RTS October 2021

2021 CROSSTIE REPORT

A THIRD

WHEEL CROSSTIE MARKET IS NOT GETTING MUCH ATTENTION AT SAWMILLS

OCTOBER 2021 | WWW.RTANDS.COM

ALSO: ADJACENT TIE CONDITION DITCHING AND DRAINAGE rtands.com

February 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1

CONTENTS

October 2021

8 COLUMNS

3

On Track Bridge troubles on full display

DEPARTMENTS

4 28

On the Cover Union Pacific’s MoW Tie Pickup Work Equipment.

For crosstie report, see p 8.

Photo courtesy of Union Pacific

24

31 32 32

TTCI R&D Low rail grinding template evaluation AREMA News Message from the President, Getting to know, and more Classifieds Advertiser Index Sales Representatives

FEATURES

8

Getting overlooked Demand in other areas involving lumber pushes crossties down the priority list

16

The one next to it How do failed adjacent ties affect the life of wood crossties?

24

Keeping the railroad dry Proper ditching and drainage of the railroad keeps trains moving

Follow Us On Social Media @RTSMag

rtands.com

October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 1

We inspect.

We analyze.

We execute.

Clockwise from top right– Structural inspection with Ground Penetrating Radar, HP Shoulder Ballast Cleaner, and Badger Ditcher

Ditching and drainage by Loram.

Loram delivers comprehensive solutions for ballast optimization and drainage maintenance.

Inspection with Loram’s Ground Penetrating Radar and LiDAR technologies ensure targeted ditch and drainage maintenance that will maintain the stability of your ballast and subgrade. Ditch and shoulder ballast cleaning deliver the benefits of increased cycle time between surfacing and lining programs, while preventing premature tie deterioration and loss of stability in track infrastructure.

From inspection and geotechnical services that precisely identify drainage and ballast conditions, to our industry-leading array of maintenance equipment and remediation solutions, Loram is equipped to maximize and protect your infrastructure investment. Learn more at Loram.com

Rail Grinding | Ballast Maintenance | Friction Management | Material Handling | Track Inspection Services ©2021 Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

ON TRACK

Bridge troubles on full display VOL. Vol. 117, 115,No. NO.106 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South 3680Clark Heathmoor Street, Drive Suite 1910 Chicago, Elgin, ILIll. 60124 60603 Telephone Telephone (312) 630-336-1148 683-0130 Website Fax (312) www.rtands.com 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com BILL WILSON Editor-in-Chief BILL WILSON wwilson@sbpub.com Editor-in-Chief wwilson@sbpub.com DAVID C. LESTER Managing KYRA SENESE Editor dlester@sbpub.com Managing Editor ksenese@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 88BOB PineTUZIK Street New Consulting York, N.Y.Editor 10005 Telephone btuzik@sbpub.com (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 CORPORATE OFFICES ARTHUR 55 Broad J. MCGINNIS, St 26th Fl. JR. President New York, and N.Y. Chairman 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 JONATHAN CHALON Fax (212) 633-1165 Publisher ARTHUR J. MCGINNIS, JR. MARY and CONYERS President Chairman Production Director JONATHAN CHALON NICOLE D’ANTONA Publisher Art Director MARY CONYERS HILLARY COLEMAN Production Director Graphic Designer NICOLE D’ANTONA MAUREEN COONEY Art Director Circulation Director ALEZA LEINWAND MICHELLE ZOLKOS Graphic Designer Conference Director MAUREEN COONEY CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-895-4389 Circulation Director Reprints: PARS International Corp.

253 West 35th Street 7th Floor MICHELLE ZOLKOS Conference New York, NY Director 10001 212-221-9595; fax 212-221-9195 CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-895-4389 curt.ciesinski@parsintl.com Reprints: PARS International Corp.

253 West 35th Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10001 212-221-9595; fax 212-221-9195 curt.ciesinski@parsintl.com

W

hich autographed jerseys will be pressed and which will be fluffed?

I thought it would be an easy decision, but when you have the numbers of childhood favorites on fabric it makes the decision of who will get pressed into a frame and who will be neatly folded in a display case almost traumatic. It is for me, anyways. Equally as soul shaking is the cost to cover these keepsakes in glass for the wall. One job usually goes for over $200, which is a lot more than I paid for the sports legends to personally scribble on their uniforms. Unfortunately, I was unaware about this labor cost until late in the game, and my problem has turned out of control in a hurry. Recently, I had a display case built in my basement, so the option to place some in there and reduce the cost of a major league frame job has diminished somewhat.

In September, a Class 1 railroad company had a bridge inventory problem quickly snowball when a couple of troubled spans found a spot in the mainstream media.

The latest was a rail bridge in West Baltimore, of all places. Residents continue to complain about a span that crosses over West North Avenue, where a pipe continues to leak water and debris falls on occasion. Back in 2014 after a retaining wall collapsed, the Baltimore DOT made a commitment to regularly inspect this Class 1’s right-of-way all over the city. Four years later another infrastructure incident on the same street occurred, and Baltimore admitted nothing had been done concerning the rail infrastructure.

Over in the state of New York, the rail company that was on everyone’s list in West Baltimore became the target in Dutchess County. There, Duchess County Executive Marc Molinaro is demanding that a rail bridge that crosses the western shoreline

of the Hudson River be inspected immediately. Molinaro says the span is sagging and has temporary supports still in place.

I come from the highway industry, where bridge inspection data is more publicly available and the lines of communication appear to be more publicly open. The rail industry has always had this royalty stigma compared to the departments of transportation. Their records have always been sealed, their work always done on their time and their terms. That’s the impression I have always had, anyways.

I reached out to a bridge engineer in the rail industry and asked him what exactly goes on with Class 1s and the bridge inventory. He said the Federal Railroad Administration regulates the bridge management program for each railroad and the release of that information. Bridge Inspection Reports called for by the FAST Act provide a means for a state or political subdivision of a state to obtain a public version of a bridge inspection report generated by a railroad for a bridge located within their respective jurisdiction.

That all makes it as clear as picture frame glass. If this is what is going on, then we should have nothing to worry about regarding Class 1s and their attention to troubling spans. However, in the two years of covering the rail industry I have come across endless examples of Class 1s not being very cooperative with the public and being slow to address pressing span needs. It’s a case of public vs. private.

In the ideal world, one worth putting on display, the communication and action between a Class 1 and a city should be seamless. Does this happen, for the most part? Could the actions be documented and framed, or is this just fluff?

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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October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 3

TTCI R&D

Low rail grinding template evaluation A closer look at the low rail on curved track Scott Cummings – Senior Scientist Stan Gurulé – Principal Investigator II TTCI

T

ransportation Technology Center, Inc., (TTCI) analyzed the low rail grinding templates used by Class 1 railroads on curved track. A particular emphasis was placed on the low rail because it tends to require the heaviest grinding effort, and because a comparison of the templates used on low rails showed much variation in the profile shape. This work was performed as part of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Strategic Research Initiatives program.

