walking personnel and maximizing short work windows.” Solaris kits experienced recent upgrades to mechanical and electrical hardware aimed at boosting performance and ruggedness. With a Solaris kit, one operator can unload a ballast car’s four or more gates simultaneously using the supplied remote control. These recent enhancements included improved internal hydraulic components, the associated plumbing and redesigned electrical boards, all of which enhance reliability and performance, GREX notes. “We expect these improvements to result in longer life, less maintenance and increased durability,” said Turner. Recent enhancements to GREX’s GateSync include the optional incorporation of BallastSaver and software upgrades for improved accuracy performance. The software upgrades offer improved car-to-
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ballast maintenance GREX consist out to deliver ballast. car signal transmissions, in addition to an enhanced operator interface that displays real-time information to aid in the unloading process. “With the incorporation of BallastSaver, GateSync now provides the most technologically-advanced method of quantifying and delivering ballast,” noted Turner. “Traditional ballast delivery has always been subjective, leaving too much rock in some areas, but delivering too little in others. This new, more sophisticated service, using LIDAR, takes a 3-D survey of the ballast profile along the track and calculates the exact amount of ballast needed in order to conform to a customer’s ideal standard profile.”
Herzog “After many years of research and development, we achieved yet another pinnacle in our Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. (HRSI), patented GPS ballast delivery system,” noted Tim Francis, vice president of marketing. The first was the PLUS train that was capable of high-speed delivery of ballast by GPS to the shoulders of the track. The second was the development of the SMART train, which allowed for high-speed ballast delivery by GPS to the center and shoulders, as well as the ability to monitor the flow of material, therefore reducing the chance of cars becoming off-balance and eliminating skips. SMART train technology also gave us the ability to dump up to 30 cars of ballast per mile on concrete skeletonized track.” Both GPS trains use pre-dump surveys to determine the amount of ballast that will be spread. When there is no GPS available, this process can be lengthy and allows for a certain amount of human subjectivity, says HRSI. The human subjectivity was removed and the ProScan LIDAR truck now scans the surface of the track and determines the appropriate amount of material needed based on the railroad-provided template. HRSI notes that the LIDAR truck increases the speed at which the survey can be completed and provides a more robust survey. The ProScan LIDAR Truck utilizing a P.L.U.S./SMART Train inertial system allowed the pre-dump survey to better match the train’s technology. “This alone was a huge advancement in our ballast delivery system technology,” Francis said. “Our accuracy when dumping is also enhanced with LIDAR surveys, allowing us to reduce the dump zones so the trains can deliver ballast closer to fixed locations.” GPS outages still have the ability to nega24 Railway Track & Structures
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ballast maintenance Top, Balfour Beatty’s RASC car. Plasser American’s URM 700.
Knox Kershaw Knox Kershaw Inc. (KKI) is currently engineering some enhancements to the operating components on its ballast regulators to include touch-screen operation; integrated, programmable joysticks; hydraulic system diagnostics and general machine troubleshooting. These enhancements are expected to improve operator accuracy, decrease operator fatigue and reduce down time in the field due to misdiagnosis of machine issues. Also in the works for next year, KKI ballast regulators will have pre-programmed operations. “KKI now offers service visits for training in operation and maintenance for its machines and other track maintenance equipment,” noted George Pugh, vice president of operations. “The company saw the need to expand upon the training offered under the typical machine warranty because welltrained operators and mechanics in the field greatly improve productivity and extend the life of maintenance machines.” Due to customer requests, KKI is working on a new design for its yard cleaner to improve operational efficiency and transportability. Also, at the request of a transit railroad, KKI developed a brushcutter-only machine (based on the KSF 940 with brushcutter attachment) which has a blade designed to cut through dense brush and small trees. tively impact the trains, notes Francis. Herzog was determined to find a solution so it began research and testing on options to overcome that obstacle. HRSI’s answer was to replace the standard GPS antennas with P.L.U.S./ SMART Train inertial systems similar to what the ProScan LIDAR truck employs. “After thorough analysis, we have elected to move forward and replace the GPS antennas we currently use on all of our trains with P.L.U.S./SMART Train inertial systems,” noted Francis. “This allows the LIDAR technology of our surveys to better complement our GPS trains delivery system. The inertial system allows for us to maintain our ballast dumping accuracy for a longer period of time when the GPS signal is lost.” HRSI was recently requested to survey a tunnel that was more than two miles long. It’s R&D and operations teams were heavily involved in the process and the company says it successfully dumped using the SMART train, on both shoulders and center of the track, using its new P.L.U.S./SMART Train GNSS Inertial System technology. 26 Railway Track & Structures
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Loram Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., offers ballast services that include shoulder ballast cleaning, spot undercutting with the Loram Railvac and track lifting with the Track Lifter Undercutter Series (TLU). The company has expanded features of the TLU, which include track positioning, an improved sledding blade and a tie-pad replacement module. Loram has also added enhancements to its ballast cleaners and Railvacs that improve travel efficiencies and safety. “Loram’s customers continue to spotlight speed, performance and reliability when asking for equipment and services,” explained Scott Diercks, product development manager. “Railroads continue to pursue advancements in machine performance that will optimize productivity. Productivity gains allow our customers to complete more work during a season and reduce costs. In addition, new technologies are beginning to enter the market that assist with assessing and planning work needs. These tools allow our customers to use their budgets in the
most effective and efficient manner.” Loram says railroads are aware of the long-term sustainable benefits through increased budgets for ballast maintenance activities. Diercks says customers are working to maintain their ballast section in a preventative maintenance mode. “Strategically, this allows our customers to cover more of their system rather than only focusing on problematic areas,” he noted. “In addition, it lowers overall costs, increases traffic throughput and provides more return on their investment.” Loram has also seen a trend to coordinate equipment with system work gangs during major track outages. Utilizing work blocks in this fashion allows Loram to provide optimal production and reduce lower overall cost for the customer. Currently, Loram is expanding its fleet of Railvacs for specialty ballast evacuation in areas of tight clearances, such as ballast deck bridges, switch winterization, tunnels and on transit properties. The company notes that its Railvac is designed to work on tough Class 1 railroad conditions, but flexible enough to accommodate transit and commuter railroads. It is designed to apply 5,000 pounds of force, coupled with a rotating nozzle to break up tough material. The machine also features remote joystick controls and nozzle flexibility to reach hard-toreach track structures.
