RT&S August 2015

August 2015 | www.rtands.com

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Railroads Discuss Equipment

wants and needs

PLUS Ballast maintenance update KCS’ Wylie Intermodal Terminal and also AREMA News p.37

Contents August 2015

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Industry Today 5 Supplier News 9 People

BTE

Columns

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Features

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2015 maintenance equipment wish list Railway engineering departments want safe and reliable machinery to help them boost productivity.

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Ballast maintenance Ballast conditions can vary greatly, but equipment manufacturers are helping to make its maintenance more efficient.

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KCS’ Wylie Intermodal Terminal opens The KCS Wylie Intermodal Terminal is designed to handle the intermodal volume to and from the Dallas area and provides the railroad opportunity for planned growth.

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CP Engineering Services in North Dakota. Photo courtesy of Canadian Pacific Railway. Story on page 16.

On Track The regulation, innovation link NRC Chairman’s Column The big push to the finish has started

16 Departments 13 TTCI R&D 37 Arema News 43 Calendar 44 Products 45 Advertisers Index 45 Sales Representatives 46 Classified Advertising 47 Professional Directory

Kansas City Southern

Canadian National

News

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Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 1

On Track

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Vol. 111, No. 8 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Mischa Wanek-Libman/Editor, mischa@sbpub.com Jennifer Nunez/Assistant Editor, jnunez@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 55 Broad St 26th Fl. New York, N.Y. 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr./ President and Chairman Jonathan Chalon/Publisher Mary Conyers/Production Director Wendy Williams/Creative Director Maureen Cooney/Circulation Director Michelle Zolkos/Conference Director

RT&S Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204654), (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, N.Y. 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified individual in the railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/ Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00.

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All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195. For Subscriptions & address changes, Please call (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail rtands@halldata.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172.

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The regulation, innovation link

I

n early July, the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, which is part of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, held a hearing that was aimed at discussing the role technology plays in transportation systems.

“Significant” doesn’t quite sum up the immensity of technology’s role in railroading. Anyone who has attended the Association of American Railroads’ Annual Research Review and track walk at Transportation Technology Center, Inc., has witnessed how much energy and effort is dedicated to this subject.

Technology’s integration with the industry impacts safety, efficiency, reliability and productivity.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), the subcommittee chairman said of the hearing, “This is an important opportunity to highlight America’s leadership and review how the federal government can better keep up with new technological developments.”

The rail industry’s representative at this hearing was Greg Fox, executive vice president, operations for BNSF. He testified that BNSF uses “technology to help drive risk reduction and continuous safety improvement on the railroad.”

Fox outlined several technologies BNSF utilizes, such as track geometry vehicles, rail defect detection systems, wheel temperature detectors and machine visioning systems. He also touched on the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, i.e., drones, the railroad has been using for supplemental visual track and bridge inspections. “ L e ve r a g i n g t h e t r e m e n d o u s amount of data generated by all these technologies is where we are headed next. Advanced Analytics covers a broad spectrum of activities, but is aimed at drawing insights and value from large amounts of data, with the ultimate goal to improve decision making,” testified Fox. “Our goal is to

drive proactive maintenance practices that ultimately prevent incidents from occurring in the first place.

“The current breadth of technology and its potential going forward is tremendous, as long as we have a regulatory environment that encourages innovation. I would respectfully suggest that safety outcomes should be the focus when government regulation is necessary, not the technologies and the analytics themselves, because those are complex and evolving at a very fast pace,” said Fox. “Ultimately, the rail industry will continue to deploy technology in support of risk reduction and ensuring railroads can continue to earn the revenues necessary to invest adequately in infrastructure, maintenance and technology will be one of the most significant things that Congress can do.”

That’s about as close to a mic drop as you can get at a Senate hearing.

Well done, Mr. Fox. I’ve written before that the industry has a bum rap of being slow to adopt new technology. New technology is tested and retested before being implemented, which means the railroads are champions of due diligence.

A change to the regulatory envirnment has the potential to endanger that open yet thorough way of advancing the business of railroading.

Congressional action is on hold during the August break (feel free to insert your own “congressional action” joke here). But it’s sure to pick up again in the fall.

The industry, however, is not taking a break. Railway Interchange 2015 is just around the corner where the exhibits, technical sessions and networking opportunities are sure to yield a variety of discussions surrounding innovations and advancements.

Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor Railway Track & Structures

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INDUSTRY TODAY Sioux Falls agrees to buy BNSF rail yard Negotiations have concluded between the city of Sioux Falls, S.D., and BNSF for the purchase of the downtown rail yard.

The city will utilize funds from the federal highway bill to purchase more than 10 acres of the rail yard for more than $27 million.

The purchase agreement removes the majority of the rail yard in downtown and provides more than 10 acres of property for redevelopment. BNSF will construct two siding tracks along its mainline track north of Rice Street and west of Timberline Road and retain two mainline tracks through the downtown area to maintain their rail operations.

The purchase and sale agreement still requires approval from the city council. In the upcoming months, BNSF and the city will execute the purchase agreement and will close on the property. The city will take full possession of the property in two years, once BNSF completes construction of the siding tracks.

Progress marked on several British Columbia rail projects Multiple freight and passenger projects planned in the Canadian province of British Columbia advanced during the past month.

On the freight side, Canadian Pacific met with officials from the city of Vancouver regarding future operations along the Arbutus corridor. CP has upgraded its track and land along the corridor, which runs from False Creek to the Fraser River in Vancouver, and is working with Transport Canada on resuming operations. CP calls the corridor a “valuable but under-utilized asset” and says the line will soon be used to store railcars, which will improve efficiency and fluidity elsewhere on the network.

Sticking with freight, two crossing projects in the province were awarded funds from the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Transportation Infrastructure Fund. The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation will receive funds toward installation of a Railway Information Crossing System along the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor. The system would complement a series of grade separations recently completed on the corridor by informing drivers of the status of at-grade crossings in advance in order to minimize their delays by rerouting to one of the new overpass crossings. Additionally, the district of West Vancouver will receive funds to help upgrade a rail crossing along Canadian National’s Squamish Subdivision. This rail crossing at 13th Street and Bellevue Avenue connects a major CN intermodal terminal in Vancouver with the Squamish Terminals in Squamish, B.C. On the passenger rail side, TransLink began upgrades to a trio of SkyTrain stations.

Nearly CA$105-million (US$79.6 million) worth of work will be done at CommercialBroadway Station, Metrotown SkyTrain Station and Exchange and New Westminster Station. The work being done includes upgrades to platforms, new escalators and elevators, an expanded concourse at the Commercial-Broadway Station and improved station design.

“Knowing that we are expecting a million additional people in Metro Vancouver over the next 30 years, it’s critically important to continue to see improvements to our transit system to help citizens and tourists get around more efficiently with less of a footprint on the environment. These extensive renovations to three very busy stations will go a long way towards encouraging people to take SkyTrain as their preferred mode of travel,” stated Todd Stone, British Columbia Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Last, the provincial government reaffirmed its commitment to provide more than CA$5 million (US$3.7 million) to the Island Corridor Foundation to support the future of the E&N rail line on Vancouver Island. The provincial funds will be provided once federal funding is in place and it is confirmed that line upgrade work has been budgeted. The E&N rail line would return passenger rail service to Vancouver Island with twice daily runs from Nanaimo to Victoria.

“The government understands the importance of the historic E&N rail corridor to communities across Vancouver Island,” said Minister Stone.

Union Pacific reaches two safety milestones Union Pacific celebrated achieving two safety benchmarks with the improvement in its public safety rate, as well as setting employee safety performance records.

The railroad’s year-to-date public safety rate improved 11 percent to 1.97 versus the same time frame in 2014, an accomplishment UP credits to its persistent community safety outreach efforts.

UP cites education such as its UP CARES events and its recent social media campaign urging photographers taking senior photos to stay off the tracks as cornerstones in its efforts to reach zero incidents.

Switching to the UP’s internal safety efforts, the rail-

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road’s employees set second-quarter and year-to-date safety performance records. UP employees achieved a 0.81 reportable injury rate for the second-quarter, which is a 19 percent improvement over the same period last year. Year-to-date, employees recorded a 0.82 reportable injury rate, compared to 1.06 year-todate in 2014.

The railroad attributes the rate to employees’ dedication to Courage to Care - a personal commitment to provide feedback to fellow employees to mitigate unsafe situations and to have the courage to accept feedback from co-workers.

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CSX completes annual safety and maintenance “Jamboree” CSX successfully completed its 17th Annual Maintenance Jamboree, a track safety and maintenance blitz that completes months of rail, tie, signal and bridge work on key rail corridors in a single week.

During this year’s Maintenance Jamboree, CSX installed 55,400 crossties and 217,000 feet of rail, surfaced more than 100 miles of track and restored and performed maintenance on several bridges and road crossings. CSX notes that this extensive work would normally take about four and a half months to complete during routine train operation.

“The Maintenance Jamboree is a great testament to the dedication of our employees, who pull together to complete the work of many months in just a few short days to reduce the impact on our customers and communities,” said Oscar

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Supplier News

Munoz, president and chief operating officer. “During the Jamboree and all year long, CSX is committed to investing in our network to provide safe and efficient rail transportation today and serve freight demand in the future.”

The 2015 Maintenance Jamboree, which ran from June 29 to July 6, involved 14 production teams, as well as engineering, signal and bridge teams. Trackwork concentrated on two key southeastern corridors: between Shelby, Ky., and Spartanburg, S.C., and between Bostic, N.C., and Monroe, N.C. CSX has celebrated this annual safety and maintenance blitz since 1999, when a CSX machine operator coined the term “Jamboree” to describe the mass gathering of maintenance-of-way crews and equipment in one area.

American Business Research, Inc., launched its High Speed Railway Division.

All Aboard Florida named Archer Western construction manager for rail infrastructure at Orlando International Airport.

Denver’s Regional Transportation District awarded Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. a contract to design and build the Southeast Rail Extension.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board approved

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News a 20-year, $70.7-million contract to the Harris Corporation of Rochester for the design, construction and maintenance of an enhanced radio system for the MTA Police Department.

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. was awarded a contract to provide design services for the Construction Package 2-3 of the California High-Speed Project.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation awarded the contract to build the three stations in the West Oahu Station group to Nan, Inc.