Wear and material flow on the low rail of a curve flattens the rail head, and, in turn, this flattening can allow the false flanges of the hollow worn wheels to contact the field side of the rail head. This contact creates two problems: 1) It inhibits the desired steering effect produced by having a smaller rolling radius on the low rail wheel in comparison to the rolling radius of the high rail wheel, and 2) it reduces the rail’s geometric resistance to rolling outward toward the field side of the track.

One common metric used to evaluate the resistance to rail rollover is the baseto-height ratio (B/H). Traditionally, the B/H value for a rail is calculated without regard to cant, and this value includes both the highest vertical point on the rail and the lateral distance from that point to the field corner of the base. The greater the B/H, the farther the highest vertical point on the rail is located from the field side of the track. B/H values calculated in the traditional way will be referred to as the “Nominal B/H” in this article.

4 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

Figure 1. Calculating a Functional B/H value requires matching a wheel profile to a rail profile.

In addition to the Nominal B/H metric, a “Functional B/H” also has been calculated for this analysis. The Functional B/H value analyzes the rail in a canted position and is calculated based on the actual location of the contact patch between a particular wheel and rail. Figure 1 illustrates how the same rail profile can have different Functional B/H values depending on the wheel profile. The hollow (red) and non-hollow (blue) wheels in this image would produce different Functional B/H values due to their different contact points on the rail. The Functional B/H value is important because it relates to the actual overturning and restraining moments acting on the rail. Hollow worn

wheels can contribute to contact toward the field side of the rail, leading to low Functional B/H values and reduced resistance to rail rollover.

Together, wheel/rail contact and steering mechanics result in lateral forces that tend to spread gage and roll the rail outward. Several factors act to resist rail roll: Vertical wheel/rail forces produce a moment in the opposite direction, fasteners restrict rail base motions, and the torsional strength of the rail resists roll at any one particular location. If the wheel/ rail lateral-to-vertical (L/V) force ratio exceeds the rail B/H ratio, the roll resistance becomes completely reliant on fasteners and torsional strength. Thus, the rtands.com

TTCI R&D

Figure 2. (Top) Scaled profile overlays highlight variations of low rail grind templates, particularly on the field side of the rail.

greater the B/H ratio, the more stable the rail is against rollover.

Methodology Rail grinding templates for Class 1 railroads were obtained and overlaid on typically worn low and high rail profiles.

The alignment method used in this analysis has been described in detail previously as “Method C (Range).”1 Eight low rail profiles were matched up with the corresponding high rail profile(s), given an alphabetic designation corresponding with Nominal B/H values, and ranked in descending order (i.e., Profile A has the highest Nominal B/H value, and so on).

Figure 2 shows overlays of the resulting low and high rail profiles vertically aligned at the highest point. Compared to the low rail profiles, the high rail profiles show much less variation.

Static analysis Nominal B/H values were calculated for each low rail profile using a constant height of 7 5/16 in. Using a library of 604 wheelsets with hollow wear ranging from 1 to 4 mm, the minimum Functional B/H values were calculated for each set of rail profiles. Figure 3 shows both the Nominal B/H values and the Functional B/H values for these rail and wheel profiles. Nominal B/H values are shown at an X-value corresponding with zero hollow wear. For plotting the Functional B/H values in this rtands.com

figure, the wheelsets were divided into 0.5-mm hollow groups, and the plotted values were based on the median hollow and the median Functional B/H value for the group.

Figure 4 plots the vertical relief measured 0.25 in. from the field side of the rail as a function of crown radius and contains commentary based on the static analysis regarding the relative effectiveness of the rail profiles in maintaining high Functional B/H values in the presence of hollow worn wheels. In comparison, a new 136RE rail profile set at a typical rail cant of 1:40 has an 8-in. crown radius and a field side relief of 0.164 in.

Dynamic analysis Though it provides good insight and involves hundreds of different wheel profiles, the static analysis cannot easily take into account some of the variables that will affect the actual wheel/rail contact conditions. To address this shortcoming, a dynamic analysis also was conducted. Nearly 3,000 simulations using NUCARS vehicle dynamics software were used to evaluate the effects of the ground rail profiles as a function of track curvature (1° to 10°), track gage (56.25 to 57.00 in.), wheel/rail friction conditions (dry, gage face lubrication, and top-of-rail friction modifier plus gage face lubrication), carload status (empty and loaded), and

wheelset profiles (0- to 4-mm hollow wear on the low rail side).

Track gage was found to influence Functional B/H values as hollow wear increased. Average Functional B/H values for the 4-mm hollow wheel on the 10° curve for all rail profiles were 0.26, 0.27, and 0.32 for the narrow, standard, and wide gage tracks, respectively. The false flange made contact with the low rail nearer the center of the rail head when the high rail wheel was flanging on the wide gage track. On narrow gage track, the low rail contact position was more dependent on the low rail profile. Functional B/H values were fairly unaffected by wheel/rail friction conditions and carload status.

Although the trends in Functional B/H values were similar in both the static and dynamic analyses, there was reduced differentiation between the rail profiles in the dynamic analysis. The static analysis used the lateral wheelset position that produced the smallest Functional B/H value, while the dynamic analysis Functional B/H values corresponded to the wheelset position during steady-state curving.

Functional B/H minus single wheel L/V values less than zero indicated that rail roll resistance was reliant on fasteners and rail torsional strength rather than on the geometry of the rail. Profiles A, C, D, G, and H showed the best performance in this metric with no average values below 0.24. Profiles B October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 5

TTCI R&D

Figure 3. Static analysis of low rail Nominal B/H values and Functional B/H values generated based on a library of hollow worn wheels.

4-mm hollow wheel.

Figure 4. Low rail template crown radius and vertical field side relief.

and F performed similarly with average values between 0.14 and 0.25. Profile E, with its relatively large crown radius and low field side relief, performed the most poorly with regard to the Functional B/H minus L/V metric.

Contact stress was another metric used in the dynamic analysis because it can influence rail wear, rolling contact fatigue, and 6 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

material flow. Many of the rail profiles showed similar contact stress trends with some notable exceptions. Profile E generated high contact stress with wheels that had at least 2 mm of hollow wear due to contact between the false flange and the field corner of the low rail.

The same was true of Profile D and the

Conclusions An analysis of the rail profiles produced by the grinding templates used by Class 1 railroads indicated relatively large differences in the low rail profiles including crown radii between 6 and 14 in. and vertical field side reliefs between 0.037 and 0.103 in. This analysis showed that Nominal B/H is not an accurate predictor of the ability of a low rail to avoid contact between the false flange of a hollow worn wheel and the extreme field side of the rail head. It also showed that field side relief is more important than crown radius in grinding a low rail profile that tolerates hollow worn wheels. Low rail grinding templates with a vertical field side relief of at least 0.070 in. produced profiles that generally performed well in the presence of hollow worn wheels with regard to the Functional B/H, the Functional B/H minus L/V, and contact stress. The analysis showed varied performance levels for grinding templates with vertical field side relief between 0.055 and 0.059 in. and poor performance for a grinding template with a vertical field side relief of 0.037 in.

