Friction Management:
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SWITCH MACHINES
A path to preventive maintenance
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Power in a small package
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AREMA news p. 39 rtands.com
February 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1
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contents
December 2018
FEATURES
18
Friction management Friction management remains an effective tool to reduce wear, lateral track loading and energy consumption.
26
Switch stands and switch machines The latest equipment is designed with the industry’s preventive maintenance efforts in mind.
18
33
NEWS
DEPARTMENTS
4
14
TTCI TTCI evaluates the performance of stateof-the-art wheels in comparison to that of AAR Class C wheels.
39
AREMA News Message from the president; committee news; AREMA staff visits CSX
43
Calendar
On Track Managing change
44
Products
45
12
Ad Index
45
Sales Representatives
46
Classifieds Advertising
46
Professional Directory
Industry Today • FRA issues notice of $272M for state-of-good-repair project funding • Bridge installation moves CTA 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal Improvement Project forward • Sound Transit celebrates groundbreaking for Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension • Funds awarded for Wisconsin DOT freight-rail projects
4
Supplier News Acquisitions, contracts and other news
8
People New hires, promotions and appointments
Top of rail friction management installation, L.B. Foster Co. Story on page 18. Credit: L.B. Foster Co.
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Hand-held tools Manufacturers of hand-held tools address the industry’s need for powerful tools in small sizes.
Columns
3
NRC Chairman’s Column Safety and the holiday season
Follow Us On Social Media @RTSMag
December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1
On Track
Managing change Vol. 114, No. 12 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Bob Tuzik Consulting Editor btuzik@sbpub.com Kyra Senese Managing Editor ksenese@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 55 Broad St 26th Fl. New York, N.Y. 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. President and Chairman Jonathan Chalon Publisher Mary Conyers Production Director Nicole D’Antona Art Director Aleza Leinwand Graphic Designer Maureen Cooney Circulation Director Michelle Zolkos Conference Director Customer Service: 800-895-4389 Reprints: PARS International Corp. 253 West 35th Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10001 212-221-9595; fax 212-221-9195 curt.ciesinski@parsintl.com
A
s you know by now, the November issue was Mischa Wa n e k- L i b m a n ’s last as editor of RT&S. We thank her for the terrific job she did while covering the industry during her 17-year tenure, and wish her the very best in her new endeavors. We are conducting a thorough search to find her replacement. In the interim, we are fortunate to have Bob Tuzik step in as our Consulting Editor. Some of you may remember Bob, who was editor of RT&S from 1989 to 1995. Some of you may know Bob from his work since then in other segments of the industry, which include playing an active role in AREMA and APTA committees, annual wheel/ rail interaction seminars and a stint on the REMSA Board. For those of you who don’t know Bob, I can tell you that he’s a well-rounded railroader who knows his way around the industry. Bob started his railway career in the Operating Department of the former Santa Fe, working out of Corwith Yard in Chicago. After obtaining a Master’s Degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, he joined the Simmons Boardman staff as editor of RT&S and engineering editor of Railway Age. Since then, he has been a consultant and senior manager at several railway companies that provide products and contract services to the freight and
rail transit industries. All told, Bob has been an active and engaged member of the railway community for more than four decades now. Through it all, he has kept a hand in writing for various railway publications, including Railway Age and RT&S ; he also contributed a chapter on railway maintenance to the Encyclopedia of North American Railroading. Suffice it to say that the magazine is in good hands with Bob on board as the interim, consulting editor while we continue our search for a permanent replacement. Until then, Bob and Managing Editor Kyra Senese will continue to bring you the type of insightful editorial coverage that you’ve come to expect from RT&S. I’ll keep you posted on our efforts. In the interim, please join me in welcoming Bob back on board.
Jon Chalon Publisher
Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St. 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Pricing: Qualified individual and railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2017. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195. For subscriptions and address changes, Please call (US Only) 1-800-553-8878 (CANADA/INTL) 1-319-364-6167, Fax 1-319-364-4278, e-mail rtands@stamats.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, IA. 52406-1407.
December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 3
Industry today
Supplier News BENTLEY SYSTEMS INCORPORATED acquired ACE E NTE RPRISE S LOVA K I A , a p rov i d e r of technology solutions to interface with enterprise resource planning, enterprise asset management, and geographical information systems. Moldovan Railways ordered 12 GE TRANSPORTATION Evolution S e r i e s T E 3 3 AC l o c o m o t i v e s , in addition to par ts, training and services. Th e N ation al Safet y Co un c il honored infrastructure specialist PARSONS as the sole 2018 finalist for its Robert W. Campbell Award. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Tr a n s i t A u t h o r i t y a w a r d e d RAILWORKS CORP. with a seveny e a r, $ 1 3 3 m i l l i o n c o n t r a c t to carr y out upgrades along MARTA’s network. The Reading & Northern Railroad, th ro u g h i t s s i s te r c o m p a ny, READING RAILROAD TRANSFER, LLC, acquired the former Penn Foster warehouse facility located in Ransom, Pa. R . J. CORMAN R AILROAD COMPANY finalized an agreement to acquire the Nashville & Eastern R a i l ro a d C o r p ., N a s h v i l l e & Western Railroad Corp., Transit Solutions Group, a commuter rail operation and three related operating entities. U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA-2) visited SIVYER STEEL CASTINGS last month, where he met with th e c o m p a ny ’s l e a d e r s h i p team to learn more about its new ownership and progress the company says it has made toward brin gin g itself out of bankruptcy.
