Railway Track and Structures March 2017 by Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 | www.rtands.com

Better ballast delivery for improved productivity

PLUS Rail grinding NRC conference report and also

AREMA News p.38

Contents March 2017

News

Features

Industry Today 4 Supplier News 9 People

Grinding practices Service providers are tapping the large amount of data available from rail measurements to improve grinding and milling practices.

Ballast maintenance As railroads look to up their productivity and efficiency, ballast maintenance companies advance delivery methods and improve equipment.

plasser american corp.

NRC conference report The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association marks another record gathering and delivers quality information and networking opportunities.

Photo by Georgetown Rail Equipment. Story on page 22

On Track Call to action still stands

Heather fear

Columns

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

17 Departments 12 TTCI R&D 38 Arema News 43 Calendar 44 Products 45 Advertisers Index 45 Sales Representatives 46 Classified Advertising 47 Professional Directory

NRC Chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Column Auction time

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Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 1

On Track

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Vol. 113, No. 3 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Mischa Wanek-Libman/Editor, mischa@sbpub.com Kyra Senese/Assistant Editor, ksenese@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 55 Broad St 26th Fl. New York, N.Y. 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr./ President and Chairman Jonathan Chalon/Publisher Mary Conyers/Production Director Wendy Williams/Creative Director Maureen Cooney/Circulation Director Michelle Zolkos/Conference Director

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, 55 Broad St. 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Pricing: Qualified individual and railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/ Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2017. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195. For subscriptions and address changes, Please call (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail rtands@omeda.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, P.O. Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, P.O. Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135.

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Call to action still stands

here is an old saying that was aptly invoked during Railroad Day on Capitol Hill, March 2: If you are not at the table, you are on the menu. No matter which side of the political aisle you are drawn to, the current congressional environment, administration and citizen action level we are seeing seems to defy precedent. Political activism is rising, which is a good thing in my opinion and I’m happy to say that myself and more than 450 of the rail industry’s finest answered the dinner bell. If you have attended Railroad Day in the past or read write ups on the event, the three talking points were the similar to those of Railroad Days gone by: Support a tax code built for growth by cosponsoring the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act (H.R.721/S.407) to extend the shortline tax credit and supporting legislation to create a simpler, globally competitive tax code; oppose truck size and weight limit increases and oppose any legislative or regulatory effort that would adversely impact the economic and antitrust regulatory balance currently established. While organizers noted that this was the largest Railroad Day event ever organized, our job as an industry to share our voice with elected officials isn’t done yet. As we’ve seen, the current administration has a fairly unshakable agenda that it is committed to seeing advance. How that agenda is shaped and advances is where you, dear reader, come in. One point that kept coming up in Hill meetings and various other conversations with elected officials during Railroad Day events was the need to keep communicating with the offices of your elected officials.

You don’t need to buy a ticket to Washington, D.C., to make this happen. As a constituent, you have every right to call your local and national elected officials’ offices to let them know where you stand on issues that affect you personally and professionally. For U.S. congressional officials, a phone call to a district office seems to be your best bet, based on various news articles that have been published since November on how to be more involved and anecdotes from friends and family who have worked in the political fray. If you want to really up your game, many industry associations, such as the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association and Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association organize grassroots events. These events allow an elected official or one of their staff to visit a company or project in district. All that is needed is a call to the association expressing interest in hosting an event and the association does the rest. The host gains the undivided attention of an elected official, while the elected official gains positive publicity and both parties foster a relationship. Remaining involved, telling why certain topics are important to you and why, is how you can help shape what your elected officials take action on and it’s as simple as a phone call. Political activism isn’t like Thanksgiving where you gather for one big meal and spend the next year recovering. It’s a 24-hour, all you can eat buffet, so put on your stretchy pants and let’s get to work.

Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 3

INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has awarded

Archer Western

a contract to build its new DFW Terminal B TEX Rail station. The Chicago Transit Board awarded a contract to Clark

Construction Group to upgrade

three substations that provide power to the Chicago Transit Authority’s rail lines.

Dewberry has been selected by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to develop a transportation and freight master plan for the new Carolina Connector intermodal train hub in Rocky Mount, N.C. Hill International (prime) and CH2M

Freight railroad capital programs expected to be around $22B says AAR The Association of American Railroads (AAR) estimates U.S. freight railroads will spend $22 billion in 2017 on capital programs. AAR says the private investment will go toward maintaining and upgrading the nation’s rail network that will strengthen an essential transportation system. “This year’s private network spending, a combination of capital expenditures and maintenance, is part of a continued trend of remarkable proportions, including more than $630 billion since the industry was partially deregulated,” said AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger. AAR says the projected $22 billion in spending in 2017 equates to approximately $60 million a day and covers upgraded track and locomotives, as well as technological advancements needed to meet demand and make a safe network even safer. One example is Union Pacific, which achieved its best annual employee-safety rate in 2016, improving on the record set in 2015 and making 2016 the safest year in the Class 1’s 154-year history. “We pay so taxpayers do not, an undeniable benefit to the U.S. economy,” Hamberger said. “Our role in moving the country’s freight is critical and we look to be a productive part of a bipartisan infrastructure debate.” AAR says freight railroads spend six times more of revenues on capital expenditures than the average U.S. manufacturer. AAR points to the most recent statistics available that show freight railroads created nearly $274 billion in economic activity, generated nearly $33 billion in state and federal tax revenues and supported nearly 1.5 million jobs nationally in 2014 alone. AAR recognizes that while comparatively less than 2016 spending, the investment figures are still quite significant as the industry continues to retool around a changing customer market and shifting traffic patterns - most notably the massive decline of coal production. AAR says the freight rail industry attributes much of its ability to spend towards the smart regulatory framework enacted nearly 40 years ago allowing greater autonomy for business operations. “Unlike most other transportation modes, we do not have a hard ‘ask’ of policymakers other than to remain free to do what we do best: safely, affordably and efficiently move goods and earn the revenues needed to continue this massive investment,” Hamberger concluded.

UP, CN finalize estimated 2017 capital programs Union Pacific and Canadian National have finalized plans for their estimated 2017 capital programs, worth a combined $5 billion. The bulk of UP’s $3.1 billion capital program will go toward infrastructure replacement, $1.86 billion, while $435 million will to toward locomotives and other equipment, $300 million will go toward positive train control, $255 million toward capacity and commercial facilities and $240 million toward technology. “The 2017 capital plan reflects our continued commitment to safety, productivity and future profitable growth,” said Rob Knight, Union Pacific chief financial officer. Canadian National has planned a CA$2.5 billion (US$1.9 billion) capital program in 2017, keeping the amount dedicated to track infrastructure, CA$1.6 billion (US$1.2 billion), level with what was spent in 2016. The planned work includes the replacement of 2.2 million crossties and installation of more than 600 miles of 4 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

new rail, plus work on bridges, branch line upgrades and other general track maintenance. The company plans to invest approximately CA$400 million (US$304.7 million) in 2017 to advance the implementation of positive train control along parts of its U.S. network. CN will install the hardware on approximately 3,500 route-miles and plans to invest a total of US$1.2 billion on the entire project by 2020. Approximately CA$500 million (US$380.9 million) is expected to be spent on equipment, expansion projects and information technology initiatives to serve growing business, improve service for customers and advance safety. This includes planned growth investments to capitalize on Canadian west coast port expansions and key customer projects and safety technology investments, such as wayside inspection systems and track testing vehicles. www.rtands.com

INDUSTRY TODAY New York awards $25 million to rail, port projects The state of New York awarded $25 million in grants to 19 rail and port projects through the Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program. “These grants will help strengthen New York’s infrastructure, attract new investments, and foster economic growth in communities in every corner of the state,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “A strong, reliable transportation system is critical to supporting safe, efficient travel...and our investments are key to ensuring the long-term resiliency of infrastructure across the state to support economic growth for generations to come.” The grants will support track rehabilitation, capacity expansion, railroad bridge repairs and economic development opportunities. An additional $5.4 million in private and local funding is being leveraged through this state initiative. The largest grants were awarded in the Capital and Central New York Regions and include $2.6 million to SMS Rail Services, Inc., in Albany County to rehabilitate 14 miles of track and sidings; $2.5 million to PanAm Southern in Rensselaer County to reconfigure

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Supplier News

and expand tracks at Hoosick Junction; $2.1 million to the Port of Oswego Authority in Oswego County to construct additional tracks and expand cargo handling facilities; $1.6 million to the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp., in Onondaga County to install four miles of new rail line; $1.3 million to Arcade & Attica Railroad Corp. in Wyoming County to rehabilitate a bridge and six miles of track to accommodate heavier rail cars; $1.6 million to Ontario Midland Railroad Corp. in Wayne County to rehabilitate track to accommodate heavier rail cars; $1.1 million to Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad Corp. in Livingston County to rehabilitate yard tracks in Lakeville and Avon and $1.1 million to Falls Road Railroad Co., Inc., in Monroe County to expand a rail-to-truck facility and rehabilitate track between Lockport and Brockport. The state says the Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program provides investments that improve and enhance the movement of freight goods and support economic development statewide.

(principal subconsultant) have been selected by Valley Metro as program and construction management consultants on future high-capacity transit projects in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Trackmobile announced a new partnership with

Rail Safe Training, Inc., through which each new sale of its railcar mover will come with complimentary safety training.

Trimble has acquired Beena Vision Systems Inc.

Railway Track & Structures

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors awarded a contract to the joint venture Tutor Perini/O & G to construct the second section of its Purple Line Extension Project.

SNC-Lavalin received two new U.S. rail and transit contracts. One is with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the other with the Purple Line Transit Partners.

6 Railway Track & Structures

PANYNJ Board approves largest capital plan in history The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners approved a $32.3 billion 2017-2026 Capital Plan on Feb. 16. It is the largest capital plan in agency history and includes $29.5 billion in direct spending on PANYNJ projects and the $2.7 billion commitment to support debt service on the Gateway passenger rail tunnel project. PANYNJ expects it to result in the creation of 235,400 job years, $20 billion in total wages and $56 billion in overall economic activity. The Capital Plan also includes funding to rebuild some of Port Authority Trans Hudson’s (PATH) aging rail stations and to upgrade other critical rail system infrastructure to ensure safety and service reliability. Funds also are included to plan and build an extension of the PATH system from its current terminus at Newark Penn Station to the Newark Liberty International Airport Air Link Station, a project designed to improve airport access and enhance trans-Hudson commutation. The plan also includes funds

March 2017

to build AirTrain LaGuardia, providing the airport with rail access to and from Manhattan and other New York City destinations for the first time. PANYNJ also points out that the plan commits $2.7 billion for the trans-Hudson rail tunnel link between New York and New Jersey and Portal Bridge North projects, which represents the largest contribution of any stakeholder to date. The contribution will pay debt service on expected borrowing by the Gateway Program Development Corporation from low-interest federal Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loans. “This region needs state-of-the-art airports, new mass transit infrastructure and bridges designed to handle 21st Century traffic levels if we are to meet growth projections,” said PANYNJ Executive Director Pat Foye. “This 10-year plan provides a record level of investment in all of these areas that will meet and support the region’s growth and serve as a major job creator for the next decade.”

