Railway Age September 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020

W W W. R A I LWAYA G E .C O M

AILWAY GE S E R V I N G T H E R A I LWAY I N D U S T R Y S I N C E 1 8 5 6

VISIONARY TECHNOLOGY

Detecting What The Eye Can’t See

PRODUCT INNOVATIONS SHOWCASE

Rail Supply’s Latest And Greatest

TTCI R&D: TORFC

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Reducing Rolling Contact Fatigue August 2017 // Railway Age 1

MORE THAN PARTS. PERFORMANCE. Amsted Rail, the global leader in fully integrated freight car systems for the heavy haul rail market.

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AILWAY GE

February 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020

41 FEATURES

11 32 36

ClouydMoyo

41

Product Showcase Supplier Innovations

Machine Vision You Can Fix What You Can’t See

TTCI R&D Top-of-Rail Friction Management

Digitalizing ISS Cloud-Based, Centralized, Fast

DEPARTMENTS 4 6 8 44 44 46 46 47

Industry Indicators Industry Outlook Market People

NEWS/COLUMNS 2 48

From the Editor Financial Edge

Events Professional Directory Classified Advertising Index

ON THE COVER: A BNSF freight train passes through a wayside detector array equipped with machine vision at track speed.

Photo: BNSF

Railway Age, USPS 449-130, is published monthly by the Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 88 Pine St., 23rd Fl., New York, NY 10005-1809. Tel. (212) 620-7200; FAX (212) 633-1863. Vol. 221, No. 9. Subscriptions: Railway Age is sent without obligation to professionals working in the railroad industry in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

However, the publisher reserves the right to limit the number of copies. Subscriptions should be requested on company letterhead. Subscription pricing to others for Print and/ or Digital versions: $100.00 per year/$151.00 for two years in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; $139.00 per year/$197.00 for two years, foreign. Single Copies: $36.00 per copy in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico/$128.00 foreign All subscriptions payable in advance. COPYRIGHT© 2020 Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact PARS International Corp., 102 W. 38th Street, 6th floor, New York, N.Y. 10018, Tel.: 212-221-9595; Fax: 212-221-9195. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post Cust.#7204564; Agreement #41094515. Bleuchip Int’l, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Address all subscriptions, change of address forms and correspondence concerning subscriptions to Subscription Dept., Railway Age, PO Box 1407 Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407, Or call toll free (US Only) 1-800-553-8878 (CANADA/INTL) 1-319-364-6167. Printed at Cummings Printing, Hooksett, N.H. ISSN 0033-8826 (print); 2161-511X (digital).

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September 2020 // Railway Age 1

FROM THE EDITOR

AILWAY GE

PSR, Penn Central Style

Y

ou think Precision Scheduled Railroading is something recent? Guess again, my friends. “Been there, done that,” as told to me by longretired locomotive engineer and BLET Local Chairman (Division 312, Boston) Richard S. Prone.

Granted, Prone is not fond of PSR, which to him stands for “Poor Service Routinely.” I’ve heard other definitions for PSR—“Pulverized Shipping Routes,” “Paralyzed Shipping Routes,” “Pathetic Service Reversal,” “Purposely Stretched Resources,” “Pure Stockholders’ Reward.”

Indeed, PSR has been polarizing. It’s either loved or hated. Richard Prone, like many of his fellow agreement employees— active, retired or furloughed—leans strongly toward the latter. He comes from the railroad school of hard knocks, the preStaggers years when the industry, especially in the Northeast, was navigating a lot of bad track. Does anyone under the age of 60 remember the Penn Central, which in 1970 became the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, up to that time?

Richard Prone does, but as he relates, there were some bright spots: “You want to talk PSR? In the darkest days of the Penn Central during the 1970s, four TrailVan trains left Boston’s Beacon Park Yard between 7:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., six days a week. We picked up blocks of TOFC and containers at Worcester and Springfield, where yardmasters prioritized the moves to make the prearranged departure times. At Selkirk, N.Y., relief crews were waiting at designated locations in the

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yard to take over and forward the trains to Chicago and St. Louis via the 70-mph Mohawk and Buffalo Divisions. Standard power was four EMD GP40s. The crew change took 5-10 minutes, tops.

“With the notable exception of BNSF, the railroads seem quite content to abandon shippers and let their market share continue to shrink. Meanwhile, our highways are being overwhelmed by larger and heavier trucks, many of which are carrying commodities once moved by rail. Unless the railroad executives’ mindsets change, this downward trend will continue, making the Class I’s less and less a factor in the national movement of freight.”

A little more history: In 1970, Penn Central adopted the trademark “TrailVan” to designate its container services, combining the Pennsylvania Railroad’s “TrucTrain” (today’s TTX) with the New York Central’s “Super Van.” The latter succeeded the NYC’s Flexi-Van, the brain-child of Al Perlman, the NYC president who ran Penn Central from its formation in 1968 until June 1970. Perlman was an innovator, and a controversial figure. In 1958, he famously told The New York Times, “After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.”

I wonder what Perlman, who died in 1983, would think of PSR. Maybe he’s having a friendly debate in the afterlife with Hunter Harrison. Let’s see where we’re at in a few years.

WILLIAM C. VANTUONO Editor-in-Chief

Railway Age, descended from the American Rail-Road Journal (1832) and the Western Railroad Gazette (1856) and published under its present name since 1876, is indexed by the Business Periodicals Index and the Engineering Index Service. Name registered in U.S. Patent Office and Trade Mark Office in Canada. Now indexed in ABI/Inform.

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Industry Indicators “TRAFFIC MIXED, BUT POINTING TO A SLOW RECOVERY”: AAR “U.S. rail traffic in July was mixed, but overall it pointed to continued slow recovery (especially when coal is out of the picture) from April’s low point,” the Association of American Railroads said last month. “Total U.S. originated carloads averaged 208,403 per week in July 2020, the most since March 2020, but also by far the lowest for July since prior to 1988, when our data begin. July’s decline was 17.6%, the smallest decline since March 2020.

Excluding coal, U.S. carloads were down 12.7% in July.” Of the 20 carload commodities the AAR tracks, three (farm products, food products and lumber) had year-over-year carload gains in July, but declines dominated.

Railroad employment, Class I linehaul carriers, JULY 2020 (% change from JULY 2019)

TRAFFIC ORIGINATED CARLOADS

FIVE WEEKS ENDING August 1, 2020

MAJOR U.S. RAILROADS

BY COMMODITY

JULY ’20

JULY ’19

% CHANGE

44,772 (-24.49%)

Grain Farm Products ex. Grain Grain Mill Products Food products Chemicals Petroleum & Petroleum Products Coal Primary Forest Products Lumber and Wood Products Pulp and Paper Products Metallic Ores Coke Primary Metal Products Iron & Steel Scrap Motor Vehicles & Parts Crushed Stone, Sand, & Gravel Nonmetallic Minerals Stone, Clay & Glass Products Waste & Nonferrous Scrap All Other Carloads

104,121 3,842 46,267 28,249 150,293 51,276 274,043 4,893 16,062 24,366 12,519 14,347 32,872 15,623 69,973 89,755 18,934 39,770 17,470 27,342

115,658 3,547 46,416 27,774 158,770 62,770 384,268 5,677 15,804 26,706 34,461 19,479 44,518 15,986 70,242 119,302 21,378 42,137 17,617 31,844

-10.0% 8.3% -0.3% 1.7% -5.3% -18.3% -28.7% -13.8% 1.6% -8.8% -63.7% -26.3% -26.2% -2.3% -0.4% -24.8% -11.4% -5.6% -0.8% -14.1%

Executives, Officials, and Staff Assistants

TOTAL U.S. CARLOADS

1,042,017

1,264,354

-17.6%

354,276

407,991

-13.2%

1,396,293

1,672,345

-16.5%

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 117,230 % CHANGE FROM JULY 2019: -16.68%

Transportation (train and engine)

7,521 (-3.03%)

CANADIAN RAILROADS

Professional and Administrative

TOTAL CANADIAN CARLOADS

10,381 (-9.18%)

COMBINED U.S./CANADA RR

Maintenance-of-Way and Structures

29,931 (-5.65%)

Maintenance of Equipment and Stores

19,550 (-21.60%)

Transportation (other than train & engine)

5,075 (-8.82%)

Source: Surface Transportation Board

CLASS I EMPLOYMENT REMAINS WAY DOWN Figures released by the STB show Class I total railroad employment decreased nearly 17% in July 2020, measured against July 2019, still the lowest since 2012. The double whammy of the prepandemic recession and COVID-19 lockdowns has stifled economic activity, and the resulting impact on rail employment has been significant. Across the industry, headcount drops were reported from all employment categories, including Maintenance-of-Way and Structures. The largest category decline was Transportation-Train and Engine, which dropped nearly 25% from July 2019.

4 Railway Age // September 2020

Intermodal

fIVE WEEKS ENDING August 1, 2020

MAJOR U.S. RAILROADS

BY COMMODITY

JULY ’20

JULY ’19

% CHANGE

Trailers Containers TOTAL UNITS

109,301 1,186,659

98,980

1,295,960

1,215,383 1,314,363

10.4% -2.4% -1.4%

1 333,463 333,464

0 355,329 355,329

-6.2% -6.2%

109,302 1,520,122

98,980 1,570,712

10.4% -3.2%

1,629,424

1,669,692

-2.4%

CANADIAN RAILROADS Trailers Containers TOTAL UNITS

COMBINED U.S./CANADA RR Trailers Containers

TOTAL COMBINED UNITS

Source: Rail Time Indicators, Association of American Railroads

railwayage.com

BEFORE YOU INVEST IN ANOTHER AIR BRAKE CONTROL VALVE,

TOTAL U.S./Canadian CARLOADS, JUly 2020 VS. JUly 2019

1,396,293 JULY 2020

STOP & CONSIDER:

1,672,345 JULY 2019

Short Line And Regional Traffic Index CARLOADS

BY COMMODITY Chemicals Coal Crushed Stone, Sand & Gravel Food and Kindred Products Grain Grain Mill Products Lumber and Wood Products Metallic Ores Metals and Products Motor Vehicles and Equipment Nonmetallic Minerals Petroleum Products Pulp, Paper and Allied Products Stone, Clay and Glass Products Trailers / Containers Waste and Scrap Materials All Other Carloads

ORIGINATED JULY ’20

ORIGINATED JULY ’19

% CHANGE

52,321 13,454 18,363 10,172 23,834 8,506 8,904 2,457 14,042 8,647 1,585 1,880 17,894 15,482 40,890 9,204 71,324

51,294 18,356 30,308 11,622 27,883 7,658 10,039 2,669 18,198 10,964 2,809 2,378 18,519 14,363 45,433 9,680 81,344

2.0% -26.7% -39.4% -12.5% -14.5% 11.1% -11.3% -7.9% -22.8% -21.1% -43.6% -20.9% -3.4% 7.8% -10.0% -4.9% -12.3%

Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved.

TOTAL U.S. Carloads and intermodal units, 2011-2010 (in millions, year-to-date through JULY 2020, SIX-WEEK MOVING AVERAGE)

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September 2020 // Railway Age 5

Industry Outlook

Mexican Regulators Make First Move THE RAIL TRANSPORTATION REGULATORY AGENCY OF MEXICO (ARTF), described as “a decentralized body of the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation,” established, nearly 25 years after the country’s national railroad was privatized, rate regulations for its three railroad concessions—Ferrocarril Mexicano, SA de CV (Ferromex), Ferrosur, SA de CV, and Kansas City Southern de México, SA de CV (KSCM).

The action took place after the Board of Commissioners of the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) determined, in January, “the absence of effective competition conditions in 20 origin-destination pairs for the transportation of chlorine, ethylene oxide, anhydrous ammonia, and caustic soda in the south of the state of Veracruz.”

For KCSM, ARTF set out rate regulation limited to 6 segments of 5 routes where the railroad transports chlorine (4 segments of 3 routes) and ethylene oxide (2 segments of 2 routes). During 2019, KCS revenue from these segments was less than $1.5 million.

As KCS noted on Feb. 10, 2020, “ARTF’s rate regulation power is related to and triggered by the final COFECE report of Feb. 6, 2020 regarding effective competition in freight transportation services of chemicals and petrochemicals in routes from South Veracruz pertaining to KCSM. COFECE found that 5 routes that include segments operated by KCSM where chlorine and ethylene oxide are shipped lacked effective competition. The scope of this rate regulation is limited to these routes and segments. KCSM challenged the 6 Railway Age // September 2020

COFECE report in late February 2020 on constitutional and legal grounds. A final decision on the matter is pending. KCSM is evaluating the agency’s resolution, its implications and remedies available.”