4 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
FRA issues notice of $272M for state-ofgood-repair project funding
T
he U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in mid-November for the FederalState Partnership for State of Good Repair Program (Partnership Program). The NOFO makes more than $272 million in grant funding available. “It is important for rail infrastructure owners and operators to plan for the maintenance and replacement of their assets,” said FRA Administrator Ronald Batory. “The Department particularly recognizes the opportunity to reduce risk and enhance safety through this grant program.” The funding is intended to provide financial aid to capital projects that aim to repair, replace or rehabilitate publicly-owned railroad infrastructure and enhance intercity passenger rail performance. Eligible projects will include work that aims to replace existing assets in-kind; replace existing assets with those that increase capacity or those that would provide a higher level of service, and those that ensure existing assets maintain service while being brought into a state of good repair. Applications for funding under the NOFO must be submitted at
www.Grants.gov and are due no later than 5 p.m. EST on March 18, 2019. The FRA said it plans to provide online training and assistance to answer questions from applicants leading up to the application deadline. Funds awarded under the NOFO are not to exceed 80 percent of a project’s cost. The required 20 percent non-Federal share may be composed of funding from the public sector or private sector, or both. The administration also said selection preference will be given to projects in which Amtrak is not the sole applicant; multiple applicants submit applications jointly; the proposed federal share of total project costs does not exceed 50 percent; nonfederal shares consist of funding from multiple sources, including private sources, and for those in which the applications indicate strong project readiness. The FRA also said it will evaluate how successfully the project aligns with key departmental priorities, including bolstering economic vitality, leveraging federal funding, using innovative approaches to enhance safety and speed up project delivery, as well as holding grant recipients accountable for achieving measurable outcomes. rtands.com
Industry today
Sound Transit celebrates groundbreaking for Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) has started the construction of its 2.4-mile Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension, which will extend the current rail line from the Theatre District in downtown Tacoma to the Stadium District and Hilltop neighborhoods. The project entails relocating the Theatre District station and building six new stations along the new line. An event hosted at People’s Park in downtown Tacoma, Wash., celebrated the public transit agency’s partnership with the city of Tacoma and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to build the extension. “Years of thoughtful planning and collaboration between community, state, and federal leaders to connect downtown Tacoma with the historic Stadium and Hilltop neighborhoods helped lay the tracks for today’s groundbreaking, and I am thrilled to see the results of our hard work to expand affordable public transit options for local residents, students, and commuters,” said U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Murray said she was proud to secure federal investments for the project, which she said she believes will help increase mobility, create jobs and establish new opportunities for economic growth.
“I will keep working with Sound Transit, the city of Tacoma and other community leaders to see this vital project through to its completion,” she added. Sound Transit selected Walsh Construction Company II, LLC to build the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension and construct the new platform stations that are required by the project scope. The $217 million project expands the existing Tacoma Link rail line up Stadium Way, 1st Street, Division Avenue and down
Martin Luther King Jr. Way to South 19th Street. The project has received funding through a partnership between Sound Transit, the city of Tacoma, a $75 million federal Small Starts grant and, with support from Murray, officials note that the project also received $15 million in federal funds from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant. Service on the new extension is set to kick off in 2022.
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December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 5
Industry today
Bridge installation moves CTA 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal Improvement Project forward
The 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal, one of the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) largest station improvement projects, has moved closer to completion with the installation of
a steel pedestrian bridge connecting the North and South Terminals of the station during the weekend. Officials said the installation of the
one-of-a-kind pedestrian bridge was expected to be a complicated process, with nearby cross streets closed to all pedestrian and vehicular traffic during a significant portion of the weekend to allow for the work. The bridge spans 150 feet across 95th Street, linking the north and south terminals of the 95th/Dan Ryan station to unite the entire structure. On Nov. 18, construction experts used two large cranes to lift the pedestrian bridge into the air and connect it to facility’s the North and South terminals. Due to the complexity and challenges of lifting such a large structure into place, the transit authority said the pedestrian bridge was installed in three large sections, with each portion weighing more than 73,000 pounds. The 95th/Dan Ryan station is one of CTA’s busiest terminals, with 24-hour Red Line service and more than 20,000 passengers.
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6 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
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Industry today
Funds awarded for Wisconsin DOT freight-rail projects The WISCONSIN Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced in late November that the department would allocate more than $16 million in grant and loan funding to bolster eight freight-rail projects in the state. Officials said the grants would be offered via WisDOT’s Freight Railroad Preservation Program (FRPP). Loans are set to be provided through Wisconsin’s Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program (FRIIP). Watco Cos. LLC’s Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR) is expected to receive FRPP grants amounting to $11.57 million, with additional funding coming from FRIPP loans totaling at $1.44 million for six projects. Officials said WSOR will supply $1.44 million in matching funds, as well. The project scope entails replacing 7.5
miles of 90-pound jointed rail with 115-pound continuous-welded rail (CWR) between Ripon and Pickett; the replacement of 15.2 miles of 90-pound rail with 115-pound CWR between Milton and Whitewater; replacing two bridges in WSOR’s Fox Lake Subdivision and two bridges in its Prairie Subdivision; the replacement of a bridge with a culvert in the Oshkosh Subdivision; as well as revamping a steel deck on a bridge in the Plymouth Subdivision. The Port Milwaukee is lined up to receive a $3 million FRPP grant to support its plans to rehabilitate and build track. The project also includes the installation of 16,000 linear feet of new 115-pound rail and 13 turnouts in the port’s heavy lift dock and west classification yard on Jones Island. The port is set to provide $748,480 in local matching funds, and officials said the
work will allow the port to continue intermodal shipping. Quality Propane of Chippewa Falls will also receive funds. A news release states that a $600,000 FRIIP loan will go to Quality Propane to install three 90,000-gallon propane tanks at an existing rail terminal, which is served by Progressive Rail Inc.’s Wisconsin Northern Railroad. Officials estimate that the project will cost more than $961,000. WisDOT said in a statement that the department is hopeful that the freight-rail projects will boost the utilization of railroads and enhance the state’s economy. The state of Wisconsin is home to a rail system that includes 10 freight railroads opeating throughout 3,000 miles of track, WisDOT explained. Since 1994, the departmenthas provided more than $132 million in FRIIP loans and $243 million in FRPP grants.