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INDUSTRY TODAY Port of Virginia begins three-year expansion project at Virginia International Gateway The Port of Virginia (VPA) began a three-year, $320-million expansion effort at the Virginia International Gateway (VIG) on Feb. 13. The project is one of two large-scale expansion projects that when complete, will increase overall annual container capacity by 40 percent by 2020. Survey crews began the preparatory work to expand the rail/container stacking yard at VIG. VPA says that from a wider perspective, the work signals the start of the effort to double the existing container capacity at VIG. The overall project includes expanding the container stacking yard, doubling the on-dock rail operation and expanding the truck gate. “This is an important day in the history of The Port of Virginia; it is an important milestone in our effort to increase sustainability and to prepare this port for what is to come,” said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of VPA. “We are adding capacity now so we can handle the cargo that will be coming to us in the very near future.” In July, the port will begin work on its other large capacity project: the expansion of the south stack/container yard at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT). This $350 million project will allow the port to create greater density for cargo at NIT and expand annual capacity there by 400,000 containers. For this project, the container stack

yard will be completely reconfigured and it will be served by 60 new rail-mounted gantry cranes. The project will be complete by 2020. In addition to the rail yard expansion and stack/container yard expansion, the port is undertaking a gate and warf expansion as part of the two projects. When complete, the capacity expansion at VIG will create the ability to process 1.2 million containers annually at the terminal; present capacity there is 650,000 containers. Further, the expansion’s potential economic impact could result in 166,000 jobs across the commonwealth of Virginia, $22 billion in additional spending and more than $636 million in state and local taxes. Last November, the port and Virginia International Gateway, LLC, agreed to a new long-term lease for the 576-acre facility. The lease, which went into effect Nov. 17, 2016, and extends through 2065, cleared the path for the port to begin work on the expansion. “We believe that the continued investment in people, technology and those capacity projects being undertaken at the Port of Virginia during the next three-to-four years are positioning this port to become the U.S. East Coast’s premiere port: a true gateway to world trade and a catalyst for commerce in Virginia,” Reinhart said.

BRACE Act re-introduced to Senate Legislation has been introduced into the U.S. Senate that would make permanent a tax credit used to repair and upgrade shortline and regional railroads. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, S.407, on Feb. 16. The bill’s cosponsors include Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The shortline railroad track maintenance credit, also known to as the 45G tax credit, provides shortline and regional railroads a 50-cent tax credit for every dollar spent on railroad track maintenance, up to $3,500 per mile of track owned or leased by the railroad. The BRACE Act’s introduction to the Senate follows a similar effort that began in the U.S. House of Representatives in January when H.R. 721 was introduced by Representatives Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL). American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) says the tax credit has enabled shortlines to increase their infrastructure investment by 180 percent from its inception. The association notes the capital-intensive nature of the industry and says 45G has been instrumental in allowing shortlines to invest a large percentage of their earnings (24 to 35 percent) in track and bridge rehabilitation. www.rtands.com

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INDUSTRY TODAY APTA: Commuter rail industry makes progress implementing PTC The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) says its members are making “significant progress” toward implementing positive train control (PTC) and are on schedule to meet the December 2018 deadline. The analyses were based on surveying APTA members and assessing the quarterly reports submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration for the last quarter of 2016. It also showed that given the priority of PTC, there remains a significant investment backlog for State of Good Repair (SOGR) and expansion projects, including upgrades and replacement to track, bridges, rolling stock and facilities. Since APTA’s last quarterly report, the Federal Transit Administration has updated the SOGR for the public transit industry, which has increased to $90 billion. According to APTA’s analyses, some of the results are as follows: • 23% of the 3,150 route miles are ei-

ther in service or in full PTC demonstration mode, while awaiting Federal Railroad Administration approvals; • 30% of the 3,400 locomotives and cab cars are installed with PTC hardware; • 40% of the 35 back office control systems are ready for operation; • 70% of spectrum has been acquired and 50% of the 1,000 radio towers have been erected; • 24% of the 13,000 employees have been trained in PTC; and • 19% of commuter rail agencies were 100 percent PTC equipped by the end of 2016. APTA notes that the delivery of PTC is highly complex, requiring the development of safety critical software; installations on 3,150 miles of track; 3,400 locomotives; 1,000 radio towers and training more than 13,000 employees. “The installation of PTC is challenging for a number of reasons, including from a technical perspective. PTC was

not a mature technology when Congress mandated it in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008,” said APTA Acting President and CEO Richard A. White. “Beyond the technological challenges that have to be addressed, there are significant issues in regard to the costs, scarce qualified resources and adequate access to track and locomotives for installation and testing.” The association says PTC implementation is expected to cost the commuter rail industry more than $3.5 billion in capital expenditures, which includes more than $16 million in spectrum acquisition, as well as $100 million annually in additional maintenance costs. “On behalf of the commuter rail industry, I urge Congress to quickly make available the $199 million authorized by the FAST Act for FY 2017 and consider providing additional resources to support industry efforts to meet the congressional deadline,” said White.

GWI acquires Heart of Georgia The 219-mile Heart of Georgia Railroad (HOG), Inc., will be under new ownership in the second quarter of 2017, following approval by the Surface Transportation Board. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) has agreed to acquire the shares of Atlantic Western Transportation, Inc., parent company of HOG. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Following the acquisition, HOG will be managed as one of GWI’s Coastal Region railroads, led by Senior Vice President Andy Chunko. HOG was founded in 1999 and operates across the state of Georgia on track leased from the Georgia Department of Transportation. HOG serves an inland intermodal terminal at Cordele, Ga. The shortline has Class 1 railroad connections with CSX at Cordele and with Norfolk Southern at Americus and Helena, Ga. HOG transports approximately 10,000 annual carloads of agricultural products, feed, fertilizer and lumber and forest products, of which approximately 2,000 carloads are interchanged with GWI’s Georgia Central Railway. 8 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

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PEOPLE Canadian Pacific n a m e d Jo h n Brooks senior vice president and chief marketing officer. CSX has appointed Fredrik J. Eliasson as president, effective Feb. 15, 2017. Michael J. Ward, chairman and CEO of CSX, and Clarence W. Gooden, president, will retire effective May 31, 2017. Michelle Dippel has been promoted to transportation environmental services director at HDR, Inc., and will be based in Austin, Texas.

HNTB Corporation hired Peter Gertler as a senior vice president in a corporate and national strategic business development role and hired Liam Dalton, PE, as design-build project director and vice president of the firm’s Northeast division. Don Orseno will retire as Metra executive director and CEO in December 2017.

Patriot Rail Company, LLC, named Justin Broyles chief commercial officer; Alín Campián, vice president, commercial strategy and hired Robert “Bob” Turnauckas as director, sales and marketing. Pettibone/Traverse Lift, LLC , has appointed Scott Raffaelli as vice president and general manager.

RailWorks Corporation named John Brohm as executive vice president with responsibility for the Ontario operations of PNR RailWorks Inc. , its Canadian subsidiary.

Reading & Northern Railroad has named William Clark as senior vice president – Coal.

Sasser Family Holdings, Inc. , appointed Jeff Walsh as chief executive officer. Walsh will replace Fred Sasser, who is resigning from a 36-years term as CEO. Thomas Prendergast joined STV Incorporated as executive vice president and chief strategic officer. Scott E. Trommer has been named a principal with the U.S. Advisory Services division of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff. www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN

Auction time

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

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Railroad Day on Capitol Hill for 2017 was a huge success. Railroaders from all over the country and from all different segments of the railroad industry descended on Washington, D.C., to show the breadth, depth, and passion of our industry and get our message to our elected representatives. We had more than 470 people on the Hill participating in more than 350 meetings, and we hit our key messages hard on not over-regulating the industry, keeping current truck size and weight maximums, reforming the tax code and making the shortline rehabilitation tax credit permanent. The NRC and dozens of our contractor and supplier members were proud to be part of such a great effort. Now that Railroad Day is behind us and spring upon us, we are all back at our offices working hard and really getting into the heart of the 2017 work season. It is a busy and exciting time with owners pushing work out to bid and our estimating teams bidding and working hard to bring in activity. Safety personnel are getting the workers’ annual training completed, project managers are planning and scheduling work and our equipment managers and mechanics are getting fleets ready for the construction season. As we prepare for the 2017 construction season, we are all putting together lists of equipment and supplies that we need for this season. We are also seeing what we have in excess: unutilized and underutilized equipment and assets that we can either repurpose or turn into cash for reinvestment in our companies. As you do that, please keep in mind that the 2017 NRC Rail Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction is fast approaching. The 2017 NRC Rail Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction will be held on Thursday, April 6, 2017, at the Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey facility at 205 East Board Street in Paulsboro, N.J. This year’s auction is shaping up to be one of our best

ever, with equipment coming in from all over the country. The initial list of equipment includes Mark IV Tampers, a Nordco TRIPP Machine, Pettibones, Harsco TKOs, Harsco TR-10s, Kershaw Regulators, Mark 2 Tampers, scarifiers, backhoes, bulldozers, Hi-rail welding trucks, cribbers and adzers, tie cranes and much, much more. To get the latest, go to www.nrcma.org/auction. Anyone is welcome to attend the auction to bid on equipment. Also, all contractors, suppliers and railroads are invited to sell and/or donate their equipment. For all equipment consigned to sell, one percent of the buyer’s premium and two percent of the seller’s fee goes to the NRC Safety, Training, and Education Program. For donated equipment, 100 percent of the proceeds go the NRC Safety, Training, and Education Program. These programs support some of the NRC’s most important activities, such as the production of the two new safety videos each year. Video #21 “Safety Around Hi-Rail Trucks” and #22 “Safety with Defensive Driving” just came out in January. We encourage everyone to come out for the auction and join us for the Happy Hour and social event that will be the night before the auction: Wednesday, April 5, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Holiday Inn Philadelphia South-Swedesboro - 1 Pureland Dr., Swedesboro, N.J. 08085. It is always a great time to catch up with old friends, make some new ones and talk about the equipment that will be available the next day. For more information on the auction please visit www.nrcma.org/auction or www.blackmonauctions.com. Finally, I wish everyone a safe and successful month. And don’t forget to save the date for the next NRC Conference: January 10-13, 2018, in Los Angeles. Put it on your calendar now!

by Chris Daloisio, NRC Chairman

Railway Track & Structures

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TTCI R&D Performance of:

No. 20 frogs of various designs in revenue service TTCI is evaluating four No. 20 frogs on Norfolk Southern to determine how to improve this critical piece of trackwork. by Rafael Jimenez, senior engineer, David Davis, senior scientist, Xinggao Shu, principal investigator and Ivan Aragona, engineer, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

Figure 1, top, No. 20 turnout at Bishop, Ky. Table 1, Frog systems in test, their features and components

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ransportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), is evaluating the performance of four No. 20 frogs on the Norfolk Southern (NS) as part of the jointly funded Association o f A m e r i c a n R a i l r o a d s / Fe d e r a l Railroad Administration Revenue Service Test Program.1, 2 Two standard frog systems used by the host railroad and two premium frog systems were installed specifically for this test over a 54-mile section of track south of Lexington, Ky, between March and August 2013. Figure 1 shows the Number 20 turnout at Bishop, Ky. The primary determination of performance is based on visual inspection, required maintenance and wear/deformation of the running surfaces as a function of tonnage. These three parameters were observed and measured during each of the seven trips to the test sites. Dynamic response measurements were taken at selected locations of each of the frogs under multiple passing trains during the week of September 29, 2015, to characterize the service environment. Early results indicate that the premium frogs with heavy points experienced less wear and deformation of the running surfaces and less severe dynamic response www.rtands.com

TTCI R&D

Figure 2, top. Total height loss (deformation) along the frog points. Figure 3, second from top, Corman (Standard) Frog: longitudinal profiles of the mainline route wing, second from bottom is the frog point and bottom, diverging route wing. Green curve (257 mgt) frog point graph is post weld repair.

under train traffic than the standard frogs. TTCI will continue to monitor the performance of the frogs. A lifecycle cost analysis can be conducted after the full service life of the frogs is determined. As of September 1, 2016, the frogs have been in service about 265 million gross tons (mgt). For the purposes of this test, each frog is defined as a system because there are several differences among them, including the type of plates, under-plate pads, heel connections and type of frog point. The frogs were installed as panels in new ballast. Table 1 lists the four frogs and their corresponding features and components. The frogs installed at Bishop and Corman are of the NS standard design; the frogs installed at South Fork and Kings Mountain are commonly referred to as premium frogs. All the frogs were provided by the same manufacturer.