Reference 1. Keylin, A. and S. Cummings, November 2016, “Comparison of Rail Grinding Template Alignment Methods,” Technology Digest TD16-053, TTCI/ AAR, Pueblo, Colo. rtands.com

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Railway Track & Structures

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CROSSTIES

GETTING

OVERLOOKED

Demand in other areas involving lumber pushes crossties down the priority list

C

rossties have not been getting the same looks lately. In a COVID world, sawmills are feasting their eyes on other products that are attracting more money.

“Products that compete for the same log, pallet cants and lumber, flooring, and specialty container products have all seen high demand and unprecedented pricing levels,” Railway Tie Association President Rick Gibson told RT&S. “Sawmills can’t justify cutting ties when these other products bring such a premium.”

Workers have been marked at a premium as well, as the global pandemic has induced a severe labor shortage, which in turn has cut into production.

RTA said the market needed to experience a mild upcoming winter for wood tie

8 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

production to normalize by the end of 2022.

“Business will be good for tie producers for quite some time, but only if machinery and parts issues and labor shortages don’t truncate their ability to operate,” remarked Gibson.

Labor issues also have been felt at the manufacturer and supplier level. According to Willamette Valley Company Business Manager Rob Loomis, “between field crews being quarantined due to COVID-19 and a reduced work force in our manufacturing plants due to [the pandemic], these issues add up to delays in scheduling and increased pressure on other employees.”

Loomis admitted that the true challenge facing his company is inflation and supply chain disruptions.

“What we are challenged with is keeping the workers supplied with materials each and

every day at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, inflation is here to stay but we are looking for ways to lower costs.”

John Giallonardo, vice president, Sales and Marketing, for Koppers told RT&S raw material supply has indeed been a significant challenge in 2021.

“A robust demand for softwood products earlier this year, coupled with severe weather, have also impacted tie production. Although softwood demand and pricing has declined in recent months, the hardwood market remains very much unsettled at this time.”

The following is material gathered by RT&S about the products and services offered in the crosstie market.

Encore Encore’s EnduraPlug Tie Plugging Compound rtands.com

Photo Credit: Stella-Jones

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

The Industry’s Best Compound, Equipment and Field Support.

Hold gauge with EnduraPlug, our proven tie plugging compound - ready to ship.

Apply EnduraPlug with our wide range of applicators and equipment - available for purchase or lease.

Ensure maximum equipment uptime with our experienced field service team.

Get Pluggin’ with the best compound, equipment and service in the industry.

®

Encore Rail Systems, Inc. 2300 West Midway Boulevard, Broomfield, CO 80020 866.712.7622 Find more at encorers.com

CROSSTIES

use of creosote treatment, early degradation of wood ties in sub-optimal ground conditions, supply chain capacity, and growing demands for improvements in sustainability and whole life value.

It is becoming increasing understood that composite ties, of the right design and quality, will not only deliver significant savings to track operators over time, but also will make an important contribution to environmental and carbon offset targets being demanded by consumers.

Sicut also intends to offer speciality ties for S&C applications at over 20 ft lengths, a growing market for composite ties globally, as a best-value alterative to both hardwood and concrete.

has been developed in labs and tested in the field. It is a two-part, 1:1 mix by volume rigid polyurethane product. It is supplied in liquid form, as two separate components, and is dispensed from a pressurized dispensing system mixed as it is dispensed. It is designed to fill spike holes and voids in wooden and composite railroad crossties so that they can be re-spiked or re-lagged without damaging the surrounding crosstie. It has been developed in accordance with AREMA Chapter 30 requirements. EnduraPlug maintains the integrity of the tie and provides quality holding strength, which ultimately keeps your track in gauge.

EnduraPlug is stocked and ready to ship in various size cartridges for hand applicators, or in 5-gal pails and 250-gal totes for tie-plugging equipment.

The Ride on Tie Plugger, or RTP, is a stateof-the-art ride-on tie plugger that delivers the ultimate in reliable and safe high-speed compound application to both concrete and wood ties.

The RTP is track-mounted and selfpropelled, travelling up to 25 mph for easy clearing. It can be run with one or two operators, who are seated during track travel and work modes.

Both operator stations have their own compound dispensing applicator. The low maintenance guns are designed to reduce clean-up time. The RTP holds up to 250 gal of tie-plugging compound.

RTP offers two options: The addition of the SpeedSet UV light curing epoxy unit for concrete rail seat abrasion and a 10 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

semi-enclosed cab.

Encore’s Walk Behind Tie Plugger provides the flexibility and reliability to meet the demands of all types of production tie-plugging applications. It offers a single or dual crawler drive. The dual crawler drive system eliminates repositioning the machine in a gang consist, allowing machine travel in either direction.

Work speed control is adjustable and stop bars, front and rear, maximize safety. Dual compound dispensing guns increase plugging speed and efficiency. The single compound pump ensures consistent product mix.

Pandrol Sicut Enterprises is a market leader in the supply of crossties made from recycled polymers. The company’s composite ties are already installed in over 20 countries across six continents.

Sicut North America Inc., part of U.K.based Sicut Enterprises and working closely with Pandrol North America, plans to become the leading supplier of composite crossties across North America over the next few years. It has recently acquired a substantial manufacturing facility in Kansas, which will be operational in early 2022.

Sicut’s technology, developed originally in New Jersey, also has been extensively tested in North America, including in some of the most rigorous laboratory testing by Union Pacific in 2019. The use of composite crossties as an alternative to wood, concrete, and steel is growing in North and South America as railroads seek to address safety challenges with the

Omaha Track Omaha Track annually handles and processes over 2 million ties and its business continues to grow as operations expand throughout the U.S. Omaha Track provides sustainable solutions for crosstie disposal. The company partners with Class 1 railroads to safely repurpose crossties including those treated with creosote.

Omaha Track operates facilities in LaCrosse and Superior, Wis., Pueblo, Colo., Hazen, Nev., and Chicago Heights, Ill., for processing scrap railroad ties and other wood railroad materials into chips for co-generation rtands.com

Photo Credit: Omaha Track

Omaha Track provides sustainable solutions for crosstie disposal.

LT Resources LT Resources acquired American TieTek’s assets including the patented and proven TieTek technology earlier this year. The new company, TieTek Global, now has companyowned manufacturing capabilities with increased capacity to serve the marketplace.

The TieTek engineered polymer composite crosstie is the only AREMA standard EPC tie to perform without failure at TTCI’s FAST high-tonnage loop track between 2000 and 2015, accumulating over 2 billion gross tons, the equivalent of 50-year tie life. TieTek ties installed five years ago in the Federal Railroad Administration’s most recent SRI testing continue to perform well. TieTek crossties, switch ties, bridge ties, and custom products provide strong performance and extended service life in high-decay areas and severe environments including tunnels, bridges, bridge approaches, and grade crossings.