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A S S O C I AT I O N O F A M E R I C A N R A I L R OA D S ’ S e n i o r Economist Luisa Fernandez-Willey hosted “U.S. Freight Railroads and the U.S. Economy,” the League of Railway Women’s debut webinar in its new “Railroading 101” series. The 56th annual recipient of the prestigious Railway Age Railroader of the Year Award is CANADIAN NATIONAL President and CEO Jean-Jacques “JJ” Ruest.. H NTB CO R P O R ATI O N a p p o i nte d fo u r n ew s taf f members. Robbie Hayes, AICP, ENV SP, joined the firm as a project manager and practice builder for the environmental planning group and will be based in the firm’s new Tennessee office. Tina Williamson, AICP, joined the firm as a senior planner. Patricia Richters, GISP, also joined HNTB this week. LJ Dickens, PE, returned to HNTB as a project manager for engineering. Dickens is based in the firm’s Kansas City regional office and will be responsible for developing bridge inspection solutions and strategies for bridge projects throughout the region. LTK E NGINE E RING SE RVICES promoted four staf f members to senior-level positions, three of them with new regional responsibilities. Ernest Chance has been promoted to Vice President of the Southeast Region. Winston Simmonds has been promoted to Vice President of the DC Metropolitan Region, while David Diaz has been promoted to Vice President of the Middle Atlantic Region.Additionally, Raymond Carini has been promoted to Senior Vice President. METROPOLITAN COUNCIL Chair Alene Tchourumoff stepped down from the agency in late November to pursue a new professional opportunity. The RAILWAY SUPPLY INSTITUTE named veteran railcar professional Randall Thomure director of Regulatory Af fairs and Safety, with oversight responsibility for technical and regulatory strategies related to safety and operations. REDWOOD LOGISTICS appointed Scott Cousins as the company’s new chief technology officer. The SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY announced the selection of Leo Levenson as its new chief financial officer. TRINITY METRO President and CEO Paul Ballard will retire in April 2019 with the expiration of his five-year contract, the company said. UNION PACIFIC CORP. has tapped Printz Bolin to serve as vice president-external relations, succeeding Mike Rock, who will retire February of 2019. Jay Walder, formerly at New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, accepted the CEO post at VIRGIN HYPERLOOP ONE, one of several companies competing to build the first revenue-service version of the hyperloop. Walder replaces Rob Lloyd, who headed VHO for three years. Ash u r Yose p h jo i n e d WS P USA as a se n io r vice president in the engineering firm’s San Francisco office. He is tasked with business development in support of WSP’s property and buildings and transportation and infrastructure businesses.
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NRC Chairman’s Column
Safety and the Holiday Season, and more
A
“
The work we all do to keep all the railroad, commuter and transit systems in a state of good repair is saving lives every day.
The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association, Inc. 410 1st Street, S.E. Suite 200 Washington D. C. 20003 Tel: 202-715-2920 www.nrcma.org info@nrcma.org 10 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
s always, safety first! With the highways and airports near capacity for the holidays, please focus on defensive driving this holiday season. Make sure you are well rested before heading out for a long drive. Don’t drink and drive. If you do drink, then take a cab, Uber or have a designated driver—or better yet, take a train! The work we all do to keep all the railroad, commuter and transit systems in a state of good repair is saving lives every day. Freight and people move much more safely by rail than they do by highway. We’re wrapping up a great run of Grassroots events hosted by NRC member companies in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas and beyond. The mid-terms are now over (in most states), and the Kentucky Derby could not come close to matching some of the tight races we saw. The Republicans narrowly held on to the Senate and the Democrats now have control of the House. The past two years have been the most toxic politics I can recall in the nearly 40 years I have been voting. Let’s hope we can continue the strong economy and recordbreaking unemployment numbers. At some point, we must stop the vile rhetoric and “cross the aisle” to keep this country great. That can only be accomplished with both parties working together. We are now weeks away from our 2019 NRC Conference and NRC-REMSA Exhibition. This is my last chance to remind everyone to register and attend. We are very close to setting another attendance record. If your company isn’t an NRC member, join us! I can’t thank our Membership Committee, chaired by Jody Sims, enough for their work. We continue to grow every week. When you see Jody at the January conference, please thank her and her committee for a job well done. Please sign up for the conference and make your room reservations before it is too late. Again, the 2019 NRC Conference is Jan. 6-9 in Marco Island, Fla., at the JW Marriott. The speakers at our conference will be excellent and the exhibits are always a big hit too. The 2019 Conference is already shaping up to be another great one, with
Matt Rose, executive chairman of BNSF, being the featured speaker for Monday morning’s opening session. Also speaking will be senior engineering and procurement executives from major rail transit agencies, such as the MTA, SEPTA and MARTA, all seven Class 1 railroads and shortline holding companies such as Watco, GWI and OmniTRAX. We are also hosting an FRA/Railroad S&C Round Table discussion on Sunday that you will not want to miss. Let’s set another attendance record this year! The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) is putting the finishing touches on the Exhibition, which is expected to sell out as always. There will be about 150 booths showing off the latest technology and equipment of the rail supply world – it will be a compelling exhibition and your participation will allow you to keep up with the latest information regarding what’s happening in our industry. This year’s agenda for fun and relaxation will include golf, fishing, airboat tours of the Everglades, as well as a great spouse program. For more information on the conference, registering, hotel reservations, sponsorships and exhibiting, please visit www.nrcma.org. If you can’t find what you need on the website, or for any conference questions or help registering, call Matt Bell at 202-7151264 or email mbell@nrcma.org. For exhibit questions, reserving exhibit space, booth pricing, show hours, and more, please visit https ://w w w.remsa.org/nrc-remsa2019 or contact Urszula Soucie with REMSA at 202-715-2921 or soucie@remsa.org. As we wind down 2018 and look to the start of 2019 I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This time of the year is all about family and friends. It is also a time of reflections on the past year and what we learned in 2018 can be applied in 2019. I hope everyone has a successful December and I will see you on Marco Island on Jan. 6.