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Charlotte opens CityLYNX Gold; SacRT readies Blue Line extension Officials commemorated the grand opening of the Charlotte Area Transit System’s CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar service July 14.

“This is an exciting time for Charlotte as we continue to fulfill a promise made in the transit vision approved by the citizens in 1998 and 2007,” said Charlotte Mayor and Metropolitan Transit Commission Chair Daniel Clodfelter. “The Gold Line will play a critical role in connecting our east and west side communities and by providing more opportunity for sustainable growth.”

The CityLYNX Gold Line is the first 1.5-mile segment of a 10-mile streetcar system. It has been a part of the Metropolitan Transit Commission’s vision since 2002 and became a reality with the Federal Transit Administration awarding Charlotte a $24 million grant. Coupled with a $12-million investment by the city, the project cost was $37 million and construction began in December 2012.

This is the first time this mode of trans-

August 2015

portation has operated in the streets of Charlotte in 77 years.

Across the country, the Sacramento Regional Transit District is readying its Blue Line to Cosumnes River College (CRC) Light-rail extension for an Aug. 24 opening, which is ahead of schedule.

The Blue Line to CRC will open earlier than the original September 2015 date to coincide with the start of the fall semester for CRC and the Los Rios Community College District campuses.

The project extends light rail 4.3 miles from the current terminus at Meadowview Road to Cosumnes River College in south Sacramento and will feature four new stations (Morrison Creek, Franklin, Center Parkway and Cosumnes River College); more than 2,700 park-and-ride spaces; two pedestrian bridges connecting neighborhoods to light rail and a bus/light rail transit center at CRC. The Morrison Creek lightrail station will open in 2017 when future development occurs in the area.

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INDUSTRY TODAY Ottawa’s Stage 2 LRT gets big federal funding committment The Canadian government says that it will provide CA$1 billion (US$800 million) in funding for the planned Stage 2 light-rail transit project in Ottawa, ON. “I am very proud of the work of all members of council that led to the unanimous approval of the Stage 2 LRT project, which strengthened our position to quickly secure this historic funding commitment from the government of Canada,” said Jim Watson, mayor of Ottawa.

“Today’s federal commitment is in addition to previous indications from Premier Kathleen Wynne and the government of Ontario that they also intend to support the project. I look forward to formalizing these funding commitments so we can move forward with construction in 2018.”

In early July, Mayor Watson, council members and representatives from Ottawa’s business, tourism and academic communities launched the request for funding for Stage 2 of the LRT project.

In a letter to Mayor Watson dated July 22, 2015, Royal Galipeau, member of Parliament

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for Ottawa wrote, “I am pleased to express this government’s intent to support the city of Ottawa’s Stage 2 light-rail transit project with a contribution of up to one-third, approximately one billion dollars, once a formal application has been received and approved.”

According to Mayor Watson, the Stage 2 project will further reduce commute times by adding 19 new stations and 30 kilometers (19 miles) of rail to Ottawa’s O-Train system between 2018 and 2023. The project is expected to generate 24,000 person-years of employment, increase tax revenue to approximately CA$170 million (US$130 million) and provide an economic output of CA$3.8 billion (US$2.9 billion) to the local economy.

The project would extend Ottawa’s OTrain system east, west, southwest and south by extending the Confederation Line, which is currently under construction.

When completed in 2023, Stage 2 would bring LRT to within five kilometers (three miles) of almost 70 percent of the city’s residents.

Supplier News Oldcastle Precast collaborated with Stacy & Witbeck and Sound Transit in the engineering and manufacture of a 450-foot long prototype section of precast concrete “floating” rail.

The California HighSpeed Rail Authority Board of Directors approved a Rail Delivery Partner contract, which will be led by Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc.; Network Rail Consulting and Leigh Fisher.

RailComm completed cutover of a new switch interlocking at a North American Class 1 yard located in Indiana; was

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News chosen to install its yard control system for a large switching yard in Mississippi for a Class1; completed the implementation of a shove track protection system for a private coal mining facility in Alabama and completed negotiations with energy infrastructure company Kinder Morgan for a Softwareas-a-Service contract for remote rail yard control at its Deepwater Terminal in Pasadena,Texas.

Rocla Concrete Tie, Inc., acquired KSA Limited Partnership, a joint venture owned

by Koppers Inc. and Lehigh Hanson, Inc.

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CTA plans $30 million overhaul of Purple Line Express infrastructure The Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Purple Line Express is set to receive $30 million for improvements to tracks between Lawrence and Jarvis stations, the latest, CTA says, in its ongoing investment in the Purple Line to improve service for customers.

The Purple Line Express Track Improvement Project will upgrade track infrastructure and will be the largest track renewal project for this section of track in 40 years.

“Modernizing our rail lines has been a critical piece of the comprehensive investment we’re making in Chicago’s worldclass transit system,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This major investment in the Purple Line Express complements improvements we are making to rail service throughout the city and will provide better service to customers.”

The estimated four-month project began July 20 with construction expected to be completed by the end of November 2015. The project includes the replace-

August 2015

ment of crossties, restoration of track alignment and partial replacement of running rail along aging Purple Line Express tracks that serve more than 3.5 million passenger trips each year.

The last major renewal of these tracks occurred in the early 1970s and, aside from the spot replacement of a few ties, the majority of ties along this stretch of the Purple Line express have reached the end of their useful life.

The Purple Line Track Improvement project is part of CTA’s effort to repair aging infrastructure and provide faster and more reliable service to customers. The work is just the latest of several improvements CTA has made to Purple Line service, which includes the ongoing Ravenswood Connector project that is rehabilitating tracks shared by Brown and Purple Line Express trains between Armitage and the Merchandise Mart. It also follows a major track improvement project completed in 2013 that rehabilitated tracks and eliminated slow zones between Howard and Linden.

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PEOPLE Canadian pacific unanimously elected Andrew Reardon chairman of the board.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority appointed Monica Fowler to chief financial officer and vice president of finance.

HNTB Corporation hired Jimmy Thompson as principal tunnel engineer in its national tunnel practice out of its Oakland, Calif., office and hired David Staplin as senior project director, railroad group.

Kansas City Southern appointed Brian Hancock to executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation named Brian Shortsleeve chief administrator for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and named Jeff Gonneville chief operating officer.

Metropolitan Council appointed Wes Kooistra to regional administrator of the Twin Cities area council, replacing Pat Born, who retired.

Miner Enterprises promoted Andrew Kries to director of engineering.

Parsons hired David Nichols, former director of the Missouri Department of Transportation as vice president, Transportation Program director.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey named Jim Starace chief engineer, who replaces the retiring Peter Zipf.

Scott Brace, who served as president of RailWorks Track Systems, Inc., for the past five years, retired.

Texas Central Partners Board of Directors appointed Tim Keith as the new chief executive officer for the organization.

Union Pacific’s board of directors elected Lance Fritz chairman, president and chief executive officer, effective October 1; elected Scott Moore senior vice president corporate relations, effective September 1, succeeding Robert Turner, who plans to retire October 1; elected Todd Rynaski as chief accounting officer, vice president and controller, effective September 1, succeeding Jeffrey Totusek, who plans to retire in 2016.

Watco Companies appointed Ed McGuire to executive vice president strategic planning.

CORRECTION: The authors listed in the July RT&S Transportation Technology Center, Inc., article “Interim Results of HAZ Treated Thermite Weld Performance in Revenue Service,” pages 12-14, were incorrect. The correct authors are Megan Archuleta, engineer, Daniel Gutscher, senior engineer and Joseph LoPresti, principal investigator. RT&S regrets the error.

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN The big push to the finish has started

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

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It’s that time of year again. We are all working in the extreme heat with the clock winding down to get our planned work completed this year, pushing hard to make it happen. This is the battle that rail construction companies fight every year and this year is no exception. We continue plugging away, taking advantage of every good weather day and weekends too, in order to get our projects completed. Last year, we dealt with late starts to many projects due to an extended winter. This year, we saw late starts due to a very wet spring. In some cases, these late starts have caused some work to push out later into the year than originally planned.

As railroad contractors, dealing with the elements is nothing new, we take this in stride and keep moving forward, getting the work done and accepted is our goal. I wish all of our NRC member companies the best of luck in completing their projects safely, timely and successfully.

The Railway Interchange conference is being held this year in Minneapolis, Minn., from October 4 - 7. This biennial rail event will feature hundreds of exhibits, including rail suppliers, contractors and equipment manufacturers, along with the many rail engineering disciplines, all in one location.

This event requires a team effort to pull off and the keynote speaker for this year’s opening session knows all too well what is required to make a successful team. Robert O’Neil, the former U.S. Navy Seal Team Six Leader, will open this year’s conference.

Other aspects of this year’s conference will include many technical and educational sessions that will include some interesting presentations on a variety of subjects related to the rail industry. This event brings so many rail industry folks together under one roof - if you have the opportunity, I highly suggest you register and attend and I hope to see many of you there.

As a reminder, the deadline for submitting applications for the NRC Scholarship Program is coming quickly. All applicants must have their papers in no later than August 31. The NRC is proud to offer this program in memory of a couple of great men from the rail industry whose lives were cut short when they were killed in a plane crash together while traveling from one job to another, Vinnie Vaccarello (former NRC Board member and co-president of All Railroad Services Corp.) and Patsy Crisafi August 2015

(former NRC Safety Committee member and executive vice president of Roadway Worker Training Inc.). To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must be a child or grandchild of a current employee of an NRC member company. They must be enrolled at the time of application as a full-time college student at an accredited two-year college offering an associate’s degree or an accredited four-year college or university offering a bachelor’s degree or as a recently graduated high school senior that is enrolled to start college this coming fall. This is a great program and I hope many of your families take advantage of this opportunity to compete for a scholarship from the NRC. On the regulatory front, the big news is that the Federal Railroad Administration recently (on June 1) denied the NRC/ American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association/American Public Transportation Association (ASLRRA/APTA Petition for Reconsideration on the, “Training, Qualification and Oversight for SafetyRelated Railroad Employees” rule, so the rule and its various deadlines and timelines moves forward unabated. This rule requires railroad employees and contractors alike who perform ‘safety-related’ (i.e., most) work to be trained and qualified to comply with all relevant federal railroad safety laws, regulations and orders. The rule represents the first time that railroad contractors will be directly regulated by the FRA, as opposed to just having our work and practices indirectly regulated by the FRA when on railroad property.