The use of TieTek ties, which can be interspersed with treated wood ties or installed in new construction, will reduce and eventually eliminate ongoing tie replacement costs, including associated labor, equipment downtime, and disposal costs.

CROSSTIE LIFECYCLE

THE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE SOLUTION FOR CROSSTIE TREATMENT AND RECYCLING. From raw timber and dual pressure treatment of new crossties to scrap tie collection, transportation and recycling, Koppers’ Lifecycle Management program will optimize your crosstie performance, risk management and environmental compliance with effective cost control.

In the Beginning Crosstie Treatment

At the End Recycling/Fuel Processing

n Patented Tru-Core® dual pressure treatment process (Borate and Creosote)

n Timely collection reduces the liability, safety, and environmental risks of stockpiling scrap ties

n Accurate, Measurable and Repeatable Preservative Retention Levels n Eight strategically located treatment facilities in North America

n Proper documentation of recycling/ disposal to meet environmental regulations

n U.S. treatment plants are AAR M-1003, ISO 14001 and RC14001 certified

n Energy recycling typically costs less than landfills

Koppers provides the quality solutions to cover all your crosstie needs… from beginning to end!

BUILDING GREAT LINES FROM THE GROUND UP.™ www.koppers.com 1-888-567-8437 1 Tru-Core® is manufactured under license from Kop-Coat Inc.

Vossloh Tie Technologies/Rocla Concrete Tie, Inc., has been producing ties from a new Canadian plant.

Willamette Valley Company Willamette Valley Company’s SpikeFast Insulated Joint Repair Material is a rapid-setting, two-part polyurethane for insulated joint repairs. Designed to fill the gap between railheads, IJR can extend the lifetime of insulated joints by preventing metal-to-metal contact caused by ratchetting.

IJR has low viscosity so it penetrates and levels, cures in 30 seconds, provides electrical isolation, and it can cure on cold surfaces.

For more information, please contact: TieTek Global LLC www.tietekglobal.com 800-440-1517 • 281-444-3494 sales@tietekglobal.com

12 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

Koppers Koppers offers the Crosstie Lifecycle Management Program as the environmentally responsible solution for the entire lifecycle of crossties. From raw timber and dual pressure treatment of new crossties to scrap tie collection, transportation, and recycling, this program will optimize your crosstie performance, risk management, and environmental compliance with effective cost control.

Koppers implements environmentally responsible timber processing and dual-pressure treating to maximize the performance of the crosstie investment. The patented Tru-Cor dual-treatment process ensures accurate, measurable, and repeatable preservative retention levels of borate and creosote to meet the exact specifications for every decay zone.

After years of quality performance, crossties must be replaced and the scrap crossties disposed of in accordance with environmental regulations. WVCO’s Lifecycle Management

Program provides timely collection and transportation of scrap ties to reduce liability, safety, and environmental risks of stockpiling scrap ties. Scrap ties are delivered to WVCO’s processing facility for energy recycling as a fuel source. This provides cost control since energy recycling typically costs less than disposal in landfills. To meet environmental regulatory compliance, the entire recycling/ fuel processing procedure is documented and submitted in proper report format.

Vossloh Vossloh Tie Technologies (VTT)/Rocla Concrete Tie, Inc., has been producing and supplying ties from a new Canadian plant for 18 months which offers heavy haul, transit, and industrial concrete ties to the Canadian market. The new facility has the capacity to produce more than 250,000 concrete ties per year and offers significant logistics advantages to Canadian customers to manage their ongoing concrete tie programs. The Canadian transit and industrial rail market continues to grow as customers are choosing a more cost-efficient, sustainable and longerlasting product that withstands the demanding Canadian environment year round over traditional ties, VTT officials said in an email.

The company continues to develop more product offerings for their customers that focus on protecting and prolonging the lifecycle of concrete tie track infrastructure. VTT has been producing concrete ties fixed with under tie pads (UTPs), which is common throughout the rest of the world. The demand continues to grow each year as testing data taken over the last several years has shown that concrete ties paired with UTPs “drastically expand the lifecycle cost” of the ties, rtands.com

Photo Credit: Vossloh

fuel. Omaha Track can recover ties while working on track, on right of way, or stockpiled anywhere in the country for shipment to these facilities for processing and co-generation fuel.

CROSSTIES

timbers using the BTX system or dip-andsteam treatments.

The BTX system is a drill-and-injection method for dual-treating bridge ties with Cellu-Treat prior to pressure treatment with QNAP.

Koppers offers the Crosstie Lifecycle Management Program.

ballast, and track super structure, said a company official.

Nisus Nisus manufactures green non-restricted use wood preservatives for the railroad industry.

QNAP Copper Naphthenate is an oilborne preservative with proven performance and a strong environmental profile. QNAP has clean handling characteristics with minimal drippage or bleeding and is standardized by AWPA and AREMA for crossties, switch ties, and bridge timbers. QNAP2,

a ready-to-use product, also can be used as an end-cut or field-cut treatment for crossties, switch ties, poles, lumber and bridge ties, and timbers.

Cellu-Treat Liquid Borate DOT is a wood preservative used in pressure or dip treatments. It is standardized by AWPA and AREMA for dual treatment of crossties and bridge timbers. Unseasoned green ties are treated with Cellu-Treat to prevent decay during air seasoning, and then over-treated with creosote or QNAP. Cellutreat also can be applied to new or existing bridge ties and

Stella-Jones According to George Caric, vice president of Marketing at Stella-Jones Corp., both 2020 and 2021 have been interesting years, especially with issues involving the workforce.

“Our challenges going into 2021 were related to finding people to work in our plants and transportation issues,” he told RT&S. “Finding trucks to ship our materials continues to be a problem.”

Product demand, however, is not a problem at Stella-Jones.

“We are seeing an uptick in demand for bridge timbers,” said Caric. “We are treating with copper napthanate at two facilities for bridge timbers and looking at adding this treatment to a third facility.

Caric said that trucking, weather, and labor shortages will continue to hamper supply going into 2022.

NEW

RAIL DRILL

The NEW RB2SPD rail drill from Trak-Star is designed for drilling fast efficient holes. The drill incorporates a two speed gear box for using either the Carbide Tipped Twister Bits™ or the Black Twister Bits™. A more compact size makes the drill easy to get into tight spots. The RB2SPD includes an easy start 4 stroke Honda motor, high torque gearing, center balanced carrying handle, thru-the-tool pressurized coolant system, quill feed arbor, 10 point clamping and weighs only 49 lbs.

Hou-751 RTS.indd 1

14 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

866-245-3745 www.trak-star.com Hydraulic & Gas Rail Drills • Hydraulic & Gas Rail Saws • Twister Bits Gas Impacts • Rail Accessories

5/27/20 1:50 PM

rtands.com

Photo Credit: Koppers

Two Speeds • Compact Size Drills Holes Fast

CROSSTIES

THE ONE NEXT TO IT

How do failed adjacent ties affect the life of wood crossties?