Mike Choat NRC Chairman rtands.com
425+ Member Companies Railroad Contractors Suppliers Consultants Associated Professional Service Firms
Services/Events:
Design and Engineering Construction and Maintenance New Rail, Rail Welding Grinding and Surfacing Ballast Distribution Tie Insertion and Removal Grade Crossings Signal Systems Switches Turnouts Re-Railments Bridge Maintenance more...
Class 1s Short Lines and Regionals Industrial Track U.S. Military Port Facilities And Terminals Rail Transit Agencies Operating Light Rail Systems, Street Cars, Subways, Metro Systems, and Commuter Rail Operations
——————————
Mike Choat - Chairman of the NRC Board - Wabtec Jim Hansen - Vice Chair - Herzog Steve Bolte - Secretary-Treasurer - Danella Chris Daloisio Past Chairman - Railroad Constructors, Inc. Dave Bergstrom - Ragnar Benson Allen Branham - Harsco Curtis Bilow - Ames Construction Danny Brown - CTE Rail George Caric - Stella Jones Joe Daloisio - Railroad Construction Co., Inc. Russ Gehl – Holland Scott Goehri - HDR Engineering, Inc. Marc Hackett - Loram Maintenance-of-Way Dave Landreth - Kiewit Scott Norman - Herzog Contracting Corp Kevin Riddett - Railworks Jody Sims - Stacy and Witbeck Mark Snailham - Balfour Beatty Daniel Stout - STX Railroad Construction Services Brett Urquhart - Vossloh/Rocla
Executive Staff
Chuck Baker – President Matt Bell – Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Chana Elgin – Director of Public Affairs Mike McGonagle – Director of Operations
National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Inc. 410 First Street, SE, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20003 Phone: 202-715-1264 info@nrcma.org
www.nrcma.org
Annual Conference and Exhibition J.W. Marriott Marco Island Marco Island, FL January 6-9, 2019 Railroad Day on the Hill Roadway Worker Protection Training Program and Safety Training Videos Fall Protection in the Rail Industry Safety with Railroad Hand Tools Safety Around Building Turnouts Safety with Railroad Power Tools Safety Around Handling CWR Safety on Freight and Industrial Track Safety Around Railroad Safety Around Railway Maintenance Grade Crossings, Part 1 & 2 Equipment, Parts 1 & 2 How to Conduct a Job Briefing Safety Around Transit Track Highlights from 10 Years of NRC Safety While Unloading & Handling Material Safety Videos Safety With Hot Work Safety Around Hi-Rail Trucks Safety Around Thermal Adjusting CWR Safety Around Field Welds Safety with Defensive Driving Fatigue Safety on a Rail Gang Recognizing Signs & Symptoms Safety on a Tie Gang Safety Around Flash Butt Welding Annual NRC Rail Construction and Maintenance Equipment Auction April 2019, Location TBA Government Affairs and Legislative Advocacy in Washington DC Railroad Infrastructure Investment Tax Credits Truck Size and Weight Laws High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Commuter Rail and Rail Transit Funding Reasonable Regulation of Industry Construction Friendly Policies Government Financing Programs such as RRIF and TIFIA Membership Directory — Railroad and Transit Buyer’s Guide NRC Awards Contests Safe Railroad Contractor of the Year Hall of Fame Inductees Railroad Construction Project of the Year Field Employee of the Year
41ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE January 6-9, 2019 J.W. Marriott Marco Island Marco Island, Fla.
EXHIBIT⎮EDUCATE⎮EXPAND Maximize the benefits of an NRC membership and your company’s presence in the industry by reserving your space TODAY.
Ask about our spouses’ programs and excursions!
Visit remsa.org/nrc-remsa2019 to view the live floor plan and reserve your booth space online, or contact Urszula Soucie, the 2019 NRC-REMSA Show Manager, at soucie@remsa.org for more information.
