RT&S February 2020

2020 CapEx Forecast

Making RIPPLES Major railroad companies expect spending to increase slightly

February 2020 | www.rtands.com

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February 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1

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contents

February 2020

FEATURES

10

Mostly ripples, some waves Railroad companies will continue to invest over the next 12 months at slightly higher levels than 2019

16

16 On Track Making the safe move Last Stop Optimizing the role of a PM

26

Columns

4

3

DEPARTMENTS

6 37 40 43 43

44

TTCI Checking in on Section 3 of TTCI’s High Tonnage Loop AREMA News Message from the President, AREMA Committee 2 meeting, and more

A BNSF tie replacement gang on the Spanish Peaks subdivision in Cedarwood, Colo.

Classifieds

Credit: BNSF

Advertiser Index

22

A strong memory Latest research reveals innovative way to prestress concrete crossties

News Streamlining Bridge construction material on the Orlando Extension Phase 2 project

27 days After flooding pulled down a Norfolk Southern bridge, crews assembled to do the impossible

For CapEx forecast, see p 10.

Maintaining the steel roadway Rail grinding for correction and prevention

32

Accumulations possible Winter weather can handicap railroad operations quickly

Sales Representatives

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February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 1

On Track

Making the safe move

Vol. 115, No. 6 No. 2 PrintVol. ISSN116, # 0033-9016, Print ISSN ## 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514 Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Telephone 683-0130 Fax (312)(312) 683-0131 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Website www.rtands.com Bill Wilson Bill WILSON Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief wwilson@sbpub.com wwilson@sbpub.com Kyra Senese David C. Lester Managing Editor Managing Editor ksenese@sbpub.com dlester@sbpub.com Bob Tuzik CORPORATE OFFICES Consulting Editor 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, btuzik@sbpub.com New York, NY 10005 CORPORATE OFFICES Telephone (212) 620-7200 55 Broad 26th Fl. Fax (212) St 633-1165 New York, N.Y. 10004 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Telephone (212) 620-7200 and Chairman President Fax (212) 633-1165 Jonathan ChalonJr. J. McGinnis, Arthur Publisher President and Chairman Mary Conyers Jonathan Chalon Director Production Publisher Nicole D’Antona Mary Conyers Art Director Production Director Coleman Hillary Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Art Director Maureen Cooney Aleza Leinwand Circulation Director Graphic Designer Zolkos MichelleCooney Maureen Conference Director Circulation Director Customer Service: 800-895-4389 Michelle Zolkos Reprints: PARS International Conference Director Corp.

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S

o what will happen if I inch just a little closer? Will I see a camera flash? Will sirens start blaring? Will I instantly become a cloud of dust? I’m a little nervous ... so ... I ... will ... take ... it ... real ... slow. OK, I’m still in one piece, now to just check around to see if the National Guard is not barreling to my vehicle.

Honestly, that was my first reaction when I saw dynamic envelopes lying across the pavement surrounding a rail crossing in downtown Elgin, Ill. They look nothing like envelopes, more like a DO NOT ENTER zone, but I who am I to question a wordsmith? Pot, kettle, black.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was not mincing words when it released a dynamic envelope initiative across the state to help prevent accidents at rail crossings. The call to action is the result of one too many deaths on Brightline’s regional transit line from Miami-toWest Palm Beach. The 80-mph bullets are not something pedestrians and motorists are used to seeing in the U.S. Usually when you see that white light off in the distance you know there is a couple of minutes left of a safe crossing, as long as the gates are not down. I’m a wordsmith, not a physicist, but even I know that if a train is traveling 30 mph faster those couple of minutes are almost cut in half. FDOT’s red alert is an important first step here. Of course, every railroad crossing should make it obvious that there is a point of no return on the pavement, and it should be marked with aggressive striping and signs. However, that is only a fraction of the problem. Most of the deaths on Brightline’s track have involved trespassers, and some were suicidal.

Dynamic envelopes are powerless here.

Brightline has been accused of not building fences to separate flesh from fast-moving steel because, you know, once a 6-ft fence is installed nobody is going to climb over it. Nah, nobody will

try that crazy stunt. Constructing pedestrian bridges also is on the table. Not only are those types the Tiffany’s of bridges (massively expensive), but they still will not stop those who want to end their life or those who are just plain lazy.

Brightline did receive a $2.37 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration for the South Florida East Coast Rail Corridor Intrusion Protection Project.

The wordsmith in me says an acronym is sorely needed here, but the funding includes supplemental safety features to 48 grade crossings from West Palm Beach to Miami.

Also in the testing phase is a system that uses drones with two-way speakers to shoo trespassers off the tracks (the robots, they are coming!) and infrared fencing. Infrared fencing just might be the genius behind this entire effort. I am assuming the cost is less than constructing miles and miles of fencing, and if it does trigger an alarm people just might be saved. I do not know who will be there to do the saving. An alarm in the locomotive is useless at those speeds, unless the signal is picked up miles away.

That’s a problem for another genius to solve.

So is all this brainstorming on rail safety coming too late? Forty people have been killed on Brightline territory, but there simply is no telling if anything could have prevented all of those deaths. What is important now is Brightline, FDOT and others are doing everything in their power to curb the fatalities. Perhaps what we need are DANGER signs that warn of instant vaporization with a wrong step. It would not really happen, but I certainly would not want to test it out by inching closer.

Bill Wilson Editor-in-Chief

Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices.

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February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 3

Streamlining

work

piling up

4 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

rtands.com

Streamlining

Bridge construction material is laid out on Virgin Train USA’s Orlando Extension project by the Orlando International Airport. The project will include the construction of 55 bridges.

Photo Crediit: Bill Wilson

For the latest industry news, go to www.rtands.com.

If you would like to contribute a photo to the Streamlining section please send a high-res version to Bill Wilson at wwilson@sbpub.com.

Photos must be no more than a month old.

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February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 5

TTCI r&D

Effects of Track Gage Variation on Rail Performance: Results at 187 MGT Checking in on Section 3 of High Tonnage Loop Ananyo Banerjee, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, David D. Davis, Senior Scientist, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

S

ince 2016, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) has been studying the influence of track gage variation on rail performance in a 5° curve on the High Tonnage Loop (HTL) at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) near Pueblo, Colo. TTCI chose a type of intermediate strength (IS) rail with an approximate hardness of 350 Brinell hardness number (BHN) for this test. Under the guidance of the members of the rail technical advisory group, two different track gages were chosen: 56.25 in. (narrow) and 57 in. (wide).

Each test zone measured approximately 376 ft with a 40-ft transition zone between the two test zones. These conditions were selected to represent scenarios where new rail is laid on old ties that previously had worn rail (creating narrow gage) and rail that has gage face wear and/or tie plate cutting (wide gage). Current FRA regulations for Class 3 and Class 4 tracks limit track gage to 56 in. minimum and 57.5 in. maximum. The nominal track gage for the railroad industry is 56.5 in. The aim of this test is to analyze the effects of a narrow gage (56.25 in.) and a wide gage (57 in.) on rail wear and RCF performance.

Preventive maintenance grinding was used to control RCF, with better results observed on the low rail of the narrow gage zone than the wide gage zone, as indicated by the absence of deep sporadic spalls in the narrow gage zone. Gage widening was observed in both narrow- and wide-gage test zones with the maximum change happening between 0 MGT and 53 MGT. Section 3 of the HTL at FAST is a 5° curve with 4 in. of superelevation equipped with gage face lubrication on the high rail. The low rail is not directly lubricated throughout the curve.

The FAST train, with its mostly 39-ton axle loads, runs approximately the same number of laps in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions at an average speed of 40 mph, 6 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

compared to a balance speed of 34 mph. A Class 1 railroad donated two 792-ft strings of continuously welded IS rail. Each string had 10 80-ft rails of the same IS type welded to one another by an electric flash butt (EFB) welding process. Only one rail type was selected for this test to avoid the influence of variable rail metallurgy and rail properties on rail performance.

Test layout TTCI designed the layout of this test based on multiple NUCARS simulations that analyzed whether wheel-rail forces and vehicle responses were within criteria from Chapter 11 of AAR’s Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices.1 Since the rest of the HTL is designed to be at nominal gage of 56.5 in., smooth transitioning from narrow or wide gage to nominal gage is critical for safe train operations at FAST. The layout of the test is shown in Figure 1.

TTCI selected three transition zones with the critical transition zone being the middle (or second) transition from 56.25 in. to 57 in.

NUCARS simulations provided the minimum length of this transition zone required for safe vehicle performance according to Chapter 11 criteria.1

Wear analysis Rail profiles were measured at five locations evenly spaced at 6-ft intervals on each 40-ft piece of rail. Fifty locations, with 25 each on the high and low rails, were selected individually for both narrow and wide gage zones. In the 40 ft of middle transition zone, 12 locations each on the high and low rails were selected for measurement purposes. Earlier tests of intermediate strength rails in the same 5° curve had shown preventive maintenance grinding as an important contributor in inhibiting shell initiation.2 To remove surface cracks and inhibit shell formation, this test was planned to be ground at 60- to 70-MGT intervals. Data was collected at regular intervals before and after grinding along with track gage measurements.