The rule encourages trade associations like the NRC, ASLRRA and APTA to create templates that our member companies can use as the basis of their training programs, to avoid hundreds of companies having to create similar programs from scratch. The NRC is currently working on trying to find a way to address this challenge and hopes to be in a position to offer this support to its membership by generating the required templates. More information will be forthcoming on this subject.

For additional information on NRC events and programs, please visit www. nrcma.org. NRC Conference registration for January 6-9, 2016 in San Diego, Calif., is open now! Have a safe day.

by Bill Dorris, NRC Chairman www.rtands.com

TTCI R&D Ballast degradation test at FAST

by Colin Basye, principal investigator, Dingqing Li, senior scientist and David Read, retired TTCI engineer.

TTCI investigated the effects of ballast undercutting waste materials on track performance at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing in Pueblo, Colo.

T

Transportation Technology C e n t e r , I n c. ( T T C I ) , evaluated the effects of undercutting waste materials from a revenue service coal line on track performance at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) on the High Tonnage Loop (HTL). Degradation of track geometr y in response to various percentages of undercutter waste material smaller than a three-fourthsinch sieve size in ballast was investigated with and without added water.

Figure 1: Initial and final ballast coloration at the wood tie 25 percent undercut waste test area.

Testing showed that the addition of moisture and the initial percentages of waste materials present produced small differences in track stability and stiffness within the test zones. Results indicated that a short duration release of low-density, fine-grained materials in revenue service, similar to what was characterized at the HTL, may not have a significant effect on track performance without additional accumulation of fine-grained materials. Test results also suggested that small particle-sized waste materials may be washed out of a ballast section if the track has good drainage, resulting in minimal retention of this portion of the material.

After periodic sampling and analysis during a three-year test period, test personnel concluded that the simulation at FAST did not represent revenue service conditions closely enough to produce a controlled ballast instability.

Test design and setup

Five 150-foot-long test sections were constructed in Section 36 of the HTL by first removing and screening the existing ballast to remove particle sizes smaller than three-fourths inch. Wood and concrete tie control zones were created by reinstalling the screened www.rtands.com

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TTCI R&D considerable more material smaller than three-fourths inch.

Ballast sampling was performed twice a year, spring and fall, to monitor accumulated degradation. Ballast grain size analysis was performed in general accordance with ASTM C136-06.

Final gradations shown in Figure 3 were performed in 2013 after accumulation of 190 mgt. In comparing the material gradations from the initial (Figure 2) and May 2013 conditions (Figure 3), the minus one-inch material fraction has decreased noticeably over the course of the test. One possible explanation is that the smaller waste material located beneath the ties may have washed out through the ballast shoulders during the weekly water infiltration.

Track settlement

(clean) ballast without any waste being added. Waste material was added to the clean ballast to create wood tie zones with nominal 15- and 25-percent waste by volume. A 25 percent by volume concrete tie zone was also installed. All zones had about 12 inches of ballast beneath the ties.

Figure 1 shows the appearance of the waste material as it was being blended with the screened ballast during construction of the wood tie 25-percent zone and the same zone after about 190 mgt of traffic. The second photo in Figure 1, taken after 130 mgt, shows a relative absence of waste material in the zone originally with 25-percent waste materials.

Water was introduced into the ballast on a weekly basis at about the midpoint of the test with the hydrated sections receiving approximately 0.5 to one inch of water per week while the accumulated loading (train traffic 14 Railway Track & Structures

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Figure 2, top: As-built gradations with undercutter waste material.

Figure 3: Final gradation after 190 mgt.

at FAST) proceeded as planned. The introduction of water was intended to produce additional settlement and track geometry degradation in a controlled manner.

The initial gradations of the test zones along with the AREMA 24 specification are shown in Figure 2.

Gradations were performed down to the No. 4 sieve, resulting in a “tail� of waste continuing outward, which includes pan fine mater ial. The initial as-built gradations in Figure 2 indicate the screened ballast control zones were similar to the AREMA specifications and the zones with waste material added having

Top-of-rail elevation surveys were performed every 10 mgt. Figure 4 shows that average track settlement was significant up to approximately 30 mgt, with about 1.25 inches of settlement. After 30 mgt, the track stabilized considerably, with an average of approximately one additional inch of settlement for the next 100 mgt.

Approximately 0.5 to one inch of water was added weekly to the test track sections during various phases of the testing. It was noted that hydration of the ballast and subgrade had a small but observable effect on the settlement of the subgrade in these test sections for approximately 30 mgt, after which the approximate slope decreased to the initial value.

After the initial tamping was completed, it was noted that track settlement was relatively significant up to approximately 35 mgt. After that point, settlement occurred much more slowly, until one-half to one inch of water began to be added weekly, at approximately 95 to 100 mgt. Once again, settlement increased from 100 to approximately 130 mgt, after which the settlement curve was reduced to its approximate previous slope before the addition of water.

Conclusions

Much of the undercut waste fine material added to the track migrated www.rtands.com

TTCI R&D Figure 4: Average track settlement

downward and outward from the track, particularly in the first few weeks and months after placement. This could have happened during watering events and vibration from train traffic.

Observers also noted that subsequent ballast sampling events did not display the expected coloration that would normally be present with the infiltration levels of carbonrich fine material. This may be another indication that carbon-rich waste was transported out of the track section.

After periodic sampling and analysis over a three-year test period, test personnel concluded that the simulation at FAST did not represent revenue service conditions closely enough to produce a controlled ballast instability. Factors such as periodic and significant influx of fine fraction of waste into the top of the ballast test section are needed to affect track performance negatively. In addition, it was noted that waste with a relatively low density was most likely transported out of the ballast section by turbulent flow during watering events.

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Test results indicate that a one-time major spill event of certain fine-grained ballast materials in revenue service may not warrant major track cleaning efforts in certain environments. Low-density waste can be transported out of a ballast section that has good drainage during rainfall events, resulting in minimal retention of fine-grained materials.

Future testing planned will approximate field conditions with a new testing regime. Plans are being developed to initiate a periodically renewed fines test section, with a controlled moisture reflux system.

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For North American railroad engineering departments, safety is the top feature required in a piece of equipment, while dealing with tight work windows is a shared issue across both freight and passenger operations. compiled by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

2015 trends T

he business of maintaining a railroad is a tough task given the demands of the environment. Railroad engineering departments need reliable, versatile equipment that can increase their productivity and, most importantly, keep their crews safe.

RT & S s u r ve ye d t h e Engineering Depar tments from North America’s Class 1 railroads. Their answer s show what those departments need and expect out of their m a c h i n e r y a n d w h at t h e y would like to see in future equipment incarnations. RT&S thanks those railroads who participated in this survey.

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1.

Equipment features

R a i lway Tra ck & S t r u c t u r e s : Regarding m/w equipment, what are key elements you require?

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

Amtrak: Flexibility to work in tight windows and good clearances.

Canadian National: Safety is always our number one priority. Reliability and productivity are essential; we encourage vendors to improve ergonomics to ease fatigue of operation.

Canadian Pacific: Safety is always of prime importance. Reliability and ease of operation are important because these affect production greatly.

Kansas City Southern: Safety and

canadian pacific

Engineers share views on

reliability are two main considerations when in the market for maintenance-of-way machiner y. Safety and ergonomics for the operator and maintenance technician is a primary concern. Reliability, speed of operation and productivity work hand-inhand. If machine downtime is minimal, this complements speed and production.

Norfolk Southern: We are looking for safe equipment that enables us to be more productive. Ease of getting on and off track also would support improved productivity.

2.

Most important

RT&S: What is the most important single feature, after safety, for you and your railroad? Why? www.rtands.com

engineering trends 2015 Opposite page: Canadian Pacific’s Engineering Services work program in North Dakota.

This page: Welders at work on BNSF. Safety and improved ergonomics were features of equipment that were repeated in survey responses.

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BNSF

Amtrak: Versatility – handling a variety of jobs.

CN: After safety, the single most important feature is productivity, in order to maximize our work blocks. When work blocks are issued, the equipment needs to be reliable and able to produce.

CP: After procuring equipment, it only becomes of use when we add an operator who understands the function and maintenance aspect of that particular model. Having a machine that is both operator friendly and easy to learn is vital.

KCS: The most important feature after safety is operator proficiency. If the machine is designed around maximum operator visibility, ergonomic controls and seating and ease of daily maintenance procedures; production will be maximized and operating cost for the unit will be minimized.

NS: With increasing demand on our infrastructure, we have to find ways to accomplish our work with less track time.

Automation plays an important part in our ability to be more productive.

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engineering trends 2015

3.

New features

RT&S: In today’s market, what new features in m/w machinery have the most appeal to you?

Amtrak: Machinery that can get more work done in less time.

CN: We look for machinery incorporating the latest technology, with the best ergonomics. We are always looking for updated technology that can improve the safety and production of our equipment.

CP: [Programmable logic controllers] have been the most beneficial advance in the past few years. This has increased our uptime and reliability metrics.

KCS: The use of programmable logic controllers has greatly minimized downtime by assisting the technician with troubleshooting procedures.

NS: We are looking for machinery with increased automation to improve the utilization of our workforce and with the capability to clear up quickly to allow us to enhance productivity.

4.

Ideal machine

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

Amtrak: Cross-functional machine that does several tasks at the same time.

CN: Ease of maintenance and operation is important and something that we always strive to improve in our specs each year. The specs would also include, outstanding ergonomics in the cab, great visibility, well-defined safety components, plenty of horsepower and the latest in technological advances in controlling functions of the machine.

Any component that will improve the production of the machine is also considered in the specifications.

CP: Common cab layout on all machines; on-board diagnostics; hydraulic systems, which minimize the number of hoses; anti-collision hardware.

KCS: Standardization of equipment,

such as engines and major components, from vendor to vendor is very important. In terms of tie or steel gang equipment, a machine that combines tasks or minimizes manual material handling is of the upmost importance.

NS: The ideal machine would eliminate manual labor (and the associated potential for worker exposures) and feature good mobility between worksites and clearing points. It also must have robust components that require little maintenance and self-diagnose for problem resolution.

5.