January 6-9, 2019 • JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
Conference Highlights
Plan to attend the premier railroad construction and maintenance industry event! The annual National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Conference will encompass more than 1,000 attendees, 150 exhibitors and 25,000 square-feet of meeting space. We have a unique program agenda lined up with chief engineers from the major freight railroads and other key speakers covering topics on: • • • • • • •
2019 Class 1 and Regional Railroad Capital Spending Plans Rail Projects of National Significance Commuter Rail and Rail Transit Contracting Florida Rail Projects Legislation Affecting the Rail Industry Railroad Construction Safety High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Developments
• Golf Tournament, Sailing Tournament, Everglades Excursion, Safety Awards, Multiple Networking Receptions • Seminars on project management, railroad safety regulations, railway engineering, safety training
Exhibition Booths are still available, visit www.remsa.org/nrc-remsa2019 to reserve a booth Attendee, hotel and exhibit registration available at www.nrcma.org/2019conference REGISTRATION CATEGORIES
A T T E N D E E R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M
On or Before 10/1/18
10/2/18-11/30/18
12/1/18 - On-site
NRC member (first non-exhibitor attendee)
$600.00
$700.00
$800.00
NRC member spouse
$300.00
$350.00
$400.00
Non-member consultant, contractor, engineer or supplier
$900.00
$1000.00
$1100.00
Non-member spouse
$500.00
$550.00
$600.00
No Charge
No Charge
No Charge
Railroad/Media/Government Personnel COMPLETE FORM AND RETURN WITH PAYMENT TO: The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, 410 1st Street SE, 2nd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20003 Phone: 202-715-1264 • conference@nrcma.org
Name
[ ] Check enclosed (payable to NRC) [ ] Visa
[ ] MasterCard
(as it should appear on badge)
Credit Card Number
Company
Exp. Date:
Title
Cardholder’s Name (print)
Billing Postal/Zip Code
Phone
Billing Address (Street, City, State)
[ ] American Express
cv2 Code
Amount CANCELLATION POLICY: Attendee registration cancellations received on or before 12/15/18 will receive a full refund. Cancellations received after 12/15/18 and “No Shows” will be charged the full registration fee. Please note that on-site registrants must pay all fees at the time of registration by cash, check or credit card. NOTE: All prior membership dues owed to NRC must be paid in full to register for the Conference as a member. Not a member? Join today by calling the NRC office at 202-715-1264, visiting the NRC website at www.nrcma. org, or emailing mmcgonagle@nrcma.org.
HOTEL: For hotel reservations, go to the following link to reserve online: https://book.passkey.com/event/49595790/owner/10865/home or call the JW Marriott Marco Island at 239-394-2511. When making your reservations by phone, be sure to mention that you are with the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Conference in order to receive the discounted room rate. There are numerous room rate options. Room rates start at $274 per night. We expect to sell out our block; make your reservations as soon as possible.
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TTCI high-performance wheels test update TTCI evaluates the performance of stateof-the-art wheels in comparison to that of AAR Class C wheels. by Kerry Jones, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
I
n 2008, Transportation Technology Center, Inc., (TTCI) began long-term testing work to evaluate state-of-theart wheels that officials said offered performance improvements over (Association of American Railroads) AAR Class C wheels. Requirements for AAR Class D wheels were not yet defined at the time of the testing, so test wheels were designated as high-performance wheels (HPWs). The test, designated HPW1, comprised three phases: laboratory testing, on-track testing at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colo., and revenue service testing. The revenue service testing began in 2009 on a North American railroad in coal service, and remains active. Four high-performance wheel types
remain in the test, along with a control group of AAR Class C wheels from multiple manufacturers. HPW1 will conclude in 2019. In 2016, TTCI began a second highperformance wheel test, designated HPW2. It expands on the investigation of the first high-performance wheel test by using a larger number of suppliers and improvements made from the previous generation of high- performance wheels. HPW2 is evaluating 14 state-of-the-art wheel steels from 11 different manufacturers. It consists of laboratory testing, durability testing and revenue service testing. Results will reference a supplier identification number. Names of individual manufacturers are kept confidential. Methods For the HPW2 test, each manufacturer submitted three, unmounted 36-inch diameter wheels for laboratory testing. For the on-track testing at TTC, suppliers submitted four complete wheelsets of 36-inch diameter wheels, with AAR Class K axles and AAR Class K bearings. The wheel tread profile was specified as AAR 1B wide flange. Mechanical testing consisted of tensile testing at 75°F and 1,000°F, as well as fracture toughness at 75°F. Four tensile
samples and two fracture toughness samples were extracted from each wheel type. Each sample was extracted from the locations specified in AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices Wheels and Axles (AAR M-107/M-208). In addition to the mechanical tests, the volume fraction of discontinuities was also measured. In this research, identified voids, oxides and sulfides were reported as a combined total discontinuity volume fraction. The results of the automated system are visually checked periodically to verify the identification. Figure 1 shows the images of an as-captured field (left) and a field with discontinuities marked automatically by the system with red pixels (right). For this study, the purpose of the microcleanliness examination was to investigate the variability of discontinuity population with depth below the tread surface. TTCI cut one sample from each wheel steel, but analyzed multiple surfaces from near the tread surface to a depth of approximately 0.80 in., in 0.035-0.050-in. increments. Between 15 and 20 analyses were performed for each steel type. Two older Class C wheels also were evaluated in this way. It is noted that the microcleanliness survey described here should not be confused with the AAR
Figure 1: One field from microcleanliness analysis. As-captured image (left) and image with flagged discontinuities (right)
14 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
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TTCI r&d
Figure 2: HPW2 Microcleanliness depth survey results