“These resolutions (the agency’s first) are the result of more than two years of research work within ARTF, first developing the corresponding guidelines that were published in the Official Gazette (DOF) in February, and subsequently the methodology to regulate rates in the absence of competition in markets of rail services,” ARTF noted. “The research included a review of analogous cases in countries with similar rail networks to Mexico, such as Canada, the U.S. and Brazil, considering advantages and disadvantages as well as applicability for the Mexican rail system.

“The model used in these resolutions consists of establishing a maximum rate per tonne-kilometer for each combination of route, a portion of route, and the product.

The maximum rate is calculated from the average total costs multiplied by a differentiating factor per product plus a reasonable profit that allows the concessionaire to invest in a sector that is particularly capital intensive. This model takes up some characteristics of the costing and accounting methodologies applied in the U.S. and Canada, with the advantage of being simpler. It also considers good regulatory practices from other sectors applicable to the case and gives legal certainty and fosters the reasonable balance that must prevail between the users and concessionaires of the Mexican rail system.”

THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION second-quarter 2020 update on railroads’ self-reported progress on fully implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) by the Dec. 31, 2020 deadline shows that, as of June 30, 2020, the job is 98.8% complete. Nearly all railroads subject to the statutory mandate are operating their systems in revenue service or in advanced field testing, known as revenue service demonstration (RSD), with PTC technology remaining to be activated on only approximately 700 required route-miles.

As of June 30, PTC systems were in RSD or in operation on approximately 56,846 of the 57,537 route-miles subject to the mandate. This represents a 0.7% point increase since 1Q20 and indicates that PTC technology was activated on an additional 305 miles during 2Q. PTC systems are currently governing operations on all PTC-mandated main lines owned or controlled by Class I railroads and other freight host railroads. As of June 30, 76.1% of commuter railroads’ mandated route miles were governed by PTC technology—a 12.9% point increase since the last quarter.

In addition, as of June 30, host railroads reported that interoperability has been achieved by 65.5% of the 220 applicable, host-tenant railroad relationships—a 17% point increase since 1Q20.

Based on the criteria FRA utilizes to evaluate the risk of noncompliance, FRA currently “considers two host railroads at risk of not fully implementing PTC on all required main lines by Dec. 31, 2020: New Jersey Transit (NJT) and New Mexico Rail Runner Express (NMRX/Rio Metro). Two railroads were removed from the at-risk list based on their substantial progress in 2Q20: the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad (Metra) and TEXRail. Both railroads entered RSD on 100% of their required main lines and submitted their PTC Safety Plans and are now focusing on completing interoperability by the December deadline.”

“I am highly pleased by the amount of progress railroads have made moving toward fully implementing PTC systems,” said FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory. railwayage.com

Kansas City Southern

FRA Lauds PTC Progress of 98.8%

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Today, with our fleet of 6 manufacturing plants, with over 3 million sq. ft. of manufacturing space, 5 service centers and 23 local sales offices, Okonite has demonstrated the highest level of customer service available. Even during the unprecedented demand for vital signal cable during Positive Train Control initiatives, Okonite took measures to expand and modernize our plants to ensure customer service remained at levels our customers required.

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Market EC Approves Alstom + Bombardier The European Commission (EC) has approved Alstom’s bid to take over rival Bombardier Transportation, a move that will create the second largest manufacturer in the rail sector after China’s CRRC. The acquisition has been approved subject to a number of conditions, including the divestment of Bombardier Transportation’s stake in the V300 Zefiro high-speed train and Alstom’s Coradia Polyvalent platform.

“Alstom and Bombardier Transportation are leading providers of state-of-the-art trains used every day by millions of passengers across the European Union,” said EU Executive Vice President Competition Policy Margrethe Vestager.

NORTH AMERICA

Italy’s infrastructure manager, ITALIAN RAIL NETWORK (RFI), has issued an RFP for a $1.4 billion contract to design and build a 14-mile southern extension to the Brenner Base Tunnel. The new line will run from Fortezza south to Ponte Gardena and will comprise two twin-bore tunnels connected by a bridge over the Isarco river.

The Scaleres tunnel will be 9.5 miles long, the Gardena tunnel 4.5 miles. The $1.8 billion project will be funded through an agreement between RFI and Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (MBTA) last month announced the lowest bidder for a $403 million contract for work on the Middleborough Secondary & New Bedford Main Line (MS/NBML) section of its South Coast Rail project. SOUTH COAST RAIL CONSTRUCTORS, a consortium of Littleton, Mass.-based MIDDLESEX CORPORATION and Los Angeles-based TUTOR PERINI, was identified by MBTA as the lowest bidder and is expected to be awarded the contract for the commuter rail extension.

The contract, one of two for construction of Phase 1 of the project, covers construction of the New Bedford main line, Middleborough secondary line encompassing around 25 miles of track, as well as the installation of signalling and Positive Train Control (PTC) for the entire Phase 1 corridor. In addition, the contract covers the construction of four new stations. The second Phase 1 contract, worth $159 million, was awarded in July to a consortium of SKANSKA and DW WHITE CONSTRUCTION. It covers the reconstruction of the Fall River secondary line between Fall River and

8 Railway Age // September 2020

Boston, including 12 miles of track and two passenger stations, as well as other infrastructure. The line is currently used exclusively for freight. Construction of the entirety of Phase 1 is expected to be completed by autumn 2023. Design and preliminary engineering for further extensions are scheduled to begin in 2021. The project will support direct commuter rail services between Boston and communities such as Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River for the first time since the late 1950s. It is part of an $8 billion, five-year capital investment plan by MBTA to improve rail connections on its network that also includes station upgrades and improvements to fare collection and accessibility.

R. J. CORMAN RAILROAD GROUP, LLC is acquiring OWEGO & HARFORD RAILWAY, LEHIGH RAILWAY and LUZERNE & SUSQUEHANNA RAILWAY, as well as short line transload service provider TRANZ. The three short lines haul sand, drill cuttings, scrap, feed products, fertilizer, pipe, plastic, propane, chemicals and wood products. TranZ operates a bulk transfer station on the Lehigh Railway in Wyalusing, Pa. railwayage.com

Alstom

WORLDWIDE

WEBINAR: Thursday, October 8, 2020 RAIL INDUSTRY GROWTH FOR INCREASED LONG-TERM PROFITABILITY University of Delaware and California State University, Fresno

The webinar considers needed changes in policies, business decisions and type of freight hauled for railroads to thrive in a changing environment. Policies and business decisions are explored that can lead to growth by adapting to changing markets. Higher value freight is more profitable but will require increased track capacity to compete with trucks for express

This webinar is offered via Zoom videoconferencing. Register by September 24 at the discounted rate of $250, or after September 24 for $300.

>

>

freight service. How may this be financed if public-private partnerships are envisioned?

This webinar is designed for railway economists and financial analysts, railway infrastructure, rolling stock and technology specialists, shippers, suppliers, and those in the legislative and executive branches of state and federal government who deal with freight and passenger railway issues.

REGISTER AT pcs.udel.edu/rail-industry-growth PARTICIPANTS EARN 6.0 CREDIT HOURS. AGENDA (all times are Eastern Standard) 10:30–10:40 a.m.

Introduction

10:40–11:30 a.m.

How is Passenger Rail Affected in a Precision Scheduled Railroading Environment?—John Green, P.E., Ph.D., Professor, California State University, Fresno

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Precision Scheduled Railroading and Positive Train Control: How they relate to one another—Steven Ditmeyer, Principal, Transportation Technology and Economics 12:30–1 p.m.

Webinar break

1–2 p.m.

Roads in the Fork: Railroads 2020 and Beyond—Anthony Hatch, ABH Consulting

2–3 p.m.

Pathways to Passenger Rail Growth—Dennis Newman, Executive Vice President, Amtrak

3–4 p.m.

Risk Assessment for Rail Freight—James Blaze, Consultant, Railroad Economist

4–4:30 p.m.

Meeting Engineering Challenges of Mixed Passenger and Freight Traffic— Steven Chrismer, P.E., Ph.D., Principal Engineer, Amtrak—Retired

4:30–5 p.m.

Group Discussion—Answering questions from audience

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AILWAY GE S E R V I N G T H E R A I LWAY I N D U S T R Y S I N C E 1 8 5 6

PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

SHOWCASE 2020

Under the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the coronavirus, many industry meetings and trade shows have gone virtual or have been cancelled, out of an abundance of caution. As the industry’s partner for generations, Railway Age recognizes the importance of the supply community continuing to interface with customers. We’re pleased to present our Product Innovations Showcase, spotlighting several dozen of the industry’s top suppliers—innovators all.

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

POWER DRIVES INC.

Diesel dehydrator

The Diesel Dehydrator from Power Drives Inc. is a patentpending engineered system that removes water and filters particulate matter from diesel fuel. Designed to be the main fuel filtration system and tested to filter down to 5 microns, it removes 99.5% of water from the fuel. This, in turn with its extended-life filter, removes PM from fuel, and increases fuel injector lifespan and overall performance of the locomotive. “Our fuel injector lifespan has already increased more than four times thanks to the Diesel Dehydrator,” says Richard Elgin, Director of International Maintenance, National Railway Equipment Company. “In removing 99.5% of water from the fuel, it has solved one of our biggest headaches and significantly decreased the amount of wear and tear that we were experiencing in our locomotives. Not only that, but the overall performance has also increased, all of which has allowed us to retain a client who had otherwise been ready to terminate their lease. The team at Power Drives provided us with a perfect solution to one of our most pressing problems.” www.powerdrives.com

SPECTRUM, INC.

SureStart™ Flex Control Cabinets Driven by requests to provide more flexible, precise control of its snow-clearing and ice-melting technologies and the ability to individually heat specific switches in a track system with a single control cabinet via signal, Spectrum Inc. has released a new line of SureStart™ Flex Control Cabinets with Individual Circuit Control. This new design is geared specifically toward energy savings and cost-conscious Class I, Class II and industrial rail yards. In some situations, 24/7 snow melters on untraveled track is a waste of valuable resources. Spectrum’s Flex Individual Circuit Control allows for the precise control of track switch heaters in a multiple circuit cabinet. When tracks are in use or about to be used, only the required track switch heaters need to be activated by dispatch or local control, thereby slashing energy costs and increasing the longevity of our Flat Jacket Cal Rods and Crib Heater Elements. Spectrum’s SureStart™ Flex Control Cabinets are currently available in 2-12 circuit designs using high-quality commercial off-the-shelf components. Replacement components can be sourced from a local commercial electrical supply house, reducing down time. Spectrum does not use any proprietary software, computer panels or hardware in its designs. These units have been proven in the most rigorous Class I and Class II railroad systems throughout the U.S. and Canada. The SureStart™ Control Cabinets are known for their ease of installation, ease of maintenance and years of service.

Spectrum manufactures SureStart™ Control Cabinets and RRSH Hot/Cold Air Blowers in Cleveland, Ohio. They each have the capacity to power both our Flat Jacket Cal Rods and Crib Heaters so that a high level of flexibility and customization can be achieved within any design specifications. Each unit can be controlled manually, via sensors or remote relay. These tried and true SureStart™ Control Cabinets will continue to be available for those areas where 24/7 automatic snow and ice maintenance is necessary and failure is not an option. www.spectruminfrared.com 12 Railway Age // September 2020

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2020 Product & innovations showcase

AMGLO

PAR SERIES HALOGEN LOCOMOTIVE LAMP Amglo, the world’s leading manufacturer of specialty lamps since 1935, announces the availability of the PAR Series locomotive halogen lamp, which provides rail operators with a focused, bright beam of light down the track for greater visibility and maximized safety. The rugged, long-lasting lamp is designed for use on freight and passenger trains. The PAR Series provides light output that exceeds the FRA requirements, giving train engineers an optimal, bright and long view of the tracks ahead. It operates at a wide range of temperatures, from -40°F to 158°F, withstands train vibrations and allows locomotives fitted with the lamp to operate anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Unlike legacy incandescent bulbs that dim greater than 20% within the first 25 hours into Federal Railroad Administration non-conformance, the PAR lamp maintains its candela output throughout the entire lamp life, maintaining minimum lifetime 200,000 candelas, ensuring the train is in compliance with the FRA’s specification contained in 49 CFR 229.125 (a) and (b). “The ongoing focus of our lab research is to continue to improve lighting technologies. Having the best visibility possible at night and in different weather conditions is paramount when it comes to safety,” said Grant Hyland, CEO of Amglo. “Our engineers designed the PAR Series to offer unmatched visibility in all conditions and help rail companies reduce maintenance costs due to the lamp’s durability and long-lasting lamp life.” Amglo Kemlite Laboratories, Inc., established in 1935, is a global manufacturer of specialty lamps. The company services OEM equipment manufacturers and distributors in the fields of aerospace, airfield, medical, vehicular, obstruction, railroad and laser lamp lighting. www.amglo.com

POWER DRIVES INC.