Beneficial machines

RT&S: 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 newer model tampers, rail pick up and rail unloading machines

engineering trends 2015 A Norfolk Southern tie gang performing work along tracks near Selma, N.C. The issue of how to eliminate manual labor and the associated potential worker exposures is a challenge a few Class 1s mentioned in our survey.

north carolina railroad

have up-to-date safety and productivity features, which have helped to benefit our railroad. As far as the lower priced pieces of equipment, we are utilizing backhoes with additional attachments such as hi-rail gear and tie inserters, to add to the functionality of the equipment. This equipment installed with the newest technology has allowed us to increase safety and production.

CP: Drone production tampers have increased our tamping capability.

Hydraulic drills with interchangeable carbide bits have really been a huge benefit in the field, resulting in lower drilling time.

KCS: Surfacing equipment offers the

most benefit to our railroad. Spike pullers are the most dependable and cost-efficient among the lower priced equipment.

NS: If you look at over-all benefits, our dual rail gang and all the unique equipment associated with it, offers the most

benefit to our railroad. The flash-butt welding trucks, focusing on joint elimination, offer a great benefit. Our new bridge tie installation equipment has been a very good investment as it has automated a process while also reduc-

engineering trends 2015 ing the overall track time required to accomplish the work.

6.

Solutions oriented

RT&S: What m/w issue do you spend the most time trying to solve: track time, productivity, etc.? What kind of machine or features would you like to see from suppliers to help alleviate the problem?

Amtrak: Coordinating crews to match up with work due to crew shortages.

CN: Work block availability is an issue. Based on the fact that track time is a premium, we look for high production/ reliable machinery to be as productive as possible to make the most of the work block. We continue to work with our suppliers in order to support improvements in the reliability of their parts and overall equipment.

CP: Distribution and handling of tie plates. The supply of plates in gondola cars requires multiple handling. The development of a machine which can distribute and pick up plates where required within the production environment would reduce OTM handling.

KCS: With minimal track time, equipment must be dependable and ready when the opportunity arises. Multi-task machines would greatly improve productivity.

NS: The increased demands on our infrastructure, which is a

good thing for our business, continue to make track time the biggest issue in maintenance-of-way.

7.

Railroad/supplier interface

RT&S: 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: We continually strive for more reliable and productive equipment. Ergonomics must be improved and there must be improvements in service and parts delivery. The suppliers that we work with are, for the most part, responsive to our concerns.

CP: Training of operators and seat stability is a problem in the industry. We have a constant need to train good people to run the equipment. Suppliers are starting to develop on-line tools to aid in training, but it needs more focus.

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

NS: Suppliers are very responsive to our needs and work with us to solve problems. But we continue to look for the generational leaps in productivity, such as automated machinery to distribute and install tie plates and easily make flash-butt welds in turnouts where clearances are tight with little or no rail consumption.

8.

Trending in 2015

RT&S: 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 too costly, too complicated, etc.?

Amtrak: Positive: More reliable; Negative: Cost of equipment; a lot of equipment being built is too big for us to use.

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

The cost to maintain a piece of machinery has risen dramatically over the past several years. The equipment reliability needs to increase to help alleviate some of the maintenance costs.

CP: We need reliable equipment, which is easy to operate.

Track time is very valuable and when we are on-track everything needs to function as intended. Manufacturers are doing a good job in developing more reliable equipment.

The introduction of Tier 4 engines and the need to regenerate is the most disturbing problem on the horizon. This could have a dramatic effect on reliability and production in the upcoming years.

KCS: Maintenance-of-way equipment manufacturers today continue to strive for safer and more reliable machines, benefitting productivity, as well as the operator and technician. Productivity generally leads to a more complicated machine that requires additional training of the operator and technician.

NS: Today’s equipment is definitely safer and more productive. But, we also recognize the need for trained and experienced machine operators who will stay with the equipment for extended periods of time rather than hopping from job-to-job and machine-to-machine.

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A ballast dump of 30 cars per mile on a new construction concrete tie project from HRSI.

Customer-driven focus leads to faster and more accurate ballast maintenance.

semi-annual

by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor

ballast update - part 2

B

allast maintenance is constantly at the top of any railroad’s to-do list. Suppliers are offering flixible equipment for customized solutions and quick machines to fit tight track windows.

Brandt Brandt Road Rail Corporation recently unveiled the RTB-130, Brandt’s hi-railed backhoe, which is mounted on a John Deere 710 base chassis and powered by a 130-horsepower engine and highcapacity hydraulics. The company says this ensures maximum power is delivered to the attachments, such as rotators, buckets, undercutters and tampers.

Brandt developed the RTB-130 hi-railed backhoe as it continued to watch a shift in the rail maintenance marketplace.

Railroads requiring machines for small maintenance projects want a platform that is stable, versatile, reliable and productive, the company says. The RTB-130 was designed to fit that requirement by allowing a multitude of attachments and minimizing the manpower it takes to complete routine tasks, such as ballast maintenance and tie change outs.

Railroads are trying to accomplish more tasks with less equipment, less labor and less track time, Brandt says. www.rtands.com

BTE Ballast Tools Equipment (BTE) believes maximum flexibility is the key to quickly fixing ballast maintenance issues. No matter the cause or situation, from flooding to erosion, quickly fixing the problem and getting the track back in service is what matters most, the company notes.

“This approach is why BTE has developed flexible machines to handle any spot ballast maintenance situation in a variety of conditions,” explained Matt Weyand, sales engineer. “Our Hi-Rail Backhoes and Hi-Rail Excavators can handle a full array of ballast and track service attachments including undercutters, tampers, cribbing buckets, tie handlers and tie dragons, while operating on or off track.”

BTE has more than 40 years of engineering and fabricating experience. The company says that keeping proper ballast condition is one of the most important and challenging aspects in any maintenance-of-way program.

“Ballast conditions can vary greatly, even within small geographic areas and BTE’s fast and flexible equipment can handle a wide variety of situations, even in the same location with our quick-change attachments,” noted Weyand. “Our customers need to be productive, safe and operate at the highest value possible. BTE’s line up of machines, attachments and wear-proofed parts lets our customers be Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 23

ballast update - part 2 Mounted on the same hi-rail vehicle, GREX’s Aurora and BallastSaver combine for tie and ballast inspection and assessment.

ready to operate in any ballast or track situation.”

GREX Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX) says its secondgeneration DumpTrain ® for Curves ™ overcomes the previous limitation of unloading in significant curvature by eliminating the single conveyor belt that spans the entire length of the original DumpTrain. The DumpTrain for Curves design employs a single belt per car, with each car passing its material to the proceeding car, regardless of elevation or curvature. This allows the DumpTrain for Curves to articulate to whatever degree curve it encounters and still deliver material to the stacker, where it is unloaded via a 35-foot boom capable of 180 degrees of motion perpendicular to the track.

The DumpTrain for Curves also gives railroads the flexibility of creating custom-sized trains that can be adapted to fit specific projects.

The previous limitation in train length and overall capacity revolved around maximum belt length, but the new design is configurable in nearly any length devised,” noted Nate Bachman, vice president of marketing and sales. “Some customers may want long consists for projects that require large amounts of material, while others may prefer shorter consists that can easily maneuver situations where track conditions are limited due to derailment and washout.”

Railroads also have the option to couple DumpTrain for Curves cars with the original DumpTrain to create a hybrid train. Such a configuration would allow unloading of DumpTrain cars in tangent track into the DumpTrain for Curves and maximize the amount of material delivered while still utilizing existing DumpTrains.

The DumpTrain for Curves gives customers the ability to deliver ballast up to 2,000 tons per hour – even in significant curvature, the company explains.

In recent applications of GREX’s other ballast delivery technology solutions, Vice President of Engineering Greg Grissom reports that customers continue to implement the GREX automated ballast delivery solution to minimize the materials, manpower and time needed to carry out ballast programs.

“The solution starts with an assessment survey using our dual technology Aurora/BallastSaver® hi-rail vehicle collecting simultaneous tie and ballast condition data. The patented BallastSaver technology collects a 360-degree point cloud at 30 mph to identify ballast deficiencies, clearance violations and end of tie ballast defects,” he explained.

Grissom points to a recent 685-mile inspection of mainline track, which calculated a ballast deficiency of 1,112 car loads 24 Railway Track & Structures

August 2015

required to bring the ballast section up to the prescribed standard.

“Too often, railroads make a blanket assumption of two to three cars per mile,” Grissom explained. “In this instance, it would have resulted in a 258 to 943 car overage. That equates to five to 19 additional 50-car ballast trains, which are better served delivering at other ballast deficient subdivisions. To aid in identifying areas that may be prone to track buckles, BallastSaver also reports locations where the ballast shoulders are not providing lateral resistance to the track structure, including accurate GPS and milepost information of those areas. Similar to the advancements in automated rail and tie inspection over the past decade, ballast inspection technology will continue to improve safety and savings from an optimized allocation of the resource.”

Bachman added, “To streamline ballast delivery, the BallastSaver inspection data can be fed directly into GateSync® software that opens and closes remote-controlled gates on a customer’s existing ballast cars. Of course, if a customer doesn’t have remote-controlled gates, we can retrofit their ballast cars with our Solaris® electric-over-hydraulic conversion kit.”

Harsco When ballast begins to lose its integrity, accelerated degradations of not only the track, but the surrounding region, can occur leading to costly maintenance issues.

For this, Harsco Rail points to MRail, an autonomous vertical track deflection measurement system, of which Harsco is the worldwide exclusive distributor.

“The MRail Vertical Track Deflection Measurement system has the ability to evaluate the degradation of the support structure over time by means of measuring exactly how much the rail deflects from its nonloaded position,” the company said. “With a sufficient measurement history, degradation models can be applied to the data to predict when the support system of a segment of rail will require maintenance due to reaching a pre-defined threshold. Not only can MRail outputs assist in managing maintenance scheduling, but the results of analyses can be used to prioritize maintenance locations and guide the types of maintenance required.”

In addition to the MRail track deflection system, Harsco Rail provides a product line of high-wear components for surfacing equipment. The company says tamping machines often degrade the ballast through the pneumatic vibrations that level the surface of the track and that the process of tamping will degrade the tamping tools and other high-wear components on the equipment.

“Harsco Rail’s JK Rail product line specializes in aftermarket high-wear components for our customers’ surfacing equipment,” noted the company. “Increasing the longevity of maintenance-of-way equipment extends the railroad’s overall investment, allowing them to best maintain their tracks.”