Miner Enterprises Miner Enterprises, Inc., is improving the design performance/life cycle of the linear actuators and electrical systems used in its Miner Electric AggreGate®, a stand-alone electric aggregate system. The electric standalone AggreGate enables independent operation of the car from anywhere within a ballast train, eliminating the need for grouping manual and automatic cars. Miner has been working on ways to simplify the application of the aggregate systems. “We are making these changes to help car builders and car shops streamline the applications and reduce labor costs,” explained Chris Gaydos, manager mechanical engineering. During the past year, Miner has provided twin-cylinder, remote control-operated ballast systems for cars exported to South America. In addition, Miner provided AggreGates to FreightCar America Inc. for a 162-car BNSF build and continues to supply various models for car conversions and ballast car upgrades. Miner AggreGate is available in pry bar manual, push-button or remote-control operations using pneumatic or electric power to operate the gates. www.rtands.com
ballast maintenance Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.’s, ballast dump, before and after.
NMC Railway Systems
Montana Hydraulics Montana Hydraulics provides customers its ballast plow and this year, an additional 54 Bi-Directional Ballast Plows will be added to new ballast car builds for BNSF, for a total of 169 units in service since the plow’s inception. “We are very pleased to produce our innovative ballast plow for the railroads,” stated Della Ehlke, owner of Montana Hydraulics. “We expect more railroad MOW programs will consider our ballast plow in the near future.” Ehlke also notes that the yearly contract to provide ballast delivery field services for a Class 1 railroad continues to grow, as it has since 1998. Up to 16 field operating personnel manage the placement of ballast and riprap, as well as provide maintenance and repair for the specialty MOW units throughout the BNSF system. Montana Hydraulics currently manages more than 1,600 MOW cars for its customers. The company expects to branch out to additional Class 1s in 2014.
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A new introduction into the NMC Railway Systems’ ballast maintenance product line is the spoil system offered on the 10-ft., 12-ft. and 15-ft. undercutter bars. The bi-directional chain with fixed teeth on the spoil system allows for quick touch ups after cutting and eliminates bit replacement. The undercutter bar spoil system allows operators the ability to cut in tight locations with up to 360-degree rotation. This allows for increased maneuverability and productivity while undercutting and lessens the amount of time spent removing ballast in one area. NMC Railway Systems says hi-rail machines allow ease and accessibility to remote track locations and with that, are receiving more requests for this machine type. The 312 or 324 Hi-Rail Excavators allows railroads the advantage of tracking on hi-rail up to 40 miles to remote locations in order to manage ballast projects. In addition, operators can move on- and off-rail without a dedicated crossing or an added machine, which helps to maximize time and increase productivity. “For smaller projects, we have received inquiries on our 420F IT backhoe with a 6-ft. undercutter bar and 360-degree bi-directional chain,” explained Chuck Haskell, sales manager. “This machine is best for quick spot cutting on small sections of track and around track crossings for drainage issues. Our team is continually looking at ways to improve the productivity of railroad gangs on ballast maintenance projects. The increased demand for hi-rail machines has kept us busy and we are improving our product line to meet those demands.”
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Nordco Nordco Inc. is deepening its ballast-related product line with the addition of two new cribbers. The first, a self-propelled, single-operator machine with track travel speeds up to 25 mph, which includes a dual monitor system for viewing of tie positioning and ballast plowing operations. This cribber also includes integrated rail clamps, ballast plows, cribber workheads and tie pushers. “The two monitors allow the operator to see the work area clearly,” noted Dana Michaels, marketing manager. “One monitor shows the tie area, allowing precise positioning of the tie with the tie pushers. The other monitor, which has a split screen format, shows the left and right ballast wings, allowing precise shaping of the ballast area.” The second, a crane-controlled small tie cribber, which expands the use of an existing crane by adding cribbing capabilities. After an adapter kit is installed, the crane then powers and controls the cribbing functions on this portable option. “Nordco has also been steadily deepening its replacement parts services, in particular, developing replacement parts for tampers,” explained Michaels. “We now offer almost a complete line of replacement parts for the Jackson 6700 models, as well as the entire Mark I-IV tamper series. In many cases, we have identified components that fail due to flaws in their original design and we have used that information to develop stronger, more reliable replacement components.” Nordco says railroads are consistently asking for tools that keep their employees safer, while simultaneously increasing productivity. Therefore, Nordco has been fitting more of its equipment with fullyenclosed, extended cabs that protect multiple crew members during work and travel modes.
Plasser American Regular ballast cleaning is one of the mainstays for low maintenance cost of tracks and turnouts and a long service life of the track material, explains Plasser American Corp. “Basically, the working principle of a ballast cleaning machine is always the same: The ballast material is excavated, the material is screened to separate ballast from spoil, the cleaned ballast is returned to the track and the spoil is taken away,” said the company. “However, there is a wide spectrum of operating conditions which influence the choice of the machine best suited for the job. This includes the size of the track network, working with long-term track possessions or short intervals between trains, cleaning in tracks, cleaning plain track, cleaning turnouts and on-track cleaning or cleaning where the tracks or the turnouts have been removed.” Plasser’s new machine, the URM 700, performs continuous-action, rail-mounted ballast bed cleaning on plain track, as well as continuous-action ballast bed cleaning in turnouts, which has been achieved through development and construction. The system also incorporates a screening car and material conveyor and hopper units. “The core component of the URM 700 is its excavating unit in the form of a sword with a horizontally-rotating excavating chain,” the company said. “The excavating width of the sword can be varied infinitely and without manual operation up to a width of 20 feet. There is no preparation work required to dig an entry hole for the guide bar.” It can be used on either side of the machine and is supported on the other end when slewed inwards. The excavating unit works without support only in short transition areas. The excavating depth is variable and the formation slope can be adjusted. Special lifting clamps hold the turnout in position until it is filled with ballast from the slewing conveyor belts. Shoulder excavating units first clear the area at the tie ends. After the return run, the sword is slewed in and the ballast bed material is sent to the shoulder excavatwww.rtands.com
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ballast maintenance Top, NMC Railway Systems 324 High-Rail Excavator with 15-ft. spoil system undercutter bar. Deere 200C using RCE 12-ft. undercutter bar in an off-track process to clean mud out from under the track.
customers. Due to the fast and independent installation and removal of the excavating guide bar, the URM 700 can also work cost-effectively on short sections of track (spot cleaning).”
Progress Rail The Kershaw Division of Progress Rail Services Corp. has recently launched its new Model 4600 Ballast Regulator. This machine addresses many issues that have been discussed with customers during product meetings. The machine is designed utilizing a cab forward design, offering enhanced visibility and improved operator ergonomics. It addresses issues regarding component location and accessibility, making all components easily accessible for maintenance purposes. Progress Rail Services is also active in offering new designs of ballast regulators for the international market, including high-powered machines with hoppers for transferring ballast, sand fighting machines and single-pass ballast regulating machines. Ballast cleaning and ballast reclamation is another area where Kershaw has been actively working with customers. Kershaw recently delivered a new KSC2000 High Speed Shoulder Cleaner that is capable of cleaning the shoulder ballast, screening and spoiling the waste and returning the cleaned ballast back onto the shoulder. “Our equipment leasing subsidiary, Progress Rail Equipment Leasing, also has a full fleet of ballast maintenance equipment that is available for short-term rental or long-term leases,” noted Randy Chubaty, national sales manager. “Progress Rail Equipment Leasing offers customized leases based on each customers need and each lease can be structured to satisfy any requirement.”