POWERHOUSE IDLE REDUCTION The PowerHouse idle reduction technology from Power Drives Inc. comes in a variety of versions to suit any operation size and can be paid off in as soon as 4½ months. Short lines and Class I’s alike are starting to realize how this one-time purchase saves them money over the long haul, with typical usage saving more than 10,000 gallons of fuel in just one season. The U.S. EPA SmartWay-verified technology heats and circulates water or coolant through the locomotive engine block and cooling system to maintain a temperature of above 100 degrees F, even in the coldest of temperatures. It also comes in three compact models to accommodate shore power or lack thereof: the PowerHouse™ 120, PowerHouse™ APU and PowerHouse™ AC-APU. All are available with remote monitoring capabilities. The 120 and APU models feature a 90,000 BTU/hr (26kW) diesel burner for high heat output. The 120 is powered by a 120 or 240 VAC external power source, thereby eliminating the need to install an additional power source. The APU model has a 72 VDC, 80 amp alternator driven by a 9.5 single-cylinder on-board diesel engine that supplies power to electronic controls. The AC-APU is powered by a 22 HP Kubota® D902 3 cylinder diesel engine and features a 4 pole, 120/240 VAC single phase generator. With the AC-APU unit, locomotives can operate either in idle reduction mode or generator mode where the APU can be used as an auxiliary generator. Both APU models trickle charge the locomotive batteries. www.powerdrives.com railwayage.com

September 2020 // Railway Age 13

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

CLOUDMOYO

RAIL CONTRACT MANAGEMENT CloudMoyo Rail Contract Management (CRCM) is the leading cloud-based contract lifecycle management solution. It is powered by the market-leading Icertis Contract Intelligence management platform.

Designed for the railroads, CRCM digitalizes contract agreements with customers, suppliers, partners, labor unions, and regulatory authorities simplifying business processes, accelerating commerce and mitigating risks while improving compliance and exercising complete control of contract operations– from contract creation to negotiations and monitoring performance against contracts. CRCM leverages pre-approved contract templates and clause libraries. Built on the robust Icertis Contract Management platform, it is already helping improve contract lifecycle management at 2 of the 7 Class I railroads. CRCM leverages rail industry standards to help minimize the time to create contracts, and allows automated redline comparisons and version management to accelerate negotiations between respective parties. By centralizing the storage of contracts in the cloud, the latest applicable version of CRCM is accessible anytime, anywhere and on any device. Finally, CRCM provides intuitive analytics dashboards, intelligent notifications and reports that provide advance alerts on expiring contracts, streamlining contract renewals while also providing vital contract performance intelligence. www.cloudmoyo.com

THE GREENBRIER COMPANIES

VIRTUAL SAMPLE RAILCAR™

The Greenbrier Companies has developed Virtual Sample Railcar™ (VSR), remotely bringing customers into the plant to inspect the quality of a sample railcar from the convenience of their own conference room or home office. Designed around optimizing our customers’ experience, this service provides full access to the sample railcar while reducing travel time and cost. Narrated video follows the build of a railcar all the way down the line. Extremely high-resolution Gigapixel photos allow customers to zoom in and inspect every detail, while the 360-degree feature provides multiple angles for a thorough examination. And during a final live-stream inspection from the plant’s buy-off area, customers are encouraged to ask questions during a discussion session with our experts who know the new railcar inside and out.

See valves, gates and hatches in operation as well as railcar components being measured and tested. Learn more at https://go.gbrx.com/virtual.

The Greenbrier Companies is a leading supplier of rail and marine transportation equipment and services, powering the movement of products around the world. Greenbrier’s innovation and engineering expertise pairs with our capacity to build and repair transportation equipment.

14 Railway Age // September 2020

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2020 Product & innovations showcase

GREENKOTE PLC

RAIL FASTENER ANTI-CORROSION COATING Greenkote® is an advanced anti-corrosion metal coating that can significantly extend the service life of rail fasteners and fixtures that are exposed to weather and harsh environments. Using a patented thermal diffusion process, Greenkote coating is literally diffused into the surface of metal parts for an exceptionally strong, permanent metallurgical bond. This makes Greenkote’s corrosion resistance last significantly longer than coatings or paints, even at very low or high temperatures. And unlike many coatings and paints, Greenkote will not chip, peel or delaminate, even when crimped or bent. Greenkote also provides superior hardness, up to HV 400-420, giving parts greater damage resistance in transit, installation and service. Plus, Greenkote coverage is highly conformal and uniform, allowing it to coat ID and OD geometries, blind holes, threads, filets and sharp corners.

The Greenkote name derives from its eco-friendliness. Unlike many coating processes, Greenkote uses no hazardous materials, generates no toxic wastes and is benign to the environment. It passes even the strictest environmental regulations around the globe. Users may schedule their parts for fast-turnaround coating at the Greenkote headquarters facility in Ohio or at numerous other Greenkote locations internationally. www.greenkote.com

HEXAGON MANUFACTURING INTELLIGENCE

LEICA ABSOLUTE TRACKER ATS600

The Leica Absolute Tracker ATS600 from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is the world’s first direct scanning laser tracker, able to measure with metrology-grade accuracy from up to 60 meters away without a reflector or probe.

Designed for applications where scale and productivity are more important than extreme accuracy, the ATS600 is well-suited to the extra-large surfaces that metrologists in the rail industry are increasingly tasked with inspecting. An ordinary 3D laser tracker can be used for a number of passenger railcar inspection applications. A build and inspect process using a reflector can be applied to properly adjust welding jigs, and after welding a panel can be checked for deformation with a series of single-point reflector measurements to ensure, for example, that doors and windows will fit properly to the frame. With the introduction of direct scanning, these processes become faster and safer. A panel that would require more than five hours to collect 100 surface data points with a reflector can be mapped with more than 90,000 points in less than 20 minutes using the direct scanning functionality of the ATS600, resulting in a clear color map demonstrating any areas of deformation. Direct scanning also removes the need for operators to climb ladders to measure out-of-reach areas such as roof sidings. And with a typical accuracy deviation of only 120 microns, the direct scanning capability of the ATS600 delivers performance well within the typically millimeter-plus tolerances of such applications. All that from a tracker that can also perform standard reflector measurements with 3D accuracy and functionality in line with the best trackers on the market, allowing it to meet the needs of other applications on-site. go.hexagonmi.com railwayage.com

September 2020 // Railway Age 15

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

HITACHI RAIL

MICROLOK® VIPRO® Built for freight and mass transit applications, Hitachi Rail’s ViPro® vital processor module combines core train control capabilities with next-generation communications, monitoring and analytics. Leveraging deep experience in vital train control products, ViPro is designed for interlocking, intermediate signals, and PTC applications. With backward compatibility to MicroLok® II systems, ViPro offers a simple upgrade path for existing equipment installations. The advanced communications capabilities of ViPro enable remote monitoring and real-time diagnostics for networked locations. ViPro is built to execute both vital and non-vital applications. ViPro offers three-processor architecture covering vital and non-vital applications; communications processor (protocols, diagnostics, etc.); backward compatibility to MicroLok II and Positive Train Control (PTC) systems; increased vital processing power and logic processing; 2 gigabit Ethernet (2 ports) for high-speed communications networks; hot-standby integrated within the ViPro vital processor module; USB port for application upload, system recovery, and diagnostics; Web-based User Interface for configuration and diagnostics with local or remote access; PTC support for I-ETMS and ACSES; advanced communications capabilities including Modbus Protocol, CTC over ITCM (PTC), Network Monitors Program, SNMP, Data Acquisition and Asset Acquisition. www.hitachirail.com

HOLMATRO USA

HYDRAULIC RERAILING SYSTEMS Holmatro USA offers a solution for faster, safer and a more controlled rerailing of railway vehicles on the track. Thanks to the user-friendly design of the system, the lightweight components are easy to place, assemble and disassemble by one person without the use of extra equipment. This ensures business continuity by greatly reducing delays and costs. Every rerailing application is different, and so is every budget. That’s why Holmatro offers three defined sets, each one suitable for different circumstances. If a set suits your needs but a slight change would make it more perfect, changes can easily be made by selecting other lifting components, sliding components, operation components and connection components. You can also compose your own customized Rerailing System. The choice is yours! www.holmatro. com/en/rerailing/hydraulic-systems 16 Railway Age // September 2020

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2020 Product & innovations showcase

HUMATICS

RAIL NAVIGATION SYSTEM Partner with Humatics to help your clients modernize their signaling systems. Humatics’ Rail Navigation System is a drop-in replacement for traditional railway odometry sensors such as tachometers, transponders and inductive loops. Humatics’ systems consist of industrial-grade ultra-wideband (UWB) beacons and Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) providing position, speed and acceleration to vital and non-vital carborne systems. Humatics’ Rail Navigation System operates similarly to satellite positioning serving as a “terrestrial satellite” network and works by continually ranging from carborne beacons to a constellation of UWB beacons. Given this architecture, UWB ranging is especially wellsuited to augment GNSS positioning on sections of track with poor or no signal reception. A built-in IMU is included for dead reckoning and to augment system availability. Through its high-availability and ultra-precise UWB localization network, Humatics enables safety-critical train positioning in all environmental conditions for Positive Train Control (PTC), Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) and cab signaling systems. Humatics partnered with MTA New York City Transit to launch the first-ever UWB deployment for train control, outfitting 5.5 miles of track with UWB infrastructure and equipping four trains with UWB radios and IMUs. The successful pilot demonstrated that UWB ranging technology is better suited to NYCT’s 24/7 operation than the conventional CBTC odometry. www.humatics.com

INTERSTATE-MCBEE

REMANUFACTURED GE 7FDL INJECTORS AND FUEL PUMPS Interstate-McBee has been supplying high-quality EMD injectors to the railroad industry for more than 50 years. Now Interstate has brought that experience to the GE (Wabtec) world. Interstate-McBee is proud to offer remanufactured replacement fuel pumps and injectors for the GE 7FDL Tier 1+ locomotives, built with all new critical components to assure peak performance and fuel economy along with EPA Certification to assure emissions compliance.

Together with Interstate’s full line of EMD Mechanical and Electronic Unit Injectors, our GE electronic fuel pumps and injectors are built, assembled and tested in our factory in Cleveland, Ohio. The same facility where we manufacture the components for these units. Certified AARS and ISO 9000-2015, Interstate-McBee provides confidence that all our products perform to the demanding requirements of all our customers, always. Since 1947, serving the needs of the diesel industry with the finest quality fuel injection. interstate-mcbee.com railwayage.com

September 2020 // Railway Age 17

WHEN YOUR BUSINESS RELIES ON RAIL, RELY ON US.

Trust North America’s premier provider of rail transportation solutions to deliver the quality, innovation and expertise you need to meet every business challenge. Every time. Learn more at TrinityRail.com.

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2020 Product & Innovations showcase

KINKISHARYO INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.

EASTERN RAIL DIVISION

KINKISHARYO International, L.L.C.’s Eastern Rail Division delivers a full range of customized and customer-focused products and services on all types of rolling stock and equipment including: overhaul, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, PTC/cab signal installations, bulk transloading, paint jobs, electronic repairs, obsolescence solution service, and more.