Figure 2 shows a direct comparison of the vertical loss of the high and low rails of the narrow and wide gage zones. While the vertical loss on the high rail is slightly higher in the wide gage zone than the narrow gage zone, vertical loss on the low rail has a bigger difference between the two gage zones. Using a twosample T-test, the mean vertical loss of the low rail was greater for the narrow gage zone by 0.03 in. using a 0.05 level of statistical significance at 187 MGT.

Figure 1. Layout of the test with test and transition gage zones (zone lengths are not to scale).

Figure 2. Comparison of vertical loss or vertical loss of low rails (left) and high rails (right) between the narrow and wide gage zones until 187 MGT. rtands.com

TTCI r&d

RCF performance TTCI has monitored RCF on both high and low rails in narrow and wide gage zones since the test began. RCF started appearing in the center band of the top of low rail in the narrow gage zone after accumulating approximately 50 MGT. The low rail in the wide gage zone experienced no spalling or RCF until approximately 100 MGT. The RCF observed in the low rail of the narrow gage zone has been concentrated as a narrow band at the center and has not changed significantly over time (see Figures 3a and b). In comparison, the low rail in the wide gage zone started with sporadic but deep spalling close to the field corner and has slowly progressed to generate more spalls over time as shown in Figures 4a and b.

Preventive maintenance grinding was performed twice until 187 MGT—at approximately 53 MGT and then at approximately 128 MGT. In all three cases, grinding was focused on the removal of surface RCF and spalls from the low rail. Light grinding was performed on the high rail and included mild gage corner relief.

While grinding has been successful to remove most of the RCF in the narrow gage zone, it did not completely remove the deeper spalls observed in the wide gage zone as evident in Figure 4a. It should be noted that grinding was done with the same number of passes making equivalent metal removals from the entire low rail of both narrow and wide gage zones. High rail RCF has been mild and similar across both wide and narrow gage zones since it was first observed at around 100 MGT. The high rail in this 5° curve benefits from gage face lubrication while the low rail is not directly lubricated. The low rail also had more grinding passes than the high rail, and the metal loss due to grinding (along with wear) contributed to the overall vertical loss of the rails shown in Figure 2. Until 132 MGT, the two grinding operations have approximately contributed a total of 0.005 in. to the overall metal loss of the low rail.

Gage widening Instantaneous track gage was measured in the entire test zone during rail profile measurements. Figure 5 shows how the track gage changed over tonnage up to 187 MGT. Both the narrow- and wide-gage zones have experienced gage widening. While the narrow gage zone has mostly widened to the nominal gage of 56.5 in., the wide gage zone has increased up to 57.2 in. The wide gage zone has been found to be consistent over the length of 376 ft of test zone since the start of the test, while the narrow gage zone has varied from 56.25 to 56.4 in. for approximately the last 100 ft of the test zone. It is important to note that the rtands.com

Figure 3. Location in low rail in narrow gage zone showing narrow RCF band at 96 MGT (a) and at 187 MGT (b) with one preventive grinding done in between.

Figure 4. Location on low rail in wide gage zone showing (a) sporadic spalls existing at 127 MGT after grinding and (b) increased number of spalls at 187 MGT before grinding.

Figure 5. Gage widening observed at different tonnage intervals.

February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 7

TTCI r&D

zone restricts the ability of wheelsets to shift laterally and develop the necessary rolling radius difference to steer through the curve.

This restriction results in harder flanging and higher lateral forces.

Results up to 187 MGT show wear differences primarily on the low rail for the narrow and wide gage zones along with surface RCF development.

Preventive maintenance grinding helped control RCF on the low rail of the narrow-gage zone; however, deep sporadic spalls were observed on the same low rail of the wide-gage zone and could not be eliminated completely by grinding. Both test zones have experienced gage widening since the start of the test.

Figure 6. Gage wear on high rail in both gage zones.

rate of gage widening was significant between 0 MGT and 53 MGT, and slowly has reduced since then. A small contributing factor to gage widening was the gage wear on the high rails of both narrow- and wide-gage zones, shown in Figure 6, with mean gage

wear being higher on the narrow gage than wide gage using a 0.05 level of statistical significance. The flangeway clearance of wheelsets in curved track decreases as the gage of the track decreases. The reduction in flangeway clearance of the narrow gage test

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References 1. Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, M-1001, Chapter 11, “Service Worthiness and Analyses for New Freight Cars.” Association of American Railroads, Washington DC, 2007.

2. Banerjee, Ananyo and Joseph LoPresti.

“Intermediate Strength Rail Test: Wear and Defect Analysis.” Technology Digest TD-17-005.

AAR/TTCI, Pueblo, Colorado, March 2017.

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SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

• Precision Scheduled Railroading: Is it Working?

• Regulation in the 116th Congress • Suppliers and Emerging Technologies • Short Line and Regional Insights • Pressure from Wall Street • The Car and Locomotive Market

2020 Capital Overview

MOSTLY RIPPLES,

SOME WAVES Railroad companies will continue to invest over the next 12 months at slightly higher levels than 2019

T

he Pacific Ocean comes with a high tide and a low tide. The cycle happened like clock work every day during the NRC annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., in early January, massaging the nerves of every Class 1 operator in attendance. After what happened during the spring and fall seasons of 2019, water at a safe distance was needed.

10 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

Several Class 1 railroad companies presented their capital expense plans for 2020, but not without reliving the disaster that followed a number of floods over the last 12 months.

“It’s safe to say that 2019 presented the entire industry with a variety of challenges,” said David Becker, chief engineer, Design and Construction, with Norfolk Southern, “but from Norfolk Southern’s

perspective Mother Nature seemed particularly fond of our railroad.

“2019 started hard and never seemed to let up.”

“We were not immune to the weather events earlier last year,” said Union Pacific’s Vice President of Engineering Eric Gehringer. “We had a March blizzard and then we literally had a hurricane in the Midwest.” rtands.com

Photo Credit: David C. Lester

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

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2020 Capital Overview

The year 2020 is not promising to be any easier on railroad companies from a weather standpoint, but capital spending appears to be on a slight upswing. The following are highlights from some of the presentations at NRC. Please note that Canadian National did not want to go on the record for its presentation and BNSF did not want to commit to any 2020 numbers or projects. Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern did not present.

Norfolk Southern Norfolk Southern rolled out its Reimagining program and a new operating plan, TOP21, in 2019. The Class 1 adapted three region organizational structures with three divisions for each region (northern, central and southern). According to Becker, “Norfolk Southern as a whole is now functioning as one united team that is focused on execution.”

2019 renewal work • 430 track miles of rail; • 2.25 MM of wood crossties; • 2,500 miles of surfacing; • 400 turnouts; • 30,000 bridge ties.

Key capacity projects started in 2019 and carrying over to 2020 • Leighton siding, Leighton, Ala.; • Turnout upgrades, Cincinnati, Ohio; • Mazda-Toyota Support Yard, Huntsville, Ala.; • Calumet Yard IMF expansion, Chicago; • Landers Yard IMF improvements, Chicago; • 47th Street IMF improvements, Chicago; • 63rd Street IMF expansion, Chicago.

Union Pacific Union Pacific was dealing from a $1.92 billion plan in 2019. This year the Class 1 will make heavy investments in its southern region (Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas). Union Pacific wants to continue work on the Sunset Route. The Santa Teresa facility, on the Sunset Route just west of El Paso, Texas, will allow longer trains to come in from Los Angeles, which will be broken into blocks, reassembled and sent to Chicago and other eastern carriers. Siding extensions on the Golden State, T&P and Del Rio routes will produce clearances of 14,000 and 15,000 ft.

12 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

Union Pacific also tested a plate placement machine and an autonomous wood tie unloading machine, which according to the Class 1 railroad saved the company 9,000 and 16,000 curfew hours, respectively.

2019 work • 3.5 million ties; • 3,700 track miles.

2020 work • New rail covering 450 track miles; • Work covering 3.6 bridge miles and 3.2 deck miles Genesee & Wyoming Genesee & Wyoming has invested more than $1.5 billion in its operations over the last five years, including $348 million in 2019.

“

from norfolk southern’s perspective mother nature seemed particularly fond of our railroad. 2019 started hard and did not let up.

2020 capital spend allocation • 40 percent—ties; • 17 percent—rail; • 9 percent—surfacing; • 8 percent—bridges; • 7 percent—signals; • 7 percent—mechanical; • 4 percent—crossings; • 3 percent—switches; • 3 percent—vehicles; • 2 percent—Positive Train Control.