M-107/M-208 microcleanliness test. To evaluate the HPW2 test wheels outside of the laboratory, a durability test was initiated at TTCI’s Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST). The loop is 2.7 miles long, contains 5- and 6-degree curves and is designed to cause accelerated wear of track and train components. FAST usually has two operational seasons: February through May and September through November. The durability test is used to evaluate wheel performance for at least 25,000 miles before the wheels begin revenue service testing. Two to three wheelsets of each steel were distributed between 10 open hopper cars, each loaded to approximately 286,000 pounds. Prior to the beginning of the durability test in September 2017, the wheelsets were inspected ultrasonically to ensure no subsurface cracks or other indications were present. Visual inspections also were rtands.com
the bestperforming steels ... will be selected for participation in the revenue service test. performed and no anomalies were found. The tread profile of each wheel was measured with a MiniProf™ profilometer and software to establish a baseline for wear. The profiles of each wheel were measured following each FAST operational period. The measured profiles were then
compared to the baseline profile to measure area loss, flange width wear and hollow wear. Visual inspections also are performed intermittently during FAST operations. Thorough visual examinations for each wheel were performed after approximately 11,000 miles and 17,000 miles. Ultrasonic testing of each wheel was performed at 17,000 miles and on alternating weeks when the FAST train ran through an automated cracked wheel detector. Surface initiated cracks, sometimes called rolling contact fatigue (RCF) cracks, develop from the steering tractions encountered during rolling. If the cracks become large and material breaks out along the cracks, the wheels can generate high vertical loads as they roll. Shelling—material that breaks away from the surface due to propagation of subsurface cracks—also can cause high vertical loads. Wheels that produce 90,000 December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 15
TTCI r&D
pounds of vertical load are removed for high impact loads; wheels that contain condemnable amounts of shelling per the field manual of the AAR Interchange Rules will be considered removed for cause. Other removals will not be counted as removal for cause. Results Three of the suppliers had wheel properties that did not meet all the tensile or yield requirements of AAR M-107/M-208. These differences were less than 5 percent below the required values. Fracture toughness values ranged from 38-52 ksi√in, and all were greater than the required value of 35 ksi√in for Class D wheels. Most railroad wheels have a fully pearlitic microstructure. Thirteen of the 14 HPW2 steels had pearlitic microstructures, while one had a bainiticpearlitic microstructure. The microcleanliness results for the HPW2 wheels and the two Class C wheels are shown in Figure 2. The volume fraction of discontinuities for most of the HPW2 wheels ranged from 0.035 percent to
0.100 percent. Two of the HPWs and the two older Class C wheels were higher than most of the steels. Since this test was not per the AAR standard, only a relative comparison to the other alloys can be made in this study. In general, the wheel treads were in good condition. Spalling developed on wheels from half of the suppliers, but this has also happened on many non-test wheels. This spalling began within one week after the wheels began running at FAST, but has not become significantly worse. None of the observed spalling is condemnable and is likely due to the varying rail profiles at FAST. Spalling will not affect any supplier’s results. Wheels from 80 percent of the suppliers show mild or moderate surfaceinitiated cracking. No shelling has been observed. The wheelsets have accumulated an average of 17,000 miles so far. After each FAST season, the wheels undergo thorough visual and ultrasonic inspections. One ultrasonic indication has been found
and that wheelset was removed due to the length of the crack. No shelling or excessive surface initiated cracking has been observed. Wheel profiles were measured after an average of 5,000 miles and at 17,000 miles. Three suppliers show considerably larger area loss and flange width wear than the others, but nothing approaches condemnable limits as of this writing. Hollow wear was negligible. Future The test wheelsets will continue to run at FAST during early 2019. After the wheelsets achieve approximately 25,000 miles, the best-performing steels, as determined by wear, surface condition, and subsurface cracks, will be selected for participation in the revenue service test. The revenue service test will run on a North American railroad and is scheduled to begin in 2019.
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friction management
Getting a Grip on Friction:
CAUSES & CURES
M
anaging friction is a balancing act. Too much friction (resulting from little or no lubrication) leads to high wear, surface fatigue, and high lateral forces. Too little friction (resulting from an overlubricated condition) can negatively affect truck steering forces, and tractive and braking effort— an incident relating to which is certain to raise a red flag to operators of freight and passenger systems. Component wear and vehicle performance are significantly affected by friction and how well it is managed. Important though it is, the coefficient of friction (COF) at the rail surface is somewhat difficult to
18 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
quantify. The COF, which is affected by sun, rain, grease, and what researchers refer to as the “third-body layer,” a film made up of sand, brake shoe debris, iron oxides, leaves and other organic materials, typically ranges from 0.2 (µ), or less on wet or greasy rail to 0.65 (µ) or more on dry, or freshly ground rail. “I’ve measured it at 0.8 in on track in the Arabian gulf, where it was actually quite humid with a fair bit of sand and dust blowing around,” said Rob Caldwell, Senior Engineer at the National Research Council Canada.The ideal COF for the gauge face of the high rail in curves is 0.2 or less. “Some synthetic gauge-face lubricants can generate
Friction management remains one of the best tools available to reduce wear, lateral track loading and energy consumption. By Bob Tuzik, consulting editor
a COF of 0.15 or less for reasonable distances along the rail,” Caldwell said. “But anything less than 0.2 is very good.” At the top of rail, a COF of between 0.3 and 0.4 represents the ideal range—”a COF of 0.3 being not so low that you risk braking issues or wheel spin from powered axles, and 0.4 being not so high that you risk performance and wear issues relating to high lateral forces,” he said. Rail (and wheel) wear are significantly affected by how well or how poorly friction is managed. In challenging territories, most railroads take a two-pronged approach, applying grease to the gauge face and friction modifiers, which are engineered to rtands.com
friction management
The TTCI has conducted extensive tests of TOR friction modifiers at FAST.