Static measurements

Changes in elevation of the running surfaces on the wings and points of the four frogs due to wear and deformation was monitored using cross-sectional profile measurements taken with a rail profilometer. A total of 49 profile measurements, mostly at two-inch increments, were taken at each frog during each of seven inspection trips (16 along each of the two wings and 17 along the point). The longitudinal profiles presented here were derived from the cross-sectional profiles taken along these frog components. The frog point longitudinal profiles consist of the series of vertical dimensions taken from the bottom of the flangeway gap upward (positive values) to the tip of the point at two-inch intervals. The frog wing longitudinal profiles consist of the series of vertical dimensions taken from the non-wearing top of the wing downward (negative values) to the wheel wear band at two-inch intervals. Figure 2 shows the total height loss due to wear and deformation along the running surface of the frog points between 14 inches and 46 inches past the theoretical point of frog (between four inches and 36 inches past 1/2-inch point of frog or POF) before any grinding or weld repair work was performed. The peak deformation of the Corman and Bishop standard frog points was measured at 14 inches and 16 inches, respectively, past the 1/2-inch POF. The peak deformation of the South Fork and Kings Mountain premium frog points was measured at 14 inches and 18 www.rtands.com

inches, respectively, past the 1/2-inch POF. By comparison, the heavy points of the frogs at Kings Mountain and South Fork had about 46-percent less and about 66-percent less deformation, respectively, than the average deformation of the standard frog points. The peak deformation on the standard frog wings along the mainline route was measured at about 12 inches and 14 inches past the 1/2-inch POF. The average deformation measured at the same locations on the premium frog wings was about 17-percent less than the average deformation measured on the wings of the standard frogs. Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 13

TTCI R&D

Figure 4 shows the acceleration – wheel transfer zone over the frog point of the standard and premium frogs along the mainline route.

The peak deformation on all four frog wings along the diverging route occurred at about the same location as on the mainline route wings; that is, at about 12 inches and 14 inches past the 1/2-inch POF. All of the diverging route wings deformed less than 0.1 inch during the period of performance. Figure 3 shows that, over time, the location of maximum running surface height loss (deformation) for subsequent measurement cycles on the wings of the standard frog at Corman moved in the same direction as it did on its point. That is, away from the point of frog (similar on the frog at Bishop). On the premium frogs, maximum deformation occurred over a shorter, more concentrated area. The migratory behavior of the point slopes and wings of the standard frogs, where the effective wheel transfer zone moved away from the point of frog as a function of tonnage, may diminish the chances of either the point or wing suffering a fatigue failure. Conversely, the rapid wear may lead to a wear failure.

Dynamic service environment

Test setup, data collection and teardowns for the dynamic characterization of the four frogs were conducted during four consecutive days, one frog per day. Each frog, therefore, was measured under a different set of trains. Trains on this mainline transport a wide variety of mixed freight including grain hoppers, coil wire, trailers, containers and tanks, both loaded and empty, and result in a wide range of dynamic wheel loading. Therefore, only the response from the more consistently loaded locomotive wheels was used to derive the results presented here. The frog-side wheels of the first nine axles of the lead, six-axle locomotives of each train traveling on the mainline route in both facing- and trailing-point directions were used. This resulted in a total sample population of 134 locomotive wheels from 15 trains (some wheel data was not usable). The results are presented as the median of the peaks of each channel (acceleration and displacement). Confidence intervals of 95 percent are used to represent the range of the results at each location per frog type and speed. Median values are used instead of mean because the data is not normally distributed. 14 Railway Track & Structures

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A comparison of standard and premium frog acceleration measured at the wheel transfer zone over the frog point is shown in Figure 4. The graph indicates a generally less severe dynamic environment was measured on the premium frogs. In five of the six cases where a premium frog acceleration dataset corresponds with a standard frog data set at the same speed or occurs at a higher speed, the median premium frog acceleration measured was from 7g to 20g lower. The highest median acceleration measured on standard frogs was 96g at 44 mph; the highest measured on premium frogs was 56g at 43 mph. As was the case at the frog point, the acceleration measured over the frog heel indicates a generally less severe dynamic environment on the premium frogs as compared to the standard frogs. The highest median acceleration measured on standard frogs was 211g at 44 mph; the highest median acceleration measured on premium frogs was 51g at 30 mph. Response at the heels versus the points: • Standard frogs: The vertical acceleration measured at 44 mph over the heels was more severe than over the points by approximately a factor of two. • Premium frogs: The opposite trend was measured, where the dynamic response over the point was slightly higher than over the heel.

Safety implications

Results from this test suggest that safety will be improved through lower wear and fatigue rates with improved performance frogs. The decreased dynamic loads that result should also contribute to fewer vehicle component failures.

Acknowledgements

TTCI would like to thank the local NS track crew for supporting the test activities and Gary Click (voestalpine Nortrak) for arranging the donation of its premium test frogs. Many thanks to Beatrice Rael (TTCI) for an outstanding job of designing and creating the data graphs. This project is jointly funded by AAR and FRA. References 1. Jimenez, R., Davis, D., Shu, X., Aragona, I., “Performance of Number 20 Frogs of Various Designs in Revenue Service.” Technology Digest TD-16-028, Transportation Technology Center, Inc., Pueblo, Colo. 2. Jimenez, R., Davis, D., Shu, X., Aragona, I. January 2017. “Performance of Number 20 Frogs of Various Designs in Revenue Service.” Research Report R-1019, Association of American Railroads, Pueblo, Colo. www.rtands.com

Honing

grinding practices

Service providers work to provide an ideal profile by removing the smallest amount of metal in the least amount of track time. by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

aximizing an investment in rail requires the incorporation of various data sources to manage and maintain an ideal rail profile. Companies that provide grinding and milling services are increasing the efficacy of their services from two fronts: Technology and equipment. Data from pre grinding inspection and other rail measurement sources are being tapped to configure an optimized approach to rail profile management. On the equipment side, advancements are allowing improved grinding in traditionally hard to access areas, such as special trackwork and hard wear areas, such as curves.

Harsco Rail

“As railways continue to strive for more effective and efficient grinding operations, Harsco Rail has focused on providing techniques to optimize operations through the mass amounts of rail profile data collected onboard the grinders. This includes transverse and longitudinal (corrugation develwww.rtands.com

opment) profiles,” said Joseph W. Palese, MCE, PE, director engineering and technology. Harsco Rail introduced Dynamic Pattern Generation that utilizes the transverse profile of the rail to determine the grinding speed, motor orientation and power. Palese explains that when the concept is extended to the longitudinal profile, grinding plans for specific track segments, such as curves and tangents, can be determined a priori to blend transverse and longitudinal profile grinding in a manner that minimizes the amount of metal to be removed in the shortest amount of track occupancy time required. Palese recognizes that while profile measurement technology has been around for decades, to date, utilization of the large amounts of data generated by these systems has been limited. “Harsco strives to continually improve efficiency of grinding through usage of this data. One scenario is profile grinding whereby traditional ‘peak and plow’ methodologies are employed

RailWorks Maintenance of Way has been focused on increasing crew safety and grinding equipment uptime.

to remove corrugation, then profile grinding patterns are applied to reestablish the target transverse shape of the rail,” said Palese. “Depending on the extent of the corrugation, a set of patterns and speeds (grinding plan) can be implemented that efficiently remove corrugation and establish transverse rail profile simultaneously. This can be achieved through sophisticated software that simulates the grinding activity (in an iterative fashion) and determines the best grinding approach.” Harsco Rail continues its investigation into technologies for measuring rail surface condition, internal rail condition and surface finish for incorporation on its grinders, not only to leverage big data in efficient maintenance plans, but to provide quality grinding results in the shortest amount of time with minimal metal removal. “In addition, extending this technology to turnouts, for developing grinding plans (patterns and speeds) to control the wheel rail interface is currently under development. With the ability Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 17

grinding practices Harsco Rail is developing grinding plans in turnouts based on the existing condition of the switch components as they relate to the wheel rail contact through the turnout.

to measure rail profile much more frequently (as well as identify key pickup and set-down points) and analyze this data in real time, efficient grinding programs can be developed for turnouts,” explained Palese.

Loram

“Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., continues to lead the industry with offering the latest technology to satisfy the most restrictive precision grinding needs. Grinding is one of Loram’s core compe-

tencies and we continue to make significant investments in R&D to maximize our customer’s value. Loram’s R&D efforts push the boundaries of available technology to ensure that our products lead the industry in terms of speed, performance and reliability,” said Scott Diercks, director of marketing and business development. Diercks explains that railroads heavily invest in rail management programs to extend the life of rail and managers deploy exhaustive efforts to ensure rail

health is attained while also meeting the various regulatory compliance needs. “Loram’s Asset Management Team is working hand-in-hand with customers to collect and store data from various sources into a centralized location. Loram then leverages this data to complete analytics for the customers to manage their rail exceptions through rail grinding scheduling and redeploying rail testing resources. Pulling all data sources together with near real-time analytics and also leveraging the power of GIS reporting provides customers the ability to seamlessly manage their program instead of pouring through terabytes of information to ensure they have adequate rail health,” said Diercks. The company points to its “joint

grinding practices grinding” activities as an example of productivity and efficiency success. Loram’s joint grinding pairs a production rail grinder and a specialty rail grinder to work together in a single work block. Loram says the combination of machines eliminates many multi-pass corrective grinding scenarios, maximizes specialty grinding production due to leveraging the larger track windows of the production grinders and reduces the customers overall support needs. “Ultimately, production and efficiency begins with a good pre-inspection that utilizes the latest technology. Loram’s Rail Inspection Vehicle and Asset Management services provide the most advanced production rail measurement tools and analysis on the market. The combination of these services ensures the removal of the least amount of metal needed to reshape the rail to the desired rail profile and remove the adequate amount of fatigue metal. Artificially removing as little metal as necessary through rail grind-

ing allows for more of the rail head to wear naturally, which extends the life of the rail. Removing less metal allows even faster speeds, fewer passes, less time spent in a block and a lower cost per track mile,” said Diercks.