RCE
ing unit. If necessary, new ballast can be added to the cleaned ballast. Complete exchange of ballast is also possible. “The URM 700 is a good example of the innovative spirit in our company,” noted Plasser. “New machine models are tested thoroughly under actual worksite conditions before they are handed over to our
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Rail Construction Equipment Co., which offers all of its products through rental, leasing and sales programs, is currently building a larger hi-rail excavator with a bigger undercutting bar. The larger machine will have more hydraulic power to perform more efficiently in hard conditions and the longer bar will be beneficial for switch undercutting. Dennis Hanke, sales manager, says the company has received requests for greater versatility for switch undercutting, which has resulted in RCE developing this larger machine.
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Every railroad has a different ideal when it comes to machinery, but safety, reliability and ease of use are common factors found on every wish list .
Equipment that is easy to operate and easy to maintain can help gangs, such as Norfolk Southern’s TS-8, maintain a consistant level of production.
compiled by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
the railroads’
ideal m/w machine
T
he ideal maintenance-of-way machine may exist for some railroads, but it may still be “in the works” for others. When it comes to m/w equipment, safety remains the top feature required of the railroads, followed by ease of use, rate of production and ease of maintenance. RT&S surveyed the Engineering Departments from North America’s Class 1 railroads. Their answers show what those departments need and expect out of their machinery and what they would like to see in future equipment incarnations. RT&S thanks those railroads who participated in this survey.
1. Main factors 2013
What features do you look for when in the market for m/w machinery? For example, is it safety, reliability, speed of operation, ease of getting on and off track, ease of maintenance, cost, productivity or something else? Canadian National: The kind of equipment that is safe and reliable. The units also must be relatively easy to operate and need to be the correct size for our projects. Canadian Pacific: Safety is the first thing CP looks at. After safety, we consider reliability, availability and www.rtands.com
accessibility to spare parts, ease of maintenance and repairs, production rates and versatility. We would also like to see fuel efficiency information for the different types of equipment in order to compare operating costs. Kansas City Southern: In maintenance-of-way machinery, KCS evaluates operational safety and related features, reliability and productivity. Norfolk Southern: Safety is always our first concern, with machinery or anything else. We also need machinery that is highly reliable, sturdy enough to withstand an outdoor environment and year-round use, which also has a production rate that allows us to maximize short track time windows. Other important features include: Ease of operation: We have a lot of new employees and we need machines that are easy to operate so employees can learn to use them quickly and efficiently. Ease of transportation: Can the machines be moved by truck or will they need to go by rail? Will there be weight or dimensional issues? We need equipment that can be transported across our 20,000-mile rail network quickly without restrictions and special routing. Ease of maintenance: Some machines are too complicated for the typical mechanic to maintain. And the more complicated they are, the more susceptible they are to Railway Track & Structures
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Engineering trends 2013 breaking down. We need machines that can be quickly and easily repaired.
2. Most important feature
What is the most important single feature, after safety, for you and your railroad? Why? CN: After safety, the single most important feature is our production. We grade ourselves based on our production and how effectively we perform in and utilize our work blocks. CP: Ease of maintenance. We look for equipment that has self-diagnostic systems to assist with troubleshooting in the field. These systems will increase productivity and reduce downtime of our fleet by quickly pin pointing defective components and improving preventative maintenance opportunities. KCS: After safety, KCS puts priority on reliability and productivity. As traffic volumes grow, work windows shrink, so it’s critical that machinery functions well and achieves
maximum productivity during these track outages. NS: Reliability; we need dependable equipment that does not breakdown or malfunction. A machine with a higher production rate, but which has a high failure rate, is less desirable than a machine with a lower production rate, but with a low failure rate.
3. Appealing new features
I n t o d a y ’s m a rk e t , wh a t n e w f e a t u r e s o r improvements in m/w machinery have the most appeal to you? CN: The most impor tant features are continued improvements in reliability. The machines that we purchase must be reliable in order to maximize our work blocks and to reduce costs. CP: Programmable Logic Controls installed in recent years has made a significant difference, especially with troubleshooting problems while in the field. We are interested in the new Drone Tampers to increase productivity on production tampers. KCS: More compact machines that allow for easy on/off-track capabilities have the greatest appeal. The ability to set on to the rail from small crossings is also a ben-
Safety is always our first concern, with machinery or anything else.
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engineering trends 2013 efit. Smaller units require less space in tie up locations. NS: The new machines that are the most useful are Drone machines and remote-controlled machines. We are working on our second set of Drone machines. We use Drone tampers now and we are testing a Drone anchor adjusting machine. We want equipment that allows operators to use remotecontrols to handle as many functions as possible. Operators positioned in safe locations using a remote control to operate a group of machines, which are linked by computer, would improve safety, quality and productivity.
NS: The ideal machine would be a set of machines all linked by computer and operated by one person. The operator would be in a position to maximize safety by having high visibility of the work area, a well-designed and easily operated workstation and a comfortable environment. The machines would have high production rates, but not at the sacrifice of quality.
4. Specs for the ideal machine
Looking at recent purchases, what big-ticket piece of equipment has offered the most benefit to your railroad? What about among lower-priced equipment? CN: The Plasser 09-32 DYNA C.A.T.s and Harsco Drones were our big ticket purchases. These machines can tamp 36-44 ties per minute and are very reliable. Also, the purchase of the Bi-Directional Rail Pick Up Unit will increase our production rate of rail pick up. The lowerpriced items that we have purchased are the Nordco CX Spikers with auto-feed capability and the Knox Kershaw Cribber-Adzers and Clip Applicators. CP: Purchase of new production tampers and snowfighters. Increasing our fleet of production tampers has allowed us to reduce and minimize slow orders across our network. Increasing and modernizing our snow fighter fleet has expedited track clean up and line restoration especially in
If you could write the specs for an ideal m/w machine, what features would you include? CN: The specs would include outstanding ergonomics in the cab, as well as great visibility, well-defined safety components, plenty of horsepower and the latest in technological advances in controlling functions of the machine. CP: Standardized engine packages and cab configurations, quick change applications from one action to another on the same equipment platform (multi-purpose machines). KCS: A multi-purpose machine would be ideal. For example, a rail/testing machine, all-in-one rail ultrasonic and geometry testing, etc. Again, the objective would be to maximize productivity during work windows.