2020 capital and grant scope • 1 million ties; • 200 linear miles of rail; • 2,000 track miles of surfacing; • 75 switches; • $29 million on bridge work; • 125 grade-crossing rehabs; • Over 100 signals; • 8,450 track ft of new track.

Genesee & Wyoming’s 2020 engineering

grants will be more than $85 million in total funding and will include work in the following areas: Southern Region, Tennessee DOT (14,000 ties, 25 track miles of surfacing, $800,000 in bridge rehab); Southern Region, Georgia DOT CRISI Grant (14,000 ties, 17.5 track miles of surfacing); Southern Region, Georgia DOT (41,000 linear ft of rail, five turnouts, $1.5 million in bridge upgrades); Southern Region, Georgia DOT Lynn to Cuthbert (41,000 linear ft of rail, 14,000 ties, eight turnouts, 17.5 track miles of surfacing); Southern Region, Georgia DOT CRISI Grant (60,000 linear ft of rail, 8,000 ties, 10 track miles of surfacing); Coastal Region, Georgia DOT CRISI Grant (42,000 linear ft of rail, 35,000 ties, 100 track miles of surfacing, three crossing rehabs, $700,000 in bridge upgrades); Northeast Region, Build America MassDOT Grant (45 linear miles of rail, 30,000 ties, 55 track miles of surfacing, 30 turnouts, 16 bridge rehabs); Northeast Region, CRISI Amtrak Grant (18,000 ties, 23 track miles of surfacing, rockslide remediation); Northeast Region, CRISI Brookville Grant (15,500 ties, 23 track miles of surfacing, seven crossing rehabs, 14 structure rehabs); and Midwest Region, Delta Grant (40,000 linear ft of rail, 15,000 ties, 10 track miles of surfacing, 10 turnouts, 7,450 ft of new siding expansion).

CSX This year is going to look similar to 2019 for CSX. Last year CSX converted 975 ft of open deck to ballasted rock; replaced 3,750 linear ft of timber bridges; installed 2,400 linear ft of 48-in.-diam. drainage culvert; repaired four major bridges and upgraded eight movable bridges; and one through pin truss span was replaced.

In terms of projects it will be working on in 2020, CSX was far more descriptive than the other Class 1 railroad companies. Three projects are part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Eff iciency (CREATE) Program: the 75th Street corridor, the Forest Hill f lyover and the Dolton Interlocking. The 75th Street endeavor is the largest group of projects in the CREATE Program and includes two on CSX lines. The Forest Hill f lyover involves constructing 6,500 linear ft of double track structure to carry northsouth CSX tracks over east-west tracks at 75th Street and over a roadway at rtands.com

2020 Capital Overview

71st Street. It will eliminate eight diamonds at two crossings with BRC, Norfolk Southern and Chicago Metra.

Dolton Interlocking includes updating and reconf iguring interlocking for increased speed and operational f lexibility, constructing 9,300 linear ft of track and 24 turnouts.

Other 2020 CSX projects: Moncks Corner mainline extension (7,200 ft of track, new superstructure for a double track bridge, two turnouts and one crossover); MARC Jessup Yard extension (5,700 ft of track, 46-ft single track bridge, seven turnouts, three crossovers, retaining walls); Howard Street Tunnel; North Avenue bridge modifications; Guilford Avenue bridge modifications; Harford Road bridge modifications; Bayview North clearance obstructions; CCX; Syracuse Inland Port; Avon, Ind. (5,150 ft of track, two No. 10 turnouts, 9,600 sq yd of ramp pavement, increasing processing track capacity from 2,400 track feet to 4,400 track feet); and intermodal terminal track work.

OmniTRAX OmniTRAX’s capital plan for 2020 includes the replacement of ties, with projects varying from 1,500 to 20,000 ties, surfacing projects, rail projects, new track construction and signal warning device projects.

“

omnitrax’s capital plan for 2020 includes the replacement of ties, with projects varying from 1,500 to 20,000 ties.

Some of the projects this year: Alabama Tennessee River Railway (7,000 linear ft of rail relay, replacement of 6,000 ties and surfacing 28 miles); Brownsville and Rio Grande International Railway (crossing

rehab and 10,000 ft of siding or alternate track expansion, which is pending); Ohio railroads (7,600 ties); Georgia and Florida Railway (tie and surface, yard lead rehabilitation and yard rehabilitation); Great Western Railway of Colorado (5,000 linear ft of rail and 2,000 cross ties); Illinois Railway (slope remediation, siding expansion, siding construction, crossing signal installation, 8,300 linear ft of rail relay, 20,000 ties and 270,000 track ft of surfacing); Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway (installation of more than 3,500 ties and 45,000 track feet of surfacing); Panhandle Northern Railroad (13,500 ties, 180,000 track feet of surfacing, and more than 30 grade crossings); San Springs Railway Co. (20,000 linear ft of rail relay, 2,000 ties and surfacing, four turnouts, and two grade crossings); Winchester and Western Railroad Co. (20,000 linear ft of rail relay, 3,000 ties, surfacing and proposed siding construction); and Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub (earthwork, 40,000 track feet, 22 turnouts, multiple surfaces).

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Railway Track & Structures will bestow one industry leader with the newly instituted Engineer of the Year award. Candidates for Engineer of the Year will be judged based on individual accomplishment, contribution to the rail industry, dedication to their company and the rail industry and overall excellence. The Engineer of the Year will be featured in the September issue of RT&S. The Engineer of the Year will be recognized at the AREMA 2020 annual meeting, Sept. 13-16, in Dallas, Texas.

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Bridge Reconstruction

After flooding pulled down a Norfolk Southern bridge, crews assembled to do the impossible

27 DAYS

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

16 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

continued to move out of line. The bridge had to be cut once and for all, so the rail was torched as close to the river piers as possible and a 270-ft section of the 1,158-ft bridge was released.

“We cut the rail and the weight of the drift and the weight of the water is what took the bridge out,” said Boyle. “It took spans and

piers and everything. We cut the bridge to make sure we did not lose any more of the bridge. At that stage of the game it was recognized that we had to save as much as we could.”

On the run Once the bridge was severed, the U.S. Army

Span sections for the bridge were found all over the country.

Photo Credit: Norfolk Southern

O

n Oct. 1, hospice was called to a spot on the Grand River in Brunswick, Mo. Of course, there is no way to make a rail bridge feel comfortable during its final hours, which made the sight more grueling to endure. With debris, branches and whole trees pressing up against the Norfolk Southern rail bridge, workers tried to relieve the stress, but in the end all they could do was stand, watch and listen to the span whimper as it was being stretched beyond limits.

Everyone knew it was time to cut the bridge.

“We were out there fighting it, trying to move the drift and take pressure off the bridge,” Ed Boyle, vice president of Engineering at Norfolk Southern, told RT&S. “The bridge was knocked off line a couple of inches when this surge occurred and we fought it all day to try and relieve pressure and the drift kept building up and the water kept rising.”

Despite the rescue attempt, which included the use of cranes, the drift gained more strength during the day and the bridge

rtands.com

Bridge Reconstruction

Corps of Engineering said there was a 2.5-mile-long drift that was released when the bridge went. This now-crippled railroad bridge placed Norfolk Southern in an extremely tight spot. The single-track span runs one of NS’s core routes to Kansas City.

The game definitely changed. What was a rescue attempt now turned into a recovery mission, one that needed to be done in days rather than months or years. Detour routes were set up with Union Pacific, BNSF, and Kansas City Southern. Players had to be assembled, and on Oct. 2, one day after the section was lost, a designer (Hanson Engineering), contractor (Massmann Construction out of St. Louis) and an underwater bridge inspection service (Marine Solutions out of Kentucky) were chosen and en route to the site.

With the water level up 20 ft there was not a way of knowing which piers survived, which is why Marine Solutions came to help identify with sonar technology. It was discovered that three concrete piers (3, 4 and 5) were lost along with four spans.

On Oct. 7, Massmann arrived with barge cranes and material. Norfolk Southern and 18 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

Hanson Engineering continued to hammer out a design. The hurdle that sat in front of the crew was how they were going to get the spans needed for the restoration. NS always has bridge spans located throughout its system for emergencies like this,

“

there were numerous obstacles but no one ever backed down. everyone found a way to move it forward.

and one, which was 18 ft long, was sitting right alongside the Grand River. Further calls pinpointed a 102-ft-long span in Pittsburgh, Pa., a 79-ft-long piece in Roanoke, Va., and a 60-ft-long span in Sheffield, Ala. The span by the Grand River and the one in Alabama, which was transported by truck,

were previously used on bridges, while the sections in Pittsburgh and Roanoke were new and shipped by flat cars.

Once the length of the pieces were known the new section of the bridge could be designed to accommodate.