RailWorks

RailWorks Maintenance of Way, Inc., has been enhancing its grinding methods around special trackwork, while incorporating stronger safety practices and features. “Through our partnership with rail grinder manufacturer Harsco, RailWorks has been utilizing some new and innovative features on our new 20-stone, C Model grinders that we operate on switches and crossings. The technology has positioned us to get a higher degree of attack on frogs in switches. Gaining this access has allowed us to deliver a more consistent and thorough grinding solution for frogs, which historically have been difficult to grind with a production switch

grinder,” said R.T. Swindall, vice president, RailWorks Maintenance of Way. “We also are utilizing a couple of new safety features. An aftermarket 32-inch monitor in both cabs of every machine provides a 360-degree view of the zones outside of the grinder. The monitor is divided into four quadrants that together give the operator a view of all four sides of the grinder. This setup gives our operator visual access to the crew and any potential obstacles in those zones,” noted Swindall. The company has also added two additional radios to each grinder, which are used as back-ups by the crew. Swindall says the radios keep the crew and railroad in constant contact. Should any one radio fail, these backups ensure that all crew members get any updates, including details on track access windows. “After safety, the primary focus of our grinding operation is up-time performance. During 2016, our crews performed well, pushing 98-percent up-time

grinding practices Loram’s Rail Grinder RG410; Scott Diercks says by pulling all data sources together with near real-time analytics and leveraging the power of GIS reporting, Loram provides customers the ability to seamlessly manage their programs.

performance for the fleet. Maintaining the grinders is the key. When our crews shut down for the day, they always make sure the grinder is ready to perform the next day. Our philosophy is to be sure you’re ready to go when you receive access to the track. Because we have newer grinders, maintenance is not a burden. We have the best-maintained equipment because our crews are knowledgeable,

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take the initiative and take pride in what they do,” said Swindall.

Vossloh Rail Services

Vossloh Rail Services will be completing final technical adjustments and operational refinements before the expected launch of the Vossloh High Performance Milling and Finishing Concept in mid 2017.

“As [rolling contact fatigue] growth is usually a much bigger issue in curves, milling is a best in practice method to remove even these deep defects with one pass. The integrated eddy current devices in the milling machine give the operators a live-view on the defect situation after the milling to generate defect free tracks,” explained the company. Vossloh Rail Services says the new High Performance Milling Train will be able to generate special curve profiles without changing cutter heads. “This allows the optimization of the wheel rail interaction zones and the distressing of critical areas on the rail head,” the company said.

www.rtands.com

Loram’s SBC 2400 shoulder ballast cleaner in Clyo, Ga.

PAVING THE WAY FOR

PRODUCTIVITY

Class 1 railroads continue to seek out ballast delivery and maintenance practices that will boost productivity and effectiveness. by Kyra Senese, assistant editor, with contributions by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

er vice provider s are working hard to help railroads improve efficiency and productivity through improved offerings enhanced with automation and highspeed capabilities.

Ballast Tools Equipment

Ballast Tools Equipment (BTE) recently introduced the BTE-318 Wheeled Hi-Rail Excavator. The BTE-318 HiRail Wheeled Excavator is intended for use in spot ballast maintenance projects and works with BTE’s other high performance attachments. “This machine brings mobility, with rubber tire and hi-rail travel— productivity, with multiple work tool attachments—and versatility, with significant lifting and towing power,” the company said. To help ensure safety and stability while working on track, BTE-318 offers extended length stabilizers for all four 22 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

corners of the machine. BTE says one of the machine’s unique features is its BTE Automatic Tool Recognition System (ATRS), which is a PLC controlled system that automatically configures the machine and controls for each attachment when connected. This system allows quick tool change-out, automatically setting the attachment’s hydraulic flows, pressures and joystick controls. This is meant to facilitate “more production, more power [and] more flexibility [to] get the project done,” says Sales Engineer Matt Weyand. The company says the BTE-318 Hi-Rail Wheeled Excavator works with BTE’s high performance attachments including tampers, undercutters, mulchers, tie handlers, grapples, brooms, blowers, rail threaders and buckets from a stable and flexible platform. BTE says its customers have been seeking increased productivity and safer ways to do labor intensive work

with powerful but agile machines and attachments. Weyand says BTE will continue to innovate and develop work tools and machines that help customers do more with safety and performance as a priority in 2017.

CTE

“Custom Truck and Equipment (CTE) is relatively new to the ballast maintenance equipment market. With CTE’s vast knowledge of construction type equipment and MOW trucks it was a natural fit to expand our product offerings. We want to be a sole source provider and our goal in 2017 is to expand our fleet to meet the growing demand for work ready machines,” said Tim Minor, railroad sales operations manager. Minor explains the company has received requests for multi-purpose machines, placing an emphasis on its www.rtands.com

ballast maintenance The BTE-318 Hi-Rail Wheeled Excavator handles spot ballast maintenance projects and works with Ballast Tools Equipment’s other high performance attachments.

machines to be versatile, flexible, safe and reliable. CTE recently introduced its hi-rail excavator cart. The cart accepts a variety of machines and is propelled down the rail via the excavator’s hydraulics. Minor says this makes the machine one of the most versatile options on the market today. CTE also believes flexibility isn’t just a feature of its equipment, but of its business practices, as well. “Custom Truck and Equipment offers in-house financing including rentals, leases, rental purchase options, and outright sales. Our rental purchase option has become popular as it gives the client the ability to utilize a piece of equipment without a long-term commitment,” said Minor.

www.rtands.com

Dymax

DymaxRail says the company is continuing work to develop and improve its products for ballast maintenance to meet the industry’s ever-changing needs. “Listening to our customers con-

tinues to drive us into the direction of providing products that reduce labor intensive operations, especially hand tamping. What we have heard has led us to develop products that provide more versatility while using existing equip-

Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 23

ballast maintenance ment and machines,” said Sales Manager Kevin Klenklen. “This is more efficient and less reliant on manual labor. That, in turn, makes operations safer for railroads and contractors alike.” The company has recently added two new tampers to its ballast maintenance stable. “We recently introduced a singlemotor tamper mounted on hi-rail grapple trucks. To add to the effectiveness, the tamper employs our new manual quick coupler to safely change between various grapple truck work tools, such as grapple, clam shell bucket, rail handler or other attachments,” Klenklen explained. DymaxRail also introduced a new 180-degree tamper model for fiveton excavators. “[The new tamper model] extends our ballast tamper range from mini-excavators and backhoes all the way up to the largest excavators with the 4-motor model,” Klenklen said. “An overriding guide in our new designs is to improve safety, efficiency and versatility.” The Dymax Ballast Blaster under-

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cutter has received its second patent, which covers the automatic chain tensioning system. Along with an improved chain intended to increase chain life, the Ballast Blaster lineup covers machines from backhoe loaders to large excavators. Rounding out DymaxRail’s new ballast maintenance products is the Tie Clam Bucket for backhoes and excavators. The new bucket is beneficial for removing ballast between ties and can double as a tie-handler for tie removal and insertion, Klenklen says.

GREX

In 2016, GREX’s DumpTrain fleet unloaded 1,000 times, delivering a total of 1.5 million tons of material with a 99.5 percent operating efficiency. GREX explains that this amount of material stacked evenly across a football field would reach 50 stories in height. The DumpTrain for Curves™ is an enhanced version of the DumpTrain that is capable of unloading in curves of up to 27 degrees and super elevation up to six inches. The new patent-pending

design of the DumpTrain for Curves uses popular aspects of the traditional DumpTrain while dedicating an individual belt to each car. GREX has released two of the 15-car trains into service, each allowing operators to unload more than 1,500 tons of material in any track alignment while equipped with a plow on the lead stacker car, the company explained. GREX has also invested heavily in the redesign of its GateSync® system. In production since 2005, there are currently more than 2,000 GateSyncequipped cars in service. The GateSync systems enables customers to convert manual ballast cars with automated unloading capabilities, allowing railroads the option of owning their own high-speed, automated ballast fleet. GateSync affords users several options for unloading, including toggle switches, wireless remote control or survey-based automated unloading. Survey-based unloading work can be done with human-based input or with GREX’s BallastSaver LIDAR system.

www.rtands.com

ballast maintenance The newest GateSync release allows trains to be at lengths in excess of 100 cars and includes a communications network built for expedited train formation and start-up. GREX also plans to release a new work platform that will combine BallastSaver and the complete Aurora product offering. This vehicle will allow customers to complete ballast scans while using Aurora to scan wood and concrete ties. The truck will feature the Aurora Xi platform, which allows for internal imaging of wood ties. The vehicle’s functionality will allow for multiple services to be offered on a single platform and cut down on track time.

Harsco

Harsco says a robust ballast maintenance program must include switch ballast undercutting to address the continuing need to improve drainage, relieve stress on center-bound crossties and manage elevation within a switch. “To meet the increasing demands of our customers, we put into service the

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latest version of our Switch Undercutter adding to our Switch Undercutter product line, the GO4S-III-CNSH,” said Evan Sevel, global director of equipment. “As with preceding models, the GO4S-III Switch Undercutter design focuses on production efficiency and safe operation.” The company says its GO4S-III adds a major capability that previously required an entirely separate consistdriven activity—that of adding new ballast back onto the undercut track. The GO4S-III is equipped to accept new ballast from a trailing ballast delivery system and mix the new ballast with filtered undercut ballast being returned to the track in ratios of 0 to 100 percent. This function allows the operator to apply returned ballast to the track based on his or her observations, maneuvering the reapplied ballast as needed from track center to outside the field edge of the rail. Harsco says a plow system will then further smooth the re-applied ballast and simultaneously clear the rails to minimize damage to wheels and rails.

The working components of the GO4S-III unit are stowed for travel in such a way to meet restrictive clearance envelopes, even for tracks with overhead catenary systems. Travel speeds in excess of 50 mph minimize the percentage of a work allowance window lost to transit. Trenching and cutting operations are possible from either side of the machine, allowing operators to map out the most effective plan for undercutting a switch or turnout. Depending on the requirements of a specific task, the GO4S-III can be equipped with cutting bars ranging in length from 12–18 feet, allowing operators to tailor the function of the undercutter according to requirements for speed, agility or reach, the company says. The operator can also angle the bar and accurately adjust the cutting depth during operation to avoid trackside and buried obstacles that are common in switch installations. Cut ballast is lifted onto a conveyor system that brings the dirty ballast to a shaker box equipped with three-layer filtering, allowing overand under-size ballast to be captured

www.rtands.com

ballast maintenance and removed. Good ballast is routed into an adjustable hopper system where it is mixed as needed with new ballast and returned to the track. Harsco says designers and field professionals have introduced improvements to the internal ballast handling system on the GO4S-III over the course of multiple field trials that significantly reduces ballast-induced belt damage and mid-process cleanout requirements in cooperation with the company’s international customer. “The GO4S-III has proven to be a solid and well-placed addition to Harsco’s line of ballast management equipment,” Sevel said.

Herzog

In 2016, Herzog Railroad Services, Inc., (HRSI) unveiled the industry’s first Automated Conveyor Train (ACT). HRSI says the company strived to create a new Plate C compliant maintenance-of-way tool that not only met but exceeded industry expectations. The supplier says the ACT was engineered to railroad standards, and designed to

www.rtands.com

meet several customer needs. The ACT is fully automated and operated from the safety of the controls cab to keep personnel out of harm’s way and out of the elements. The conveyor train is built with a consist of 30 cars that are each capable of carrying 97 tons of material, which the company says can deliver almost six million pounds of material from just one ACT. The ACT is also capable of unloading in a 13-degree curve with a super elevation of five inches. The conveyor train can handle a range of materials within the same consist. From sand up to “B” stone (5” minus crusher run). An automated plow strikes off excess material when unloading in front of the machine. It can also unload material 50 feet from track center and a positive lock mechanism allows for passing train movement. HRSI says the ACT is notably versatile, with the capability of performing multiple applications, such as stockpiling, crossings, siding extensions, track construction, bridge work and washouts.