Herzog Railroad Services Inc. “At Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. (HRSI), we examine what our customers convey to us and work tirelessly to transfer that desire into a tangible benefit for them,” explained Timothy Francis, vice president of marketing. “One constant that the railroads have always communicated to us is their desire to minimize their track and time www.rtands.com

ballast update - part 2 Loram’s SBC 32 on a BNSF line in Duluth, Minn.

“They would like a machine that is easily transported to a problem location, can be placed on the rail, tow ballast cars, undercut the track or switch and replace the excavated ballast with the minimum number of people and support equipment.”

Loram

footprint while optimizing production in a manner that is both safer and more efficient.

“Ballast delivery, by our GPS SMART Train, is one of those benefits that we offer.

But the delivery of the ballast is just a small segment of the service we actually provide.

Our advances in surveying, with the addition of inertial systems on each train, have produced a seamless survey that can now be completed through areas of GPS outage and through tunnels and mountainous areas where surveys were once virtually impossible and, at times, very time consuming to accomplish.”

Francis says that more robust surveys have provided HRSI the ability to furnish the railroads a quantifiable benefit. The company has been able to shorten the dump zones on the approach and departure of fixed assets.

He notes that this allows for potential time savings when surfacing the track behind the project by reducing the time needed to pull and push the material over shorter distances.

HRSI’s trains are able to spread the ballast in either direction, regardless of which way the survey was completed.

“Set up time is minimal and can even be done in a siding or team track, which will again, minimize mainline traffic delays,” he said. “Once turned loose, the train will begin dumping as soon as the train reaches the first segment of the surveyed track. The addition of flow sensors allow us to confirm material is being dumped and reduces the possibility of cars becoming off balance due to material blocking a door. Herzog ballast trains dump from the first car to the last, which also reduces the chances for skips during the unloading process.”

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HRSI continues to develop its SMART Train Fleet. At one time, Francis says, it was said HRSI would not be able to dump ballast without a person beating the doors of a ballast car open and closed.

“It is safe to say we figured out a way to do just that and what we are working on now, will continue to revolutionize this process,” he explained.

Knox Kershaw Knox Kershaw, Inc., says it has continued to expand its inventory both domestically and in Canada to better serve its customers with fast delivery time. Additionally, adding more service technicians have allowed Knox Kershaw to expand its on site operator and maintenance training program to include all ballast regulator makes and models.

As it pertains to new products, Knox Kershaw has developed a folding conveyor for its KYC 550 Yard Cleaner that enhances its ability to be transported by truck.

The KYC 550 consists of a ballast broom, bucket elevator system and conveyor. Material is swept from the track into the buckets, then deposited onto the conveyor, which can deposit the material into a car that is coupled to the yard cleaner, or to either side of the track for deposit into an awaiting truck or onto the ground. A hydraulically-controlled side plow extends the reach of the machine several feet to either side for a total cleaning path of nearly 15 ft.

“The railroads are inquiring about switch and spot undercutters that are highway transportable,” noted George Pugh, vice president of operations.

Loram introduced two new ballast products this year, the Shoulder Ballast Cleaner - SBC 2400 and the Undercutter - UC 1200.

“The SBC 2400 is the world’s most productive shoulder ballast cleaner,” explained Scott Diercks, director marketing and business development. “This machine has the ability to process more material within a shorter track window, allowing the customer to lower unit cost and cover more of their system.”

The machine includes enhanced machine automation; reducing labor needs and improving safety by eliminating ground personnel, he says. Loram’s design includes additional automation to ease the operation and enhance the safety to accommodate the higher operating speed.

The UC 1200 is an undercutter cleaner that utilizes wheel technology. Loram says wheel technology provides an innovative approach to undercutting through offering dual material discharge capabilities, selfsuppor ting cut in and minimized tie disruption. The UC 1200 design provides customers increased productivity and the capabilities to reduce resources, the company notes.

“Loram’s customers continue to spotlight speed, performance and reliability when asking for equipment and services,” Diercks noted. “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.”

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

“Customers are working to maintain www.rtands.com

ballast update - part 2 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. In addition, it lowers overall costs, increases traffic throughput and provides more return on their investment,” he explained.

Loram has noticed a trend to coordinate equipment with system work gangs during major track outages. Diercks says utilizing work blocks in this fashion allows the company to provide optimal production and reduce lower overall cost.

Miner Enterprises Miner Enterprises, Inc., says that it is continuously improving the design, and recently improved the performance/life cycle, of the linear actuators and electrical systems used in its Miner Electric AggreGate®, a stand-alone electric aggregate system. 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,” said Chris Gaydos, manager mechanical engineering. “We are making these changes to help car builders and car shops streamline the applications and reduce labor costs. They have been asking for a safe, durable, maintenance-free way to ballast that can be applied to new or existing cars and that is what the Miner AggreGate provides.”

During the past year, Miner has supplied twin-cylinder,

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

Miner AggreGate is available in pry bar manual, push button or remote-control operations using pneumatic or electric power to operate the gates.

Montana Hydraulics “Montana Hydraulics has made some minor improvements to our Center Mounted Bi-Directional Ballast Plow that extends further the expected time in operation before wear parts need to be replaced,” noted Della Ehlke, co-owner.

The company says the plow continues to gain popularity due to it’s versatility, safe operation, reduction in manpower requirements and heavy-duty construction.

“The need for our ballast car field maintenance and repair services continues to grow because of the increased amount of track construction and reconstruction,” she explained. “Montana Hydraulics’ 17 years of continuous work in ballast car field services provides railroads the knowledge and experience necessary for our field mechanics to be a valuable resource.”

Montana Hydraulics’ Center Mounted Bi-Directional Ballast Plow will be on display at Railway Interchange in Minneapolis, Minn., in October at the outdoor and indoor exhibits.

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ballast update - part 2 NMC Railway Systems Product innovations from NMC Railway Systems in 2015 have come from the enhancement of its hi-rail product line, the company notes.

“Hi-rail equipment offers ease in accessing remote track lines for spot ballast maintenance and can move off track lines if needed,” explained Mark Anderson, sales manager. “Our hi-rail equipment delivers customized solutions that allow operators to work efficiently on- and off-track, with multiple tool functionality.”

Recently, the NMC Railway Systems team has seen a demand in requests for larger model excavators. Equipping a 320 Cat® Excavator with hi-rail gear and the ability to run multiple tools, increases the versatility of the equipment while promoting safety in maintenance-ofway projects, Anderson notes.

NMC Railway Systems’ 320 Hi-rail Excavator is able to run a 10-foot undercutter bar, which was designed to make ballast projects easier to combat. With its auto tensions system, bi-directional carbide chain, 360-degree rotation and spoil management system control, the 10-foot undercutter bar has the ability to tackle tight spot work, he explains.

“We’re continuing to build out our hi-rail product line,” Anderson said. “At the upcoming 2015 Railway Interchange show, we are excited to promote the launch of the NMC Railway Systems Hi-rail Backhoe.

The machine allows for added flexibility when coupled with a Rototilt to run a variety of attachments, including a six foot undercutter bar, two-motor tamper and tie inserter.”

Anderson says that NMC Railway Systems continues to innovate

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and engineer solutions that best meet the needs of the railroads. Track windows for MOW projects are becoming shorter and the demand for equipment that can combat spot work with one multi-functional machine is increasing.

“NMC Railway Systems’ hi-rail product line is designed to exist on any non-crossing location to make way for oncoming train traffic,” Anderson said. “This allows full utilization of track-lines to ensure track traffic continues; our focus is to provide equipment that increases productivity. To ensure our equipment is always productive in the field, NMC Railway Systems has invested in more dedicated field support available 24/7, to fulfill Class 1 and railroad contractor’s service needs.”

Nordco Nordco says its biggest innovation of the year is the RoadReady™ Tamper and RoadReady™ Ballast Regulator. They can be hauled behind any traditional type road tractor and deployed directly from road to rail without the need for a crane. It allows customers to get off the road and get to work much more quickly than with standard rail bound equipment, the company notes. The machines were designed with the department of transportation rules in mind, allowing travel to most locations without specialized permits.

“Nordco continues to grow our parts, services and rebuild offerings with continuing efforts to offer programs for our various customers,” explained Brian Cumbridge, surfacing product manager. “We provide a range of options from turnkey Nordco factor y remanufactured machines to cost-effective

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ballast update - part 2

running repairs. We also provide factory rebuilt components and a comprehensive component exchange program. Our on-time delivery and order-fill metrics continue to improve and provide best-in-class product support.

The development of Nordco’s RoadReady line of roadway work equipment was in response to requests from the railroads, says Cumbridge.

“Through our observations and discussion with the railroads, it became apparent that there was a need for equipment that could improve the reactive surfacing process,” he noted. “When there is a ‘hot spot’ on the track that requires slow orders, the ability to quickly travel to the work site and rectify this track condition improves train velocity and reduces expenses. The RoadReady Tamper and RoadReady Ballast Regulator will help the railroads eliminate more slow orders than with conventional rail bound equipment.”

Nordco recently launched an upgraded M7 Ballast Regulator that features upgraded on-road truck style drive axles, a new belt driven broom and improved operator comfort.

“Customers purchasing the RoadRead Roadway Work Equipment will also get Nordco’s NEXXUS control system for intelligent machine automation, allowing operators to intuitively navigate Nordco machine functionality, deliver high productivity and quickly troubleshoot all from the safety of the cab,” Cumbridge explained.

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Plasser American Plasser American says it understands the importance of maintaining ballast to achieve long-lasting quality track, as well as the processes required to do this, including ballast undercutting/cleaning, shoulder cleaning, sub-grade renewal and ballast management.

“Plasser works continually with its customers to supply them with the tools required to achieve this,” said the company. “Clean ballast is extremely important to maintain track geometry. Scheduled ballast undercutting-cleaning to create proper drainage and removing fouled material from the track is the first step to long-lasting track.”

Plasser supplies the RM80, which can undercut and clean plain track, as well as switches; high-capacity double screening unit machines, such as the RM2003 dual shaker undercutter-cleaner and the RM802 High Speed Undercutter-Cleaner, which works with predumped ballast and the FRM802 Shoulder Cleaner.

Plasser’s latest machine, the URM700, performs ballast undercutting-cleaning on switches and plain track. The core component of the URM700 is its excavating unit in the form of a sword with a horizontally rotating excavating chain capable of cutting a width of up to 20 feet. The cleaned ballast is returned to the track directly behind the cutter bar. If necessary, new ballast can be added to the cleaned ballast.