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5. Machines with the most benefit
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Engineering trends 2013 mountain sub divisions. Use of track drills using carbide interchangeable bits has decreased drilling time on production crews. KCS: Recently, KCS has been focused on equipment renewals and has purchased standard, albeit newer, more efficient equipment, such as spiking machines and tampers. NS: The best big-ticket machine purchase is our new ballast cleaner. This machine, along with our current ballast cleaner, allows us to work at a higher production rate and reduced cost versus using leased equipment. We are currently putting in service remote chain saw/ grappling bucket combinations on our material handling trucks to cut trees off the track after severe storms. These are worth their weight in gold because they improve safety and productivity during inclement weather.
suppliers are trying to rectify any past problems. CP: We hold conference calls with major suppliers monthly to discuss bulletins, updates, problem areas, etc. These calls allow us to determine accountability and develop action plans to correct issues and, yes, suppliers are responsive to our requests. KCS: There appears to be a lot of innovation in the industry right now as technology develops at a rapid pace. Suppliers are actively reaching out to railroads and pitching new ideas. NS: We have good relationships with our suppliers and they always try to meet our requests and requirements. Price is usually the biggest obstacle.
6. Aspirin for the headaches
Checking trends, would you say today’s equipment is getting safer, more reliable, more productive or other qualities? On the negative side, what trends are out there, such as machinery being too costly, too complicated, etc.? CN: Absolutely, the equipment is much safer to operate today than in past years. A major challenge is keeping our mechanics and operators up-to-date with today’s latest technology in equipment. Also, the cost to maintain a piece of machinery has risen dramatically over the past several years. CP: The equipment is more ergonomically suitable at present, which makes it safer. More machines now have climate controlled cabs for operator comfort. Tier 4 emission control for diesel engines is big concern for end users. KCS: Reliability and ease of use are improving with the current models of standard equipment. NS: The trend is definitely toward safer and more reliable machines. While today’s machinery is far superior to what was available in the past, the mistake that some manufacturers are making is designing equipment that is too complicated. The more complicated a machine, the less reliable and harder it is to repair. The best machines have a good balance of simplicity, advanced computerization and electronics. Again, cost is always a factor.
What is your biggest m/w headache: track time, productivity, etc.? What kind of machine or features would you like to see from suppliers to help alleviate the problem? CN: Track time is our biggest headache. High production tampers that do not require spending additional time graphing and measuring track to be tamped. This would increase production and maximize our work blocks. Also, a single, ride-on production unit that could insert and remove lag screws. CP: Slow orders behind tie crews. We need to have more versatile/interchangeable equipment with quick on-track set up to allow us to increase production time when faced with decreased block availability. KCS: Securing track time on a busy railroad is the greatest challenge. NS: Our biggest challenge continues to be track time. However, we are addressing this with new productivity initiatives that are paying high dividends. This is a function of interdepartmental cooperation more than machine ability. But once we have the track time we must have a machine that can perform the work without breaking down or malfunctioning. Only a year ago we were talking about being able to link to train dispatchers’ computer systems to determine track windows, today, we are actually seeing some of that come true with good results. With these advancements, we would like to see improvements in material distribution, unloading material just ahead of the gangs at night as technology advances and GPS capabilities allow.
7. Relationships with suppliers
When you meet with suppliers, what are you telling them about your m/w machinery needs? Do you find suppliers responsive to your requests? CN: New machines need to be more reliable! Ergonomics must be improved and there must be improvements in service and parts delivery. Suppliers are, for the most part, responsive to our concerns and [the railroad feels] most 34 Railway Track & Structures
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8. Recognizing trends
9. Spare parts
Once you’ve purchased m/w machinery, are suppliers adequately supporting you with spare parts? Do you feel improvement is needed in this area? CN: Getting parts to our work locations is an issue with some vendors. There should be more of a focus from our suppliers to keep parts on hand and available. Absolutely, g reat improvements can and need to be made in this area to increase the reliability and production of our equipment. CP: We include parts availability and accessibility as part of our acquisition decision making. Having O.E.M. suppliers stocking spare parts and not relying on their supply chain would allow us to decrease re-stocking, especially on slow moving and special items. Some of the lead times on parts from OEM’s are extremely long. www.rtands.com
AREMA NEWS Professional Development
Message from the President
Upcoming seminars
If you need additional continuing education credit, plan to attend one of the SEVEN AREMA Seminars being held in conjunction with the AREMA 2013 Annual Conference and Railway Interchange 2013 in Indianapolis, IN, September 29 – October 2. Book now. Seminars will sell out quickly.
Giants who came before, a final farewell By Jim Carter
introduction to practical railway engineering September 27-29, 2013 FRA 214: Roadway worker on-track safety September 28, 2013 Rail bulk terminal design September 28, 2013 Environmental permitting issues in railroad construction projects September 29, 2013 intermodal terminal engineering October 2-3, 2013 FRA 213: Track Safety Standards October 2-4, 2013 track alignment design October 2-4, 2013 For additional information please contact Desiree Knight at dknight@arema.org or visit www.arema.org.
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Jim Carter AREMA President 2012-2013
I was talking this morning with an employee that is new to our Engineering Department and he said how excited he was to be able to do this work and be working on things that had been built by great people. His comment early on his first day in our department really struck a chord with me, as I know well that all of us involved in railway engineering truly walk in the shadows of giants who came before us and, as Arlo Guthrie so aptly put it, we all “….ride their father’s magic carpet made of steel.” This is truly a wonderful profession in an exciting industry. One of the most exciting things about it, Railway Interchange, which will include this year’s AREMA Conference, will soon be here. The conference has long been something that I look forward to every year. My first memories of AREA conferences are when I was very young, waiting for my Dad to return from conferences he attended and bring me the cool giveaways that he would get (yes those giveaways were really big deals to kids back then). Two years ago, I looked forward to being part of the first Railway Interchange in Minneapolis – that was almost as exciting as those old giveaways. While today’s giveaways don’t excite me nearly as much as those that my Dad brought back, I am as excited about this year’s Railway Interchange in Indianapolis, Ind., as any gathering of railroaders that I can recall - I look forward to seeing new tools and equipment, hearing about new ideas and most importantly, seeing old friends and making new ones. Joe Smak, the AREMA staff and all of the functional group leaders have worked long and hard to put together an excellent and informative program for the conference, and our friends at REMSA, RSI and RSSI have a great show in store for all of us. The spouse program will be a lot of fun and very informative. Railway Interchange once again promises to be a great event, one I know that you will enjoy – I look forward to seeing all of you there. This will be my last column in this series. I have enjoyed sharing some of my thoughts with you on both AREMA and our profession. I believe that both are in good shape and in good hands for the future. It has been my deep honor and privilege and a lot of fun to represent you on behalf of AREMA. I hope I haven’t disappointed either you or the giants that walked before me. Be careful out there. Railway Track & Structures
August 2013 35
AREMA NEWS
Committee 14 field trip BNSF hosted the Committee 14 - Yards and Terminals spring meeting in Minot, N.D., on April 7 and 8, which included a first-rate charter bus trip to three unit train crude oil terminals stretched over the Bakken Shale area. Forecasts were high of 35 degrees but the 25 mph wind chill made it feel more like a biting 10 degrees with very low visibility. The terminals visited included EOG Resources in Stanley, N.D., Plains Marketing in Manitou, N.D., and Enbridge in Berthold, N.D. Each terminal was kind enough to give a brief presentation on the layout and lessons learned in the new market of unit crude oil, followed by a walkthrough of their facility loading operations.