Massmann and Coarse Lab out of Kansas City were soon ready to build the three castin-place concrete piers in the river. Pier 3 consisted of a 12-pile bent, while piers 4 and 5 each required two 72-in.-diam. drilled shafts. Two templates were built and driven into the river bed with spud piles to secure the two casings for each pier. Steel reinforcing cages were then set and 75 cu yd of concrete was pumped into each shaft for piers 4 and 5. The shafts for piers 4 and 5 went 18 ft and 22 ft deep, respectively. It took just four days to construct the drilled shafts, with the last one placed on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

“They would drill overnight,” said Boyle.

“We would do the vacuuming, pump water out, set the rebar and pump the concrete the next day, then drill the next night. It was a coordinated and well-planned effort.”

While the drilled shaft work was taking shape, Norfolk Southern was working with rtands.com

Photo Credit: Norfolk Southern

Two barge cranes work at the Norfolk Southern rail bridge site in Brunswick, Mo.

Bridge Reconstruction

Coarse Lab in Kansas City to build and pour the prestressed concrete caps for all three piers. The caps were delivered by truck within 48 hours of the piers being constructed. Caps for Pier 4 were installed on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and Pier 5 received caps two days later.

The last cap was delivered on Oct. 25, and earlier in the week the 18-ft-long span was set on the east side from Pier 2 to Pier 3.

Modifications had to be made for existing piers 2 and 6. Both had to be cut into as crews changed the depth so it met the height of the new girders.

The 66-ft-long span that connected Pier 3 to Pier 4 was put in place on Oct. 26, and the following Sunday the 79-ft-long section, which secured Pier 4 to Pier 5, and the 102-ft-long section, linking Pier 5 to Pier 6, were locked into their final resting place.

Barge cranes picked the spans off flat cars and off land, then with the help of a tugboat, which repositioned the barge crane further west, the sections were carefully maneuvered into final position.

In another simultaneous effort, panels of bridge ties and rail were constructed, and

once the spans were ready the panels were set in place using the same loading process as the spans.

Final repairs were made on Oct. 28, and the bridge was put back in service at 6 p.m.

Central time later that day—27 days after the original structure was cut to its doom.

“The biggest challenge is we did not know what we had to start with,” noted Boyle. “No one expects to build a bridge in 30 days. We did not know what the river level was going to do and the river cooperated by going down and staying down.

“This was a true design-build effort with no plans, no equipment, no material ... we had to get everything from the riverbed up in place.”

Three keys drove the extraordinary effort—planning, teamwork and perseverence. Planning ran 24 hours a day, and challenges popped up like huge boulders out of nowhere.

“There were numerous obstacles but no one ever backed down. Everyone continued to find a way to move it forward.”

And in just 27 days, all that forward

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February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 19

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Crossties

A STRONG

MEMORY 22 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

rtands.com

Crossties

O

Latest research reveals innovative way to prestress concrete crossties

ne of the most critical safetyrelated issues with concrete crossties is the cracking of the concrete due to non-uniform support conditions. Under repeated wheel loads, it is not an easy task to keep the uniformly supporting ballast conditions throughout the railways. In the field, uneven ballast conditions are often observed such as center binding and lack of rail seat support as shown in figure 1a and 1b, respectively.

Under such ballast conditions, the stress is concentrated at a specific location of the crosstie, which leads to the onset of cracks.

To avoid cracks on the concrete crossties during their service life, prestressing is an effective way to counteract the onset and propagation of cracks.

A conventional prestressing system currently used in concrete crossties applies prestressing force to the entire length of the crosstie including locations where prestressing is unnecessary such as end zones or compressive zones. The ideal location of prestressing would be near the top at the center and near the bottom at the rail seat sections where the concrete cracks are happening due to uneven ballast support conditions (see Fig. 1). However, such variable location and magnitude of prestressing is not achievable using the conventional prestressing system currently used in the precast concrete crosstie industry. Thus, current concrete crossties are concentrically prestressed with high prestressing force throughout the length. The excessive prestressing stress concentration at the end zones can often lead to end-splitting cracks.

Photo Credit: L.B. Foster/CXT, Inc.

By Minsoo Sung and Bassem Andrawes, Contributing Authors

rtands.com

To address these issues with existing crossties, this article presents a proof-of-concept study on a new crosstie prestressing system that was proposed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and funded by the Rail Safety-IDEA program under project No. 33.

The study proposes a solution to the existing crosstie problems by introducing an innovative prestressing system that can apply prestressing in the crossties at the locations where prestressing is needed. The unique benefits of the proposed system rely on the use of a new class of smart materials known as shape memory alloys.

Welcoming a new class Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are a new class of materials that exhibit unique characteristics. They can restore their original shape after being excessively deformed simply by exposing them to high temperature. The advantage of this characteristic on a prestressing application is that the material itself can apply mechanical force without the need of mechanical prestressing, but only by the application of heat. Once the deformed SMA is heated, the alloy tends to transform on the microstructural scale from one phase to the other. This microstructural transformation is associated with shape recovery on the macro level. If the SMA is not constrained during the phase transformation, it will recover its original shape. However, if the SMA is constrained, a recovery stress is generated within the material. In the proposed prestressing system, the recovery stress is the source for prestressing

Figure.1 Schematic representation of uneven ballast support conditions: (a) center binding; (b) lack of rail seat support.

February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 23

Crossties

Figure 2. Comparison of conventional prestressing system and proposed prestressing system.

the crosstie.

In the newly proposed prestressing system, the SMA reinforcement is placed in the desired location in crosstie forms where prestressing is necessary prior to casting the concrete.

After the concrete is set, prestressing force is applied by heating the SMA reinforcement. The advantages of the proposed prestressing system in crossties are: First, the proposed system can mitigate end-splitting cracks, which are mainly caused by high stress concentration at the end regions.

Second, prestressing force can be applied with different eccentricity and magnitude at different sections along the tie depending on the demand at each section (see Fig. 2). In a conventional prestressing system, which uses straight steel wire, the eccentricity of the prestressing wires is limited.

Without the eccentricity, more prestressing force is required to get the identical effect on the target region than the eccentrically prestressed case. In a conventional prestressing system, constant prestressing force is applied to the entire member (not considering prestress losses), thus the maximum required force is applied throughout the length, which may not be necessary. The proposed system can tailor the prestressing force by increasing or decreasing the crosssectional area of the SMA reinforcement used in the section (see Fig. 2). Third, it is possible to modify the shape of reinforcement along the length instead of using straight wires without additional labor or mechanical jacking.

In the proposed system, it is simple to implement different shapes of reinforcement by bending the SMA reinforcements in a particular shape before being placed in 24 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

the forms (see Fig. 2). Lastly, the new system can improve the productivity of concrete crossties. Since the new system does not require pre-tensioning of wires at precast plants, manufacturers do not have to limit themselves from casting ties in a cast bed equipped with mechanical jacking. Ties can be casted in a regular mold just like any other reinforced concrete member. Once concrete sets after 24 hours of casting, ties can be de-molded without worrying about the early age concrete strength and be cured until the activation of SMA reinforcements.

This improves the productivity of crossties by solving the turnover rate issue of the cast bed.

An experiment was designed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) to show the feasibility of the new prestressing system using SMAs. Small-scale specimens were designed to be prestressed at target regions where prestressing is needed.

After concrete casting, the specimens were activated by heating the SMAs. During the activation, the strain distribution of the specimens was measured. The small-scale specimens were designed to have 1/3 of a reference tie dimension.

The reference tie was selected to follow American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) design recommendations (AREMA Ch. 30).

The length of the specimen is 30 in., and the width of the section is 3 in. The height of the section at the rail seat section is 3 in. and at the center section is 2.3 in., and the intermediate regions linearly varies from 3 in. to 2.3 in.

The SMA reinforcement is comprised of a 2-mm-diam. Nickel Titanium Niobium (NiTiNb) wire which has a recovery force of

0.3884 kip per wire. The recovery force can be achieved by heating the wire up to 200° C. The specimens were designed to achieve a proportional amount of stress at the target regions at each section after prestressing is applied. In center sections, six SMA wires were placed at 0.4 in. from the top. In rail seat sections, eight SMA wires were placed at 0.5 in. from the bottom. The different specimens, SP1, SP2, and SP3, were designed to explore different reinforcement profiles, namely, Straight, L-shaped, and U-shaped, respectively. The rail seat regions also are prone to diagonal cracks under the lack of rail seat support condition. Taking advantage of the flexibility in SMA wire profiles, specimens SP2 and SP3 were designed to be prestressed diagonally at rail seat regions to prevent diagonal cracks.

The strain distribution of the specimens during and after the activation of the SMA reinforcements were measured to show the validity of the new prestressing system.