By Dr. Allan M. Zarembski, P.E., FASME, Dr. Joseph Palese, P.E., MBA, Kenza Soufiane, and Gregory Grissom Contributing Authors

16 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

rtands.com

CROSSTIES

T

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

he behavior of the track structure as a beam (the rail), supported by a continuous elastic foundation (representative of the ties, ballast, and subgrade), is well known and understood. It has been the subject of numerous studies and analysis models.

This Beam On Elastic Foundation (BOEF) support model indicates that the wheel load, applied to the track by each passing train wheel, is distributed, by the rail, over a number of crossties. The exact distribution of load varies as a function of the foundation stiffness, as defined by the track modulus, k, the rail size, and the tie spacing. This distribution is illustrated in Figure 1 for a single wheel which applies a dynamic load P to the top of the rail head for a good, well supported, wood-tie track with a track modulus of 4,000 lb/in/in. As can be seen in this figure, 93% of the load is carried by the five ties directly under the wheel in this track configuration.

If, however, the track support (ties, ballast, subgrade) were to be in poor condition, such as represented by a track modulus of 1,000 lb/in/ in., the load distribution would be over seven ties, i.e., the center tie under the wheel and three

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ties on either side of the center tie. In all cases, the wheel load is not just supported by the tie directly under the wheel, but rather by the ties on either side of that center tie, the adjacent ties.

Furthermore, as can be seen in this figure, the center tie often carries less than half of that load itself, with the adjacent ties carrying a significant portion of the wheel load, e.g., close to 75% in the case illustrated in Figure 1.

It can thus be seen that if one of the adjacent ties was in poor or failed condition, and was incapable of carrying its share of the wheel load, its portion of the load would then be redistributed to the remaining ties, with the result that these ties would see an increased level of loading. Thus, for the case shown in Figure 1, if one adjacent tie cannot carry its share of the load, then 21% of the load must be redistributed. If two adjacent ties have failed, then 42% of the load must be redistributed. If all four adjacent ties have failed, then 66% of the load must be redistributed, with an expected significant increase in load carried by the center tie, and a resulting effect on the overall life of the center tie.

Railway engineers have always been aware

Figure 1. Percentage of load carried by each tie.

October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 17

CROSSTIES

Figure 2. Defined tie support categories.

that the presence of poor condition ties in track will result in a more rapid degradation of the track. This behavior was recently validated in a study which addressed the relationship between poor tie condition and the development of track geometry defects.6 However, while railway engineers have suspected a relationship between poor condition ties and overall tie life, a direct analysis of the effect of poor or failed adjacent ties on tie life has not been addressed until recently.7 This article will present the results of this recent study, which examined the relationship between tie life and the condition of adjacent ties, and specifically the premature failure of wood crossties as a function of poor adjacent tie condition. By helping railroad’s forecast a tie’s remaining life as a function of the ties surrounding it, it is expected that such a tool can help railroads make better decisions on tie replacement and tie gang prioritization Tie condition study In order to study the effect of adjacent tie

condition on tie life, it is necessary to have extensive and detailed data about tie condition for an extended length of track. In this study, detailed tie condition data was obtained for 65 miles of track from a Class 1 railroad. This data included location of ties, their condition, and tie characteristic data.

The dataset consisted of tie condition data collected in 2016, 2017, and 2019 from the same track location. For each individual tie observation, there are 36 descriptive variables unique to that tie to include in the Tie Score, which is a decimal score that represents the condition of a tie with a scale of 1 to 4, 1 being the best and 4 being the worst.

Approximately 209,000 ties were in each year’s data set.

The analysis approach taken was a data analytics approach where the tie condition data for multiple years at the same sites was analyzed to look at the rate of premature tie failure based on the adjacent ties’ condition.7 After the tie data from the different years was aligned to compare the ties from year to year, a detailed tie-by-tie analysis was performed

on the tie data, focusing on those miles where it was determined that no major tie replacement activity took place. This analysis was performed for each tie, sequentially, with the measured tie condition or “score” used as the indication of tie condition. For the purpose of this analysis, ties in condition 3 or 4 were considered to be in “poor” condition, while ties in condition categories 1 or 2 were considered to be in “good’ condition.

Given the relatively short time window as compared to the life of a tie, the focus of the analysis was on the difference in tie condition between 2019 and 2016, which was defined as the difference in tie condition or Delta Score (Delta Score = Tie Score 2019 - Tie Score 2016).

Ties with a negative Delta Score indicates that a tie replacement was made, while a positive Delta Score indicates tie degradation. A Delta Score of 0 suggests that no significant change in tie condition happened over the three-year period.

Noting that the objective of this analysis was to determine the effect of adjacent tie condition on the rate of degradation of a crosstie, each tie was classified as a function of the adjacent crossties, specifically four adjacent ties: Two ties on each side as illustrated in Figure 1. Thus, ties were grouped into the following nine support condition categories, as illustrated in Figure 2. These categories, in order of increasing “loss” of support, are as follows: • Ties surrounded by ties in good condition; • Ties with only one poor condition tie located two ties away; • Ties having only one poor condition tie directly adjacent; • Ties with two ties in poor condition both located two ties away; • Ties having two adjacent ties in poor condition located in opposite sides; • Ties having two adjacent ties in poor condition located in the same side; • Ties having two directly adjacent ties in poor condition; • Ties having three adjacent ties in poor condition; and • Ties having all four adjacent ties in poor condition.

Figure 3. Percentage of wheel load carried by poor condition adjacent ties by support category, in increasing order.

18 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

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CROSSTIES

INTELLIGENCE IN RAIL

(a)

AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Automated Inspections Mitigate Incidents

(b)

Automated Inspections Monitor & Identify Issues Table 1. Total number of ties in each tie and support condition category.

Figure 3 presents the percentage of the wheel load, P, carried by “poor” adjacent ties, according to the definitions presented previously in Figure 2. Note, these percentages are based on analysis presented previously in Figure 1. The distribution of the final study ties, by condition and support category, is presented in Table 1. Note, over 80% of the ties are in category 1, with all adjacent ties in good condition.

In order to look at the degradation in tie condition for the entire study segment, the percentage of poor condition ties (scores of 3 and 4), by category, for 2016 was subtracted from 2019 to give a change in percentage of poor ties. A positive change in percentage of poor ties thus represents a degradation in tie condition. This change is presented in Figure 4. The category 1 ties, with no adjacent poor condition ties, had a change in percentage (degradation in tie condition) of 8.3%, which is used as a base line value. As can be seen, all categories except category 9 (which had only a total of nine ties) showed a change in percentage (degradation in tie condition) greater than this base line 8.3%.

In general, the change in percentage of poor ties with scores of 3 and 4 between 2016 and 2019 increased as the order of severity increased. However, there was some variation, which was most likely due to the number of samples in each category. In order to smooth the distribution of ties, and reduce the effect of the large difference in the number of samples, the categories were grouped or bundled in a more limited number of support categories.