Student Chapter Highlight - OSU When was the Oregon State University AREMA Student Chapter established? Our chapter was established in 2010. How many members does the OSU student chapter currently have? We have 12 active members and a mailing list of more than 30 people. Who is your chapter President? Dylan Anderson Has the OSU student chapter had any recent exciting events occur that you would like to share with the readers of RT&S? On March 5, Karl Macnair from TriMet gave a presentation on maintaining the existing light-rail system (MAX) and design and planning work for future lines. On March 7, Corey McManus and Scott Hale from HDR Engineering, Inc., presented on optimization and rail and facility design 36 Railway Track & Structures
August 2013
work for freight rail systems. On April 1, Willamette and Pacific Railroad employees led a group of students along their track as a lesson on basic track terminology and discussed challenges of operating a shortline railroad. On April 8, Dan MacDonald from BNSF shared his experience in the railroad industry and presented on stimulus projects in Washington. On May 17, students from civil, mechanical and industrial engineering toured the assembly line and testing facilities for the streetcar production at United Streetcar in Portland, Ore. On May 20, Bill Roe from Union Pacific discussed the challenges and opportunities for freight rail systems and managing a complex and large system of rail lines. Do you have any upcoming events? Our chapter is looking forward to attending the AREMA 2013 Annual Conference
in September. We are preparing for the upcoming school year and are planning outreach events at Engineering Awareness week and the Beaver Community fair. We are planning guest speakers for our fall meetings and are examining field trip options.
Members of Oregon State University AREMA chapter at United Streetcar. www.rtands.com
2013 Upcoming Committee Meetings Sept. 12-13 Committee 8 - Concrete Structures & Foundations
Kansas City, MO
Committee meetings that will be held at the AREMA 2013 Annual Conference in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2013 Sept. 28 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Sept. 28-29 Committee 5 - Track Sept. 28-29 Committee 24 - Education & Training Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 6 - Buildings & Support Facilities Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Foundations Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 12 - Rail Transit Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 14 - Yards & Terminals Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 16 - Economics of Railway Engineering
and Operations Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Team 40 - Engineering Safety Steering Team Indianapolis, IN Sept. 29 Team 41 - Track Maintenance Steering Team Indianapolis, IN Oct. 1 Committee 18 - Light Density & Short Line Railways Indianapolis, IN Oct. 2 Committee 39 - Positive Train Control Indianapolis, IN Oct. 2 Committee 28 - Clearances San Antonio, TX Oct. 2-3 Committee 38 - Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems Indianapolis, IN Oct. 8-9 Committee 30 - Ties Incline Village, NV Oct. 15-16 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Des Moines, IA
Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA Committee Meetings can be found online at http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.
FYI…
Register now for the AREMA 2013 Annual Conference being held as part of Railway Interchange 2013, September 29 - October 2 in Indianapolis, IN. All AREMA badges will be honored for full access into the exhibition halls during operating hours. To register online, please visit www.arema. org. The reduced registration rate deadline for the AREMA 2013 Annual Conference and events being held in conjunction with the conference is August 21, 2013. You may still register after August 21, but all rates will increase. AREMA has moved to a new office location: 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 130, Lanham, MD 20706. Please update your records with our new mailing address. Our phone and fax numbers remain the same. Phone: 301.459.3200 Fax: 301.459.8077. BOOK YOUR 2014 AREMA EXHIBIT BOOTH NOW for the AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition in Chicago, IL, September 28 – October 1, 2014. Exhibit Booth sales are NOW BEING ACCEPTED. Receive a 10% discount off your booth purchase between now and October 11, 2013. For more information and to book your exhibit space, please contact Christy Thomas at cthomas@arema.org.
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.career.arema.org.
Online Seminar Coming Soon Highway Rail Grade Crossing September 12, 2013
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
60 minute online seminar – One contact hour of professional development Please visit www.arema.org for more information.
Professional Development Hours By attending the AREMA Annual Conference and seminars, you are entitled to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs). PDHs for New York and Florida are available through AREMA’s special relationship with the Florida Board of Professional Engineers and the New York Professional Engineers Program. AREMA is also an approved provider for the state of Indiana. Individuals needing PDHs for other states may self declare using AREMA’s form. In addition to PDHs, CEUs are available through a special agreement negotiated with the University of North Florida. Committee meetings are also approved for PDHs through the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. AREMA is also an approved provider of the Registered Continuing Education Program. Please note that your individual state board has the final authority on approving all PDHs for activities attended. The CEU and PDH form will be available at the conference and can be picked up at the AREMA registration desk or online at www. arema.org after the conference. Please visit www.arema.org for more information.
AREMA’s Official Facebook Page Become a fan of the official AREMA Facebook Page and stay up-to-date on the most recent AREMA information. The Official AREMA LinkedIn Group Join the official AREMA LinkedIn Group by visiting www.linkedin.com and searching groups for “American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association.”
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American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association *NEW ADDRESS* 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 130, Lanham, MD 20706 Phone: +1.301.459.3200 / Fax: +1.301.459.8077 www.arema.org
Railway Track & Structures
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AREMA NEWS
AREMA Publications Reflections on a Half Century of Railway Engineering and Some Related Subjects©
Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE
2013 Manual for Railway Engineering© There have been numerous updates to more than 5,000 pages of the Manual for Railway Engineering. The chapters are grouped into four general categories, each in a separate volume: • Track • Structures • Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems Management. The Manual is an annual publication, released every April. It is available in four-volume loose-leaf format, CD-ROM, revision set (loose-leaf only) and individual chapters (hard copy and downloadable formats). *NEW* Downloadable Chapters Now Available Online.
AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook© The AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook provides a comprehensive source of information and criteria for bridge inspections for engineers engaged in the assessment of railway bridges. This handbook is published as a guide to establishing policies and practices relative to bridge inspection. It covers such topics as confined spaces, site conditions, loads & forces, nomenclature, bridge decks, timber, concrete & steel bridges, movable bridges, tunnel and culvert inspections, and emergency & postearthquake inspections. Also included are many color photographed examples in several chapters, as well as a glossary in the back of the book. To order any of the AREMA publications, please visit www.arema.org or contact Beth Caruso at +1.301.459.3200, ext. 701, or bcaruso@arema.org.