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was used to capture the strain distribution of the elevation surface. DIC is a technique that measures the strains by taking photos of the specimen, which is covered with speckle patterns. Computer software can track the relative movement of the speckle patterns on the specimen, and thus the strain distribution can be measured. To make speckle patterns more visually recognizable, a white paint was first covered on the front surface of the specimen before applying the speckle patterns on top of it. A camera was placed in front of the specimen to capture a series of photos with a frame rate of 1 frame per second.

Electrical resistivity was used to heat the SMA reinforcements. Since the SMAs are conductive materials, the current flowing through the SMA wires generates heat. Before concrete casting, copper wires were connected to either ends of the SMA reinforcements and extended out of the formwork.

Once the concrete set, the copper wires were connected to a DC power supply (see for less than a minute to reach 200).

Fig. 3a shows the contour map of the axial (longitudinal) strain overlapped on the actual photo of the specimen SP1 after the activation was completed. The axial strain distribution was post-processed with DIC software, Vic2D. The purple color represents the maximum axial compressive strain and the red color represents the maximum axial tensile strain.

It is observed that the top fiber at the center rtands.com

Crossties

Figure.3 (a) Longitudinal strain distribution of SP1; (b) diagonal strain distributions of SP1, SP2, and SP3.

region and the bottom fiber at the rail seat region is in compression. This stress state matches the ideal target state as designed, which was discussed earlier.

Fig. 3b shows the contour map of the shear (diagonal) strain overlapped on the photo of the specimens at rail seat region after the activation was completed.

The sign convention of the shear strain follows the conventional engineering sign, which is represented at the right corner of the Fig. 3b. The top left figure shows the shear strain distribution of the SP1-RSL with straight wire. The top right figure shows the shear distribution of the SP2-RSR with L-shaped wire. The bottom row of figures shows the strain distribution at the rail seat regions of SP3, SP3-RS-L and SP3-RS-R, respectively.

Fig. 3b clearly shows that there is a shear strain concentration near the diagonal components of the SMA wires. This proves that SMA wire profiles with diagonal components was effectively reinforce shear where shear failure is expected as compared to the ones with the straight components.

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February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 25

Rail grinding

MAINTAINING THE

STEEL ROADWAY Rail grinding for correction and prevention

R

ail grinding has been around since the early part of the 20th century, and one of its fundamental goals remains the same today—the elimination of rail surface defects. Examples of these defects include head checks (cracks), shells, spalls, and corrugation, collectively known as rolling contact fatigue, or RCF. Also, the running surface over battered joints, welds, and engine burns improves with grinding.

Defects in the rail running surface have most frequently been associated with poor ride quality and internal defect initiation, but, today there is increased focus on RCF affecting the integrity of sound waves and, consequently, the effectiveness of ultrasonic

26 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

flaw testing to see deep into the rail. Also, when new rail is laid and has been in service for several months, it is often ground to remove the mill scale left from the manufacturing process.

The other important goal of rail grinding is to maintain or manage rail shape, which is a fundamental aspect of wheel/rail interaction. With new rail, it is not unusual for grinding to start right away, the objective being to remove a small amount of metal from the gauge corner to reduce wheel contact stress. Then, as the rail deforms under repeated wheel loading, grinding is performed to restore a more desirable shape, one that causes wheels to run on the

center of the rail head (tangents and the low side of curves) or toward the gauge corner (the high side of curves). Also, if a particular rail profile is needed due to unusually rapid surface defect development because of stress a particular rail is under, often around curves, grinding is the remedy.

Grinding procedures can be placed loosely into two categories—corrective and preventive. Corrective grinding typically involves multiple passes, often at slower speeds, with the objective of heavy metal removal to restore the rail shape or remove significant RCF. Contrast this to preventive grinding, which relies on more frequent cycles of single-pass work, often at rtands.com

Photo Credit: Loram

By David C. Lester, Managing Editor

Rail grinding

high speeds, to remove very shallow surface defects and make only minor changes to rail shape.

Preventive grinding offers several significant advantages. The rail surface defects are removed at a very small size, minimizing the likelihood that a transverse defectdetail (TTD) will initiate. A high-quality rail surface makes rail testing more efficient. The rail profile is maintained at the desired shape, minimizing the adverse effects of a worn rail profile (effects that include increased rolling resistance and gage-widening forces). And the track time required of a single-pass grinder is less. But achieving a preventive grinding mode is easier said than done. More often than not, the grinder does not return in time to make a preventive pass.

Enough time and tonnage have intervened such that there will be several curves that have sustained damage requiring corrective grinding.

Photo Credit: Pandrol

Rail milling In addition to grinding, there is another method to maintain the rail running surface—milling. Rail milling machines are used extensively in Europe and Asia to remove RCF and reshape rail profiles, but this technology has not yet gained a foothold in North America. While the quality of work done by milling is outstanding, a primary reason it hasn’t been adopted in North America is the much higher cost of milling machines compared to grinding equipment. Also, a grinder can produce 30 miles of finished track in five hours of working time, whereas a milling machine, depending on the model, can produce only 1 to 2 miles of finished track.

The Toronto Transit Commission has added milling to its rail maintenance program, and the industry is carefully monitoring the results. The Austrian company Linsinger has manufactured the milling machine that is used to perform milling on the Toronto system.

Pandrol Pandrol produces a complete portfolio of handheld and maintenance-of-way grinders. Their time-tested experience in manufacturing grinders has resulted in the continual incorporation of new and exciting technologies into the Pandrol range.

Whatever your grinding needs, from profile grinders for field welds to finishing grinders for frog and switch repairs, they have a model and style to fit your application. rtands.com

Pandrol’s Alpha Grinder grinds the complete profile in one operation.

New to the market this year is Pandrol’s Alpha Grinder, which extends the life of the track by grinding the complete profile in one operation, delivering the ergonomic design and precision efficiencies that Pandrol is renowned for. The Alpha Grinder supports all standards of railheads, using standard grinding stones.

Ergonomically built, the lightweight unit enables easy raising and lowering of the carrying handles and includes an electric motor for auto-setting the height of the grindstone.

Orgo-Thermit Orgo-Thermit, Inc. is into its eighth year performing rail grinding with the VM8000 on/off-track two-way vehicle. This maintenance service considerably increases the life cycle of rails as well as reducing noise emissions from train operations, which results in enhanced rider comfort. The surface finish upon completion is 3 to 5 microns.

Performing rail grinding after the installation of new track is immensely important as the removal of rust and mill scale is the best method to prepare the rail for revenue service.

The VM8000 also excels at maintaining existing track in the form of corrugation removal and the elimination of other rail defects such as head checks, squats, and wheel burns. Re-profiling also can be achieved as their equipment can grind to angles of 45° on the field side and 75° in the gauge.

Orgo-Thermit’s VM8000 rail grinding

vehicles can enter and exit track within 60 seconds.

Additionally, the ability of their fourwheel steering allows their high-rail equipment to engage on track at any crossing in the vicinity of the work to be done. This unique feature allows them to spend more time grinding rail rather than traveling to the work area.

To meet the demands of their customers, Orgo-Thermit has introduced a second VM8000 rail grinding vehicle. This machine also is working throughout North America as Orgo-Thermit’s grinding division continues to outperform expectations. The new machine is equipped with a sophisticated pre- and post-rail grinding measurement system, allowing the operator to precisely identify the current condition of the rail and proactively target areas of wear and spots likely to develop detrimental defects. The addition of this equipment to Orgo-Thermit’s grinding service will become the foundation of the company’s preventive maintenance diagnostics.

In 2020, Orgo-Thermit will be introducing its own Eddy Current Measurement service, which will inspect the running surface and, more importantly, the gauge corner of the rail for instances of rolling contact fatigue (RCF). This technology encompasses both a manually operated trolley with eight probes strategically located to identify underlying conditions of defect prone areas and an onboard solution designed for continuous recording during revenue service hours.

February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 27

Rail grinding

spray fire control system, and comfortable control cabins.

Harsco’s full line of grinders offers modular designs that can be sized precisely to customer needs. The machines also are designed to allow for full utilization of the machine throughout the rail life. Harsco offers machines ranging in size from six to 120 stones and have shipped more grinders in the last 15 years than any other OEM. Harsco Rail has been grinding rail for over a half-century. The rail grinding services strive to create optimal wheel/rail contact while prolonging the lifespan of the track.

Harsco’s full line of grinders offers modular designs that can be sized to customer needs.

With capabilities of measuring surface defects up to depths of 2.7 mm, the Eddy Current equipment can detect and analyze the contributing factors to some of the rails’ greatest fatigue. By identifying the scope of the RCF, customers will be better informed to take preventive actions such as rail grinding or rail replacement in extreme cases.

This technology is poised to be a disruption in the rail measurement arena as it has the potential to bring awareness to rail deficiencies that were previously overlooked.