We have successfully completed projects for NJ Transit, MTA New York City Transit, Denver (RTD), Seattle (ST), and Boston (MBTA). We are currently working on a Rail Car Life Extension Program for MARTA as well as an MBB Coach Car Refurbishment for Keolis-MBTA. We are conveniently located in Piscataway, N.J., on the Conrail Shared Assets (CSAO) Port Reading Secondary and one mile east of Bound Brook Junction with connections to the CSX West Trenton Line, Norfolk Southern Lehigh Valley Line and NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line. Our building is 145,000 square feet and well-equipped to handle all your maintenance and repair needs. Contact us today for more information or a quote at 1.888.4.SHARYO or BusinessDevelopment@Kinkisharyo.com. You can also visit us online at www.kinkisharyo.com/maintenance.

MAC PRODUCTS, INC.

MBTA-GLX SNOWMELTER HEATING SYSTEM MAC Products, Inc., a leader in heating solutions for the rail and mass transit industries, was recently awarded the contract to provide SwitchPoint Heating Systems for the MBTA’s Green Line Extension (GLX) Project.

MAC’s state-of-the-art system will ensure safe, efficient heating of all track switches on the extended main line between Lechmere and College Avenue stations, along with the new Vehicle Maintenance Facility Yard in Somerville, Mass. MAC’s turnkey package for GLX includes Flat-Profile SwitchPoint heater elements, Wireless Controls, OCS fuse boxes and pedestal-mounted heater junction boxes. The MI-type, flat-profile elements offer a 250% benefit in thermal transmission over older, tubular-type heaters due to increased contact area with stock rails. These low-energy, highly-efficient heaters will lead to reduced operating costs and ensure that maximum surface temperature of the element does not exceed 450°F, eliminating the possibility of dangerous track fires. A single-ended power termination reduces installation labor and material up to 50%. A PLC-based, dual-zone control case provides local and remote control of up to six heating circuits. Wireless remote control and monitoring is accomplished via 900 MHz Frequency-Hopping, Spread-Spectrum Radio. A wide-range input DC-to-DC converter derives system control power from 650VDC traction supply, eliminating the need for a dedicated low-voltage source at each control point. The complete MAC SwitchPoint Heating System, including industry-leading technical and field support, provides the installing contractor and owner with a reliable, service-proven solution for its railheating needs. MAC Products, Inc. is proud to be a supplier to the MBTA’s Green Line Extension Project. www.macproducts.net 20 Railway Age // September 2020

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2020 Product & innovations showcase

NEW YORK BLOWER COMPANY

LOCOMOTIVE BLOWERS AND FANS

The New York Blower Company fans and blowers can be found in locomotives throughout the world. Locomotive blowers typically provide cooling air to critical electrical components, including traction motors, electrical lockers, main generators and various other electrical equipment. Other fans are provided for dynamic braking systems, electrical room filtration/dust control, and loading/offloading bay dust collection systems. Fans can be customized, with a focus on heavy gauge construction and compact designs based on the application. NYB fans supplied for locomotive use are highly engineered and undergo rigorous prototype testing, which may include FEA and CFD modeling, overspeed testing, seismic analysis/testing, modal analysis, and/or air, sound and performance testing in an AMCA-accredited laboratory. Critical testing ensures a longer service life while enduring constant vibration, cycling, temperature fluctuations and elevation changes. NYB proudly carries the AAR M-1003 certificate, which is earned by satisfying the strict requirements put forth by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) quality assurance program. For more information, visit www.nyb.com or call 800.208.7918.

NISUS CORPORATION

QNAP COPPER NAPHTHENATE PRESERVATIVE Railroads across the country are switching their crosstie programs to QNAP Copper Naphthenate as their preservative of choice. Why? Simply put, to improve the safety and longevity of their ties. There are currently more than 4 million QNAP ties in track with another 1 million projected for 2020. Manufactured by Nisus Corporation in the U.S., QNAP is a wood preservative created from recycled copper and made oil-soluble to improve performance. In addition, copper naphthenate contains no dioxins, is not a persistent organic pollutant and contains no carcinogens.

QNAP ties last longer than ties treated with other preservatives; in fact, they last 30% longer than creosote-treated ties. They are also clean to the touch so they’re safer to handle and reduce the chance of burn or skin irritation. There’s less drippage and bleeding with QNAP-treated ties.

Furthermore, ties treated with QNAP can be used as fuel at end-of-life disposal. Why U.S. railroads should be using QNAP: Improved longevity.

Cleaner handling characteristics. Less drippage and bleeding in commercial experience. Cost-effective, non-restricted use preservative. Better efficacy than creosote. Same lubricating properties as creosote. Compatible with Cellu-Treat borate pretreatment. Non-conductive and non-corrosive. AWPA standards U1 section 6C and P36. Allows recycling and energy recovery. nisuscorp.com

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September 2020 // Railway Age 21

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

NVENT ERICO

CADWELD PLUS IMPULSE EXOTHERMIC WELDING IGNITION SYSTEM When it comes to exothermic signal bonds, nVent ERICO Cadweld has been the standard for many decades and is an integral part of signal construction and maintenance.

Improving on the original (traditional) version, nVent ERICO Cadweld Plus for Rail is the new standard in exothermic welding, with features that make it safer, faster and Left image shows an nVent ERICO Cadweld Plus for Rail power bond easier to use. The nVent ERICO Cadweld Plus Impulse Exothermic Welding Ignition setup with the self-contained weld System (control), a new design, features enhanced safety and performance, and is the material package being inserted into the graphite mold. In the middle perfect complement to the Cadweld Plus product line. This new control unit comes image, the weld has just been initiated with the Cadweld Impulse Exothermic with choice of cable lead options that allows the user to stand back at a distance of Welding Ignition System; the weld either 6 or 15 feet from the weld reaction, a significant advantage over the flint gun reaction will commence after the fivesecond count-up (shown on the used in the traditional nVent ERICO Cadweld system that requires the user to stand control unit LED display). Right image shows the exothermic reaction that in close proximity. In addition, ergonomic grip and trigger guard serve to protect creates a permanent molecular bond between the conductor cable and the against accidental discharge, increasing personnel safety in the area. In addition, it has rail web. a visual discharge warning; when the user pulls the trigger there is a five-second delay indicated by LED count-up that provides additional warning that a weld is taking place. An alligator clip design of the termination clearly shows a positive connection in the viewing window, making it easy to visually confirm proper connection with the ignitor strip of the self-contained Cadweld Plus weld material package. With multiple power options, this system ensures users have the energy needed to get the job done. Included in the standard kit, the control unit comes with AA lithium batteries to power approximately 1,200 connections. Also available is a choice of adaptors to connect Milwaukee® 18V or DEWALT® 20V rechargeable batteries that can power as many as 1,500 connections. It meets the requirements of AREMA C&S Manual Recommendations, Part 8.1.34, 2013, and will be replacing the existing “blue” nVent ERICO Cadweld Plus ignition system. www.erico.com

PLASSER AMERICAN

CONTRACTING SERVICES

Today, Plasser American serves all seven Class I railroads and many passenger and transit line railroads within North America.

Our Contracting Services team is positioned to provide an array of contracting services that include quality ballast cleaning; high-speed tamping; dynamic stabilizing; GPR track inspection; track equipment leasing, Operation and Maintenance packages and technical services for specialty machines. Being the OEM, Plasser American’s expertise and diversity gives us the ability to service all aspects of the railroad industry at any scale. Many of our services are characterized by their versatility, quality and reliability. Our strong infrastructure and wide range of support services provide the most efficient response to our customers’ needs. We have more than 50 years of experience providing high-quality ballast-cleaning operations with our RM80-800 and RM80 undercutting fleet. In addition, Plasser American’s RM802 Ballast Cleaning consist is the only system in the industry that allows for pre-dumping of ballast ahead of production undercutting. This system allows for the most “chain time” per work block. Tampers are capable of working directly behind the undercutter without waiting for a ballast train. Plasser American high-speed tamping machines, when combined as one package with our ballastcleaning machines, provide the only ONE SOLUTION ballast-cleaning operation in the railroad industry. www.plasseramerican.com

22 Railway Age // September 2020

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2020 Product & innovations showcase

PROGRESS RAIL

EMD® JOULE BATTERY-POWERED SWITCHER Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, has developed a new battery-powered switcher locomotive, the EMD® Joule, working in collaboration with its South American customer Vale. Progress Rail anticipates global availability of the new switcher locomotive in early 2021. The zero-emission, zero-idle and low-noise EMD® Joule locomotive broadens Progress Rail’s rolling stock portfolio with the latest smart lithium-ion battery technology and reliable performance for instant start within yard applications. The new switcher includes a battery capacity being delivered to Vale of 1.9 megawatt hours, and could reach up to 2.4 megawatt hours with additional options available. The switcher has nominal power up to 3,000 hp, and a run time of up to 24 hours, depending upon charging and utilization. The new EMD® Joule will go into a pilot phase this year, with full service anticipated for Vale soon thereafter, supporting operations at its Tubarão yard. Vale noted that this development “contributes to its ambitious goals of reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 33% (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources) by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050 (indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy). With the multitude of next-generation technologies being introduced, Progress Rail began addressing industry challenges with Vale, along with the company’s collective Brazilian engineering teams and Progress Rail’s U.S.-based locomotive engineers, to deliver a solution with ample power and charging capabilities. www.progressrail.com

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September 2020 // Railway Age 23

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

PS TECHNOLOGY

E•R AnAlyzER™ And QuAlPRo™ New in 2020 are PST’s E•R Analyzer™ for rail incident reconstruction, and QualPro™ for automated qualification management for Class I and II railroads. E•R Analyzer (inset) combines event recorder and track data with a physics engine that recreates in-train physical forces reporting with car-by-car detail. The graphical analytic output lets non-technical viewers easily see exactly where an issue happens within a train. PST’s physics simulation uses a dynamic force model which allows cars to move independently and interact. The calculations also handle L/V forces which predict potential car derailments. QualPro is the culmination of lessons learned from multiple railroads for engineer qualification management along with regulatory requirements. This robust tool set runs via common Web browsers and Web-based dashboards. The most notable accomplishment of QualPro is invisibly automating and connecting so much of what was previously a labor-intensive process, subject to errors. Users can engage any or all of the five modules most important to their operational goals. The five modules are: Work Queue for manager scheduling; Assignment for balancing managers available with TEY employees; Licensing which tracks and reports everything the FRA expects and also includes the printing of plastic cards and mailing; Field Training Evaluation for providing in-the-field managers with employee evaluation information and automatic record updating via mobile devices; and the Certification/Qualification for territorial qualification management and reporting needs. pstechnology.com

RAIL MOVEMENT PLANNER™

REAL-TIME TRAIN SCHEDULING SOLUTION Meet Rail Movement Planner™, our real-time train scheduling solution. With it, your control center becomes the centralized locale to make decisions that will benefit greatly with our solution.

Here’s how we can help you take your operation to a higher level. Constant support to decision-making through operational scenario simulation in real time: make better decisions with improved foresight of any changes in the current traffic plan. Better network regularity with expressive returns on energy efficiency and productivity: faster reactions and more predictable train behavior leads to fewer delays and adjustments that can prevent unnecessary train stoppage. Effective railroad traffic plans aligned to the business’ demands and needs: our solution allows the traffic plan to be devised with the big picture in mind, meaning less conflicts of interest. More effective automated plans allow lessened variance in decision-making, standardizing the planning process, even in case of disruption. From the massive amount of information processed by the solution, numerous training options emerge to foster productivity and detect best practices. Contact us and ask for a demonstration or trial period. Count on us! railmp.com/en/homepage-en/ 24 Railway Age // September 2020

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2020 Product & innovations showcase

RAILINC

CARLOGIX

What if your repair shop could spend more time inspecting and repairing cars? Your job is to keep cars maintained and moving, yet most shops spend hours each month managing billing entry, errors and exceptions. So, we’ve designed a system that eliminates the errors and inefficiencies that take time away from cars. Before switching to CarLogix, one of our short line partners experienced monthly errors, exceptions and hours of billing frustration. Seeking a solution to these issues, they trialed CarLogix. Within three months, CarLogix proved fewer errors, increased billable repairs, and reduced time managing billing. How does CarLogix enable these efficiencies? CarLogix expedites inspection by consolidating equipment health information on a single screen, saving your team time spent searching in multiple systems. If health issues are identified, CarLogix prioritizes repairs and provides recommended actions. As your mechanics work, CarLogix guides repair entry based on AAR rules. Fully Railinc-managed rules and real-time accuracy validations ensure that your team doesn’t submit errors to the Data Exchange. At end-of-month, CarLogix eliminates repetitive tasks by automatically filing to the data exchange, updating alerts, auditing accounts payable files and managing counter billing. CarLogix keeps your shop team moving so that you can keep cars moving. Learn more at www.railinc.com/carlogix

RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY

REMOTE CONNECTIVITY

Railway Equipment Company recently celebrated its 40-year anniversary providing products and services to freight and transit railroads that help them meet the demands of their customers. During the past 15 years, we have been offering remote connectivity to our switch heater product line. By being able to be alerted to a fault condition in real time and diagnose and possibly fix remotely, switch heater uptime is increased while exposure of railroad personnel to dangerous driving conditions has been reduced. The users of this product have measured and observed increase switch reliability during harsh winter events. We are now increasing the scope of this product line to include our other product lines as well as create new products that can leverage this technology to make railroad operations safer and more efficient. Our switch mode charger has multiple capabilities, one being the ability to remotely or locally shut the charger off for a period of time and collect the voltage readings of each individual battery cell to ensure the backup power source is operating as intended. A natural extension for us is the incorporation of remote monitoring in our grade crossing products as well. We have developed a suite of products that are able to continuously monitor crossings for exceptions such as gate lamps not flashing, gate arm not in the correct position, flashers not flashing or out of alignment, and audible crossing bell not functioning. We are excited about being able to work jointly with our customers to make grade crossings safer. www.rwy.com railwayage.com

September 2020 // Railway Age 25

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

SINCLAIR TECHNOLOGIES

SD242 ANTENNAS

Sinclair’s SD242 series is an extremely rugged 2-bay exposed dipole antenna designed for applications where moderate gain is required, and Passive Intermodulation (PIM) interference is a consideration. These premium-quality antennas are well-suited for public safety applications. The design provides for coverage from 118 to 225 MHz in 3 sub-bands, and the 138-174 MHz band is for private mobile networks and public safety. Key features include: Covers the entire 138-174 MHz frequency range. 5 dBd gain with bi-directional pattern. 300-Watt power handling. Can be top- or side-mounted (universal mount). The SD242-L-PIM series provides industry-leading –150 dBC PIM performance. Sinclair offers integrated solutions for all your wireless needs. From design through to the manufacturing process we follow the highest standards in quality and innovation. Our products cover greater than 1 GHz, 800 MHz, UHF, VHF, TETRA, 5G and other bands. Having a broad product range enables us to offer our customers complete one-stop solutions for all their communication needs. Whether you are looking for a single antenna or a complete system, Sinclair has it all. Sinclair offers more than 2,000 different products including Base Station Antennas, Mobile/Transit Antennas, Covert Antennas, 5G Antennas, Filters, Receiver Multicouplers, and Accessories. We also specialize in developing custom products and systems as per the customer’s unique specifications. Our industry-leading designs have set the standards for quality, innovation and durability. sinctech.com

26 Railway Age // September 2020

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2020 Product & innovations showcase

STRATO INC.

SELECTIVE CUSHIONING UNIT STRATO’s Selective Cushioning Unit (SCU) is designed to be a more durable and adaptable direct replacement for hydraulic cushioning units. Its innovative, neutral-seeking design and broad buff and draft protection delivers a dual benefit of improved train handling and lower cost of ownership. By minimizing the “run-in” and “run-out” action associated with hydraulic cushioning units, the SCU eliminates the high in-train forces that frequently occur on undulating grades due to free slack. This greatly reduces knuckle breakage and hose separations that can often occur in a consist with hydraulically cushioned cars. The improved train handling and control provided by SCU’s neutral-seeking design allows greater flexibility when arranging the cars and loads in the train consist. Longer, heavier trains with STRATO SCU-equipped cars improve operating ratios through reduced crew starts and by eliminating operational delays for train separations caused by hydraulically cushioned cars. STRATO SCU’s non-hydraulic cushioning design has a lower cost of ownership; the average service life between maintenance is 2 to 4 times longer than hydraulic cushioning units, and labor and maintenance rebuild costs are significantly lower. Additionally, it reduces the damage that can occur to lading and the railcar when draft snap and/or hydraulic unit failure occurs. Retrofit costs of the STRATO SCU into existing hydraulic-cushioned railcars are minimal, as the SCU is designed to fit most existing draft pockets. www.stratoinc.com

STRUKTON RAIL

OCS WIRE SCAN

The Strukton Wire Scan is a ground-breaking solution for the measurement of overhead catenary systems (OCS). The solution provides rail operators with the highest standard in contact wire measurement technology. Output data includes thickness, height, stagger and dynamics of the wires. The Strukton Wire Scan is available for use on electrified rail networks (via OCS), such as light rail and streetcar systems. The Strukton Wire Scan uses advanced scanning technology to automatically and accurately measure the position and condition of overhead catenary, reducing the need for manual, physical inspections. The high level of accuracy and data acquisition rate of the system and ability to customize algorithms to customer-specific monitoring thresholds makes the system one of a kind. Using the output data from the automated scan, Strukton Rail provides detailed information back to network operators from which informed and reliable maintenance decisions can be made. The information captured throughout the analysis is displayed in a GIS interface; the datasets are symbolized and labeled within the platform and can be color-coded according to threshold settings. The Strukton Wire Scan is a modular setup and can be combined with the Strukton Track Scan module, which is a cost-effective automated solution for accurate measurement of track. strukton.com/en/rail railwayage.com

September 2020 // Railway Age 27

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

TEKTRACKING

CROSSING SAFETY PRODUCTS TekTracking develops innovative Safety & Asset Management technology products for passenger and freight railroads worldwide. We are partnered with Class I railroads to deliver products to enhance grade crossing safety. The goal of these products is to facilitate continuous health monitoring of grade crossings and provide realtime testing of crossing equipment operation. Primary ROI factors are 1) Improving safety through continuous crossing monitoring, 2) Reduction in manual crossing inspections, and 3) Detecting and alerting on blocked crossing events. TekTracking’s patentpending Safety Light Monitor (SLM) is a multi-sensor device designed to monitor the integrity of a safety light. It replaces the periodic inspection of a safety light from a vehicle and pedestrian perspective. The SLM is equipped with five sensors for remote sensing, analyzing and reporting real-time data on performance of safety lights such as light intensity and flash rate. The SLM mounts inconspicuously under the sunshield of any signal or crossing warning light.

TekTracking’s Gate Light Monitor detects the crossing gate arm position during transition and observes the flashing and non-flashing lights on the gate. The GLM also detects blocked crossings, calculates how long the gate is blocked, and through on-board artificial intelligence, can determine the lead locomotive identification number. Multiple GLM video feeds can be stitched together to achieve a 360° view of the crossing. The GLM and SLM operate in concert to provide alerts to maintenance personnel in the event of any warning light failure. tektracking.com

THERMOMEGATECH

GURU PLUG AND GURU PC VALVE During frigid weather, locomotive engine coolant tanks and passenger car potable water-bearing systems are in danger of freezing, resulting in expansive damage, lengthy repairs and interrupted schedules. ThermOmegaTech designs and manufactures freeze protection drain valves for locomotives and passenger cars to prevent freeze-ups and keep trains running on time all winter long. The GURU Plug is a thermostatic, selfactuating drain valve that monitors and responds to engine coolant water temperature. Installed at the system’s lowest point, when water temperatures fall to the GURU’s set-point, the plug snaps open and drains the system before freezing can occur. Once the GURU Plug is warmed and reinserted, the locomotive can be refilled and returned to service. For passenger car potable water systems, the GURU PC freeze protection valve utilizes the same dependable thermostatic technology as the GURU Plug but instead of water, the GURU PC valve monitors ambient temperatures. If a passenger car’s heat is turned off and ambient temperatures fall toward freezing, the GURU PC Valve automatically drains the potable water-bearing system before freeze damage can occur. Once the car is restarted and heat is restored, the GURU PC modulates closed and the potable water system can be refilled. The GURU Plug and GURU PC Valve both utilize thermostatic wax actuator technology to quickly and reliably modulate the valves in response to a narrow temperature range. Completely mechanical, both the GURU Plug and GURU PC Valve are designed to operate without a source of electricity, so a power outage won’t compromise freeze protection. www.thermomegatech.com 28 Railway Age // September 2020

railwayage.com

2020 Product & innovations showcase

TRACKMOBILE

SPARTAN RAILCAR MOVER The Spartan is the latest offering from Trackmobile, the creator of the original bimodal mobile railcar mover. Unlike the other models in the Trackmobile line-up, which focus on raw strength, the Spartan is a smaller, lighter machine, ideal for applications that might not warrant the size and tractive effort of a larger machine.

Weighing in at roughly 10% lighter than the next smallest model, and a full 63% lighter than the largest, the Spartan is agile and efficient, bringing the performance of a Trackmobile at a fraction of the size and operating cost. And smaller size doesn’t mean compromising on ergonomics or usability! The Spartan uses the same cab style as the Atlas and Titan models, which increases visibility and maximizes deck space, providing plenty of room for operators and service techs to maneuver, by keeping machine parts under the deck. Along with its surface-level differences, the Spartan also benefits from an updated software system with a streamlined user interface, making it easier than ever to take advantage of features like remote telematics monitoring. The Spartan is the ideal solution for a small application that might normally default to used machinery or even non-purpose-built equipment for railcar movement. With the quality of a brand-new machine, the reliability of a Trackmobile and all the advantages of the latest technology, the Spartan offers the features that count, without the price tag. trackmobile.com

TRAINYARD TECH LLC

CLASSMASTER™

The Classmaster™ system from Trainyard Tech has been controlling humping operations safely and accurately for more than 15 years, increasing throughput efficiency and providing detailed, useable analytics. What exactly does the Classmaster™ hump system do? Once a car is uncoupled at the top of the hump, it is rolling freely down the hill, gaining speed, increasing momentum, completely uncontrolled until Classmaster™ takes over, gently nudging it or forcefully slowing it down, measuring its weight, height and resistance; calculating and recalculating speeds and distances as they change in real time, empowering devices to retard, or allow it to speed up, to throw switches to line a route and ensure that it enters the correct track through the many choices in the yard; avoiding full tracks and obstructed tracks; compensating on-thefly for the unexpected: brakes that stay on, contaminated tracks and, finally, ensuring that it reaches the designated final track at a speed that just allows for a soft coupling. That is what the Classmaster™ system does, and has done, for more than 100 million cars since 2005. How does Trainyard Tech, LLC accomplish this? By creating and continually refining very sophisticated and complex algorithms for stall detection, stall protection, anti-cornering, hump engine speed control, look ahead logic, automatic calibration, special car handling and more. We continue to respond to the changing needs of the railroad industry by constantly improving and adding abilities and transparency to the Classmaster™ system and its reporting programs. We work closely with each customer to streamline the system’s abilities to their unique needs. Contact us at www.trainyardtech.com railwayage.com

September 2020 // Railway Age 29

2020 Product & Innovations showcase

TRIMBLE RAILWAY GMBH

GEDO IMS-SCAN

The Trimble® GEDO IMS-Scan system enables high-resolution recording of track position and surroundings of the track. Collected data forms the basis of BIM-compliant planning, as-built documentation for GIS systems and final inspections after the completion of construction projects. In addition, clearance control can be carried out based on current track position or based on a new route. The Trimble GEDO IMS-Scan system combines the Trimble GEDO CE 2.0 track measurement trolley with the Trimble GEDO IMU unit and a laser scanner. The Trimble GEDO IMS-Scan is a highly accurate multi-sensor system based on inertial measurement technology.