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2013 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices© 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. The 2014 C&S Manual will be released in October.
*NEW* Downloadable Sections Available Online.
Practical Guide to Railway Engineering© This guide provides a comprehensive overview and understanding of the railway system. Whether you are new to the rail industry or a long-time contributor wanting to learn more, this bound book and CD-ROM offer in-depth coverage of railway fundamentals and serve as an excellent reference. (Also available in a CD-ROM version only.)
2012 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans© The Portfolio of Trackwork Plans consists of plans and specifications that relate to the design, details, materials and workmanship for switches, frogs, turnouts and crossovers, crossings, rails and other special trackwork. This is a companion volume to the Manual for Railway Engineering.
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Nominees for Election to the 2013–2014 AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors Nominated For Senior Vice President Name Randy L. Bowman Title Engineer Track & Materials Organization/Company Norfolk Southern Corporation Bowman has worked for Norfolk Southern for more than 27 years and began his career in 1985 as a metallurgical engineer. In 1993, he began a new position as a senior metallurgical engineer and in 2003, he was engineer materials. In 2006, he was promoted to his current position as engineer track and materials. He holds a BS degree in Materials Engineering from North Carolina State University. Bowman has been active in AREMA and its predecessor organization AREA for more than 20 years. He’s been the secretary, vice chairman and chairman of AREMA Committee 4 and the subcommittee chairman of Committee 5. He has previously served on the Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Track and is currently serving as group vice president – Track. He also served as chairman on the AREMA Membership Committee. Bowman is also a member of Gideons International and the Transportation Research Board Committee AR050 Track Design. In 2003, he earned the “Best Paper” Award in Infrastructure Technology at the IHHA Conference. Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization Joined AREA in 1991 and B&B in 1995 Nominated For Vice President – Track Name David A. Becker, PE Title Asst. Chief Engineer – Project Planning and Engineering Services Organization/Company Norfolk Southern Corporation Becker began his railroad career in 1986 and since that time, has had broad-based Class 1 experience that includes maintenance, design, construction and planning functions. He has held various positions at Norfolk Southern Corporation, such as trainee maintenance of way, design engineer, geotechnical engineer, senior design engineer, assistant chief engineer design west and assistant chief engineer – Project Planning and Engineering Services, his current position. He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Michigan State University. He has a Professional Engineer designation. Becker has been active on AREMA Committee 1 having served as secretary, vice chairman and chairman. His AREMA experience includes 20-plus years involvement with Committee work. He is currently serving on the Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Track. Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1988 Predecessor Organization
Nominated For Vice President – Structures Name Howard C. Swanson, PE Title Assistant Division Engineer - Bridges Organization/Company Norfolk Southern Corporation www.rtands.com
Swanson began his career in 1984 at Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as an engineering aide and as a surveyor at Huff and Huff (summer jobs while in college). In 1986, he began working at NS as a management trainee. Through the years, he has held a variety of positions at NS; structural detailer, assistant engineer and assistant engineer – Structures. In 2007 until 2013, he held the position of assistant division engineer – Bridges – Illinois Division. Currently, he is the assistant division engineer – Bridges – Virginia Division. He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Purdue University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Emory University. He has a Professional Engineer designation. Swanson is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of IL, National Society of Professional Engineers and the IL Society of Professional Engineers. He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Steel. He is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. He has been the secretary, vice chairman and chairman of AREMA Committee 9. He is currently serving on the Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Structures. Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1985 Predecessor Organization
Vice President – Engineering Services Nominated For Glenn T. Hay, PE Name Vice President – Secretary Title Organization/Company Design Nine, Inc. Hay has been in the railroad industry since graduating from college. In 1979, he became a management trainee with the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. He was involved in a comprehensive training program to prepare recent college graduates for management positions in the railroad industry. In 1980, he became an assistant roadmaster with the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company and from 1980-1986, he became project engineer/civil engineer I with the same company. A few of his duties included estimating, preparation of plans, project design and field inspections of projects. He also worked at Union Pacific Railroad as manager special projects/resident engineer. In 1990, he began working at Design Nine, Inc. Currently, his position is vice president – Secretary. He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Michigan Technological University. He has a Professional Engineer designation. Hay is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers and Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity (Alumni Corporation Board President). He is heavily involved in the Boy Scouts of America. He has been the secretary, vice chairman and chairman of AREMA Committee 18 and was a member of the AREMA Membership Committee (2010-2011). He is currently ser ving on the Functional Group Board of Directors as director – Engineering Ser vices. Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization Joined RDM in 1989, AREA in 1995 and B&B in 1996 Railway Track & Structures
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AREMA NEWS
Nominated For Director – Engineering Services Name Trent M. Hudak, PE Title Director Engineering Services BNSF Railway Organization/Company Hudak joined BNSF in 1985 as a management trainee. He worked in various track supervisory positions for the first several years before joining the engineering services team. He has spent more than 25 years in various design, planning, project management and leadership roles with engineering services. During this time, he has been the engineering lead with many railroad track and facility projects and programs; these include various mainline track expansions, yard expansions, passenger rail programs, intermodal facilities, automotive facilities, locomotive and car shops, wayside buildings and fueling facilities. In recent years, he has led various initiatives to establish BNSF guidelines and best practices with facilities, track expansion and project management. Currently, his position is director engineering services. He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Montana State University. He has a Professional Engineer designation. Hudak is a member of ASCE. He has been an AREMA committee member for more than 10 years. He served a three-year term as the secretary for AREMA Committee 11 and is currently an active member of Committee 14. Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1988 Predecessor Organization Director – Track Nominated For Timothy R. Bennett, PE Name Vice President Title HDR Engineering, Inc. Organization/Company Bennett began his railroad engineering career in 1985 accepting a position with Seaboard System Railroad (shortly thereafter becoming CSX) as an engineering management trainee. While with CSX, he held the position of assistant project engineer (Jacksonville, FL and Tampa, FL) and assistant roadmaster (Chicago, IL). He left CSX in 1990 to pursue a consulting engineering opportunity with Envirodyne Engineers in Chicago. While at Envirodyne, he was involved in several significant METRA design and construction projects and served as on-site project engineer for the new KYD Heavy Repair and Maintenance
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Facility on the METRA Electric District and resident engineer for construction of Building B2 at the METRA Milwaukee District Western Ave. layover facility. In 1994, he pursued a freight rail design opportunity with HDR Engineering in Chicago, later moving to Omaha, NE. During the course of his 19 years at HDR, he achieved the designation of professional associate in recognition of his technical expertise and has been named a vice president in the company officer program (current position). Currently, he manages and supervises a railroad design group. He served as a project manager on large scale multidiscipline projects and he is HDR’s Union Pacific Railroad client services manager. He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from Purdue University. He has a Professional Engineer designation. Bennett has been an active member of AREMA Committee 5 for more than 20 years. His Committee 5 leadership history also includes secretary, vice chairman and chairman for Subcommittee 8 – Track Geometry, as well as secretary, vice chairman and chairman for full Committee 5. Bennett is also involved with the Transportation Research Board – member of Committee AR050 Track Structure System Design. Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1986 Predecessor Organization Director – Structures Nominated For Name Edward D. Sparks, II, PE Assistant Chief Engineer of Structures Title CSX Transportation, Inc. Organization/Company Sparks has worked at CSX since 1994. He has held various positions such as project engineer, assistant roadmaster, bridge supervisor, senior engineer of structures, engineer of track and division engineer. Currently, his position is assistant chief engineer of structures. He holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from the University of Kentucky. He also has a Masters of Business Administration degree from Jacksonville University. He has a Professional Engineer designation. Sparks has been actively involved in AREMA Committees 5 and 15. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus. Joined AREMA or Joined AREA in 1994 Predecessor Organization
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42 Railway Track & Structures
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PRODUCTS
Ballast unloading without GPS
Herzog Railroad Services, Inc., launched its P.L.U.S./ Smart Train Inertial System for ballast unloading when GPS outages occur, such as through tunnels or mountains. It can also be utilized for pre-dump surveys before the train spreads ballast, notes the company. Typically, by using GPS coordinates, the survey defines ballast spread and no-spread areas and indicates the desired amount of ballast needed. Through research and development, Herzog Railroad Services created a system that can back up the GPS signal, if lost, while maintaining dumping accuracy. Phone: 816-233-9002.