Harsco Harsco Rail’s RGHC Transit Grinder series strives to create the optimal wheel/ rail contact while prolonging the lifespan of the track. The machine can effectively grind switches, guarded curves, and road crossings and is available in various gauges, including an adjustable gauge version. The Transit Grinder will extend the track life with enhanced performance at a low overall cost. It can be built as a 10-, 20-, 30-, or 40-stone machine. Harsco Rail’s Transit Rail Grinder achieves unparalleled switch capability and is commonly referred to as a switch grinder. The grinding system is equipped with independent, hydraulically powered grinding units fitted with abrasive wheels; the hydraulic motor powers the units at 6,000 rpm. The operator, from a preset pattern control, determines the inclination angle for each grinding unit. A patented linkage arrangement rotates the 28 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

grinding unit while it translates across the rail. The grinding unit operating range is independently variable from a 75° gauge to a 45° field.

Jupiter II is a distributed input/output control system developed to simplify the electrical control system while improving the data management of equipment performance. It combines the latest in asset maintenance with equipment performance

“

rail grinding procedures can be placed loosely into two categories—corrective and preventive.

optimization. Jupiter II also reduces the risk of electrical malfunction and operational downtime.

The control system delivers accurate, repeatable results and an effective operator interface for computer-controlled applications. Additional features include a laser profile measurement system, hydrostatic propulsion system, full computerized control, dust collection system, water

Loram In 2020, Loram is excited to introduce two new Truckable Rail Grinders (RGT) for the North America Market. Since the introduction of the RGT in 2018, Loram has received a tremendous amount of positive feedback.

The RGT is an over-the-road rail grinder designed with the same high-powered electric grind motors utilized on the RG400 Series production rail grinders. Having the ability to set on and off at most rail crossings allows Loram’s customers the ability to use the RGT to grind switches, exceptions areas, and specialty assets while minimizing valuable track time.

Any organization that owns rail will affordably be able to utilize a Loram RGT mobile grinder.

In addition to the introduction of the RGT rail grinders, Loram also is excited to announce an upgrade to its RG400 Series Railpro software program.

The upgrade allows customers infinite control of their grinding programs by allowing for even more precise metal removal to achieve any rail re-profiling goal.

The software provides the ability for Loram’s RG400 Series to fully leverage the flexibility and high production capabilities of the machine. Customers can now grind to any transverse profile specification they desire faster because of the added, essentially, infinite pattern combinations available instead of a fixed number of machine configurations. Further, they can control speeds and passes based on realtime machine and rail conditions and can precisely schedule point-to-point network grinding.

The results allow Loram and its customers to utilize track authority better while maintaining rail at a higher quality than previously achievable, with the flexibility to precisely schedule grinding programs. rtands.com

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Winter Maintenance

Accumulations possible

Winter weather can handicap railroad operations quickly, which is why special equipment is needed

32 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

Thermon Heating Systems Based on feedback from customers regarding the difficult nature of detecting snow under conditions such as drifting snow in high winds, extreme cold and an unforgiving rail environment, Thermon Heating Systems initiated an R&D project in 2017 to develop the most reliable and robust sensor yet, the Omnidirectional Precipitation Sensor (OPS).

The new design is cylindrical with sensing tracks on the top and sides. Being

cylindrical, it detects snow equally well from any horizontal direction. The side tracks are made of layers of stainless steel and insulation to produce grooves to capture blowing snow. Because it is made in layers, the detector is extremely solid and resistant to damage, which is important considering that the recommended mounting position is on the ground within inches of the track.

Based on positive results from our comparison testing and field trials, it is rtands.com

Photo Credit: Spectrum

A

single snowf lake can melt on contact, but too much snow and ice on the tracks, combined with freezing temperatures, can stick to the rails and be a constant contact that can disable systems. Winter maintenance equipment needs to be the most durable in the marketplace. The following is a summary of some of the products that are available to handle the winter season and all of the abuse that comes with it.

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

Winter Maintenance

now standard issue for all Fastrax products, Hellfire, SwitchBlade control panels, and FEB, with the Energy Management Systems (EMS) option.

Railway Equipment Company Railway Equipment Company’s track switch heater product line includes: gas hot air blowers, electric hot air blowers, electric rail heaters, fiberglass switch covers, and

From Class 1 railroads to transits, more and more railroads across North America continue to benefit from the adoption of Sno-Net for track switch heaters. A recent addition to this product family is the incorporation of a weather station that provides real-time information to help railroads be proactive during winter events.

Spectrum Inc. As the new decade begins, Spectrum Inc. turns 55 years old and specializes in electric industrial heating and railroad snowand ice-melting solutions. Spectrum Inc. began servicing the railroad industry in 1965 designing and manufacturing thaw shed heating systems for the coal and rail industries.

Although coal consumption has slowed, Sam Santabarbara, sales manager for Spectrum, said, “We have had many recent inquires on replacement of BJX heating panels and new installations in Nova Scotia and Indiana. Today the company now has diversified into two divisions, Industrial and Railroad. The industrial side services

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Progress Rail brings you powerful Maintenance-of-Way solutions that adapt to seasonal needs, such as the Kershaw® Model 60 Ballast Regulator. For winter months, convert your Kershaw Ballast Regulator into a snow removal machine with a separate blower or plow attachments.

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34 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

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Photo Credit: Thermon Heating Systems.

Thermon Heating Systems’ Omnidirectional Precipitation Sensor.

snow detection systems. Railway Equipment Company is constantly working with customers to refine and expand the product line to help protect critical infrastructure during winter events.

Recent additions include: a hot box detector protection system, fiberglass covers for helper rods, and an electric hot air blower designed for the tight clearances often encountered on transit properties.

Combining quality track switch heater performance with remote connectivity is helping railroads across North America further improve switch reliability during adverse winter conditions. Railroad personnel are now able to better prepare for winter events by having real-time visibility of track switch heater operability allowing them to focus attention where it is needed ahead of the winter event.

During winter events, the remote connectivity allows the user to remotely diagnose and sometimes correct the problem keeping the railroad from having to drive to the track switch heater location during dangerous driving conditions.

Winter Maintenance

the thaw shed, die casting and forging and warehouse heating demands.

Spectrum Inc. is a dedicated partner to the Class 1 and Class 2 railroads across the U.S. and Canada. They provide electric solutions for snow and ice melting on turnouts and switches.

Spectrum manufactures its Surestart control cabinets and hot/cold air blowers in Cleveland, Ohio. Both have the capacity to power the flat jacket/cal rods and crib heaters so that a high level of flexibility and customization can be achieved within any design specifications. Each unit can be controlled via sensors, manual or remote relay. Spectrum’s philosophy of designing its products with only commercial off-theshelf components provides quick maintenance and less down time in the rugged and challenging environment of the track.

Progress Rail As the push for higher productivity while streamlining costs continues, railroads need maintenance-of-way equipment that improves fleet performance by helping

crews work more efficiently. Progress Rail delivers that performance with Kershaw ballast maintenance equipment–costeffective solutions offering options for field service support year round.

Kershaw Ballast Regulators have updated technology to address two critical areas: First, the latest changes allow an enhanced operator experience by ensuring machines respond more intuitively with new integrated microprocessor controls.

Operators witness simplified and improved interactions with major systems. A 12-in. monitor displays the control functions, machine and engine status.

Second, reduced cost of ownership means less downtime by alerting operators and service technicians to potential issues before they occur. And with reduced troubleshooting, railroads can take proactive measures to maintain the life of their fleets. Additionally, a full line of carbide wear components is available to extend the life of your MOW equipment and reduce consumable costs.

For adaptability and to help control vegetation beyond routine ballast maintenance,

Progress Rail now offers a brushcutter attachment for its Kershaw Model 60 Ballast Regulator. For winter months, convert your Kershaw Ballast Regulator into a snowremoval machine with a separate blower or plow attachments. Having an assortment of attachments at your fingertips offers increased flexibility to tackle multiple jobs as required.

Progress Rail also launched a customerfocused website dedicated to all Kershaw machines, allowing you to search for machine-specific parts, build parts lists and view individual parts for accurate parts ordering. All related operational and maintenance manuals, parts manuals and service bulletins are available for immediate download.

Rails Company Rails Company offers a complete line of snow removal equipment, including five types of switch heaters, snow detectors and automatic control systems, including a recently introduced wireless control and monitoring system, and accessories.

SPECTRUM Reliable Heating Solutions Since 1965

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SwitchBlade ® Electric Switch Heaters • FEB Electric Hot Air Blowers • HELLFIRE Gas Fired Hot Air Blowers • HAC High Velocity Cold Air Blowers • Platform Heaters • Crib Heaters • Control Panels

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February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 35

Winter Maintenance

One of the company’s staples, the 5-hp Hot Air Blower (HAB) Switch Heater has been upgraded with a more powerful 5-hp high-pressure blower which distributes high-velocity, high-volume hot air throughout the switch area via ducts and nozzles keeping the switch open and operative even in severe winter weather.