This bundling was based on the percentage of load carried by poor condition adjacent ties.

This bundling generated four groups of support conditions: • F: Base case with all good condition adjacent rtands.com

ties (0% load carried by poor adjacent ties); • A: Categories 2 + 3 + 4 with a poor tie support percentage of between 12 and 24%; • B: Categories 5 and 6 with a 33% support percentage; and • C: Categories 7 + 8 + 9 with a poor tie support percentage of 42 to 66%.

Figure 5 presents the change in percentage of poor ties (with scores 3 and 4) in each bundle of categories between 2016 and 2019.

It should be noted that any increase in percentage of poor ties during this period is an indication of tie deterioration, since as ties degrade over time, and no tie replacement takes place, the percentage of poor ties increases.

Thus, it is seen that the change in percentage or poor ties, which corresponds to the degradation of the wood crossties, increases directly with the increasing level of poor adjacent tie condition. In other words, as the adjacent tie support condition gets worse, the rate of degradation of the center tie, as defined by the change in overall percentage of poor ties, increases measurably. This suggests that ties with poor adjacent support, i.e., with increasing percentage of wheel loads carried when adjacent ties are in poor condition, appear to deteriorate faster than ties with good adjacent support ties (category 1).

Effect of adjacent ties In order to calculate the effect of adjacent ties on the life of a crosstie, a “damage ratio” was obtained by dividing the percent change in poor ties 2016-2019 for Groups A, B, and C, by the percent change for Group F, the base condition where all adjacent ties are in good condition.

This is presented in Table 2. The damage ratio was then converted to a life-reduction

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October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 19

CROSSTIES

Figure 4. Change in percentage of poor ties by order of severity.

Figure 5: Change in percentage of poor ties by decreasing support condition.

factor by taking the inverse of the damage ratio, as shown in Table 2. The resulting tie life reduction factor is the ratio of tie life with reduced support condition divided by expected tie life (i.e., tie life with good adjacent tie support).

This, in turn, allows for the establishment of a relationship between loss of support due to the adjacent tie condition (by support group) and the life reduction factor calculated from the degradation of ties in the study period as presented in Figure 6.

This generates a relationship between reduction in tie life and the tie support condition, as defined by the loss of adjacent tie support 7 as follows: Reduced Tie Life = 1.4441L2 - 1.322L+0.9931.

L is the loss of adjacent tie support as calculated by beam on elastic foundation load distribution across for adjacent ties.

This equation represents the effect of adjacent tie condition on expected tie life for timber crossties. By accounting for the local condition of the surrounding ties, better tie life forecasting and replacement planning can be performed.

This, in turn, will help railways most effectively develop and implement their tie maintenance plans and programs.

Acknowledgement The authors would like to acknowledge Loram Technologies, Inc.’s support of this research.

References 1. Talbot, A.N., Stresses in Railroad Track-The Talbot Reports, American Railway Engineering Association, Washington D.C., 1980.

2. Hay, W.W., Railroad Engineering, Second Edition, John Wiley & rtands.com

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October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 21

CROSSTIES

Table 2. Adjacent tie support vs. damage ratio and reduced life.

Figure 6. Reduced life vs. loss of adjacent tie support.

The Railway Educational Bureau Track Safety Standards

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Federal Regulations Workplace Safety

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Sons, New York, 1982 3. Kerr, A.D., Fundamentals of Railroad Track Engineering, Simmons Boardman Press, Omaha, Neb., 2003 4. Zarembski, A.M., & Choros, J., “On the Measurement and Calculation of Vertical Track Modulus”, Bulletin of the American Railway Engineering Association, Bulletin 675, Volume 81, November-December 1979.

5. The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does, Fourth Edition; Chapter 3: The Track: Alignment and Structure, Simmons Boardman Books, Inc., 2008 6. Alsahli, A., Zarembski, A.M., Palese, J. and Euston W., “Investigation of the Correlation between Track Geometry Defect Occurrence and Wood Tie Condition”, Journal of Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology, Volume 6, Issue 3, September 2019, ISSN: 2196-7202 (Print) 2196-7210 (Online) 7. Zarembski, A.M., Palese J.W., Soufiane, K. and Grissom, G., “Effect of Tie Condition Distribution on Life Expectancy of Wood Crosstie”, American Railway Engineering Association Annual Conference, Virtual Conference, September 2020

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DITCHING AND DRAINAGE

Loram’s SPS has the regular features of a slot train, but also has an integrated traction car that enables it to move around a worksite without railroad power.

KEEPING THE RAILROAD DRY Proper ditching and drainage of the railroad keeps trains moving

R

ailroad track professionals know that the three most important factors in maintaining a solid right-of-way are drainage, drainage, and drainage. Engineers must design roadbed to enable maximum drainage and ditches on both sides of the track to ensure the water has somewhere to go that is well away from the track.

Track drainage has become increasingly important over the past several years, given the heavy rains in several parts of the country. Well-drained track ensures that trains can keep rolling in the

24 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

face of bad weather.

The remainder of this article is devoted to some of the ditching and drainage-related equipment and services offered in the market.

Loram Loram provides a full range of products to ensure track structures effectively drain water. All drainage maintenance should start with a sound understanding of the root cause of the track’s symptoms. Loram’s GPR and LiDAR inspections take a holistic look at the track to identify whether water presents issues due to ballast fouling, poor subgrade

conditions, or compromised ditches. Once the root causes are identified, railroads can utilize Loram’s equipment fleet to remedy the issue correctly.

A defined and free-flowing ditch is required to ensure the water that drains out of the ballast section does not stagnate and saturate the substructure. The Loram Badger Ditcher has a high-production ditching head to cut ditches in almost any terrain to ensure the water that has flowed out of the track can flow away from the track as well. The Badger Ditcher can quickly clear clogged ditches and cut new ditches at up to 1,000 tons of rtands.com

Photo Credit: Loram

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DITCHING AND DRAINAGE

galvanized steel that is 24 in. long after overlap. Standard pan lengths are 10 ft.

Deck Drain also can be asphalt coated. The end corrugations overlap in the field for the connection. Adjustments for length can be made by overlapping additional corrugations to make up site-specific custom run lengths.

Deck Drain spans also are available in 12-in., 15-in., and 18-in. half-round with lengths of 24-in. long after overlap. The perforation pattern for these custom spans is different than the standard 8-in. perforation pattern.

material removed per hour.

Many drainage improvement tasks involve general excavation of material that has filled ditches and blocks water from flowing away from the track. With a 550-ton material capacity, the Loram Slot Train and Self-Powered Slot (SPS) are ideal for these situations. The Slot Train consists of 11 joined gondola cars that can be traversed with an excavator. Equipped with a roto tilt attachment, the excavator can remove material from ditches or create new ditches. The Slot can bring new materials to a worksite as needed. The SPS has the same features as a slot train with an integrated traction car that can move around a worksite without railroad-provided power.