This guarantees very high internal measurement accuracy. Using data from the laser scanner, georeferencing is performed using fixed points along the route. The result is a high-resolution, absolutely referenced 3D point cloud, and documentation of the track position. The use of inertial measurement technology means that classic geodetic sensors are not required, which greatly increases productivity. In contrast to rail-bound solutions, the system is uniquely flexible, and unlike other systems can be used effectively for smaller projects as well as larger ones. www.trimble-railway.com

WI-TRONIX®

VIOLET EDGE FUEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTION As the second-largest railroad operating expense, fuel is always a focus for cost-reduction opportunities that can have a significant impact on the bottom line. Answering the question, “Do I really know how much fuel my locomotives have and how efficiently they are operating?” is not always easy unless reliable and dedicated fuel measurement technology is installed, properly maintained and operating on virtually all high-horsepower locomotives used to pull main line freight. Leading railways are tapping into the benefits of connected platforms to make huge strides forward in fuel management. With real-time, full-fleet information at their fingertips, coupled with cost-effective analytics tools, rail operators are seeing great returns on technology investment. Fleet-wide monitoring of fuel consumption includes analytics of train operation efficiency, comparison reports, fuel refill tracking, and complete train reporting for all locomotives. The Wi-Tronix® fleet agnostic Violet Edge Fuel Management Solution provides real-time, accurate, reliable data and diagnostics on such parameters as locomotive idling time and fuel tank levels, as well as comparisons among asset and crew data from HPTT, APU, AESS, EMS and other systems. With Violet Edge, railroad personnel are able to make real-time adjustments for optimal fuel consumption, ultimately decreasing fuel costs and increasing operating efficiencies. www2.wi-tronix.com 30 Railway Age // September 2020

railwayage.com

2020 Product & innovations showcase

ZTR

PIVOT™ Get a clear picture of your fleet performance with PIVOT™, the advanced railcar remote monitoring solution from ZTR in partnership with BlackBerry™. It is designed to help reduce expenses related to the purchase, operation and maintenance of railcars with a clear picture of how they are underused, overused or misused. This allows for directed ongoing maintenance, right-sizing the fleet and getting the most asset value. ZTR Pivot offers full flexibility to maximize investment, including longer-lasting batteries, so even with frequent reporting, they last for years without any additional maintenance requirements; customizable solutions that deliver accurate, reliable and frequent information across your fleet; expandability from simple monitoring to complex fleet management data to meet business needs; intuitive, user-friendly platform and easy-toinstall rugged hardware; and knowing where assets are, understanding dwell and cycle times, and reducing lost railcars. With its innovative features and advanced options, railways can avoid downtime, prioritize maintenance requirements, increase reliability and more. Backed by ZTR’s decades of railway and telematics expertise, and the strength of BlackBerry’s industry-leading communication, battery management and security capabilities, Pivot gives railways unparalleled visibility into their fleet to optimize asset utilization and realize huge efficiency gains. www.ztr.com

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September 2020 // Railway Age 31

MACHINE VISION Combining technologies like high-speed cameras and sensors with sophisticated algorithms, machine vision is taking fault detection to a new level.

YOU CAN FIX

WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE

W

hether it’s the track structure or the equipment that operates on it, there are many things that the naked eye cannot readily see. Increasingly, machine vision technology is becoming the best way to identify potential flaws before they lead to failures.

“The various machine vision technologies deployed detect thousands of conditions each year that could potentially lead to accidents,” says Robert Coakley, Director of Business Development, ENSCO Rail. Compared to manual visual inspections, he says, autonomous machine vision offers advantages of speed, reduced track occupancy, inspection frequency and consistency. The equipment is installed on revenue service trains, can perform inspections at track speed and does not require the additional occupancy of a hi-rail vehicle.

32 Railway Age // September 2020

“ENSCO’s image evaluation processes apply a consistent standard and present track condition in a strip chart format to enable data trending and data modeling,” Coakley says. “This approach provides customers the ability to apply a consistent standard to image review and further allows for images to be evaluated over multiple inspections to create trend data analytics.”

He adds that ENSCO uses high-resolution camera systems and practical machine vision algorithms and applies advanced image processing techniques such as deep learning to detect objects and features. The result is “highspeed and quality track imaging systems that provide extremely reliable image acquisition and processing capabilities for comprehensive track inspection and evaluation.”

Kim Bowling, Director Car Monitoring & Diagnostics, CSX, says that on the rail side, her company uses two types of machine vision systems: targeted machine vision and wholecar imaging systems. The former uses “very

optimized lighting and optics to help us look at a single component. Our whole-car imaging system is called a Train Inspection Portal, and today it uses 17 cameras to image the entire train as it passes at track speed,” she says.

Gary Van Tassel, Director Intermodal Ops Planning & Network Design, CSX, says on the intermodal side, the railroad has “deployed 60 optical character recognition portals across the majority of our intermodal network. These are sort of a rapidly evolving system … right now we’re capturing all camera angles—coming in and out of the terminal—and storing those for identification of damages.”

Van Tassel adds that on the crane automation side, CSX is using myriad machine vision tools, “whether it’s LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), lasers, or OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to identify obstacles and ultimately guide our automated cranes, which run about 80% in an automated state.”

Rail solutions company Trimble’s Beena railwayage.com

BNSF

BY ANDREW CORSELLI, MANAGING EDITOR

MACHINE VISION

Vision range of vision-based wayside noncontact measurement and inspection technologies aim to enable the automated, proactive monitoring of rolling stock condition, providing data feeds that can be processed to effectively assess rolling stock condition from component level to full train inspection. The solution suite includes, but is not limited to: Imaging units to inspect almost all rolling stock components visible while a train is in motion; MVAs (Machine Vision Algorithms) to process and provide information related to those images; and databases and user interfaces to access and view data with short- and longterm information for trending and prediction.

“Our solutions are designed to capture data for specific components, and based on the type of measurement and inspection carried out, Trimble Beena Vision systems use the relevant sensor technology to ensure high quality and accuracy of image and data outputs,” says Ken Vilardebo, Director of Engineering. railwayage.com

HOW IT WORKS Class I BNSF began its use of machine vision systems (MVS) with its network of wayside detectors to reduce rail equipment incidents and service interruptions. Specifically, its mechanical experts and data scientists sought to spot trends with the urgency of equipment repairs to indicate when maintenance should occur. The technology works, explains John Martin, Director, Technology Services, by using artificial intelligence (AI) in combination with MVS to analyze equipment images and identify small defects before they lead to larger problems, such as equipment failure.

“Today’s AI models have advanced with increases in computer processing capabilities,” Martin says. “With these advances, we have integrated BNSF’s Mechanical Image Driven Analytics System (MIDAS) with an equipment monitoring quality system that allows us to easily cross-reference MVS information with other data from our network of 4,000 sensors that monitor rolling stock across the BNSF network.”

CSX’s Bowling notes that algorithms “are the key piece of logic that help us sort out these images and determine, is it a picture of the correct component, and then, is it a good component or a defective component? We work with different companies to help us create these algorithms. Machine Learning (ML) is a computer tool that uses multiple images to help train the model and generate the algorithm.

Before we can create the model, we have to have hundreds of images of a component.

CSX’s Van Tassel adds that intermodal uses similar technology for a different but related application. “Using doors as an example,” he says, “when we’re automating our cranes and the machine is deciding which way to orient the container—obviously you have to position the container doors on the back of the truck— that’s a relatively quick and simple decision for a human operator, to be able to press a button to take them and orient it correctly. We use a similar sort of neural network where we are showing hundreds, if not thousands, of images of the front side of the container and the door side, which are a slightly different configuration. Doors have lock handles and bars to gain access to the container. We’re showing it a bunch of pictures of the front and back.

And then the algorithms come in and begin to learn that configuration, allowing the machine to actually reorient the container vs. having to wait for human intervention.”

Coakley says that ENSCO applies advanced technologies such as autonomous inspection, AI, ML, signal and image processing and data analytics in an effort to “provide the rail industry the best possible tools to ensure track and rolling stock safety, increase productivity and efficiency and reduce operating cost.”

ENSCO Rail’s Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System (ATGMS) uses autonomous track inspection sensors and technology. The ATGMS units are installed onboard revenue service vehicles; data is then streamed wirelessly off the revenue vehicle to a cloud-based server where automated AI algorithms review the data, filter out false positives and send alerts in near real-time. ENSCO has deployed more than 25 ATGMS systems, including multiple systems operating across four North American Class I railroads. Since March 1, 2020, ENSCO ATGMS systems have inspected more than 340,000 miles, helping railroads maintain critical infrastructure during the COVID19 pandemic when manual inspections were not possible/advisable.

ENSCO’s Autonomous Joint Bar Imaging System (AJBIS) continuously collects joint bar images, which are evaluated using deep learning algorithms. Exceptions are identified and streamed wirelessly to the cloud where customer alerts are distributed. The company’s Autonomous Rail Surface Imaging System (ARSIS) continuously collects images of the top of the rail. These images are evaluated using deep learning algorithms that identify excessive surface damage. ENSCO’s Autonomous Track Component Imaging System (ATCIS) continuously collects images of the track bed, including fasteners and ties.

These images are evaluated using deep learning algorithms that identify missing/broken fasteners, skewed or broken sleepers, missing rail anchors, etc.

All these technologies identify exceptions and stream them wirelessly to the cloud, where customer alerts are distributed.

Trimble Beena Vision solutions’ Vilardebo says that “in the application of machine vision technology using wayside detectors there are three key phases: image data acquisition, image and data processing, and fault detection and alarm generation. MVS technology is installed on and around tracks where environmental conditions can be extreme. Image quality and fidelity must be independent of environmental September 2020 // Railway Age 33

ENSCO Autonomous Rail Surface Inspection utilizing ML/AI to automatically evaluate rail surface damage converts rail surface condition to a strip chart output.

conditions such as lighting, temperature, precipitation, etc., for the successful deployment of vision-based systems. Proper lighting is the second significant factor. After capturing, labeling and storing images, Machine Vision Algorithms (MVAs) are then deployed to process the images and create the relevant information for the identified components.

The final stage of data and image processing is deciding which outputs of MVAs are used to create different levels of warnings and alarms.”

“MVA-based alarms are either instantaneous, planning level, or trend-based,” Vilardebo says. “Instantaneous alarms can be generated to indicate significant failure modes such as coupler securement failure, a broken center sill or a condemnable wheel.

In these cases, depending on the applicable rules, the train may have to be stopped immediately for urgent corrective action. In other, less urgent cases such as a bearing cap bolt missing or a broken truck spring, the train is usually moved to a more appropriate location for repairs. Planning level information refers to the identification of less serious conditions that do require maintenance to be planned and executed in certain timeframes. These types of events could refer to, for instance, minor structural damage, missing earth straps on cars or other events that can be dealt with when ‘next in shop.’

“Trend-based alarms are usually created based on relatively slowly changing measurements of an asset, where the trend of the change indicates a possible fault. Trendbased alarms are usually generated from a 34 Railway Age // September 2020

database where all historical data is available and analyzed periodically. Alarms and alerts from Trimble Beena Visions systems can be viewed and managed using one of Trimble’s machine vision condition monitoring data management solutions, Trimble® WISE (Wayside Inspection System Environment) or Trimble® TrainWatch, which are sophisticated software applications for detector data visualizations and analysis.”

Trimble® WISE is a condition-monitoring data management platform that aims to provide a unified environment for wayside detector data. Trimble® TrainWatch is a virtual train inspection portal that provides a comprehensive environment for train inspectors to inspect a full train using data gathered by wayside equipment. Existing Trimble automated inspection algorithms are also supported within the TrainWatch environment, which allows some required inspections to be managed using automated algorithms “making the virtual inspection process even faster,” Vilardebo says.

WHEN TO USE IT Martin says BNSF is currently leveraging MIDAS at five locations across its network, monitoring seven main line tracks to specifically identify broken or cracked wheels. These systems capture data from approximately 250 trains per day, producing more than 650,000 wheel images. The system processes images trackside and transmits defects to BNSF’s Network Operations Center 24 hours a day, allowing for alerts to its Mechanical team,

which then reviews the images of potential defects and makes necessary repairs.

“Ultimately, these preventative systems allow our Mechanical team to make repairs at shops rather than pulling cars out of service in the field, which keeps our network fluid and reduces service interruptions,” Martin says.

“We are currently expanding MIDAS to three additional locations and have plans for future sites. We are continually developing our MVS models to expand the number of components undergoing inspection.”

“This technology has been evolving for the past 15 to 20 years for containers, from the marine industry into intermodal,” CSX’s Van Tassel says. “The initial systems were reactive, basically looking at high-resolution images and hopefully capturing the container number. As the technology evolved, it has become less and less reactive. And what Kim’s doing on her side is looking at the proactive identification of defects. That’s really where the technology is starting to go very rapidly.”

Vilardebo agrees that the practice has come a long way, saying that on both the hardware and software fronts, MVS technologies have matured over the years. “On the hardware side, cameras are more robust with higher resolutions, higher frame rates and more sensitive sensors,” he says. “This helps even in lowlight conditions, resulting in better inspection results. Illumination technology has also evolved to provide longer-lasting and more powerful lighting options. On the software side, there has been an explosion of new algorithms since the advent of Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)-based deep learning. Using deep learning algorithms, inspections can be done faster and with a much higher accuracy. This evolution in inspection algorithms paves the way toward the goal of fully automated train inspection.”