In instances where the track quality cannot be maintained due to weak subgrade or continuous fouling from the subgrade, a

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ballast update - part 2

subgrade renewal machine may be used to correct the problem, the company notes.

Subgrade renewal machines remove the ballast layer, as well as the sub-ballast layer and replace it with a formation protection layer and a layer of ballast. The formation protection layer prevents material from coming up and fouling the ballast, prevents water from seeping down into the subgrade and distributes the load on the track over a larger area reducing the stress on the subgrade by increasing the bearing surface.

“One of the latest versions of these machines is the AHM 800 R Formation Rehabilitation Machine, which in one pass, can remove the ballast and sub-ballast, recycle the removed material and then, install a compacted formation protection layer and a ballast layer,” Plasser explained. “All work is performed without physically removing the track, allowing for shorter track outages.”

The company says the BDS100/200 Ballast Distribution System continues to be the ideal machine to accompany the highspeed 09-3X tampers. The machines are equipped with plows to profile the ballast, hopper and conveyors to distribute ballast as needed and double brooms to sweep up and store excess ballast and for final track dressing. MFS Hopper/Conveyor cars may be added for additional ballast storage and all work is performed in a “one pass” operation.

“Plasser’s PBR2005 Ballast Regulator continues to be popular due to its ability to plow, profile and broom in one pass,” Plasser said. “The unique design of the shoulder plows allow the machine to reach out and pull in ballast, which was previously beyond the reach of conventional ballast regulators. The machine is also available with an optional double broom. The PBR2005 is ideally suited to work behind two-tie tampers or tamper and pup tamper combinations where it can easily keep up with the tamper in a ‘one pass’ operation.”

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 working with customers to address concerns for new products. Kershaw recently delivered a new KSC2000 High Speed Shoulder Cleaner that is capable of cleaning the shoulder ballast, screening and spoiling the waste and returning the cleaned ballast back onto the shoulder.

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

can be customized to satisfy any requirement.”

RCE Rail Construction Equipment Company (RCE) now has more undercutter bar sizes available to enhance the use of the excavator undercutting process and now supplies the 75G, 85G, 135G, 245G, 250G and 350G excavators with undercutter bars ranging from nine feet to 15 feet in size. By increasing these options, RCE says its customers can perform undercutting with all the RCE models of hi-rail or standard excavators.

RCE is continuing to offer all of its track maintenance equipment either for sale, lease or rental, giving the customer the option of how they can outfit their projects with RCE’s equipment.

“RCE’s Railavator is a highly-versatile option that can be used in many maintenance applications,” explained Dennis Hanke, sales manager. “Whether it is undercutting, pulling rail, cutting brush, craning, tamping ties or just digging and trenching, the Railavator is a platform to do it all.”

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,” noted Randy Chubaty, national sales manager. “The machine is designed utilizing a cab-forward design, offering enhanced visibility and improved operator ergonomics. The machine design also addresses many www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 31

The opening of the Wylie Intermodal Terminal centralizes KCS’ Dallas-area facilities and allows the railroad to continue tapping cross-border intermodal traffic.

by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor; all photos courtesy KCS

KCS bolsters its

intermodal WIT K

ansas City Southern has spent year s developing , enhancing and investing in an international intermodal corridor. KCS Chief Executive Officer told Railway Age in March 2014, “It’s no secret inside the railroad industr y and investment community that the intermodal sector is growing rapidly.”

The railroad has expanded facilities at Puerta Mexico, Salinas Victoria, Intepuerto and Kendleton, Texas, but KCS was beginning to feel the pinch of its Dallas (Zacha) Ramp, which was originally build in the 1950s.

The Zacha site was landlocked with no option to acquire surrounding properties.

“Our old Zacha facility had essentially run out of capacity and, although process improvements had been achieved over the past years, constructing a new facility allowed us to enhance the efficiency of traffic and handling significantly,” said KCS. 34 Railway Track & Structures

August 2015

The railroad says its first priority as it was planning a new terminal was to build a dedicated intermodal facility, capable of handling the growing volume to, from and through the Dallas area.

KCS began construction on the more than $64-million, 92-acre Wylie Intermodal Terminal (WIT) in June 2014 and held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility on July 30, 2015.

“The Dallas area is an important market and, hence, a high-density destination for intermodal and trailer traffic coming off the Meridian Speedway from the southeast U.S. and from ports on the eastern seaboard,” said KCS. “Furthermore, Dallas is a critical connection point for traffic originating or terminating in the southeast and connecting to/from the Pacific ports, primarily for Asian imports and exports.

The Kansas City Southern Wylie Intermodal Terminal will, therefore, play a key role in enabling these intermodal markets to grow, while at the same time

adding fluidity to the intermodal network through operational efficiencies.”

The railroad explains the Zacha site was constrained with the ability to only have short stub end tracks where the Wylie facility allows KCS to provide long, double-ended tracks for ease of train spotting and makeup. Additionally, the railroad was able to continue service in the area by keeping Zacha opened while it constructed a new, green field site.

“The green field construction provides for more cost-effective design options and less costly construction, as you are not required to phase construction activities to accommodate on-going operations. Kansas City Southern was able to provide for more efficient parking, entrance gate activities and increased fluidity to the operation,” said the railroad.

“As on all construction projects, we learned some lessons for the next one,” explained the railroad. “We can www.rtands.com

KCS Wylie Terminal Opposite page: WIT has more than double the annual lift capacity of KCS’ Zacha facility, which will cease operations with WIT’s opening.

This page: An aerial view of the new Wylie International Terminal.

always benefit from better communication between various departments to ensure everyone’s needs are met. We also benchmarked several other railroads to identify optimal track layouts and parking schemes that would best fit our property layout. Benchmarking also included what lift equipment and strip track layouts would provide the most efficient operation for Wylie.”

The railroad built the facility using roller compacted concrete, which it has been utilizing for several years for all terminals in the U.S. and Mexico.

KCS says this is a method of laying concrete paving much like asphalt paving with a very low slump, high strength concrete. It notes the advantages to this are low cost, high productivity and extended life with low maintenance of the pavement.

The end result is a state-of-the-art facility that has an Automated Gate System with high definition imagers, optical character recognition, biometric driver identification and the ability to stack containers. The WIT has more than double the annual lift capacity of Zacha, 342,000 units versus 168,000 units. It also has 3,800 additional feet of working track; 270 acres of undeveloped acreage and 440 additional wheeled parking slots, a 40 percent increase over what was available at Zacha.

www.rtands.com

While the proverbial paint has yet to dry, KCS has also planned for future enhancement of the WIT. “Kansas City Southern has room to accommodate two more long loading tracks and another 1,500 parking spots in the next phase(s), depending on what aspect of expansion we need,” said the railroad. “The initial build-out has been made to allow for a roughly 45 percent increase in lift capacity as compared to the old facility. Blueprints exist for a second phase, which would add considerable additional capacity. There are currently no plans for initiating this additional build-out, but we believe the initial phase is sufficient for several years. Kansas City Southern will make sure to start any expansion with ample time to complete it in a timely manner, based on future growth rates.”

While the railroad will see increased

capacity, improved safety and security, enhanced shipment mobility and fluidity, KCS is not the only beneficiary of the new terminal and it points to the impact the WIT will have on the surrounding community.

“The Kansas City Southern Wylie Intermodal Terminal brings a new gateway to the world to Wylie and to Collin County. It offers existing businesses here and future ones, the opportunity to move their goods to a national and international market by way of this world-class facility. It creates the opportunity for planned economic growth and development. It makes this area even more competitive to shippers looking to locate new operations near a facility like this.

And, that creates the opportunity for new job creation and growth in the local tax base,” said the railroad.

Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 35

AREMA NEWS Professional Development

Message from the President

Seminars

Railroad bridge load rating seminar-steel structures August 31, 2015 Chicago, IL

Giving thanks

Nine AREMA Seminars will be held in conjunction with the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN, October 4 – 7, 2015.

Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering October 2 - 4, 2015 Rail Bulk terminal design October 3, 2015 building the steel interstate October 3, 2015 FRA 214: roadway worker on-track safety October 3, 2015 environmental permitting issues in railroad construction projects October 4, 2015 practical track measurements techniques & tools October 4, 2015 intermodal terminal engineering October 7 - 8, 2015 track alignment design October 7 - 9, 2015 FRA 213: track safety standards October 7 - 9, 2015 Please visit www.arema.org to register and to find out more information about these seminars or contact Desirée Knight at dknight@arema.org.

www.rtands.com

Randy Bowman AREMA President 2014-2015

It seems like only a few months ago I was writing my first “Message from the President” column for RT&S. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to that monthly task. I don’t consider myself much of a writer.

As an engineer, I’m often brief with my words. However, after having written 11 of these, the last one doesn’t seem so daunting. I hope those of you who have read my columns have gotten something out of them. I tried to mix things up a bit by writing what was on my mind at the time.

Thank you for taking the time to read what I wrote.

It’s certainly been an honor to serve as the AREMA president for the past year. From the AREMA members and staff to my friends, family and co-workers, I’ve been blessed to be surrounded with many people who have helped and supported me throughout the year. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to some of them.

First and foremost, I have to thank my wife, Michelle. She has always been my biggest supporter, not to mention my first-line editor. She has accompanied me at various events and has greatly enjoyed getting to know many of you. She has accepted her role as first lady with grace and done a fine job working with the AREMA staff to coordinate the spouse events for the October annual conference.

Next, I have to give a big thank you to Larry Etherton who graciously interrupted his retirement to serve as our interim executive director.

Larry’s experience of past president and many years of chairing the conference operating committee made him the perfect choice to take on this task. His leadership was invaluable through this time of transition. I wish him and Teresa all the best as they resume their retirement.

The AREMA staff has continued to perform their duties with the utmost efficiency and professionalism. They have taken care of all the day-to-day details of running our association, making my job much easier. My thanks goes out to Beth, Vickie, Stacy, Desiree, Janice, Lindsay, Christy, Morgan, Chip and Mandie for all their hard work and assistance throughout the year. All of you are greatly appreciated for the work you do to keep this association running smoothly.