The complement to all Loram’s ballast excavating and cleaning equipment is the MHC line of material-handling cars. These cars outperform competitive equipment with more material casting power to minimize conveyor overloads and discharge material 20% further from the track centerline. The MHC can connect to and receive material from any undercutter, shoulder ballast cleaner, ditch cleaner, Loram LRV, or other equipment brands.

For highly fouled track sections needing complete remediation, the UC1200 undercutter can remove the entire ballast layer, screen the ballast, and return the good ballast in a single pass. If the aim is to raise the track by adding new ballast, the same machine can function as a high-speed track lifter to add a new layer of free-draining 26 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

ballast over the existing layer. Loram’s fleet of shoulder ballast cleaners can excavate the complete shoulder section, screen the ballast, and return the good ballast in a single pass for moderately fouled tracks. The UC1200 and SBC can excavate and screen up to 1,500 cu yd of fouled ballast per hour. In severely fouled locations, both machines can be operated as “waste only.” They will bypass the screens and discharge the ballast excavated into a towed material-handling car or the right of way.

Contech Contech Deck Drain is a perforated drain system used in the construction of railroad bridges. This efficient system utilizes halfround perforated corrugated steel covers with a steel plate bottom to drain the ballast at the bottom of the railroad bridge. Deck Drain is manufactured with steel because of its strength and long-term durability compared to plastic drain products.

Considering that trains do not like steep slopes and these bridges are often designed from zero to very minimal gradients, a designer must also mitigate the water from ponding and running off the ends of the bridge. Contech manufactures Deck Drain covers with 8-in. half-round corrugated metal spans in 12-gage, 14-gage, or 16-gage

RCE Equipment Solutions With RCE Equipment Solutions’ hi-rail excavators, drainage and ditching projects can be achieved both in an on-track and off-track mode. Unlike traditional dedicated on-track machines, RCE’s hi-rail excavator can be used for a wide range of rail maintenance duties such as removal and installing ties, undercutting ballast, laying new rail, and standard excavation tasks. RCE Railavators are the swiss army knives of MoW equipment and can handle over 20 attachments.

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Ballast Tools Equipment The BTE-325 hi-rail excavator and BTE dump cart from Ballast Tools Equipment provide all-in-one solutions for most ditching and drainage needs. Bringing a powerful excavator that hi-rails to a site, along with a dump cart, eliminates the need to find a route for a dump vehicle to pull alongside, or hi-rail separately out to a site to carry off debris and spoils.

The BTE dump cart can handle over 12 cu yd of waste and debris and dump on either side of the track, making it an innovative addition to the BTE-325 hi-rail excavator platform for major ditching and drainage projects.

The BTE-325 can easily haul the culvertcleaning attachment and ditching bucket while hauling the dump cart to the site, so one vehicle does the job of three.

DITCHING AND DRAINAGE

BTE hi-rail excavator with dump cart.

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design enhancements, including a new hydraulic system. There are more components in the common manifold, which means fewer hoses, separate components, and fewer joints to potentially leak. The F-N-R valves are now pilot-operated instead of electrical coils, which makes for a more reliable design.

The RCE team also updated the Railavator structure, including the hi-rail linkages and supports, extending support gussets, and

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added weight to the links and frames. These modifications reduce frame flexing and potential cracking. The main drive frame aligns in all axes for drive components. More strength and durability are now in the drive axle mounting and the axle mount, front/rear bumpers, and tow points. The improved rotary manifold has a higher pressure rating and longer life.

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October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 27

Message From The President

S

MICHAEL P. FREEMAN AREMA President 2021-22

urround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests.” (Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter).

During my tenure as Senior Vice President, I learned a great deal about how AREMA functions and how much work is required to keep this association running, especially while navigating a worldwide pandemic and two virtual conferences. Some who read this article are very familiar with the AREMA staff and the roles they play to keep us on track; however, I’m guessing there are many more out there like me, my loyal readers, that do not have a clue about the complexity of the day-to-day operations of AREMA, and the people behind the scenes that make it all happen. This “Message from the President” is the first of two which will introduce you to the good people on the AREMA staff, as defined by Derek Jeter, and the key role each plays in our success as an organization.

The AREMA Annual Conference is the most visible event for AREMA. Believe me, it is quite a daunting effort to produce the conference each year, virtually or face to face. The day-to-day activities of our association provide the substance to make the conference happen. Without active members creating valuable information there would be no need for AREMA, the AREMA conference, or any of the AREMA staff. We all recognize the role AREMA plays in the rail industry. Therefore, it is critical that the entire organization work together to support that mission. Our AREMA staff is a key cog in that wheel.

Over the last few years, the size of the 28 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

AREMA staff has grown and many of the familiar names of the AREMA staff have new roles and responsibilities. Over the next two months, I’m going to introduce you to the headquarters staff of AREMA. I will fill you in on who they are professionally and provide a small amount of personal background for each staff member. I’ll also tell you a little about the role each one of these special folks plays in moving AREMA forward. File this information away and when the need arises, hopefully this will serve as a guide for “who to call” with that question or problem.

ELIZABETH CARUSO, IOM, CAE Executive Director/CEO Beth is the leader of our association and headquarters staff and has been with AREMA for over 22 years, serving in her current capacity since 2015. Beth is

“

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GOOD PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU AND LOOK OUT FOR YOUR BEST INTERESTS.

a highly qualified and motivated leader having served in key leadership roles prior to becoming Executive Director. She is a graduate of High Point University in North Carolina, having earned a BA degree in English with emphasis on Media Communications. Beth is recognized as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and also is recognized through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for completing their Institute for Organizations Management (IOM) program. She also is a member of several professional organizations such as the League of Railway Women, the American Business Women’s Association, and the American Society of Association Executives. In 2019 she received the Women in Rail Award, which recognizes all of the talents she displays in directing the

activities of AREMA. Not only is Beth highly respected by her peers and a capable leader for managing the headquarters’ staff, she consistently looks out for AREMA’s best interests. Fortunately, she also guides people like me, who sometimes appear to be lost navigating the complex maze that is AREMA. STACY SPAULDING, CAE Senior Director, Executive and Board Operations Stacy has been with AREMA since 1999 and is currently in charge of coordination of all the diverse functions performed by the headquarters staff. She supports the executive department with the Board of Governors and Board of Directors. Stacy’s past experience in AREMA, having served as director of Committees and Technical Services, has positioned her well to serve in this role. She oversees the department that coordinates activities of all committees and the pre-publication activities of AREMA publications. Stacy also plays a key role in organizing the program for the AREMA Annual Conference & Expo with the Program Committee. She is a graduate of Frostburg State University with a BA in Psychology. A member of the League of Railway Women, she also is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and is a Certified Association Executive.

Stacy truly knows the inner workings of AREMA and is well known as a staffer who “makes things happen”.

VICKIE FISHER, CAE Chief Operating Officer Financial and workforce specialists are key in the operations of any organization. In Vickie Fisher, AREMA certainly has that specialist. Vickie has been a part of the AREMA management team since 2001.