Coakley adds that the rise of Big Data has helped drive interest in autonomous systems, as with the increase in inspection frequency comes an increase in track data and a new opportunity to visualize and analyze data.

“ENSCO’s approach to image processing extends the effectiveness of the track condition imagery by converting the image to a condition index value and integrated within ENSCO Rail Data Analytics Solutions, thus helping users optimize maintenance and renewal planning, reduce risks through earlier identification of track defects and improve rail network safety,” he says. railwayage.com

ENSCO

MACHINE VISION

MACHINE VISION

PATENT APPLIED FOR

FUTURE VISION Vilardebo believes that as more operators in the rail industry start looking to digitization to reduce costs and streamline processes, digitization initiatives “will inevitably result in significant data volumes that require smart processing and analytics to provide actionable intelligence. Deriving actionable insight from data is the key to improving efficiency and reliability across an operator’s organization. Via faster enhanced data preparation and contextualization, and the application of intelligent analytics, data can be modeled to show trends and patterns that would otherwise remain hidden.”

Coakley adds that railroads face two principal challenges: scheduling critical track activities within limited track time without impacting revenue service, and accomplishing that within budget. More advancements in the field will do just that, he believes. “The integration of advanced technology such as AI and ML offer unprecedented opportunities for planning efficiency and significant maintenance

Multiple Trimble Beena Vision systems installed as part of an inspection “super site.”

cost savings,” he says. “By integrating these technologies across the entire continuum of asset monitoring and maintenance planning, railroad maintenance engineers are realizing improved safety and fewer revenue service disruptions. In short, the demand for machine

OFF THE R AILS See test and easy installation videos: aldonco.com/ST-2

vision and autonomous technology continues to grow as railroads seek creative ways to accomplish track inspection more efficiently and accurately with less impact on operations and budget.”

The railroads are on board.

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September 2020 // Railway Age 35

TTCI R&D

FOR NS, TORFC = LOW RCF Under certain conditions, top-of-rail friction control will result in significantly less rolling contact fatigue.

D

uring a recent two-year period, engineers from Norfolk Southern (NS) and Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) evaluated rail performance on four curves on the NS Whitethorne District, near Roanoke, Va., during two periods of 39 to 40 MGT (million gross ton) traffic accumulation. The objective was to document RCF (rolling contact 36 Railway Age // September 2020

fatigue) development, rail friction, and rail wear as influenced by the TORFC (top-ofrail friction control) materials NS currently uses. The rails were ground at the beginning of the test and again halfway through the test in April 2017, with the intent of producing similar conditions, after which a 39-40 MGT monitoring effort commenced, each with a different TORFC product.1,2 The curve rails differed by rail mill, age and wear.

Based on rail wear data and coefficients of friction values, both TORFC materials were most effective on the curve with TOR applicators placed nearby, and less effective on a downstream curve. Observations suggested TORFC is less effective in inhibiting RCF formation and growth on rail with pre-existing surface cracks than on rail without any pre-existing surface cracks. Rail performance for the two TORFC materials railwayage.com

William C. Vantuono

BY ANANYO BANERJEE, PH.D., PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.

HIGH CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY

Tamping Technology The Plasser heavy-duty, high speed, continuous action switch and production track tamping machine 09-2X DYNACAT is capable of tamping one or two ties at a time with an integrated dynamic track stabilizer. Tamping and lifting units are mounted on a separate satellite frame attached to the main frame. While the satellite indexes two ties during the actual work process (lifting, lining, cross-leveling, and tamping), the machine’s main frame with stabilizer system moves smoothly and continuously. Equipped with AGGS, ATLAS, PLC CAN bus control system, and it‘s unique design and construction allows the 09-2X DYNACAT to achieve production rates of up to 4,200 ft.

www.plasseramerican.com ”Plasser & Theurer“, ”Plasser“ and ”P&T“ are internationally registered trademarks

TTCI R&D

Figure 1. Rail surface condition at start (top) and end (bottom) of the second phase with the second TORFC material.

Results from other long-term evaluations on new rails where the application of TORFC materials started immediately after installation indicated TORFC allowed little or no RCF to develop, compared to identical rails installed nearby that were not subjected to TORFC, and which did develop significantly more RCF.3,4

William C. Vantuono

was evaluated for wear using MiniProf rail profiles, for surface conditions using dye and penetrant, and for rail friction measurements by tribometer during monitoring of TORFC material usage. One curve (control) was not protected by any TORFC application system, and the other three curves had varying amounts of TORFC material applied.

Throughout testing, TORFC material application amounts varied between sites; thus, effectiveness may not have been uniform throughout the evaluation. After 39-40 MGT in the first phase, RCF tended to become more severe and dense at the middle and end of the curves, suggesting the first TORFC material became less effective farther into the curve and away from the TORFC applicators. The second TORFC material did not fully prevent RCF from forming or growing.

After grinding for the start of this second phase, rails exhibited more cracks than at the start of the first phase. Both TORFC materials did not appear to accelerate spalling at existing cracks. Of the three curves exposed to TORFC, two exhibited more deterioration due to RCF on the high rail than on the low rail. Although TORFC materials were applied to both rails at each applicator site, both materials appeared to help the low rail more than the high rail—which might be related to the specific train operating conditions on this track. No adverse top-of-rail coefficients of rail friction were measured; all readings were at or higher than AREMArecommended minimum values.

The top photo in Figure 1 shows the rail surface condition at the middle of one test curve after grinding and conclusion of the first phase of testing. The rail had existing gage corner RCF, and grinding did not remove the RCF completely. The same location is shown after the end of the second

38 Railway Age // September 2020

railwayage.com

William C. Vantuono

TTCI R&D

phase with the second TORFC material in Figure 1’s bottom photo. Minor pitting started in the center of the top of rail, but gage corner RCF has not changed much since the start of the second phase. This shows that the second TORFC material did not accelerate RCF growth or development.

REFERENCES 1. Banerjee, A., K. Conn, B. Kerchof, and R. Reiff, December 2017, “Effects of Top-of-Rail Friction Control

2.

Materials on Rail in Revenue Service,” Technology Digest, TD17035. Association of American Railroads, Pueblo, Colo.

Banerjee, A., K. Conn, B. Kerchof, and R. Reiff, November 2018, “Topof-Rail Friction Control Material Influence on Rolling Contact Fatigue and Rail Wear in Revenue Service,” Technology Digest, TD18031. Association of American Railroads, Pueblo, Colo.

3.

4.

Reiff, R., and K. Conn, August 2011, “Implementing Top-of-Rail Friction Control on Norfolk Southern Preliminary Results of Rail Wear Rates,” Technology Digest, TD11027. Association of American Railroads, Pueblo, Colo.

Reiff, R., June 2007, “Wayside-Based Top-of-Rail Friction Control: 95 MGT Update,” Technology Digest, TD07-019, Association of American Railroads, Pueblo, Colo.

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September 2020 // Railway Age 39

LIGHT RAIL 2020 PRESENTED BY RAILWAY AGE AND RT&S

PLANNING, ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS KEYNOTE ADDRESS TOM PRENDERGAST

Executive Vice President & Americas Transit Leader AECOM

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Transit Focus: Seattle-Tacoma ANALYTICS

DIGITALIZING INTERLINE SETTLEMENTS How a cloud-based ISS can change the game for railroads.

T

he average freight railroad conducts thousands of interline settlements representing a significant portion of business revenue. Yet, the push to drive down working capital requirements, reduce outstanding and overdue claims mired in lengthy dispute resolution cycles and accelerate revenue recognition faces headwinds related to limitations of legacy interline settlements in most Class I, II and III railroads.

THE STATE OF ISS For decades, all railroads engaging in the settlement process with another railroad have been required to transact settlements through Railinc’s Central Interline Settlement System (CISS). Railinc provides a marketplace framework to help complete the transactions, which require Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) messages to be exchanged among partner railroads. Railinc also serves as a central clearinghouse, and funds are transferred through the Railroad Clearing House (RCH) after the back and forth transactions result in concurrence.

In case of disputes, Railinc serves to mediate, but disputes can drag on for months, resulting in delayed cashflows for railroads. Short lines face limitations in resources to invest in railwayage.com

BY RAJEEV KAK, CLOUDMOYO the expensive EDI infrastructure needed for executing ISS transactions directly against their own railroad reporting mark and often rely on their Class I partners to participate in the ISS (Interline Settlement System) and handle car movements and produce waybills in line with interchange agreements.

Railinc’s Rate EDI Network (REN) streamlines existing best practices and helps improve accuracy and timing of settlements. With REN, an interline railroad or a local carrier can broker, negotiate and publish its own freight rates. However, disputes may arise due to varying interpretations by the participating railroads, resulting in unpaid invoices or delayed settlements. If railroads can stay compliant with Railinc’s Front Matter and the Railway Accounting Rules, they have an avenue for mitigating disputes with partner railroads.

1960S LEGACY INFRASTRUCTURE In 1968, a group of railroads concerned about the quality of inter-company communication and exchange of transportation data created a consortium to find a solution. This organization, the TDCC (Transportation Data Coordinating Committee), led to early standards that paved the way to ANSI X12 and finally, modern EDI standards. EDI has become very

popular in the haulage and transportation industry, since it makes communication easy for all partners in the supply chain of delivering goods from origin to destination. The downside is that it requires expensive VAN (Value Added Network) infrastructure and dedicated servers to exchange EDI messages, limiting the ability of less affluent transportation chain partners like short lines to participate independently.

LATENCY ADOPTING DIGITAL There are newer digital technologies enabling data exchange using XML (eXtensible Markup Language) messages that require no more than an internet connection and a regular desktop or a laptop computer. However, without an industry-wide digitalization initiative to adopt newer messaging technologies, railroads cannot make the transition from the 1960s technology still in place.

The latest Blockchain technology disintermediates the marketplace players and enables a low-cost framework for all railroads and transportation partners to exchange information seamlessly. BiTA (Blockchain in Transport Alliance) is a more recent initiative that holds promise in terms of creating transparency in the supply chain, and it is encouraging September 2020 // Railway Age 41

ANALYTICS to see most of the Class I railroads and Railinc as members, even though interline settlements have not been considered so far.

In a late-2019 CloudMoyo survey, we documented several challenges cited by railroads. Most railroad executives attributed these challenges to legacy infrastructure, lack of analytics, manual workarounds for concurrence and lack of flexibility in dispute resolution capabilities.

The average settlement can take a minimum of 60 days and up to one year to complete. Overcharge claims are on the rise.

Dispute resolution management requires a great deal of manual effort for retrieving pricing details or revenue waybill parameters. Due to limited or no automation, a great deal of time is spent on accounting audits. There is minimal access to the data required for dispute resolution, creating a huge dependency on other departments to provide information that, when available, is often found to be in disparate formats and lacking easy report interpretation.

Railroads are not leveraging today’s

technologies or don’t have resources to provide the required technical support.

Use of older mainframe-based technologies creates frequent down time, and few possess the expertise to service these older systems.

There is limited expertise for ISS Front Matter and Railway Accounting Rules.

IT skill sets related to older technologies (mainframes, AS400 systems) are scarce, and lack of IT support adds to the delays from dependency on them. With almost no automation, most railroads are reduced to time-consuming, manual data entry.

Docket IDs are generated manually, which leads to duplication in efforts when railroads need to create similar pricing dockets.

A NEXT-GEN ISS The current legacy systems have proved inflexible. Simply, digitalization of the ISS process will transform an almost 80% manual process today to an automated one where concurrences can be as high as 97%. How does a digital, cloud-based ISS change the game?

Centralized cloud-based data and

software: The move toward adoption of cloud-based software integrated with existing legacy and business systems is increasing. This is largely on account of a centralized data repository that is accessible anytime, anywhere and can be configured with the right role-based user experience designed to deliver immediate productivity boosts and operational efficiencies for railroads. This is true for interline settlements as well. Enabling centralized data access and avoiding dependencies on multiple other departments to collate the information to process the settlement accelerates the settlement process and reduces the revenue recognition cycle by as much as 50%, in full compliance with Railinc requirements.