My thanks also goes out to the AREMA Board of Governors, Mike Franke, Joe Smak, Brian Lindamood, Dave Ferryman, John West and Mike Wheeler. You have each done an outstanding job in providing support and guidance throughout the year as we handled the business of this association.

The AREMA Board of Directors, under the chair of Brian Lindamood, has done a tremendous job in keeping the technical portion of this association moving forward. Thank you to Brian along with the functional group vice presidents, directors, committee chairs, vice chairs, secretaries and all the active committee members. You are the heart and soul of this association and what makes us the premier railroad engineering association in the world.

As we prepare for Railway Interchange 2015 in Minneapolis, Minn., I want to thank the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association, Railway Supply Institute and Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc., for the relationships that have strengthened during the past Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 37

AREMA NEWS

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

2015 Upcoming Committee Meetings Aug.10-11

Committee 1 - Roadway & Ballast

Santa Rosa, CA

Sept. 1-2

Committee 15 - Steel Structures

Chicago, IL

Sept. 17-18 Committee 8 - Concrete Structures & Foundations Sept. 23

Committee 28 - Clearances

New York, NY

Colorado Springs, CO

Oct. 18-19 Committee 34 - Scales

Vancouver, WA

Oct. 27-28 Committee 4 - Rail

Stockton, CA

Nov. 3-4

Committee 37 - Signal Systems

Atlanta, GA

Nov. 4-5

Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems

Atlanta, GA

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

FYI‌

Book your 2016 AREMA expo booth now f o r t h e A R E M A 2 016 A n n u a l Conference & Exposition in Orlando, FL, August 28-31, 2016. Expo booth sales are now being accepted. For more information and to book your expo space, please contact Christy Thomas at cthomas@arema.org.

I n t e re s t e d i n g a i n i n g c o m p a ny recognition and building awareness?

Think about sponsorship for the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference held in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2015. Contact Lindsay Hamilton at 301.459.3200, ext. 705 or lhamilton@arema.org to discuss the many sponsorship opportunities available.

Register now to take advantage of the discounted rates for the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2015, October 4-7, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN. Visit www.arema.org to register today. For more information on Railway Interchange 2015, please visit www.railwayinterchange.org.

AREMA website advertising... Want to be listed on the AREMA website to gain exposure from the more than 6,80 0 AREMA member s? Contact Lindsay Hamilton at 301.459.3200, ext. 705 or lhamilton@arema.org to get advertising rates.

AREMA on social media... Stay up-todate on the most recent AREMA information through all official social media outlets. Become a fan of the AREMA Facebook Page, join the AREMA LinkedIn Group and now tweet, retweet and hashtag @AREMArail on Twitter.

38 Railway Track & Structures

August 2015

year. And thanks to our friends at the the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Railway Tie Association and American Public Transportation Association for the continued relationships we enjoy. Our mutual support of one another is one of many things that help each of us grow and accomplish our missions.

Finally, I want to thank each of you as members of AREMA. I am truly honored and humbled to have served as your president this past year. I hope I have served you well. It’s definitely been an experience that has enriched my life and it would not have been possible without the support from so many. Thank you for all you do to advance the railway industry by sharing your technical expertise through this association. Be safe and make a positive difference.

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.

Upcoming AREMA Online Seminar September 1, 2015 - 12:00 Noon EDT. This 60-minute online seminar will discuss phasing and planning, challenges and methods within civil and track construction on the railroad. The webinar is designed to provide track designers and construction managers more information as they work on track construction projects and the interaction between design and construction. To register and find out more information, please visit www.arema.org/online_seminars or contact Mandie Ennis at mennis@arema.org.

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

Not an AREMA Member? Join today at www.arema.org www.rtands.com

Getting to know Andrew Scott Each month, AREMA features one of our committee chairs. We are pleased to announce that the August featured chair is Andrew Scott, chair of Committee 12 Rail Transit.

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

SCOTT: My career path may be less traditional than many of the other chairs who have shared their backgrounds in this article.

I cannot say I chose railway engineering as a career as much as it pulled me in. As a young engineer working in Alberta, I was asked to assist the firm’s senior staff on a variety of projects that became my early education in the industry. I developed track design for the first leg of the Calgary light-rail transit (LRT) system and studied alignments for new branch lines to coal mines in the Rockies and unit train load out facilities on the prairie.

When I was offered the chance to work as extension of staff on the underground extension of the Edmonton LRT system, I jumped in with both feet. I had responsibility for management of the bored tunnel construction and track work installation.

That soon translated into assisting with the development of future expansion plans for the system. That background allowed me to take on several international assignments.

When I moved to the U.S. in 1993, my background proved valuable as the transit industry was moving into its renaissance.

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

SCOTT: I had always used the Manual for Railway Engineering and the Portfolio of Trackwork Plans as valuable resources on my projects. After my move to Philadelphia, I realized that I needed a wider interaction with practitioners in the industry and at the urging of one of my former clients, Lyn Wylder, when she was at MARTA, I joined AREMA and Committee 12 in 1998. Under the tutelage of Keith Powley, I became secretary of Committee 12 in 2007.

I became the chair last fall when Al Goff completed his term. As a generalist in the industry, I am frequently reminded of the depth of knowledge of the other members on the committee. Their desire to share that expertise through their volunteer activities in AREMA is a testament to the organization and the caliber of the people in the industry.

At Urban Engineers, I have moved from a position as senior engineer, to practice www.rtands.com

leader for the Transit Design practice, to responsibility for our Facilities Design group, which also included our freight rail practice.

Based on my participation in Committee 12, I continue to encourage other members of our staff to become involved in AREMA committee work and share their experiences with others.

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

SCOTT: My wife and I enjoy a vacation home in the Poconos, which offers a lot of opportunities for diversions during the summer. I am close to being the oldest softball player on the diamond on Saturday mornings (I need the 90-year-old to hang up his cleats). I am still learning to fly fish and enjoy getting out in the sailboat. At home, the garden always needs attention and I enjoy doing renovation projects around the house.

AREMA: Tell us about your family.

SCOTT: I have been married to my wife, Joie, since 1995. We do not have any children, so we do not know the joy of having them, nor the anxiety either. Joie has had an interesting career as a senior manager for an international product development and marketing company and executed her own career change when she decided she wanted to work on human resources issues, executing management transitions and recently running a firm doing retained search for senior executives. Our cat, Nomie, would be thrilled to know that I attempted to get her name into a national publication.

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

SCOTT: Many people do not realize that I was born and raised in Canada, although my “abouts” sometimes give me away. That topic always yields interesting conversations with those that have lived or vacationed in places in which I used to spend a lot of time.

AREMA: What is your biggest achievement?

SCOTT: Aside from all the project experiences that one uses to show examples of good engineering or project management, I find that the relationships that develop on those assignments are what truly lasts. I enjoyed a successful career in Canada, being partner of a small firm that has subsequently grown to a major regional player. My decision to move to the U.S. was therefore a difficult one to make. Thus, I would describe

Andrew scott Chair, Committee 12 Rail Transit Senior Vice President Urban Engineers, Inc.

my biggest achievement as developing a brand new network at mid-career and then obtaining a senior leadership position at Urban Engineers, all as a result of working with a lot of talented people.

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

SCOTT: Unfortunately, I think some of the general public’s misconceptions of the industry are that it is 19th century technology and only has a narrow focus on moving goods and people and, therefore, may have limited opportunities for a wide range of employment opportunities or a strong career path. In reality, it has a tremendous range of opportunities for persons of all manners of interests and education and the technology it uses compares well to other, more recently developed industries. I encourage new graduates not to get too focused on a narrow specialty too soon, but to take some time and experience a wider array of assignments. You may start in one corner of an industry and years later have developed a background in a lot of other disciplines. The railroad industry is a great place to use that approach.

Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 39

AREMA NEWS

Student chapter highlight:

Brigham Young University From left to right: Travis Meservy (current president), Aaron Cook (past president), Johnny Johnson, Dr. Mitsuru Saito (faculty advisor), Seth Hinkley (current secretary), and Ryan Moor (current treasurer).

The Brigham Young University (BYU) AREMA Student Chapter was founded in May 2013.

Currently, 20 members are listed in its roster. The current chapter president is Travis Meservy. The chapter has, on average, one activity a month. BYU works together with the BYU Institute of Transpor tation Eng ineer s (ITE) Student Chapter when organizing activities because many of the BYU AREMA chapter members are ITE student chapter members. Last year, four members of the BYU Student Chapter attended the AREMA 2014 Annual Conference & 40 Railway Track & Structures

August 2015

Exposition held in Chicago, Ill., from September 28 to October 1, for the first time.

AREMA star ted the Quiz Bowl (a jeopardy-type quiz tournament, just like the ITE’s Traffic Bowl) this year for the student chapter member s to compete at the conference. The BYU team beat other large, established AREMA student chapter s like Michigan Tech and Virginia Tech and won 2nd place in the Quiz Bowl, only behind the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Considering that BYU’s AREMA student chapter was founded only

a year and a half ago, this was a great achievement.

On March 13, 2015, Johnny Johnson, president of RailPros, based in Irvine, Calif., was invited to speak at one of the AREMA chapter activities. He provided insights into railroad engineering and its related job environments.

As summer break closes, the BYU student chapter will kick off the new academic year with an opening social in September.

After that, Dr. Mitsuru Saito will escort students of the chapter to the AREMA 2015 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., in October. www.rtands.com

Upcoming AREMA online seminar

AREMA Publications 2015 Manual for Railway Engineering ©

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

Downloadable Chapters Available Online.

2015 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices

©

2016 edition will be available in October.

The Communications & Signals Manual is a manual of recommended practices written

by AREMA technical committees in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety or efficiency and economy. The Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices is an annual publication released every October.

Downloadable Sections Available Online.

2014 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans

Date: September 1, 2015 12:00 Noon EDT (60 Minutes)

©

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

AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook ©

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

Practical Guide to Railway Engineering ©

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

Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE

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

www.rtands.com

Title: Civil and Track Construction

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.)

Presented by: Robert D. Kimicata, PE, Principal, Kimicata Rail Consulting, Inc. Course description: This 60-minute online seminar will discuss phasing and planning, challenges and methods within civil and track construction on the railroad.

The webinar is designed to provide track designers and construction managers more information as they work on track construction projects and the interaction between design and construction.

Presenter biography: Kimicata has 38 years of experience in the rail industry.