She not only is responsible for all things financial and related to workforce management, she also is responsible for oversight of Expo activities. She has a BS degree in Business Accounting from the University of Phoenix/MD and also is a Certified Association Executive. Vickie is an active member of the League of Railway Women and a member of the American Society of Association Executives, as well as the Society of Human Resource Management.

I’ll close this “Message from the rtands.com

President” having introduced a portion of the AREMA staff to you all. I hope you will join me next month when I introduce the remainder of the outstanding staff of AREMA. Thanks to you all for reading. I hope you gained some insight into our good people—the AREMA headquarters staff.

Until next month, be well and be safe!

FYI

2022 Call For Papers: Papers are now being accepted for the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo to be held in Denver, Colo., from Aug. 28-31, 2022. The deadline is Dec. 10, 2021. Please visit www.

arema.org for more information and to submit a paper online.

The AREMA Scholarship Program is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 academic year. The AREMA Educational Foundation provides scholarships to engineering students who are specializing in the railway industry and supports other educational and training endeavors that help ensure the future of the profession.

Application deadline: Dec. 3, 2021.

Did you miss the AREMA 2021 Virtual C o n f e r e n c e? T h e p l a t f o r m i s n o w available on demand for you to learn w h i l e o n th e g o. P u rc h a s e n ow a t www.arema.org.

Engineering. With more than 40 new or revised Parts, it’s the perfect time to get the 2021 Manual. Order online now at www.arema.org or contact publications@ arema.org for more details.

Leverage the power of your trusted association’s Railway Careers Network to tap into a talent pool of job candidates with the training and education needed for long-term success. Visit www.arema. org/careers to post your job today.

NOT AN AREMA MEMBER? JOIN TODAY AT WWW.AREMA.ORG CONNECT WITH AREMA ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

O rder the 2021 Man ual for Railway

UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS 2021 MEETINGS OCT. 18-19

OCT. 25-26

OCT. 25-26

NOV. 2-3

Committee 34 Scales Tampa, Fla.

Committee 4 Rail Virtual Meeting

Committee 13 Environmental TBD

Committee 2 - Track Measurement and Assessment Systems Virtual Meeting

2022 MEETINGS FEB. 8-9

FEB. 10

MAY 16-18

MAY 17-18

Committee 15 - Steel Structures Fort Worth, Texas

Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures Irvine, Texas

Committee 5 - Track New Orleans, La.

Committee 15 - Steel Structures Chicago, Ill.

JUNE 8-9

JUNE 9-10

SEPT. 27-28

Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures Anchorage, Alaska

Committee 8 - Concrete Structures and Foundations Anchorage, Alaska

Committee 15 - Steel Structures Virtual Meeting

2023 MEETINGS

Join a technical committee

MAY 16-17 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Pueblo, Colo.

Joining a technical committee is the starting point for involvement in the association and an opportunity for lifelong growth in the industry. AREMA has 29 technical committees covering a broad spectrum of railway engineering specialties. Build your network of contacts, sharpen your leadership skills, learn from other members, and maximize your membership investment. If you’re interested in joining a technical committee or sitting in on a meeting, please contact Alayne Bell at abell@arema.org.

For a complete list of all committee meetings, visit https://www.arema.org/events.aspx.

rtands.com

October 2021 // Railway Track & Structures 29

GETTING TO KNOW

Steel Structures Committee 15 Chair Steven Lorek

STEVEN P. LOREK, P.E. Railroad Division Manager - Senior Vice President - Benesch

A

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

LOREK: My uncle worked for a railroad and was a big influence in introducing me to the railroad industry and encouraging me to get involved. I would say it runs in the family as multiple generations have been involved in the industry and have graduated from Purdue as a Boilermaker. It seemed like a logical next step.

AREMA: How did you get started?

LOREK: I have always been fascinated with bridges, and structures were a focus of my education. I had a dream of starting my career in the mountains of the western U.S. I ended up on the consultant side in Omaha, Neb., which wasn’t quite the mountains, but I ended up designing railroad bridges all over North America including stops in Jacksonville, Fla., and now in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am fortunate to have found an industry that I could build a career on.

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

LOREK: I was introduced to Committee 15 – Steel Structures work by my mentor, Hal Lewis. He allowed me to tag along for 30 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

a few meetings and suggested that I apply to Committee 15 considering the railroad work I was involved in. My first meeting with Committee 15 was in Bethlehem, Pa., hosted by Lehigh University. I just remember that even though I was a new member of the committee, the members were very welcoming to my ideas and perspective.

“

I ENDED UP DESIGNING RAILROAD BRIDGES ALL OVER NORTH AMERICA.

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

LOREK: I spend a lot of time volunteering with my kid’s activities, church, and community. I enjoy landscaping around the house, hiking, biking, and just being outside.

AREMA: Tell us about your family.

LOREK: I have a wonderful wife, Stacy,

and have been married 18 years. I have three sturdy boys (David 15, Calvin 13, Nolan 8), and our family dog, Suwanee, who keeps us all grounded.

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

LOREK: I was a college baseball player and still enjoy having a catch.

AREMA: What is your biggest achievement?

LOREK: Professionally, I believe working to gain the respect of my peers by being a Committee Chair ranks right up there with becoming a professional engineer. It means being an industry technical resource and mentor to other young professionals.

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

LOREK: I would say you will never have a boring day in the railroad industry. You have the opportunity to work in an industry that was first established hundreds of years ago with a built-in legacy of designing infrastructure to push the technical boundaries for the next generation. rtands.com

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October 2021 // Railway Track 6/29/21 & Structures 31 4:48 PM

AD INDEX

COMPANY

PHONE #

FAX #

E-MAIL ADDRESS

PAGE #

AREMA Marketing Department

301-459-3200

301-459-8077

marketing@arema.org

23,C3

Encore

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gs@encorers.com

9

Gradall Exacavator

800-445-4752

330-339-8468

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25

Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.

866-245-3745

800-309-3299

info@trak-star.com

14

Koppers

412-227-2739

412-227-2841

grosstj@koppers.com

11

Loram

763-478-6014

763-478-2221

sales@loram.com

2 21

Messe Berlin GmbH Plasser American Corp.

757-543-3526

757-494-7186

plasseramerican@plausa.com

C4

Railway Education Bureau The

402-346-4300

402-346-1783

bbrundige@sb-reb-com

22,27

Stella Jones Corp

800-272-8437

412-894-2846

kdulski@stela-jones.com

13

TieTek Global

281-444-3494

281-444-3495

sales@tietekglobal.com

12

TrImble

678-597-3156

678-597-0156

rail.trimble.com/rail@trimble.com

19

voestalpine Nortrak, Inc.

307-778-8700

307-778-8777

gord.weatherly@voestalpine.com

C2

WVCO Railroad Solutions

541-484-9621

541-484-1987

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15

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

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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 JEROME MARULLO 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com

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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 FRANK ROSE 917-856-1808 frose@sbpub.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.

32 Railway Track & Structures // October 2021

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