HRSI says it is working diligently to produce more ACTs in 2017.

Knox Kershaw

Knox Kershaw Inc. aims to maintain current business levels in 2017 and grow by promoting alternatives to the railroads for MOW equipment needs. “Our product focus this year is on designing equipment that will work autonomously, utilizing less personnel and developing equipment that will multitask, eliminating the need for multiple pieces of equipment to complete a task,” said George Pugh, president and chief operating officer. “Our Ballast Regulator models are continually improved upon based on feedback from customers and field observations. Our most recent improvements include an improved entryway to the operator’s station, improved operator station ergonomics and high visibility labeling for certain machine functions,” he said. Knox Kershaw delivered a KYC 550 yard cleaner last year that included a newly designed folding conveyor Pugh

Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 27

ballast maintenance says will ease the transport of the machine by truck. He notes that this machine has been successful due to its latest redesign and the addition of the folding conveyor feature – a feature the company will include on future machines and rebuild units. Knox Kershaw continues to expand its inventory that includes complete plow and broom assemblies, as well as more rebuilt components in order to ensure speedy delivery of parts. “As 2017 unfolds, our business has been moderate and we have taken advantage of opportunities to train new operators and mechanics for several of the railroads in the U.S. to help maintain a constant workforce,” said Pugh.

Loram

Loram’s latest introductions of the UC 1200 undercutter cleaner and SBC 2400 shoulder ballast cleaner aim to provide significant advancements for substructure rehabilitation in terms of speed and performance. The company says its SBC 2400 is “the world’s most productive shoulder ballast cleaner,” stating the machine can process more material within a shorter track window, allowing customers to lower unit cost and cover more of their system. The machine includes enhanced machine automation—reducing labor needs and improving safety by eliminating ground personnel. Loram says the UC 1200 undercutter cleaner provides industry leading productivity through the company’s patented dual digging wheel technology. The dual wheels outperform traditional chain technology while doubling the material flow capacity, enabling a self-supporting cut in operation and improving horsepower utilization through a reduced friction design that allows for enhanced power distribution abilities. Current trends throughout the North American market indicate that customers require more substructure and ballast remediation, the company says. Loram has invested in developing industry-leading equipment in efforts to cover all its customers’ maintenance needs in the most cost-effective manner possible. Loram says it offers the whole range of services required to undertake any track rehabilitation project, adding that the company’s services include undercutting, highspeed track lifting, shoulder ballast 28 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

cleaning, ditching and spot undercutting, excavating or trenching. The company says it will continue promoting HAZMAT cleanup services for large scale projects. Loram’s HAZMAT cleanup services leverage Railvacs technology that can remove contaminated soils with precision in a highly productive manner. Loram’s customers continue to spotlight speed, performance and reliability when asking for equipment and services. Railroads continue to pursue advancements in machine performance that will optimize productivity to complete more work during a season and reduce costs, the company explained. Railroads continue to see long-term sustainable benefits through increased budgets for track substructure maintenance activities, Loram says. “Customers are working to maintain their ballast section in a preventative maintenance mode, which strategically allows our customers to cover more of their system rather than only focusing on problematic areas. In addition, a preventive maintenance practice lowers overall costs, increases traffic throughput and provides more return on their investment,” Loram said. Loram says it has also observed a trend of coordinating equipment with system work gangs during major track outages. Using work blocks in this way allows the company to provide optimal production and reduce the lower overall cost for the customer, the company said. Loram’s customers continue to use technologies such as GPR and LIDAR to measure substructure health and ensure the track has an effective drainage system. Having a clear understanding of deficiencies enables customers to focus on rehabilitation efforts and budgets in the most effective manner, Loram added. The company said it also actively funds research projects with various stakeholders and universities, promoting collaboration to progress analytical tools and predictive models to assist in decision making and heavily invests in R&D to progress equipment and develops new products that fulfill customers unmet needs. “Loram’s goal for 2017 is to continue its safety program success and continuing its trend to receive the NRC Platinum Safety Award,” said Scott Diercks, director of marketing and business de-

velopment. “Loram will continue to use its ‘5-Step’ approach that cultivates a strong safety culture.”

Miner Enterprises, Inc.

Miner Enterprises recently developed a stand-alone lighting system to aid in night ballasting. The system uses solar panels to store energy during daylight hours to power LED work lights at night, allowing for a safer work environment during night operations. Miner has also worked to improve its internal electronics of all the aggregate systems, including the Stand Alone System. The electric stand-alone AggreGate enables independent operation of the car from anywhere within a ballast train, eliminating the need for grouping manual and automatic cars. “The state-of-the-art electronics promises improved reliability, longevity and performance,” the company said. Throughout the past year, Miner has continued to simplify the application of the AggreGate Systems. “We made these changes to help car builders and car shops streamline the applications and reduce labor costs,” said Christopher Gaydos, director of engineering. During 2016, Miner supplied the Stand Alone Electric AggreGates for two separate car conversion programs, a Twin Cylinder AggreGate conversion, as well as manual AggreGate for South America. In addition, Miner continues to supply various models for other car conversions and ballast car upgrades, offering safe, durable and maintenance-free ballast systems that can be applied to new or existing cars, Gaydos said. With many unique design features, the company says its AggreGate can effectively ballast inside, outside or both sides of the rail simultaneously. These features include large guillotine door openings designed to stop ballast flow with minimum effort, easy to operate toggle-type linkage systems and tapered doors for easy ballast shutoff at switches, crossovers and bridges. In addition, the remote control AggreGate allows the user to deposit ballast while remaining a safe distance from the activity. AggreGate ballast discharge outlets are available in manual, air-operated, electric and remote-control models to meet various ballast unloading needs. www.rtands.com

ballast maintenance The the GO4S-III-CN-SH is the most recent addition to Harsco Rail’s line of switch undercutters.

Engineered as a fabricated and completely assembled unit, Gaydos says AggreGates are extremely easy to apply to new or existing hopper cars. Miner says railroads continue to seek a safe, durable, maintenance-free way to ballast that can be applied to new or existing cars, which the company says the Miner AggreGate provides. The company aims to continue providing safe, reliable and durable maintenance-of-way AggreGate ballasting systems in 2017.

NMC

NMC Railway Systems has recently released its newest hi-rail excavator, the NMC CHX41 Hi-Rail Excavator. The product addition is intended to aid railroads in completing high-production undercutting projects. Built to help railroads boost productivity, the CHX41 boasts 300hp brings the highest horsepower available in the market for a single motor hi-rail excavator, NMC says. “Coupled with the available Rototilt and 12-foot undercutter bar with the largest displacement motor available in the market, we have seen a 30-percent increase in production compared to our older model unit,” said Sales Manager Mark Anderson. The machine also features a hydraulically-powered hi-rail gear undercarriage with train air brakes, multiple tool carrier functionality, dual pivoting railcar couplers and “unmatched travel and transport capabilities.” “It’s designed and built to deliver versatility and strength, which allows operators to undercut, trench, tie insert, tamp, brush cut, move railcars and more,” Anderson said. Anderson explained that NMC has seen an increase in railroads and rail contractors looking for equipment with more horsepower that can increase efficiency for rail maintenance projects. Decreasing downtime is a key factor that railroads look at when purchasing equipment, as well. “Our primary goal and mission is to continue to provide service and support through our core product line and in www.rtands.com

new innovations we continue to develop and grow our railroad maintenance-ofway equipment line and service offerings,” Anderson said of business in 2017.

Plasser American

The Plasser Ballast Distribution System offers the ability to profile ballast, pick up excess ballast and unload ballast where it is needed at any location including switches and road crossings in a one pass operation, the company says. “The BDS100/200 Ballast Distribution System continues to be the ideal machine to accompany high-speed 093X tampers, multiple tampers working together or as an independent machine working alone,” Plasser said. “It may be used to pick up excess ballast from the track shoulders for distribution while dressing the track.” Plasser’s Ballast Distribution System consists of two independent units that can work together as one machine or as two separate machines. The BDS-100 is equipped with a hopper, for ballast storage; four conveyors, for ballast distribution; and Plasser’s shoulder and X-type plows for ballast profiling. The BDS-200 is equipped with two ballast brooms, as well. The “pick-up” broom sweeps the excess ballast from the track onto a conveyor which loads the ballast into the BDS 100 or into a Plasser MFS-type Conveyor and Hopper Car; and the “Finishing” broom that provides the final track dressing. The ballast handling capacity of the Plasser Ballast Distribution System can

be increased by coupling Plasser MFStype Conveyor and Hopper Cars between the two units, allowing all work to be performed in a “one pass” operation. Plasser’s MFS Conveyor and Hopper Cars are designed to transport ballast, spoils or other material in train formation to and from various work sites, the company said. The MFS can be used in conjunction with a Plasser BDS100/200 Ballast Distribution System, Plasser Ballast Cleaning machines, ULS3000 Ballast Unloading Station and BLS2000 Ballast Loading System for cost effective means of ballast management. The floor of the MFS consists of a wide, hydraulically variable speed driven conveyor belt. The front of the unit carries a rotatable, hydraulically driven conveyor for unloading the MFS or transferring material to another MFS, a ballast-distributing machine, other hopper cars, into highway trucks or onto the railway right-of-way. Each MFS car is individually powered with its own engine, hydraulic supply and electrical system. The company says the advantage of its MFS is its ability to transport, store, load and unload material as a single unit or with other like units. MFS cars are available in various sizes from the MFS15 to the MFS120 to meet customers’ needs and requirements of loading and clearance restrictions. Material storage capacity may be increased by coupling multiple units together, Plasser added. Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 29

LIGHT RAIL 2017

PRESENTED BY RAILWAY AGE AND RT&S

Planning, EnginEEring and OPEratiOns April 18-20 Grand Hyatt denver, CO

light rAil Keynote ADDress

rAil FinAnCe Keynote ADDress

David genova

Dr. Michael horodniceanu, p.e.

general Manager & CEO regional transportation district, denver

President new York Mta Capital Construction Company

street-rUnning shAreD-Use, lrt eMBeDDeD trACKAge AnD Freight rob troup Anthony Fazio p. e. director, track Engineering & design, sEPta

rAilroAD tUnnel liFe CyCle Cost AnAlysis Avinash prasad, p.e.