Ride quality system
dFuzion, Inc., offers its rMetrix 1.5, a portable ride quality meter system. The system is designed for the individual rail inspector and collects, stores, analyzes and displays ride quality data. The rMetrix 1.5 uses GPS technology and has accelerometer sensors with a control software interface. It can asses ride quality, comfort and safety in real-time from a standard laptop computer. The system includes editable accelerometer locations, inspection and exception attachments (pictures, documentation, worksheets, notes), upload inspection capabilities, user-defined metadata, GPS connect feature for follow up, notes and a detailed exceptions report with cross street and graph snapshots. Phone: 703-723-0166.
Methacrylate adhesive
SCIGRIP launched its SG230 HV methacrylate adhesive, a two-component, 10:1 mix ratio product for bonding composite and other plastic parts with minimal surface preparation. The adhesive is designed to work with a selection of activators and provides a working range from 30 to 120 minutes. The product is especially designed for bonding large structural parts requiring long working times and for filling deep irregular gaps up to 1.5 inches. The SG230 HV adhesive is available in 490 ml cartridges and five- and 50-gallon bulk containers for application with meter-mix dispense equipment. Phone: 919-598-2400. www.rtands.com
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CALENDAR AUGUST 27. Michigan Rail Conference. Lansing Community College, West Campus Conference Center. Lansing, Mich. Contact: Pam Hannon. Phone: 906-487-3065. E-mail: prhannon@mtu. edu. Website: http://www.rail.mtu.edu/mi-rail-conf/. SEPTEMBER 4-5. Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Course. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison, Wis. Phone: 800-462-0876. Fax: 800-442-4214. Website: http://epd. engr.wisc.edu/emaN739. 8-10. ASLRRA Eastern Region Meeting. Norfolk Waterside Marriott. Norfolk, Va. Phone: 202-628-4500. Website: www.aslrra.org. 23-25. Maintaining and Inspecting Railroad Track. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison, Wis. Phone: 800-462-0876. Fax: 800-442-4214. Website: http://epd. engr.wisc.edu/emaN894. 29-Oct. 2. Railway Interchange 2013. Indianapolis, Ind. Phone: 301-459-3200. Fax: 301-459-8077. Website: www. railwayinterchange.org. 29-Oct. 2. APTA Annual Meeting. Hilton Chicago. Chicago, Ill. Contact: Yvette Conley. Phone: 202-496-4868. E-mail: yconley@apta.com. Website: www.apta.com. OCTOBER 6-11. International Railway Safety Conference (IRSC 2013). Vancouver, BC, Canada. E-mail: irsc2013@nrc-cnrc. gc.ca. Website: www.irsc2013.org. 9-11. 95th Annual Railway Tie Association Symposium and Technical Conference. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. Incline Village, Nev. Phone: 770-460-5553. Fax: 770-4605573. Website: www.rta.org. 13-15. ASLRRA Southern Region Meeting. Omni Charlotte Hotel. Charlotte, N.C. Phone: 202-628-4500. Website: www.aslrra.org. 14-16. Engineering Modern Mass Transportation Systems: Light Rail - Rapid Transit - Commuter Rail. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Philadelphia, Pa. Phone: 800-462-0876. Fax: 800-442-4214. Website: http:// epd.engr.wisc.edu/emaN888. 15-16. Railway Age Passenger Trains on Freight Railroads. Washington Marriott. Washington, D.C. Contact: Jane Poterala. Phone: 212-620-7209. E-mail: jpoterala@sbpub.com. Website: www.railwayage.com. 15-17. ASME Rail Transportation Division 2013 Fall Technical Conference. Marriott Courtyard Hotel, Blair County Convention Center, Penn State Altoona Devorris Downtown Center. Altoona, Pa. Phone: 202-493-6358. NOVEMBER 4-8. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Chattanooga, Tenn. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865-9743889. Website: http://ctr.utk.edu/ttap/training/railinspect.php. 44 Railway Track & Structures
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Ad Index Company
Phone #
Fax#
e-mail address
Page #
Aldon Company, Inc. 847-623-8800 847-623-6139 e-rail@aldonco.com AREMA Marketing Department 301-459-3200 301-459-8077 marketing@arema.org Balfour Beatty Rail, Inc. 888-250-5746 904-378-7298 info@bbri.com Ballast Tools Inc. 636-937-3326 636-937-3386 sales@ballasttools.com Brandt Road Rail Corporation 306-79 1-7533 306-525-1077 nmarcotte@brandt.com Danella Rental Systems, Inc. 610-828-6200 610-828-2260 pbarents@danella.com Dixie PreCast 770-94401930 770-944-9136 fbrown142@aol.com Georgetown Rail Equipment Co. 512-869-1542 ext.228 512-863-0405 karen@georgetownrail.com Harsco Rail 803-822-7551 803-822-7521 mteeter@harsco.com Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. 816-233-9002 816-233-7757 tfrancis@hrsi.com Hougen Manufacturing, Inc. 866-245-3745 800-309-3299 info@trak-star.com Irwin Transportation Products 724-864-8900 724-864-0803 bspringer@Irwincar.com Knox Kershaw, Inc. 334-387-5669 ext.208 334-387-4554 knox@knoxkershaw.com Koppers Inc. 412-227-2739 412-227-2841 ambrosegf@koppers.com L.B. Foster Co. - Friction Management 412-928-3506 412-928-3512 glippard@lbfosterco.com Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. 763-478-6014 763-478-2221 sales@loram.com North American Rail Products Inc. 604-946-7272 888-692-1150 cerhart@narailproducts.com Neel Company, The 703-913-7858 703-913-7859 btemple@neelco.com NMC Railway Systems 866-662-7799 402-891-7745 info@nmcrail.com Plasser American Corp. 757-543-3526 757-494-7186 plasseramerican@plausa.com 262-637-9681 262-637-9069 custserv@racinerailroad.com Racine Railroad Products RAILCET 866-724-5238 217-522-6588 grif1020@yahoo.com Rail Construction Equipment Co. 866-472-4570 630-355-7173 dennishanke@rcequip.com Railway Educational Bureau, The 402-346-4300 402-346-1783 bbrundige@sb-reb.com Tensar International Corp. 404-214-5374 404-250-9185 cmgovern@tensarcorp.com Unitrac Railroad Materials, Inc. 412-298-0915 865-693-9162 ppietrandrea@unitracrail.com
10 Cover 3 28 23, 30 6 8 8 24 25 Cover 4 33 9 32 2 4 Cover 2 10 7 13 27 5 14 29 43, 44 15 16
Reader Referral Service This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue. The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and RT&S assumes no responsibility for the correctness.