The unit delivers 3,600 cm of hot air to the switch area. This is more than double the volume of previous models. It is equipped with user-adjustable high/low BTU output which minimizes fuel usage, and a variable timer-based high/low flame control that is adjustable to each application.

Another staple switch heater, the Rails Tubular Electric Switch Heater (ESH), is designed and built for efficiency, reliability and low-cost operation.

It also has no moving parts and conforms to AAR specifications. ESH switch heaters perform consistently whether switches and rails are covered in wet, heavy snow, ice, or light, fluffy flakes. Standard heaters for switches up to 45 ft long are rated from 100 to 500 to 600 watts AC or DC. Optional

wattages, voltages and split-length heaters are available.

Heaters can be operated automatically by a dispatcher or manually. Both HAB and EHS systems can be combined with Rails’ wireless 900-MHz radio control system and a secure VPN router to provide wireless control and monitoring of the heaters.

Wireless controls eliminate buried wires in the ground in new or existing installations.

Switch heaters may be started or stopped and running status monitored from a local bungalow or control room or remotely via the World Wide Web. The secure network can be connected and accessed with a personal computer, cellular phone, or tablet computer.

Another Rails switch heater, which has been receiving renewed interest this snow season, is the Rail-Tel (RTS) Switch Heater. Rail-Tel Switch Heaters apply heat uniformly over the entire length of the switch to keep them clear in high winds, drifting snow, ice and low temperatures.

RTS heaters operate on energy-efficient propane or natural gas. They are available

in corrosion-resistant stainless steel for extended service life or aluminized steel construction for 10-ft to 45-ft switches.

RTS Switch Heaters can be operated by a dispatcher or actuated automatically by a Rails Company snow detector.

CORRECTION: The above photo, which was used on p 30 of the January issue, was not properly identified. The equipment shown is a Vancer CTB41, not a Huddig. We apologize for the error.

AILWAY GE Are you A rAilroAd or supplier seArching for job cAndidAtes?

Visit http://bit.ly/railjobs 36 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

To place a job posting, contact: Jennifer Izzo 203-604-1744 jizzo@mediapeople.com

rtands.com

Message From The President

Edward D. Sparks, II, P.E. AREMA President 2019-2020

T

he AREMA presidency lasts just 12 months, from one Annual Conference to the next. That time goes by very quickly. One of the responsibilities of the office is to provide 12 monthly messages, this one being my sixth. The topic this month is our shared history and the often overlooked value it can bring.

AREMA in its current form has been in existence for 23 years and I’m blessed and honored to be your 23rd president.

Our predecessor organizations include the American Railway Bridge & Building Association, the American Railway Engineering Association, the Communications and Signals Division of the Association of American Railroads, and the Roadmaster’s and Maintenance of Way Association of America.

Our association traces its roots back to the late 19th century when there were hundreds of railroads and new railroad construction was nearing its height. Our association rightly boasts a wealth of expertise in all matters involving railroad engineering and maintenance. That is the case today and certainly has been the case throughout our 14 decades of existence.

Some challenges faced today such as Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation are new by their very nature. Others have been around since the first steel wheel on steel rail. If you’re fortunate to work for a railroad that has kept and maintained an archive of association publications, which CSX has to some degree, you’ll realize that there is a tremendous wealth of knowledge recorded there, a great deal of which colors how the many aspects of our industry rtands.com

developed to the present day. Many of the problems of today have been experienced in some fashion before and these documents illustrate how they were perceived, understood and addressed with the knowledge, equipment, and materials available at the time.

Most of you likely do not have that archive. I think it is safe to say with absolute certainty that neither you nor I have the time or stamina to read through dozens and dozens of volumes of predecessor association records. However, one of the lesserknown AREMA membership benefits is an electronic and searchable database of some of these publications. Several years ago, AREMA partnered with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to scan the documents we had in the AREMA archive and provide the material in a searchable format. This material can be found at AREMA.org in the Members section under Education & Events, then Conference Proceedings. At the bottom of that page are two links, one for AREA Proceedings & Bulletins, and one for Roadmaster’s Proceedings 1930-1999. Take a few moments to peruse what’s available. Know that we are continually striving to both improve the quality and quantity of our member services.

You’ll notice that our archive is not complete. There are many predecessor volumes missing. If you have access to published material that should be available to our members, but is missing, please reach

out to Stacy Spaulding, (301) 459-3200, extension 706, or SSpaulding@arema.org.

We would love to have a complete, searchable, and available archive for our members and any assistance in filling our gaps would be greatly appreciated.

Your membership provides more than just this fine magazine. It also provides a vast wealth of information that can be used to aid in your efforts to solve problems and advance your business. In addition, it provides an opportunity for you and the people you lead to learn, network, develop, and have a voice in the future of the industry.

Last but not least, remember that our AREMA 2020 Annual Conference & Expo is just down the track in September in Dallas, Texas. See you on the railroad.

order your manual Get your copy of the NEW 2020 AREMA Communications & Signals Manual today. There are over 50 new, revised, reaffirmed or extended manual parts in over 2,500 pages of the 2020 edition.

The AREMA Communications & Signals Manual offers recommendations representing current signal practices for new installations and for replacement of existing installations when general renewal or replacement is to be made. The manual is written in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety, efficiency and economy.

New for 2020: The full manual and individual sections are now available in downloadable PDF formats. This format will provide instant, online access to the manual.

Order online now at www.arema.org or contact mbruins@arema.org for more details.

February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 37

FYI

• Order the 2020 Communications & Signals Manual now. With over 50 new, revised, reaffirmed or extended Manual Parts, it’s the perfect time to get the 2020 Manual. Order online now at www. arema.org or contact mbruins@arema. org for more details.

• Re-released af ter six years, order the NEW, Third Edition of the Practical Guide to Railway Engieering. This expanded edition of fers in-depth coverage of railway fundamentals and serves as an excellent reference combining and consolidating the most useful information from a multitude of sources including: AREMA Manuals; Railway Engineering by W.W. Hay; Railway Curves and Earthwork by C.

Fran k Alle n; re g ulator y an d oth e r agency sources. Order online now at www.arema.org or contact mbruins@ arema.org for more details.

• Call for Entries for the 2020 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence. The selection process for the 22nd W.W. Hay Award has begun. Entries must be submitted by May 22, 2020. Please visit www.arema.org for more information.

• Leverage the power of your trusted a s so c i ati o n’s Ra i lwa y Ca re e r s Network to tap into a talent pool of job candidates with the training and e d u c a ti o n n e e d e d f o r l o n g-te r m success. Visit www.arema.org/careers to post your job today.

• AREMA members, if you have not already done, so be sure to renew your membership today to take advantage of what AREMA can offer you. Log in now to www.arema.org and renew your 2020 dues online. Not an AREMA member?

Join now to get exclusive rates on products and educational courses, committee opportunities, access to the directories, subscriptions to your favorite magazine, and much more!

Not an AREMA Member?

Join today at www.arema.org Follow Arema on Social Media:

Upcoming Committee Meetings feb. 11

MARch 18-19

June 12-13

Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Stuctures Spring, Texas

Committee 38 - Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems Pittsburgh, Pa.

Committee 24 - Education & Training Homewood, Ill.

feb. 12-13

APRil 23-24

Committee 1 - Roadway & Ballast Kansas City, Mo.

Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems Los Angeles, Calif.

FEB. 18-19 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Fort Worth, Texas FEB. 19-20 Committee 7 - Timber Structures Jacksonville, Fla.

Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Los Angeles, Calif.

April 29-30

FEB. 21-22

Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Kansas City, Mo.

Committee 24 - Education & Training Jacksonville, Fla.

MAY 19-20

MARch 10-11

Committee 15 - Steel Structures Pueblo, Colo.

Committee 37 - Signal Systems San Diego, Calif.

MARch 11-12 Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems San Diego, Calif.

SEPT. 12-13 Committee 24 - Education & Training Dallas, Texas SEPT. 13 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Construction Dallas, Texas Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Dallas, Texas SEPT. 19-20 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Chicago, Ill.

JUNe 1 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Construction New York, N.Y.

If you’d like to learn more about the AREMA Technical Committees and would like to get involved, please contact Alayne Bell at abell@arema.org. For a complete list of all committee meetings, visit www.arema.org/events.

38 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

rtands.com

AREMA Committee 2 Meeting at CSX

By Matthew Dick – Chair, AREMA Committee 2 – Track Measurement and Assessment Systems

RESERVE YOUR EXHIBIT SPACE NOW

OVER 50 PERCENT

SOLD OUT

Dallas • September 13-16

CSX’s self-propelled railbound manned inspection vehicle.

On Oct. 29 and 30, AREMA Committee 2–Track Measurement and Assessment Systems met at CSX’s Headquarters for their 2019 Fall Meeting. In addition to the committee’s normal meeting, they were offered a tour of three CSX automated track inspection vehicles.