Vice President and regional directorsystems, HntB

Maintenance-of-Way Civil Engineer, Mta new York City transit

www.railwayage.com/denver2017

Sponsorships & exhibits available Contact Jon Chalon at jchalon@sbpub.com, 212-620-7224 18 Railway age January 2016

Rail tRansit Finance Railway age FoRum 2017

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RaiL tRansit finance • Public-Private Partnerships: The New Paradigm • RRiF loans, Bond issues, Special Taxes and Voter Referendums • Balancing Federal, State and local Requirements • when Design-Build-operate-maintain is a good approach • Sale-leasebacks and other Forms of Creative Financing • Finding the Right Consultants and Program managers • Project Planning that gets Financial Results

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Hotel block A special attendee rate of $209/night is available until 3/20/17. Contact Grand Hyatt Denver to make your reservations: 303-295-1234; bit.ly/lightrail2017 January 2016 Railway age

NRC finds winning

combo with conference

2016 NRC/RT&S/Commercial Insurance Associates safety award winners.

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association notches another record attendance at its 2017 Annual Conference. by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

oca Raton, Fla., hosted the 2017 National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Annual Conference Jan. 8-11, 2017. Attendees were treated to lovely weather, thought-provoking presentations and numerous networking opportunities. The conference again set an attendance record with more than 1,250 registrants. Speakers from North America’s Class 1 railroads, shortlines and transit systems detailed the upcoming year’s capital spending programs, as well as outlined contracting opportunities available on their properties. While overall capital budgets are down in 2017, speakers reiterated their dedication to cost control, finding new ways for growth and above all else, to continue the industry’s commitment to safe practices. The conference began Jan. 8 with a welcome reception where attendees could mingle and peruse wares and services offered among the more than 32 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

138 exhibits. The first full day, Jan. 9, saw presentations by Union Pacific, industry analyst Tony Hatch, Watco, Miami Dade Transit, Chicago Metra and a preview of the two new NRC Safety DVDs, “Safety Around Hi-Rail Vehicles” and “Distracted Driving in the Railroad Industry.” Day 1 also saw a presentation by Rob Castiglione of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), which provided an update on the Minimum Training Standards Rule, as well as a government affairs and congressional staff panel to give conference goers an outline of what could happen in Washington, D.C., this year. Presentations during the second day of the conference were limited to the morning to allow for participation in the afternoon’s golf or fishing outing. Norfolk Southern, Canadian National and OmniTRAX presented during the second day and the conference recognized the 2016 NRC/RT&S/Commercial Insurance Associates Safety Awards; a full list of winners can be

found on page 36. The contest saw 25 Platinum Winners, those receiving a perfect score of 100; more than 20 Gold Winners, those earning a score of 80–99 points; and three companies won in the Silver category with 70–79 points. The NRC highlights the scores as a sign “the railroad contracting industry is safe and getting safer.” The final day of the conference saw presentations by CSX, Genesee & Wyoming, BNSF, MARTA, the Illinois Department of Transportation, All Aboard Florida, as well as a legislative update and update to FRA’s Drug and Alcohol Part 219 Testing Rule. The fifth annual special awards were also presented on the last day of the conference and recognized the large and small projects of the year, the field contractor of the year and inducted three into the NRC Hall of Fame. The 2016 NRC Field Employee of the Year is Greg Dunn, project manager for Herzog Contracting Corp. Dunn began as a heavy equipment operator www.rtands.com

NRC 2017: Boca Raton

more than 30 years ago and has worked his way through the ranks to his current position successfully managing more than 15 rail and heavy civil projects for clients that include Amtrak, North County Transit District, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and the San Diego Association of Governments. The latest project Dunn managed was the $158-million Pier E project in Long Beach, Calif., which was selected as the 2015 NRC Project of the Year. The Exposition Light Rail Transit Phase 2 Design-Build (Expo 2) project by Skanska-Rados Joint Venture (SRJV) was named the 2016 Large Project of the Year. Expo 2 added seven stations along 6.6 miles of urban light rail and for the first time in 60 years, connected the University of Southern California, Exposition Park and West Los Angeles. Systems and electrical work included a low-profile overhead catenary system (OCS), train control and signals, LEFT: Greg Dunn, project manager with Herzog Contracting Corp., was recognized as the 2016 Field Employee of the Year. RIGHT: Left, Mark Brown, accepted the NRC Hall of Fame induction on behalf of his father, Ronald Brown, middle and right, Hall of Fame inductees Rick Ebersold and John Zuspan.

34 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

crossing protection, traction power and communications. The projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban location required extensive maintenance of traffic planning for vehicles, public transit commuters, pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, area residents, high profile theaters and recording studios expressed worries about noise levels. SRJV installed a GERB track system, the first installed in the United States, to mitigate vibration and noise emitted by light-rail vehicles. Additionally, Expo 2 became the first transit project in the United Sates to receive Envision â&#x201E;˘ Platinum certification from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. The 2016 Small Project of the Year was awarded to Granite Construction Company for the Walong to Marcel 2nd Track project. Union Pacific tasked Granite Construction with the project, which included clearing, excavation, embankment, drill and shoot rock, rock anchors, storm drain culverts, headwall structures and sub ballast to create approximately one mile of roadbed for a second mainline track. Additionally, six 48-inch steel pipes were bored and jacked under the live track to facilitate drainage flow. Granite Construction dealt with challenging topography and a dry, fireprone environment with the project. The

LEFT: The 2016 Large Project of the Year was awarded to the Exposition Light Rail Transit Phase 2 Design-Build project by Skanska-Rados Joint Venture. RIGHT: The 2016 Small Project of the Year was awarded to the Walong to Marcel 2nd Track project by Granite Construction.

existing topography was very steep with a tunnel in the middle of the existing single track segment. Instead of widening the tunnel to create room for the second track, dirt and rock were excavated to create the second track alignment around the tunnel. Additionally, the project was located in an Extreme Fire Danger Class area. Granite Construction took extensive precautions, including performing Fire Risk Assessments several times a day and adjusting tasks as needed, which resulted in zero fires during the project. There were no delays or impacts to train traffic, no injuries occurred and the project was completed on time and under budget. The projects of the year will be highlighted in the May issue of RT&S. The special awards wrapped up by inducting three well-deserving members into the NRC Hall of Fame. The inductees include John Zuspan of Track Guy Consultants, Rick Ebersold of Herzog

www.rtands.com

NRC 2017: Boca Raton Services, Inc., and Ronal Brown founder of Annex Railroad Builders. Zuspan has more than four decades of rail industry experience that began as a track laborer at Atlas Railroad Construction. He worked at Delta Railroad Construction (Delta), Slattery/Skanska and Balfour Beatty Rail before he began

his own business in 2004, Track Guy Consultants, after identifying a need for training in track maintenance and construction in the construction industry, including FRA track safety standards. He has also written 11 handbooks on track construction, maintenance and management. He served on the NRC Board and

2016 NRC/RT&S/Commercial Insurance Associates Safety Awards platinum Winners - Score of 100 out of 100 points American Track Generations, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., Delta Railroad Construction, Fay, an i+iconUSA Company, Fritz-Rumer-Cooke, Herzog Contracting Corp., Herzog Railroad Services Inc., Herzog Services Inc., Herzog Technologies, Inc., J.F. Brennan, K.W. Reese Inc., Kenny Construction Company, Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., MEC-Mass. Electric Construction Company, Modern Railway Systems, Inc., Moran Environmental, PNR RailWorks, Ragnar Benson, Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey, Railroad Construction Company Inc., Railroad Constructors Inc., RailWorks Track Services, RailWorks Track Systems Inc., Rhinehart Railroad Construction Inc., Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. Gold Winners - Score of 80-99 points Allied Track Services, American Rail Marketing LLC, Ames Construction Inc., Arconic Fastening Systems & Rings, Armond Cassil Railroad Constructors, Capital Railroad Contracting Inc., Coleman Industrial Construction, Crafton Railroad Company Inc., East Coast Railroad Services, Georgetown Rail Equipment Co., Granite Construction Company, HD Machines, LLC, Holland Company, J-Track LLC, Lone Star Railroad Contractors, Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC, Omega Rail Services, Inc., Queen City Railroad, Railroad Controls Limited, SEMA Construction, Inc., Swanson Contracting Co., Inc., TRAM Construction, Universal Rail Systems Silver Winners - Score of 70-79 points Clayton Railroad Construction, LLC, Kelly-Hill Company, Tranco Industrial Services, Inc.

2016 NRC special Awards 2016 Field Employee of the Year Award Greg Dunn, Project Manager, Herzog Contracting Corp. 2016 Large Rail Construction Project of the Year Award Exposition Light Rail Transit Phase 2 Design-Build (Expo 2); Skanska-Rados Joint Venture 2016 Small Rail Construction Project of the Year Award Walong to Marcel 2nd Track; Granit Construction Company 2016 NRC Hall of Fame Inductee John Zuspan, Track Guy Consultants; Rick Ebersold, Herzog Services, Inc.; Ronald Brown, RailWorks Corporation.

36 Railway Track & Structures

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serves on the NRC Safety Committee, becoming a key player in the production of various safety training DVDs that have become a staple of the NRC’s promotion of railroad construction safety. Zuspan has led efforts to create the Part 243 Minimum Training Standards template for NRC members, as well. Rick Ebersold began working in the rail industry 45 years ago as a laborer for the Chicago and North Western Railway before moving to the Herzog companies where he was promoted to serve as president of the company’s rail testing group in 1992. The NRC notes that Ebersold has promoted legislative priorities on behalf of Herzog and the NRC. He previously developed Hours of Service reform, which he presented to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officials and the chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, which led to its inclusion in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, which became law under the direction of President Obama in 2015. Ebersold began serving the NRC board in 1999, where he held many positions including chairman and executive director. Ronald Brown founded Annex Railroad Builders (Annex) in 1961 in Indianapolis, Ind., which became one of the larger railroad contractors in the Midwest, employing more than 100 staff members. In 1998, Annex, along with 13 other companies, joined to form a new contracting company: RailWorks Corporation. After working for RailWorks for three years, Ronald retired in 2001. As a founding member of the NRC, the association says Brown was instrumental in its success from the beginning. He was also a member of the Union Negotiating Committee and a management trustee, playing a key part in the development of the Trust Funds under the Railroad Transportation and Operation Agreement. The next NRC event will be the annual NRC Railroad Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction on Thursday, April 6, 2017, in Paulsboro, N.J., at the Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey/Railroad Constructors facility. The next NRC Conference and NRC-REMSA Exhibition will return to the East Coast and take place January 10-13, 2018, in Los Angeles, Calif. www.rtands.com

AREMA NEWS Professional Development Seminars Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering April 26-28, 2017 Oakland, CA Register online now at www.arema.org.

About The Seminar If you have limited exposure to the Railway Industry and/ or you are a railroader in a highly specialized position, this seminar is for you! Our experience has shown that t ypical participants benefiting the most from this course are those with limited exposure to the railway industry or railroaders with highly specialized positions not directly involved with design or maintenance. Benefits • Contact with other railroad professionals through our low student/instructor ratio. • Participants will gain a greater appreciation for the technical and not-so-technical aspects of railroad engineering and operations. • Registration fee includes a workbook containing the presentation and a copy of the Practical Guide to Railway Engineering© ($200 value, an 80 0-page text published by AREMA). Register by April 12th to receive a discounted rate!

Please visit www.arema.org to find out more information about this seminar or contact Desirée Knight at dknight@arema.org.