hold the COF within a specific range, to the top of rail. In freight applications, gauge-face (GF) lubrication is typically applied by wayside units installed in advance of curves. Topof-rail (TOR) friction modifiers are applied by wayside units or, less frequently, by on-board, locomotive- or car-mounted application systems. Several transit systems use truck-mounted solid-stick systems that apply material directly to the wheel flange or wheel tread surface. Regardless of the delivery system, the goals are to reduce wear and lateral forces in curves and energy consumption, overall. Friction management is one of the rtands.com
best tools in the track engineer’s tool box to minimize wear rates, Caldwell said. “In some cases, you can reduce wear by improving rail profiles and using premium rail steels that are harder and more resistant to wear, but the biggest impact comes from controlling friction between the wheel and rail.” One caveat, however, is that the benefits associated with friction management can go up in smoke very quickly if it is not maintained, he said. All the benefit obtained from months of well-balanced friction management can be erased within a few days of “dry” running on a heavy haul line if the friction management regime is interrupted because the tank runs dry, or the applicator bars have been removed for grinding or other maintenance. While there are a lot of variables associated with lubrication, when confronted with an issue, railroads have demonstrated the ability to get their arms around it. A Class 1 that the NRC audited several years ago demonstrated a “perfect” grasp of how to manage their gauge-face lubrication program. “They had completely eliminated gauge-face wear—even in their sharpest curves,” Caldwell said. “It can be done.” And while there is no doubt that gaugeface lubrication reduces gauge-face wear on the high rails of curves, when used in isolation, gauge-face lubrication can increase wear on the unlubricated low rail in lower degrees of curvature. “As you reduce friction at the gauge face, you lose the longitudinal force component on the flange face that helps pull the wheelset through the curve,” Caldwell said. “As a result, the angle of attack tends to increase; that higher AoA generates more lateral creepage and, therefore, more lateral force, which translates into a higher wear rate at the top of the low rail.” That point needs to be understood and addressed: While reducing gauge-face wear on one rail, you may increase top of rail wear on the other rail, he said. Implementing a TOR friction management system in conjunction with gauge-face lubrication eliminates the problem. “Combined gaugeface and TOR friction management is a good strategy to implement.” Norfolk Southern uses water-based TOR friction modifiers along with gauge-face lubrication on more than 800 miles of track on core routes, including the Pittsburgh Line which includes an abundance of 6- to 8-degree curves and 110 MGT of traffic. NS accomplishes this with wayside TOR applicators spaced at 2- to 3-mile intervals.
And as friction modifier materials have improved, NS has been able to increase the distance in some areas to 3 to 4 miles between TOR applicators, said Brandon Sherrod, Engineer - Rail Health Management at NS. “We’ve had territories, such as the CNOTP [Cincinnati New Orleans & Texas Pacific] on which we’ve gone in and respaced the units based on longer carry distances we’re seeing from the newer material,” he said. In gauge-face applications, NS uses oilbased lubricants and some semi-synthetic materials as needed in curves across the system. NS also installs TOR units in locations showing evidence of high lateral loading. “If we are seeing problems with raised or broken spikes, or gauge widening in a particular curve, we’ll sometimes place a TOR unit in close proximity to the curve to help reduce curving forces,” Sherrod said. Like others in the industry, NS is looking for still better carry-down rates as lubrication and friction modifier materials improve. Friction management is not a “one-size-fits-all” type of solution, said Vennie Dyavanapalli, Loram Maintenance of Way’s Director of Friction Management. “It’s very targeted, depending on a range of factors, including curvature, temperature, the number of axles, speed, superelevation, tonnage, etc. The variables are dynamic and regionally driven,” he said. “You don’t maintain track in Montana the same way you’d maintain it in the Southwest.” For all the benefits it provides, friction management is still not as well understood as other aspects of track maintenance. “Railroads don’t question whether friction management is good for their overall track maintenance program,” Dyavanapalli said. But the industry is at a point where it needs to figure out how to measure its return on investment. “We know that there are huge paybacks,” added, Steve Fletcher, Director of Global Friction Management at L.B. Foster. But suppliers also know that Maintenance, Operations and Mechanical groups are often siloed. The cost of lubrication / friction management is often borne entirely by the Engineering-Track department, while the benefits flow through to other departments in the form of reduced wheel wear and fuel consumption—an inequity that can constrain wholesale implementation. There are exceptions, of course. Canadian Pacific adopted a holistic approach December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 19
FRICTION MANAGEMENT
Quantifying Friction Measurement A family of tribometers has been used to measure friction conditions for nearly three decades. You know the adage: You can’t manage what you can’t measure. It’s as valid for friction management as for track geometry, rail profile, internal defects, and other aspects of track. But while there are well established systems in place to measure track geometry, rail profile and the internal condition of the rail, there are no widely used tools to measure the level of friction on track. While it’s a general industry conceit that the coefficient of friction (COF) at the rail sur face falls into three categories: 0.5 (µ) or more in the dry, unlubricated condition; a desired 0.2 (µ) or less at the gauge face in the lubricated condition; and an ideal 0.3 – 0.4 (µ) at the top of rail when treated with a friction modifier. There is no argument there. The challenge is determining what the actual COF is at any given location. A common a s se s s m e nt m eth o d i s th e f i n g e r and thumb test, which can give an experienced engineer a feel for how dry or well lubricated the rail surface might be. While not in wide use, rail-specific tribometers have been used to measure the COF in the field. The original hand-pushed tribometer was developed to assist the Transportation Test Center (now the TTCI) in their earliest exploration of wheel flange / gauge-face lubrication in the early 1990s. Salient Systems (now part of L.B. Foster) subsequently d eve l o p e d a m o re s o p h i s ti c a te d tribometer that incrementally applied an electric brake until the measurement wheel on the device began sliding. This, too, was used to evaluate the effectiveness of gauge-face lubrication in curves. In 2000, Salient developed a high-speed tribometer that eliminated the most critical limitation of the original design: the ability to control the slip. By adapting a yaw angle steering mechanism, the newer design could roughly correlate steering angle and slip — factors af fecting wheel/rail interaction. While it provided more accurate and more comprehensive data than the previous hand-pushed tribometer, the hi-rail unit required track time, which railroads were reluctant