The first vehicle toured was one of CSX’s autonomous track geometry boxcars. The boxcar, named ATAC2, is a former boxcar that has been converted to be self-powered and collect track geometry measurements autonomously. CSX currently has two autonomous track geometry boxcars in operation and has a third boxcar in construction. Brad Spencer from CSX noted that the autonomous track geometry boxcars have been run on key routes and have been helpful to increase safety with increased track geometry inspections.

The second vehicle was a Hi-Rail equipped with a track geometry measurement system and a joint bar measurement system. The Hi-Rail, named XGT7, is used to inspect joint bars with machine vision technology also while measuring track geometry.

Lastly, CSX showed their recently refurbished self-propelled railbound manned inspection vehicle, named GMS 2. The vehicle has recently been up-fitted with new track geometry and rail profile measurement systems, in addition to new vehicle components to ensure its continued operation.

A special thanks to Brad Spencer at CSX rtands.com

for hosting the committee meeting and providing the tour of their safety-delivering automated track inspection vehicles.

AREMA technical committees are responsible for the development of railway-related technical material such as the Manual for Railway Engineering and the Communications & Signals Manual.

Committees also assist in the continuing professional education of AREMA members.

Committee 2 is a highly active committee that discusses cutting edge applications of track inspection technology. If you are interested to join AREMA Committee 2 or any other AREMA committee, please visit www.arema.org for more information.

The AREMA Conference & Expo is the perfect place to showcase your products and solutions to the largest targeted audience within the railway engineering industry.

You can expect to find railway engineering professionals from all segments of the industry–track, structures, passenger and transit, maintenance-of-way, engineering se r v ices a n d co m m u n icatio n s and signals.

This Expo is an affordable way to reach your target group of railway professionals looking for products and services to help advance their work within the railway industry.

The schedule has been formatted to give exhibitors the perfect mix of face-to-face time with decision makers on the exhibit floor, as well as time to meet with potential customers outside the exhibit hall.

The AREMA 2020 Annual Conference & Expo is the premiere eve nt for railway e n gin e e rin g professionals. Join AREMA in Dallas Sept. 13-16 at the Hilton Anatole.

Please visit https://conference. arema.org/ for more information.

CSX’s autonomous geometry test boxcar.

February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 39

New & Used Equipment Available for Lease SALES – SERVICE – RENTALS – PARTS – HI-RAIL & CRANE INSPECTIONS HI-RAIL TRUCKS IN INVENTORY AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SALE OR RENTAL (NEW AND USED)

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February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 41

WE SIFT THROUGH THE NEWS SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO RAIL GROUP NEWS brings you a daily round-up of news stories from Railway Age, RT&S, and IRJ. This email newsletter offers North American and global news and analysis of the freight and passenger markets. From developments in rail technology, operations, and strategic planning to legislative issues and engineering news, we’ve got you covered.

RAIL From Railway Age, RT&S and IRJ GROUP http://bit.ly/rail_news NEWS

ROUND-UP o

RAILW

Ad Index

COMPANY

PHONE #

FAX #

E-MAIL ADDRESS

PAGE #

AREMA Marketing Department

301-459-3200

301-459-8077

marketing@arema.org

C3

Danella Rental Systems Inc

561-743-7373

561-743-1973

SBolte@danella.com

14

Harsco Rail

803 822-9160

803 822-8107

railinfo@harsco.com

11

Koppers Railroad Structures

800-356-5952

608-221-0618

rrdiv@koppers.com

17

Light Rail

212-620-7205

212-633-1165

conferences@sbpub.com

30-31

Linsinger Maschinenbau GmbH

4376138840143

marketing@linsinger.com

2

Loram Maintenance of Way Inc

763-478-6014

763-478-2221

sales@loram.com

C2

Next Gen Freight Rail

212-620-7205

212-633-1165

conferences@sbpub.com

20-21

Plasser American Corp

757-543-3526

757-494-7186

plasseramerican@plausa.com

C4

Progress Rail, A Caterpillar Company

256-505-6402

256-505-6051

info@progressrail.com

34

Rail Insights

212-620-7205

212-633-1165

conferences@sbpub.com

9

Railway Equipment Co

763-972-2200

763-972-2900

sales@rwy.com

33

Railway Education Bureau The

402-346-4300

402-346-1783

bbrundige@sb-reb-com

8,19

Spectrum, Inc.

800-605-9818

216-801-4774

sales@spectruminfrared.com

35

Thermon Heating Systems

855-244-3218

303-979-7350

sales@fastraxind.com

35

Advertising Sales MAIN OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com AL, KY, Jonathan Chalon 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com

CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada – Quebec and East, Ontario Jerome Marullo 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, In, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK, OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada – AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 683-5026 Fax: (312) 683-0131 hdisabato@sbpub.com The Netherlands, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal,

Switzerland, North Germany, Middle East, South America, Africa (not South), Far East (Excluding Korea / China/India), All Others, Tenders Louise Cooper International Area Sales Manager The Priory, Syresham Gardens Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom +44-1444-416368 Fax: +44-(0)-1444-458185 lc@railjournal.co.uk Scandinavia, Spain, Southern Germany, Austria, Korea, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe Baltic States, Recruitment Advertising Michael Boyle International Area Sales Manager Nils Michael Boyle Dorfstrasse 70, 6393 St. Ulrich, Austria. +011436767089872 mboyle@railjournal.com

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.

Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 V Piano, Genoa, Italy 16129 +39-10-570-4948 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 info@mediapointsrl.it Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Tokyo 121-0824 Japan +81-3-5691-3335 Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 amkatsu@dream.com CLASSIFIED, PROFESSIONAL & EMPLOYMENT Jennifer Izzo 800 Connecticut Avenue Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 604-1744 Fax: (203) 857-0296 jizzo@mediapeople.com

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

rtands.com

February 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 43

Last Stop

Optimizing the role of a PM Expectations every public rail transit agency should have of a program management consultant

by Charles Beauvoir

T Charles Beauvoir

“

construction cost overruns on large programs historically have ranged from 10-30 percent.

he expertise necessary to successfully manage and deliver a massive capital program is highly diverse and specialized. The first major decision an owner should make is how best to organize for success. This includes determining whether sufficient in-house staff are available and if they possess the necessary skills. In most instances, public owners can benefit from the external support of a program management consulting firm (PMC) that brings local talent and can draw from national experts that can be scaled up and down based on the fluctuating needs of the agency.

When assessing whether to hire a PMC, an owner can compare historical costs versus risks. Construction cost overruns on large programs historically have ranged from 10-30 percent. That’s an average of $300-900 million on a $3 billion program that could be invested in other projects. An experienced PMC, who knows the intricate details of a project’s life cycle and its key stakeholders, can help mitigate program risks and minimize or, better, eliminate cost overruns.

Front-end benefits of a PMC Seamless integration—The right PMC will assure collaboration with agency in-house staff, acknowledging the critical role the team plays in the program’s success; Momentum—A PMC should quickly synchronize consultant staff with agency staff and build positive momentum for the program; Scalability—A PMC supplements agency staff and expertise by efficiently deploying the right skill set at the right time and only for the duration necessary; Consensus with stakeholders—Achieving agreement among business owners, property owners and other interest groups requires trusted relationships, diplomacy and public involvement expertise. Compromising for a mutually beneficial solution becomes easier and less contentious.

Implementation benefits of a PMC Objective analysis—When implementing the 8.5-mile design-build Crenshaw/ LAX transit line project, LA Metro faced 44 Railway Track & Structures // February 2020

hiring additional staff or seeking shortterm, outside consultation. LA Metro chose a PMC that provided a detailed cost/benefit analysis, which helped the agency quickly review the options and arrive at an effective, informed decision; On-target contractor performance— A dedicated PMC implements proper project controls to minimize rework and ensure consistent contractual wording throughout the program. The latter limits the risks and associated liabilities of differing project-to-project contract language and interpretations; Technology expertise—A qualified PMC will stay current on technology trends and product development to ensure all procurements are compatible with the agency’s needs and the existing infrastructure; Conflict resolution—A PMC is responsible for facilitating progress. Conflicts cannot be avoided, but they can be resolved if the proper approach is understood by the program team.

Back-end benefits of a PMC Professional development—When agency staff work alongside a PMC, they strengthen their knowledge and skills to provide effective program management functions on future projects; Greater credibility—A project delivered on time and on budget demonstrates the owner’s expertise, affirming public trust and helping the agency earn greater acceptance on many levels and public approval for future programs.

A solid return Infrastructure programs are complex. The right program management consultant can mitigate or eliminate risk, and reduce historical industry costs and schedule overruns, resulting in the successful delivery of mobility-critical assets.

Beauvoir is vice president and senior program manager at HNTB. Working in the public and private sectors, he most recently served as an executive officer in the project management division of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. rtands.com

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