Configurable role-based user experience: An intuitive user interface, easy role-based information access and seamless workflows designed to streamline the ISS process are key to ensuring fast adoption of the nextgeneration solution, but also contribute to a 30-35% productivity increase, since all relevant information is available in the context

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

RAIL GROUP From RAILWAY AGE, Railway Age,RT&S RT&S and and IRJ IRJ NEWS http://bit.ly/rail_news ROUND-UP of NEWS STORIES FROM:

42 RA_RailGroupNews_Half_Sift_2019.indd Railway Age // September 2020 1

3/4/19 1:04 PM railwayage.com

ANALYTICS of the business process and the decision flow. The admin can assign worklists or tasks to different personnel with eligible access levels and even assign priorities if immediate action is warranted.

Automation of concurrences: A large percentage of the deviations in rated waybills and associated settlement claims among partner railroads are not significant enough to merit the back-and-forth process of resolution. Establishing tolerances and automating clearance of such deltas in interpretations within the tolerance limits saves manual effort and reduces huge delays of about 25-30 days down to resolution and settlement within one day. Manual effort for dispute resolution is only required where the deviations exceed tolerance limits.

Smart workflows for dispute resolution: Productivity tools for root cause analysis such as one-click comparisons among rated waybills from partner railroads help identify the causal factors for the disputed amounts. With the right settlement analysis, the dispute resolution cycle reduces by

as much as 60-80%. Seamless workflows with the ability to keep track of document versions, redlines and communication logs with partner railroads facilitate faster reconciliations and easy audits to rationalize the settlement decisions. Intelligent notifications and aging reports are additional capabilities that can help railroads determine trade-offs and resolve disputes.

Interactive intelligent dashboards and predictive analytics: ISS applications data can be leveraged through embedded visualization tools that create additional insights to strategically evaluate the health of revenue settlement cycles—analyzing dispute incidences by partner or by dispute types. With a better understanding of the operational areas where the rating interpretations by different railroads may be responsible for the higher frequency of disputes, railroads can take appropriate actions to clarify the negotiated charges or calculations to ultimately quell disputes.

Simply combining time-value-of-money calculations with historical regression

1_2pgHorzWrkStTraining2019.qxp_Layout 1 7/17/19 10:00 AM Page 1

analysis or utilizing machine learningbased predictive values for expected dispute resolution time by partners can help railroads optimize the concurrence tolerances at a granular level—by partners, by dispute codes and by locations/stations.

The opportunities to accelerate cash flows by leveraging intelligent settlement processing efficiencies can eventually accelerate revenue cycles, reduce outstanding and overdue receivables, and consequently reduce working capital for railroad operations.

Rajeev Kak is Vice President of Marketing and Industry Solutions at CloudMoyo.

He has more than 20 years of experience in enterprise solutions for supply chain and transportation management. CloudMoyo’s vision is to provide the leading railroad transportation management platform and is building out a portfolio including Crew Management, Operations Testing, On-theJob Training for CFR 243, Rail Operations, Empty Car Management and ISS.

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September 2020 // Railway Age 43

People / Events SEPTember 21-25, 2020

EDWARD WU

North Carolina Railroad Company HIGH PROFILE: Edward Wu has been named Director of En-

gineering for the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR).

Wu has more than 15 years of experience in transportation engineering, project management and commuter and freight rail construction. He’s joining NCRR following nearly six years at CN, where he managed multiple infrastructure projects involving both freight and passenger service. Prior to that, he served as a project engineer at engineering firm AECOM. In addition, Wu is an active member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), serving on two committees. In his new role, Wu’s responsibilities entail oversight of construction projects within the NCRR corridor and management of engineering consultants.

He’ll report to Donald Arant, NCRR VP of Engineering. “Edward brings a fantastic combination of skills to NCRR,” said NCRR President Carl Warren. “His significant expertise in freight and passenger railroad planning and engineering make him a great addition to the team as we continue to partner on rail infrastructure projects both on and off the NCRR corridor.” The North Carolina Railroad Company is a private corporation whose voting stock is owned by the State of North Carolina. The Company manages the use of 317 miles of track and property stretching from Charlotte to the Port of Morehead City. NCRR’s mission is “to put the North Carolina Railroad Company to work for the good of the people of North Carolina and improve our state by expanding freight rail opportunities to grow business, enabling rail to move people and investing in North Carolina.”

A

58-year veteran of the railroad industry, Vincent “Vin” Terrill, 94, died June 24 at his home in Manchester, Mass.

Terrill began his railroading career with the Boston & Maine Railroad, 1952-1985. In 1985 he was hired as President and CEO of Speno Rail Services. After five years he became the Director of Pandrol Jackson, Inc. He then formed his own consulting firm in 1990 and worked for another 20 years as President of Terrill Track Consultants.

“Vin was VP of Engineering at Boston and Maine RR,” said Ted Sussmann of MIT. “He directly supported railroad track research for years, organizing early vehicle track interaction tests, collaborating with Roger Steele and many others on rail performance and failure, donating the first axle for the gage restraint measurement system, supporting early tests of ground penetrating radar for ballast and subgrade, among many others I am sure.” After Boston and Maine, Vin went on to a lead role for Speno Rail, which was one of the first rail profile grinding operations in North America.

During his time in the industry, Terrill was involved at the highest levels in the industry’s professional organizations: He served on the Transportation Research Board; as 44 Railway Age // September 2020

NEARS (NORTHEAST ASSOCIATION OF RAIL SHIPPERS) FALL 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE Due to the ongoing concerns with COVID-19, the NEARS Fall 2020 Virtual Conference in Pittsburgh, Penn., has been switched to a Live Virtual Conference Format. http://nears.org/cdms/registration.cgi

SEPTember 21-27, 2020 RAIL SAFETY WEEK

Mexico will join the U.S. and Canada in observing Rail Safety Week.

Operation Lifesaver, Inc., Operation Lifesaver Canada AMF will support this initiative to encourage safe behavior near railroad tracks.

October 27-28, 2020

22ND RAILROAD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE past President and a Director of the New England Railroad Club; as President and Past President of the AREA (now AREMA); President and Past President of the Railroad Engineering Manufacturers Suppliers Association; Past Governor of the Railway Progress Institute (now RSI); and Town Designee to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

“Vin Terrill was one of the smartest, most engaging and humorous men I’ve ever known,” said Pete Conlon, Railway Technology Consulting Associates, LLC. “My involvement with Vin first came about through the AAR Research & Test Dept. and later TTCI, where I worked from 1977 to 2008. He provided consulting advice to our track engineering research program, including the Heavy Axle Load program at TTCI. He later helped me personally when I became a consultant.”

Terrill served in World War II in the Army’s 96th Infantry Division on Okinawa.

In January 2020, he was reunited with fellow WWII veteran PFC Harold Stryker, 95, who Terrill assumed was dead. The pair had served together in the 96th Division “Deadeyes” during the Battle of Okinawa in Japan.

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2020 BIG DATA IN RAILROAD MAINTENANCE PLANNING CONFERENCE University of Delaware Newark Campus dramz@udel.edu https://www.udel.edu/ railwayage.com

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

Advertising Sales MAIN OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com AL, KY, Jon Chalon 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, CANADA – QUEBEC AND EAST, ONTARIO Jerome Marullo 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com

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THE NETHERLANDS, BRITAIN, FRANCE, BELGIUM, PORTUGAL, SWITZERLAND, NORTH GERMANY, MIDDLE EAST, SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA (NOT SOUTH), FAR EAST (EXCLUDING KOREA /CHINA/INDIA), ALL OTHERS, TENDERS Jerome Marullo 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com

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AILWAY GE

September 2020 // Railway Age 47

Financial Edge Are Intermodal’s “Green Shoots” Signs of Recovery?

T

he rail industry continues to twist as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. To say that the length of the pandemic either has or will exceed most people’s initial expectations would be an understatement. So as the market continues to scuff le along, “Financial Edge” tried to look for some “green shoots” to provide some sense that there will be a return to normalcy sometime in the future.

The industry is starting to see a significant uptick in intermodal originations out in Southern California and Western Canada. In a recent Journal of Commerce (JOC) article, CN President and CEO JJ Ruest noted that his railroad is returning furloughed labor (and by association that should include assets that may have been on storage, or in the case of locomotives stored serviceable). This follows a steady (but limited) trend of CN bringing back staff on a limited basis through the summer as reported by Ruest on his most recent Railway Age podcast. The push for increased rail demand at the Port of Vancouver was a direct result of congestion from soaring capacity demands in Southern California.

Truckloads have reported similar upticks. Jason Seidl (Cowen and Company) recently noted that spot rates, especially in the Dry Van and Temp Control (refrigerated) categories have risen 24.7% and 8%, respectively. Similar upticks in demand are being reported for TOFC (trailer on f lat car) contract rates.

Although most rates remain negative on a YOY basis (data again from Seidl), they have been increasing. Some insiders suggest that trucking is headed into a capacity crunch.

Considering those spot rates, that is as much of a V-shaped rebound as anyone in the trucking industry could have hoped for (or as demand exceeds supply, wants to have).

But this is Railway Age, not American Trucker. What does this all mean for railcar loadings and equipment demand?

First the good news: Intermodal loadings, potentially looking like they might

48 Railway Age // September 2020

have stayed down below 2019 levels, have rebounded back to rise above YOY levels seen at this time in 2019. For example, in the 33rd week of the year, intermodal loadings were up 1.9% YOY. Total intermodal loadings for the year, however, remain 8.5% below 2019 loadings to date.

But at this point, any good news is really good news. What’s the bad news? The same JOC article notes something that railroad industry veterans have known for a while: Congestion is a systemic problem.

As dwell times in Vancouver creep up to a week or so, the next big choke point could be big-shouldered Chicago.

Historically, the quick pivot is an NBA move that has never made a strong transition into North American rail. Ruest noted in the JOC that it takes about two weeks to get employees and assets back into service. The noted two weeks often becomes three or four, depending on timing and circumstance. Historically, it has been seen across every commodity group and equipment class. Most notable is cost and time frame for putting locomotive power and engineers back into service.

This matters today and now, as intermodal needs to continue to drive demand in North American rail to see additional expansion in loadings long term postpandemic. What as an industry we do not want to see is an equipment demand cycle driven by an inability to address (intermodal) customer demand in a rapid growth cycle.

For example, if Chicago congestion were to increase at the same time the Dakota Access pipeline was shut down (which is still a real possibility), much of that crude moving by rail would move through Chicago. That could rapidly increase congestion. The cycle could roll on from there.

While that is unlikely to happen, what no one wants to see is a building cycle driven by operational inefficiencies and congestion directly resulting from not having crews and assets to move available loads. Furthermore, companies invested in rail want to see loads being taken away

with total loadings down year over year more than 10%, more railcars are not the solution.

MORE LOADINGS ARE THE SOLUTION.” from trucking. Rail wants to be the industry with capacity concerns resulting from demand over inefficiency. Right now, a rail equipment demand cycle driven by inefficiency is the home camping video from the 70s (with a Bigfoot sighting) that no one wants to see.

With total loadings down YOY more than 10%, more railcars are not the solution (more on that next month) while Washington weighs in on how to better stimulate car demand and provide incentives to scrap railcars. More loadings are the solution. Let’s hope intermodal’s greens shoots are the beginning of a sorely needed rebound.

Got questions? Set them free at dnahass@ railfin.com.

DAVID NAHASS President Railroad Financial Corp.

railwayage.com

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232 Brake System Safety Standards Updated 7-31-19.

There are no new proposals or final rules to report for this issue. Be sure to check back next month to see if there are any changes to FRA regulations.

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Combined FRA Regulations

BKPSS

49 CFR 215. Prescribes the minimum safety standards for freight cars allowed by the FRA. Includes safety standards for freight car components, car bodies, draft system, restricted equipment and stenciling. Softcover, spiral.

Updated 7-31-19

50 or more

Each

Rear End Marking Device

$6.25

Order 50 or more and pay only $5.60 each

800-228-9670 www.transalert.com

The Railway Educational Bureau 1809 Capitol Ave., Omaha NE, 68102 I (800) 228-9670 I (402) 346-4300 www.RailwayEducationalBureau.com Add Shipping & Handling if your merchandise subtotal is: U.S.A. CAN U.S.A. CAN Orders over UP TO $10.00 $4.50 $8.75 25.01 - 50.00 11.43 18.14 $75, call for shipping 10.01 - 25.00 8.40 13.66 50.01 - 75.00 12.71 22.90 *Prices subject to change. Revision dates subject to change in accordance with laws published by the FRA. 9/20

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