38 Railway Track & Structures

Message from the President

Spring clean up steps Greetings fellow railroad professionals! At some l o c at i o n s , t h e s i g n s of spring are probably finally starting to peek out from the ground. For others, just as the groundhog predicted David A. Becker, PE this year, winter weather AREMA President has hung around for a 2016–2017 few more weeks. In either case, I thought I’d start this month’s column discussing the annual rite of spring cleaning as it relates to railroaders in field maintenance roles. The impor tance placed on this activity is very much tied to good railroad maintenance practice. The clean-up review should start with ditch lines and cut slope catchment areas. Winter winds and precipitation drive a variety of debris to the ditch lines. Ongoing late season freezethaw cycles in cut areas create soil and rock debris falls that, if allowed to accumulate, will also impede flows. In zones with heavy foliage, accumulated leaf fall, which may have frozen in place in the late fall, is often naturally released by spring temperatures, increasing the potential for ditch line and culvert blockages to be created. Keeping these areas clean is a work task that is often overlooked, but these blockages often contribute to more significant roadbed problems. Tied to this is general culvert inspection and maintenance. These activities can often be performed more efficiently in spring as embankment slopes and inlets/outlet areas are less vegetated, making them more accessible. Speaking of brush and foliage, spring is also a good time to identify and take care of high-risk or problem trees while they are more easily accessible and before they fully leaf out. Another basic area to assess is the condition and visibility of signs, switch stand banners and other right-of-way markers, which may have been damaged or displaced by the weight of snow and March 2017

ice. Keep an eye out for misalignment and even possible removal by snow removal activities. Winter weather can also cause wear to painted surfaces, so consideration should be g iven to inspecting and touching-up high visibility items such as derails and clearance markers. Housekeeping efforts should extend to signal installations, where a proactive cutting back and clean up of vegetation in the vicinity of bungalows and cases will pay dividends for maintainers later in the summer. Walkways or access steps to these locations often involve slopes or ditch line crossings. Snow removal activities or heavy rains and meltwater runoffs may have adversely impacted these zones. They should be examined and repaired if necessary. I will wrap up this month’s column with a few words about the rail industry’s contracting community. In January, I had the pleasure of attending the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) annual conference and the concurrent Railway EngineeringMaintenance Supplier s Association (REMSA) exhibition. At this event, I represented AREMA and provided those in attendance an update on our organization’s plans for 2017. This annual event also provides a forum for the major rail and transit systems to provide the contracting and supplier community a preview of what the year’s spending on railroad construction and maintenance activities will look like. I would characterize the general outlook as “flat” but with a hopeful eye toward improved revenue-driven spending and decreased regulation. One area that I was par ticularly impressed with at the conference was the emphasis that was placed on safety at all levels. This ranged from discussions of the upcoming changes to federal Roadway Worker Protection rules to previews of basic railway safety training content that was aimed at the newest employee on the www.rtands.com

2017 Committee Meetings March 9

Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Las Vegas, NV

March 21-22 Committee 37 - Signal Systems

Fort Worth, TX

March 22-23 Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing

Warning Systems

March 22-23 Committee 30 - Ties April 10-11 Committee 14 - Yards & Terminals

April 23-24 Committee 34 - Scales

Mobile, AL

April 25-26 Committee 4 - Rail

Manchester, NJ

May 10-11 Committee 18 - Light Density & Short Line Railways Cedar Rapids, IA Fort Worth, TX

May 16-17 Committee 2 - Track Measurement and Assessment Systems Oakland, CA

Colorado Springs/Pueblo, CO

May 16-17

Committee 15 - Steel Structures

Buffalo, NY

Salt Lake City, UT

May 16-18

Committee 5 - Track

Pueblo, CO

For a complete list of all committee meetings, please visit www.arema.org/events. Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA committee meetings can be found online at: http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.

job site. I think this sincere focus by the contractor community and their suppliers speaks volumes for our industry as a whole. Over the course of my career it has been nothing but remarkable to observe the positive changes in safety culture that have occurred in that sector. The tragic 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico is often referred to by the public as the “BP incident,” yet ultimately, the root causes of this event were traced to actions and inadequate safety culture of a contractor working on behalf of owner BP. There is a valuable message here for all reading this column - as an industry, our engineering and maintenance activities and, more importantly, the safety of our personnel and operational safety performance of our organizations are only as strong as the weakest player in our processes. From a public relations perspective, a weak or negligent partner may put your corporation’s reputation at risk of irreparable damage. As the 2017 work season kicks into high gear this spr ing , I encourage each of you to make sure that safety is clearly identified and communicated to be a team process, which equally involves all players. Creating a truly safe workplace and a truly safe operating environment, takes the entire team performing in unison to a common set of expectations and all parties equally respecting a common set of nonnegotiable procedures and safety rules. Until next month, work together to be safe!

Railway Careers Network

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. Use code EMPLOYERS to receive a 10% discount.

Call for Mentors...

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

AREMA on Social Media

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

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FYI…

Apply now for the Watford Fellowship for a chance to attend a unique learning opportunity. The Fellowship will consist of two paid registrations to the 2017 Watford Conference in Europe to be held in the fall. Please visit www. aremafoundation.org for more information on the Watford Fellowship, educational benefits and how to apply for this opportunity. The deadline to apply is April 17, 2017. Order Now: 2017 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices. Please visit www.arema. org or contact Morgan Bruins at 301.459.3200, ext. 711, or mbruins@ arema.org to place an order. Do you want to generate leads, promote a product and reach a target audience? Sign up for sponsorship of the AREMA 2017 Annual Conference in conjunction with Railway Interchange. Please contact Lindsay Hamilton at 301.459.3200, ext. 705, or lhamilton@ arema.org for more information on sponsorship investment opportunities. Call for Entries for the 2017 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence. The Selection process for the nineteenth W. W. Hay Award has begun. Entries must be submitted by May 26, 2017. Please visit www.arema.org for more information.

Not an AREMA Member? Join today at www.arema.org Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 39

AREMA NEWS

Getting to know K. Dexter Roberts Each month, AREMA features one of our committee chairs. We are pleased to announce that the March featured chair is K. Dexter Roberts, chair of Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment. AREMA: Why did you choose a career in railway engineering? Roberts: Truthfully, it was more likely divine inter vention than a career plan. As a fresh college grad, I was searching for a job through my school’s (NC State University) career center. Southern Railway was recruiting on campus at the time. One interview led to another and, ultimately, a job offer. At the time, I was considering other offers from the oil and gas, industrial facility maintenance and naval shipyard industries. I didn’t come from a “railroad family,” but it did seem to catch my eye as being unique and an industry with a long interesting history. Following an on-site visit to Southern’s famed Charlotte Roadway Shop, I was hooked. AREMA: How did you get started? Roberts: I began my career as a management trainee assigned to the Charlotte Roadway Shop. The training program included a combination of railway specific and management classroom training interspersed with a lot of on the job training – both in the shop and the field supporting track production gangs. My career advanced through the shop management positions, the NS equipment design group and ultimately, field operations. AREMA: How did you get involved in both AREMA and your committee? ROBERTS: My predecessor, John Blanchfield, was a strong supporter of AREMA. He encouraged me to participate and to represent Norfolk Southern at an industry level. I came to admire the relationships and respect that he had developed within the industry and have enjoyed the same during my participation. 40 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

K. Dexter Roberts Chair of Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Chief Engineer Maintenance Equipment, Norfolk Southern Corporation

AREMA: What are your hobbies outside of your work? Roberts: Like many within our industry whose jobs require frequent travel, my family is most often my focus when not railroading. Following that, any type of fishing (fly, spinner, etc.) is the most relaxing – particularly if it involves a mountain view. AREMA: Tell us about your family. ROBERTS: For the past 29 years, I’ve been married to the love of my life. My wife Lynette was a mechanical engineer’s dream – she grew up in and loves hardware stores. She’s a CPA by profession and yes, we’re both detail freaks. We have one child, Nathan. He finished college in 2014 with a degree in computer engineering. A great fit to enter into the highly technical postive train control rich railway industr y. He works for NS. He and his wife Olivia live in Alabama. AREMA: W h at i s yo u r b i g g e s t achievement so far?

ROBERTS: I’ve been blessed to work for and with a number of skilled railroaders that have shared their knowledge, prodded me along and truly helped make our company strong. The thing that I’m most proud of is the friendships that I’ve enjoyed, while also having become viewed by my peers as a respected contributor to the industry. AREMA: What advice would you offer someone pursuing a career in the railway industry? ROBERTS: I’d encourage them to investigate the many different jobs within the railway industry to find what most interests them. They need to understand that the jobs are not easy. They will demand many hours, frequent travel, will be mentally and physically demanding and are oh-so rewarding. Once in a position, commit to learning all that you can and not settling for just being “good,” to work with purpose, to make a difference and to remember that we are an industry that serves others. www.rtands.com

Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence 2017 Call for Entries

Where are they now?

Ed Statzer - Conrail STATZER: The industry giving back to students pursuing a career in rail was what really brought a sense of appreciation and belonging; and the financial assistance is always needed.

ed Statzer, conrail 2011 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Scholarship Recipient

AREMA periodically checks in with past scholarship winners who are now working in the rail industry to see how the scholarship and AREMA influenced their future career. This month, we spoke to Ed Statzer with Conrail who was awarded the AREMA Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Scholarship in 2011. AREMA: Ed, you started your rail career as an AREMA Student Chapter Member at Michigan Tech University. How did this participation guide you to your career goals? ED STATZER: Michigan Tech University’s Rail Transportation Program (RTP) and consequently my involvement in AREMA as a student are the very reasons I became interested in the railroad. I started college knowing I wanted to be an engineer. My desire to work outdoors made me gravitate towards civil engineering. MTU’s RTP and AREMA led to the final refinement in my career selection, civil engineering with a focus on study in rail transportation. Not only were these programs influential in my career decision, but I found the railroad to be my passion; a passion which drove me to complete my degree. AREMA: In 2011, you were the recipient of the AREMA Committee 27 – Maintenanceof-Way Work Equipment Scholarship. How did this impact you while you were at Michigan Tech University? www.rtands.com

AR E M A : W h a t i s y o u r b i g g e s t accomplishment during your career at Conrail? STATZER: The safe, cost-effective and timely replacement of an entire bridge on the Lincoln Secondar y during a single 96-hour outage. Six months of preparation: design, bidder selection, driving pile, surveying, cap and bridge constr uction inspections and more surveying all came down to a single long weekend. We had no guarantee the new cap would fit on the piles until the old bridge was torn out and the ground was excavated for the cap. There was a lot of pressure that the precast cap fit into the piles. The tolerance for the piles to fit into the cap was only 1/16 of an inch over a 16-foot span, so there was a lot of doubt if the cap would fit into position. It did and we were able to return the track to service ahead of schedule by a few hours. AREMA: Outside of your career, what do you do with your spare time? STATZER: I enjoy skiing, riding my fourwheeler, running the tractor and cutting down trees. I have 10 acres at home that keep me very busy with one project or another. Of course, I love spending time with family and friends, as well. But having time at home alone where I am able to decompress from the demands of the railroad is a favorite pastime. AREMA: If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be? STATZER: I don’t live with reg rets and try never to second guess things I can’t change. I believe that’s an essential quality on the railroad. I work all day making many hard decisions. Sometimes plans f all apar t, if that happens I keep moving forward looking for new solutions. Railroading can be a hectic and demanding industry. Living without reg ret and knowing I did the best possible job each day is what allows me to enjoy my career.

The selection process for the 19th Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence has begun. This year’s chair, Michael W. Franke, a former student of Dr. Hay, has issued a call for entries. The 2016 Hay Award went to TranSystems for its project, "CREATE P-1 Englewood Flyover in Chicago." The purpose of the award is to honor innovative railway engineering procedures, projects and products and the individual(s) who have created and successfully applied them to the railroad industry. Criteria for winning the award are: • Innovation • Safety • Service Performance and Reliability Consideration is also given to the project’s objective, stated goals, costs and benefit achievement and the general advancement of the base of railway engineering knowledge.

Deadline for entries: MAY 26, 2017 Please contact Alayne Bell at abell@arema. org or +1.301.459.3200, ext. 708, or visit www. arema.org for more information.

Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 41

CALENDAR MARCH 13-17. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards Workshop. TN Valley Railroad Museum. Chattanooga, Tenn. Phone: 865-974-5255. Website: http://ttap.utk.edu/.