He has a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He has worked for Chessie System Railroad (predecessor of today’s CSX Transportation), CSXT, Envirodyne Engineers and in 2004, formed Kimicata Rail Consulting, Inc. Kimicata has been a member of AREMA’s Committee 24, Education and Training, since 2000 and is an instructor of the Track Alignment Design Seminar and Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering seminars. He is also an author, editor and presenter at the University of Wisconsin Intermodal Yards and Terminals seminar.

To register, please visit www.arema.org/online_seminars or contact Mandie Ennis at mennis@arema.org.

Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 41

42 Railway Track & Structures

August 2015

www.rtands.com

CALENDAR AUGUST 19-20. 3rd Annual Michigan Rail Conference. Eberhard Center, Grand Valley State University. Grand Rapids, Mich. Contact: David Nelson. Phone: 906-487-1734.

E-mail: dannelso@mtu.edu. Website: http://www.rail. mtu.edu/mi-rail-conf/index.php.

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

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

Website: www.aslrra.org.

14-18. RailroadTrack Inspection & Safety Standards.

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

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

22-24. Maintaining and Inspecting Railroad Track.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website: www.rta.org. www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 43

PRODUCTS

Trailer line

Landoll introduced its Next Generation Landoll Trailer Line, which features a new hydraulic operating system n i ck n a m e d H.O.S.S. and high-visibility lighting.

The 40 0 “A�

Series Traveling Axle trailers will be the first models with these added standard features.

Landoll says H.O.S.S. cuts the overall operational time in half.

The axle traveling forward has increased by 36 percent and moving back by 58 percent. Tilt deck positioning has increased to nearly 63 percent, while winch in and out speeds are closer to six percent. This improvement will allow for more loads to take place, Landoll notes. Phone: (800) 428-5655.

Thread chaser

QwikLineTM now offers its patent-pending QwikLine Thread Chaser, a line of heavy-duty, industrial-strength products used to repair damaged threads on bolts and rods. The QwikLine Thread Chaser slides down the bolt or rod over the damaged threads, aligns with the good threads, then reverses back up the entire bolt or rod, repairing the damaged threads along the way.

The company notes this happens in a fraction of the time and with greater precision than other methods.

The thread chaser repairs lightly to severely damaged threads, regardless of location of damage; is certified for use with both an impact wrench and hand wrench and is made in the USA with industrial-grade materials and design. A wide range of sizes are available including SAE 3/8-inch to four.-inch, with larger sizes available upon request. Phone: (503) 564-1314.

44 Railway Track & Structures

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www.rtands.com

Ad Index Company

Phone #

Amsted RPS

Fax#

913-345-4807

913-345-4818

e-mail address

Page #

jstout@amstedrps.com

17

AREMA Marketing Department

301-459-3200

301-459-8077

marketing@arema.org

Brandt Road Rail Corporation

306-791-7533

306-525-1077

nmarcotte@brandt.com

31

Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.

512-869-1542 ext.5292

512-863-0405

bachman@georgetownrail.com

Cover 4

Harsco Rail

803-822-7551

803-822-7521

mteeter@harsco.com

29

Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.

816-233-9002

816-233-7757

tfrancis@hrsi.com

25

Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.

Knox Kershaw Inc. Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

Cover 3

866-245-3745

800-309-3299

info@trak-star.com

6

334-387-5669 ext.208

334-387-4554

knox@knoxkershaw.com

30

63-478-6014

763-478-2221

sales@loram.com

Neel Company, The

703-913-7858

703-913-7859

jlewis@neelco.com

5

NMC Railway Systems

866-662-7799

402-891-7745

info@nmcrail.com

35

Nordco Inc.

414-766-2180

North American Rail Products Inc.

Plasser American Corp.

Progress Rail Services Corporation

RAILCET

Railway Educational Bureau, The

RailWorks Corporation

Taimi Hydraulics

888-692-1150

cerhart@narailproducts.com

757-494-7186

plasseramerican@plausa.com

800-476-8769

256-593-1249

217-522-6588

866-472-4510

630-355-7173

402-346-4300

800-272-8437

402-346-1783

V&H Inc., Trucks

404-214-5374

715-486-8800

8 22

info@progressrail.com

28

grif1020@yahoo.com

7

dennishanke@rcequip.com

9

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

43, 44

952-469-1926

sen@railworks.com

18-19

412-894-2846

kdulski@stella-jones.com

Cover 2

418-686-6868

Tensar North American Green

21

757-543-3526

866-905-7245

Stella-Jones Corporation

info@nordco.com

604-946-7272

866-724-5238

Rail Construction Equipment Co.

414-766-2379

27

info@taimi.ca

20

404-250-9185

cmgovern@tensarcorp.com

15

714-387-0657

a.thoreson@vhtruck.com

8

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

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

Advertising Sales general sales OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher (212) 620-7224 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 620-7224 New York, NY 10014 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada Quebec and East, Ontario Jerome Marullo (212) 620-7260 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1863 New York, NY 10014 jmarullo@sbpub.com AL, AR, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX 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

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

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

Responsible for advertisement sales in all parts of the world, except Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, Japan, and North America.

Julie Richardson International Sales Manager Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416368 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom jr@railjournal.co.uk

Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, +81-3-5691-3335 Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 Tokyo 121-0824, Japan amskatsu@dream.com

Suite N2, The Priory, Syresham Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3LB, UK

Classified, Professional & Employment Jeanine Acquart (212) 620-7211 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1325 New York, NY 10014 jacquart@sbpub.com

Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 45

Professional Directory

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

Rotary Dump

Grapple Truck

Hytracker

LEASE or BUY Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter

Hirail Service/Maintainers Truck

Custom Build New or Used Chassies.

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

RAILROAD SERVICES

Est. 1910

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

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

MARKETPLACE SALES Contact: Jeanine Acquart Ph: 212/620-7211 • Fax: 212/633-1165 Email: jacquart@sbpub.com 46 Railway Track & Structures

August 2015

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED www.rtands.com

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT Hi-Rail trucks engineered for your applications with nationwide deliveries and warranties...

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

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

EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, SJ, SJ2, Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers Grapple Trucks 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line Magnets & Self Propelled TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW REGULATORS, KRIBBER/ADZERS, TIE CRANES, PLATE BROOMS, BRUSH CUTTERS, & SNOW FIGHTERS KBR-850-925-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters Section Trucks KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters Telescoping & Articulating Cranes KTC-1200 Tie Cranes ALSO AVAILABLE KKA-1050 Kribber/Adzers Hi-Rail Pickup Trucks KPB-200 Plate Brooms Hi-Rail Mechanics Trucks NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Hi-Rail Aerial Devices Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Hi-Rail Welder Trucks Models CX and SS Spikers Track Maintenance Trucks and many more truck configurations...

Model SP2R Dual Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAIL HEATERS Pettibone Model 445E Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) RT&S2013revAd.indd 1 2/12/13 Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Rail Heaters - Single Sided, Dual Sided, Self-propelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts MOW Integrated Carbide Tools

877-888-9370

6700 Tamping Tool JK-635

GLOBAL RAIL TENDERS

2:57 PM

MKIV Tamping Tool JK-215L/R

GRM3000 Tamping Tool JK-560C

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

• Class 1 product approval

Turning Opportunities into New Business

• Genuine OEM parts

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

Get up-to-the-minute business intelligence by subscribing to GlobalRailTenders.com Powered by

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Railway Track & Structures

August 2015 47

ilson

ub.com

1995 Mark IV Tamper, 2007 System V, V4.10, Surface fit, Smart I/O, Laser . . . . . . . CALL! (4) 1993 Mark IV Tampers, System V, 4.10, Smart I/O, Surface fit, Laser . . . . . . . . CALL! Remanufactured Mark III ECTR-130G Tamper, four wheel drive, combo clamp . . . . . CALL! (5) 1996 - 1983 Mark III, ECTR-130G Tampers, combo clamp, 4 wheel drive, AC . . . CALL! (2) STM Switch Tampers, no jacks. Enclosed cabs. Nice machines! . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (16) Fairmont Tamper Mark I, II, ES, ES-TDAG, EA, EAS, JRM Tampers available! . . . . CALL! (5) Harsco TR-10/TR-1’s Tie Remover/Inserters, 1998,1996,1991 Models & Older . . CALL! (2) Kershaw / RTW Tie Cranes & Bridge Cranes. Enclosed cabs, GM 3-53 engines . . CALL! (3) Kershaw Model 35-13 Tie Plate Sweepers, diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! (3) Nordco Auto-lifts (one new 2008 unit!) Hatz diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE! Racine Dual Anchor Spreaders and Dual Anchor Adjusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOR SALE! RAILWAY . . . . . . . . . . . INC. . . CALL! (3) Teleweld Rail Heaters w/vibrators, self EQUIPMENT propelled . . . . . . . SERVICES, (1) Speed Swing 441-D . . . . . www.railwayequipmentservices.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! MOW Equipment – Lease & Sale (1) Nordco model “C” Spike driver with PLC upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CALL! Track Surfacing – Tamp & Reg (2) Nordco model “C” Spike driversBrushcutting . . . . . . . . .– .Dual . . . side . . . Kershaw . . . . . . . . . CALL! (All of theSpecialized above equipment is located in Illinois) Hauling – Low Boys with Rail JER OVERHAUL318-995-7006 INC. / NEWMAN or MACHINERY 318-469-7133 Equipment“AWebsite: www.newmanmachinery.com full service company with over 20 yrs exp!”

EMAIL: Eric Headrick, eheadrick@jeroverhaul.com JER Website: www.jeroverhaul.com SALES & RENTAL Tel# (217) 259-4823 PARTS & SERVICE: Tel# (217) 268-4823 • Fax# (217) 268-4813

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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

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

Railway Track & Structures

Products and services

REESE WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

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

K. W. Reese, Inc.

Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236

(717) 328-5211 •

fax

(717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com

2013, 2014 NRC SAFETY AWARD GOLD MEDAL WINNER

April 2011 49

PARTS • SALES • SERVICE

Get the inside scoop on and off the track

NEW & USED Grapple Trucks, Roto Dumps, Mechanics Trucks and Pickups.

WE ALSO RENT! Call Rob Wiskerchen at 715-897-2619 Toll Free: 888-405-0110 e-mail: rob@wisktrucks.com • www.wisktrucks.com

48 Railway Track & Structures

August 2015

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