Advertising Sales general sales OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher (212) 620-7224 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 620-7224 New York, NY 10014 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada Quebec and East, Ontario Mark Connolly (212) 620-7260 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1863 New York, NY 10014 mconnolly@sbpub.com AL, AR, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX Emily Guill (312) 683-5021 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 eguill@sbpub.com
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AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada -足AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato (312) 683-5026 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 hdisabato@sbpub.com Australia, Austria, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Scandinavia, South Africa, Spain, Worldwide Recruitment Steven Barnes Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416375 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom sb@railjournal.co.uk
Africa, Britain, Eastern Europe, Far East, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, Middle East, South America, Rail Tenders, all others. Louise Cooper Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416917 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom lc@railjournal.co.uk Italy & Italian-speaking Switzerland
Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, +81-3-5691-3335 Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 Tokyo 121-0824, Japan amskatsu@dream.com Classified, Professional & Employment Jeanine Acquart (212) 620-7211 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1325 New York, NY 10014 jacquart@sbpub.com
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Professional Directory
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A variety of on/off track removal equipment
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MERcIER’S
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EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO TAMPERS 6700S Switch and Production Tampers - 2012, 2011, 2010 & 2009 3300 Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2012 thru 2006 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line, 900 Tampers w/Jacks TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs - 2012 thru 2005 TR-10s & TKOs 925 S/Ss and Standards KNOX KERSHAW REGULATORS, KRIBBER/ADZERS, TIE CRANES & PLATE BROOMS KBR-850-925-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters - 2012 - 2008 KTC - 1200 Tie Cranes - 2012 thru 2006 KKA-1000s Kribber/Adzers – 2009, 2008 & 2007 KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Models E & F Anchor Machines Models CX and SS Spikers - 2012 thru 2006 Model SP2R Dual Grabbers – 2008, 2007 & 2006 RACINE DUAL ANCHOR SPREADERS, SQUEEZERS, TPIs, DUAL CLIP APPLICATORS, OTM RECLAIMERS AND ANCHOR APPLICATORS HI-RAIL CRANES & SPEEDSWINGS Pettibone Model 445E Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments Geismar 360 Hi-Rail Excavators with Cold Air Blowers Badger 30 Ton Cranes HI-RAIL ROTARY DUMPS, GRAPPLE TRUCKS & EXCAVATORS Gradall XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush cutters - 2012 Badger 1085R with Brush Cutter and Ditch Cleaning Bucket
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August 2013
2012 NRC SAFETY AWARD WINNER neW & useD eQuiPMent
Brand newBrand Western or Freightliner hi rail newStar Western Star Grapple trucks for sale or rent or Freightliner hi rail
trucks for sale or rent Brand newGrapple Ford F350 hi rail pick-ups for sale or rent Brand new Ford F350 hi rail
Manypickups used hifor rail trucks for sale sale or rent Andy Wiskerchen Contact (5) 2005 Ford F350 hi rail pickups for sale Omaha Track Equipment Contact Andy Wiskerchen for Pricing 715-570-8885 Omaha Track Equipment andy@omahatrack.com 715-570-8885 andy@omahatrackequipment.com
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neW & useD eQuiPMent
Some things never change. Quality, Service, and Dependability. Since 1910.
Hirail Crew Cab Grapple Truck
Rotary Dump
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Some things never change. Quality, Service, and Dependability. Since 1910. Hirail Service/Maintainers Truck Custom Build New or Used Chassies Also: Hirail Boom Dump Trucks Hirail Mechanics Trucks Hirail Section Trucks Hytracker for moving equipment Hudson Ballast Cars DMF & Harsco parts, service and installation
Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter Crew Cab Boom Truck RAILROAD SERVICES
Est. 1910
RAILROAD SERVICES
Phone: 315-455-0100 • Fax: 315-455-6008 • Syracuse, NY • Please visit our website www.franktartaglia.com Hi-Rail trucks engineered for your applications with nationwide deliveries and warranties...
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Larry Schamber
ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL
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RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
Classified & Professional Directory
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Railway Track & Structures
August 2013 47
neW & useD eQuiPMent Jackson 6700 Production/Switch Tamper Immediate Availability! Completely rebuilt and upgraded.
eMPloyMent
Equipped with:
Curveliner computer system, version 7.0 All new or updated controls, per Jackson 6700S 2012/2013 factory specifications Automatic workheads, with operator-controlled variable depth control New rapid-deployment tongue system with new light buggy 33-inch double-wear wheels Heavy-duty frame Less than <800 engine hours
For more info, contact: Phil Brown (402) 203‐3902, or (217) 268‐4823 x234
GLOBAL RAIL TENDERS
Assistant Chief Electrical Engineer Based in our Jersey City, NJ location
URS Corporation
SEE THE FULL JOB POSTING AT RAILWAYAGE.COM JOB BOARD
Trainers and Training Developers The Railway Educational Bureau is in the process of creating a training and development database to be used as a resource for the railroad industry. If you have experience training in an instructor-led environment and/or developing training materials for the rail industry, and are interested in becoming a part of our group, please send your resume to:
Brian Brundige The Railway Educational Bureau 1809 Capitol Avenue Omaha, NE 68102
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48 Railway Track & Structures
August 2013
Rail BRief: The Weekly RT&S e-mail Newsletter SubScribe at: www.rtands.com/railbrief www.rtands.com