4-7. 2017 ASME Joint Rail Conference. Doubletree by Hilton at Philadelphia City Center. Philadelphia, Pa. E-mail: jakubowskim@asme.org. Website: www.asme.org/events/ joint-rail-conference.

20-24. Management Essentials for the Railroad Industry. The University of Delawareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newark Delaware Campus. Contact: Katie Lakofsky. Phone: 302-831-4863. Email: klakofsk@udel.edu. Website: www.outreach.engr.udel.edu/railroad-engineering-management/.

10-11. 2017 International Rail Safety Seminar & Expo. Florida Hotel and Conference Center. Orlando, Fla. Phone: 321-473-6066. E-mail: tom@vehicleandtrack.com. Website: railsafetyseminars.com/.

21-22. 22nd Annual Association of American Railroadsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Research Review. Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Colorado Springs, Colo. Contact: Lori Bennett. Phone: 303-617-3300. E-mail: annualreview@ aar.com. Website: www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default. aspx?EventID=1908255

18-20. Light Rail 2017. Grand Hyatt Denver. Denver, Colo. E-mail: conferences@sbpub.com. Website: http://www.railwayage.com/ index.php/conferences/lightrail.html.

23. New England Railroad Club Rail Tech Conference/Engineering & Transit Night. DCU Center. Worcester, Mass. Website: www. nerailroadclub.com/events/new-england-rail-forum-expo/. APRIL 3-4. Fundamentals of Traction Power Systems and Overhead Contact Systems. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison, Wis. Contact: Dave Peterson. Email: dmpeter5@wisc.edu. Website: http://epd.engr.wisc.edu/webS587.

www.rtands.com

22-25. ASLRRA 2017 Connections. Gaylord Texan Resort. Grapevine, Texas. Phone: 202-628-4500. Website: www.aslrra.org. 25-28. Railway Educational Bureau Track Safety Standards Part 213 Classes 1-5 Workshop. Council Bluffs, Iowa. Phone: 800228-9670. E-mail: studentservices@sb-reb.com. Website: www. railwayeducationalbureau.com/TrkInspWrkShp.html. MAY 2. 2017 Annual Transloading Conference. Kansas City, Mo. Phone: 402-306-2250. E-mail: steve@tdana.com. Website: www.tdana.com.

Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 43

PRODUCTS High performance wheel loader

Compact multiplier

Supertrak is offering what it calls an industry first, a high performance compact wheel loader. The SK170RTL is built for mobility and power to suit numerous applications such as land clearing, vegetation management, right-of-way maintenance, rock grinding and snow removal.The new InterimTier 4 170HP C4.4 loader comes with high flow reaching 50 gpm at 5,500 psi to operate mulcher/ brushcutters and other attachments. Supertrak’s cooling system features industry leading heavy-duty, hi-debris combination charge air, radiator and oil cooler all with revisable fan systems. The company notes that when the SK170RTL is equipped with a mulcher, it becomes a high production land management or ROW machine. This machine can accommodate and maintain steep slope of remote areas, ditch banks, power lines, gas lines, railroad ROW, etc. When a mulcher is not in use, the SK170RTL will perform all day-today functions as normal compact wheel loader. Phone: (800) 446-9858.

44 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

Norbar Torque Tools has introduced a compact member of the HT3 family: the new HandTorque® HT3-1000. The company says it is ideally suited to a variety of industries including rail and the HandTorque HT3-1000’s innovative construction makes it surprisingly lightweight and compact, while maintaining precision and strength. Norbar believes the new multiplier will not only appeal to those moving from job to job around a site, but also to operators working in constricted or tight spaces as it allows users to deliver high torque to applications where other tools will not fit.  Thanks to its proven engineering, the HandTorque HT3-1000 multiplies the input torque by a given factor, guaranteeing accuracy of torque multiplication of better than ±4 percent. The tool also features two reaction bar styles, ensuring it is versatile and quickly adaptable to the job in hand. Norbar’s attention to detail extends to offering the user the exact multiplication ratio with both the supplied straight reaction bar and cranked reaction foot. E-mail: enquiry@ norbar.com.

www.rtands.com

Ad Index Company AREMA Marketing Department

Auto Truck Group

Phone #

Fax#

e-mail address

Page #

301-459-3200

301-459-8077

marketing@arema.org

Cover 3

eschoenfeld@autotruck.com

33 24

816-412-2131

816-412-2191

Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc.

888-250-5746

904-378-7298

info@bbri.com

Danella Rental Systems

610-828-6200

610-828-2260

pbarents@danella.com

Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.

512-869-1542 ext.5292

512-863-0405

bachman@georgetownrail.com

803-822-7551

803-822-7521

mteeter@harsco.com

tfrancis@hrsi.com

ncooper@hippomultipower

Cover 2

knox@knoxkershaw.com

608-221-0618

rrdiv@koppers.com

Cover 4

888-293-6779

jim.ladner@landoll.com

Harsco Rail Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.

816-233-9002

HIPPO Multipower

816-233-7757

800-844-0624

Knox Kershaw Inc.

816-474-7447

334-387-5669 ext.208

334-387-4554

Koppers Railroad Structures

800-356-5952

Landoll Corporation

800-428-5655

Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

763-478-6014

763-478-2221

sales@loram.com

16,25

Moley Magnetics, Inc.

844-M-MAGNET (844-662-4638)

716-434-5893

sales@moleymagneticsinc.com

Neel Company, The

703-913-7858

703-913-7859

jlewis@neelco.com

NRC

202-715-2920

202-318-0867

info@nrcma.org

Ontario Trap Rock

800-449-4244

bsanders@tomlinsongroup.com

Progress Rail Corporation

913-345-4807

913-345-4818

jstout@amstedrps.com

262-637-9681

262-637-9069

custserv@racinerailroad.com

Racine Railroad Products, Inc.

RailCet

866-724-5238

Railway Educational Bureau, The

402-346-4300

RailWorks Corporation

866-905-7245

217-522-6588 grif1020@yahoo.com

402-346-1783

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

43,44

952-469-1926

ksimpson@railworks.com

18-19

Reader Referral Service This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue. The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and RTS assumes no responsibility for the correctness.

Advertising Sales general sales OFFICE AL, KY Jonathan Chalon Publisher (212) 620-7224 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1165 New York, NY 10014 jchalon@sbpub.com

OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada -ÂAB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato (312) 683-5026 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 hdisabato@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 (212) 620-7260 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1863 New York, NY 10014 jmarullo@sbpub.com

Responsible for advertisement sales in all parts of the world, except Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, Japan, and North America. Suite N2, The Priory, Syresham Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3LB, UK Louise Cooper International Sales Manager Suite K5 &K6

AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK,

www.rtands.com

The Priory +44-1444-416917 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom lc@railjournal.co.uk

Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 +39-10-570-4948 V Piano, Int 9 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 16129 Genoa, Italy info@mediapointsrl.it

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

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

Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL

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

Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 45

Professional Directory

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT TAKE A LOOK AT QUALITY Kenworths, DMF Gear, Moley Magnets & Serco Loaders

Grapple Trucks

LEASE or

Products and services

REESE

Rotary Dumps

BUY

Tunnel Trucks

Custom Build New or Used Chassies Also: Hirail Boom Dump Trucks NOW a Hirail Mechanics Trucks SERCO Crew Cabs DEALER Hytracker for moving equipment Hudson Ballast Cars DMF & Harsco parts, service and installation

RAILROAD SERVICES

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

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

Est. 1910

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

Hi-Rail trucks engineered for your applications with nationwide deliveries and warranties...

K. W. Reese, Inc.

Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236

(717) 328-5211 • fax (717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com

5 Time NRC SafeTy awaRd wiNNeR

Grapple Trucks Magnets & Self Propelled

Section Trucks Telescoping & Articulating Cranes

ALSO AVAILABLE Hi-Rail Pickup Trucks Hi-Rail Mechanics Trucks Hi-Rail Aerial Devices Hi-Rail Welder Trucks

and many more truck configurations...

Track Maintenance Trucks

877-888-9370 877-888-9370

ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL bharrod@Aspeneq.com Aspenequipment.com/raiLROAD

MARKETPLACE SALES RT&S2013revAd.indd 1

2/12/13 2:57 PM

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

March 2017

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED www.rtands.com

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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

PARTS • SALES • SERVICE

E-Mail: RelamCFE@aol.com Tel: 440-439-7088 Fax: 440-439-9399 Visit our website at: www.relaminc.com EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, SJ, SJ2, Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line HYDRAULIC STABILIZERS HARSCO TS-30HDs TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW PRODUCTS KBR-860-925-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1000/1050 Kribber-Adzers KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Models CX and SS Spikers Model SP2R Dual Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAILHEATERS Pettibone Model 445E/F Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments (F’s with Tier 4 Engine) Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Propane and Diesel Railheaters - Single & Dual Sided, Selfpropelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts

NEW & USED Grapple Trucks, Roto Dumps, Mechanics Trucks and Pickups. WE ALSO RENT! Call Rob Wiskerchen at 715-897-2619 Toll Free: 888-405-0110 e-mail: rob@wisktrucks.com • www.wisktrucks.com

Available for Lease 3000 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks 60 ft, 100 ton Plate F box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors 50 ft, 100 ton Plate C box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com

MARKETPLACE SALES Contact: Jeanine Acquart Ph: 212/620-7211 Fax: 212/633-1165 Email: jacquart@sbpub.com

MOW Equipment Lease & Sale Brushcutting Track Surfacing Specialized Hauling Low Boys With Rail (318) 995-7006

www.RailwayEquipmentServices.net

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED www.rtands.com

“A full service company with over 25 yrs exp!” Railway Track & Structures

March 2017 47

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT Hi-Rail Trucks Work Ready or Custom Built to Order www.omahatrackequipment.com

• New-Used-Rentals • Work ready trucks available for immediate delivery • Custom Builds - yours specs or ours • Parts & Services • Hi-Rail & Crane Inspections

100 S Paniplus Drive Olathe, ks 66061 main: 913.764.1315 Mobile: 913.972.1013

PARTS • SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS Grapple Trucks Mag & Creep Drive

Hi-Rail Rail & Tie Carts

OLATHE, KS • HOUSTON, TX • BRIGHTON, CO • BRANCHBURG, NJ • SAN MARCOS, CA • CALGARY

www.colliscw.com

Section Trucks

Rotary Dump Trucks

John Gallo • Business Development Manager 402-990-9385 • Johng@omahatrack.com

RTandS.com

Get the inside scoop on and off the track

Extending the Life of Your Machine Harsco Rail provides superior components and assemblies to extend the life of your machine. Rebuilds are remanufactured to OEM specifications with OEM parts. All parts are inspected for repair and/or replacement, and the OEM standard warranty is provided.

Rail BRief: The Weekly RT&S email Newsletter SubScribe at: www.rtands.com/railbrief

48 Railway Track & Structures

March 2017

L U D I N G T O N C O N TA C T ( 6 7 0 0 ) : T ( 8 0 0 ) 8 0 0 - 6 4 1 0 C O L U M B I A C O N TA C T ( M K I V ) : T ( 8 0 3 ) 8 2 2 - 7 4 2 0 E R A I L PA R T S @ H A R S C O . C O M O R D E R PA R T S AT: H T T P S : / / PA R T S . H A R S C O R A I L . C O M /

RAILWAY AGE MARKETPLACE SALES Jeanine Acquart • jacquart@sbpub.com Ph: 212/620-7211 Fax: 212/633-1165