20 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
to provide. (There also has been work done to use data from instrumented wh e e lsets to ch arac terize f ric tion conditions based on creep forces at the wheel/rail interface. While the i n f o r m a ti o n p rov i d e s i n s i g ht i nto the types of friction conditions that wheelsets actually “see,” the availability of IWS is limited.) The latest generation tribometer, the HO Tribo, developed by Ontrak is a low-production unit that further advances the state of the art by providing precise control of speed, position, force, and angle of attack. T h e i n te re s t i n b e i n g a b l e to quantify the COF within the research community is such that results to date h ave be e n sh are d an d discusse d within the International Collaborative Research Initiative (ICRI), a research program sponsored in par t by the Federal Railroad Administration and Transpor t Canada and led by the National Research Council of Canada, to exa m i n e th e ro ot c a u s e s a n d economic effects of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) and wear, and to support the development of friction models. Toward that end, data collected by HO Tribo will be analyzed and shared with the ICRI members to help researchers and end users quantif y and better understand the role of angle of attack and creep forces, for example, on friction management and overall wheel/ rail interaction. Other data that will be collected by the HO Tribo data and shared with the ICRI group include: • Hertzian Stresses • Rail hardness • Surface roughness • Humidity • Characterization of the third body topof-rail materials in revenue service • Analysis of (third-body) micro-particles in the wheel/rail contact area. “ We’re tr ying to see if we can establish a baseline of which parameters are consequential so that we can correlate data across weather conditions, rail t ypes, rail sur face co n d itio ns, a n d th i n gs l i ke th at,” Harold Harrison, president of Ontrak, and developer of the HO Tribo, told fellow researchers at an ICRI meeting
in November. (Harrison was also the primary developer of the previous handpushed tribometer, during his tenure as CEO at Salient Systems from its founding in 1985 until its acquisition in 2004) The HO Tribo captures data from seven locations on the rail: four on the running band and three on the gauge corner. This allows the user to obtain measurements from the actual running band on the rail, rather than obtaining readings only from the center of the rail, which may or may not be the primary contact point. Key to the new device is that almost every variable, including contact stress and creep limit can be modified to replicate the conditions that a user wants to explore, Harrison said. The Tribo is also trying to better characterize the effects of various friction modifiers. Field tests of the HO Tribo were performed at two locations: one in revenue service near a port facility near the U.S. - Canadian border on the former BC Rail; the other, on the WRM loop at the TTCI. At the BCR location, researchers applied a water-based top-of-rail friction modifier to the high and low rails over 50 feet of a spiral. As expected, measurements validated that the friction modifier wears away under train traffic. What was interesting, however, is that measurements showed that the FM material was worn away asymmetrically between the high and low rails in the spiral. Less material was scrubbed off the high rail than was off the top of the low rail, which experiences high creep and lateral forces in curves and even in spirals. Continued on page 37
The HO Tribo, developed by Ontrak, represents the latest generation of friction measurement technology.
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FRICTION MANAGEMENT
L.B. Foster provides contract service to oversee friction management on CSX’s northern tier. This TOR unit is one of 287 wayside gauge-face and TOR units included in the project.
to friction management a decade ago, and even through a number of upper management changes maintains a semblance of it today. More recently, BNSF established systemwide management of the lubrication / friction management program that relieves local track managers of budgetary decisions relating to it. Budgetary issues notwithstanding, railroads have begun taking more of an engineering approach to friction management, rather than following the typical distancebased formula for where and how many lubricators are installed. They’re also beginning to look to suppliers to support the service side of the business. CSX, for example, has outsourced friction management on the norther tier of its network to L.B. Foster, which has installed 287 wayside gauge-face and TOR units, covering about 1,400 miles of track. “We own the equipment. We install it, maintain it and supply the consumables. And we’re held accountable for the uptime on the units,” said Jim Tanner L.B. Foster’s Director of Rail Business Field Services. Over the past two years in which the service contract has been in place, Tanner says that the company has been able to maintain 90 percent or better uptime—a significant improvement over the industry average. Uptime is a, if not the, essential element of a successful lubrication / friction management program. What’s the point of spending money on equipment, materials and maintenance if uptime falls to less than 50 percent, which is not uncommon on busy Class 1 railroads where competition for 22 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
Gauge-face lubrication is a staple on North American railways.
maintenance resources is intense? Echoing what the NRC’s Rob Caldwell pointed out: The most effective lubrication / friction management program can go for naught, if it’s interrupted by something as simple as letting the reservoir run empty. Railroads know this. Through AARfunded research at the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., (TTCI), they’ve supported research into emerging technologies and issues associated with lubrication / friction management programs for decades now. Last year, for example, the TTCI completed an evaluation of ways to reduce wasted material in automated gage-face lubrication technology at FAST (see RT&S October 2018 p. 16-18). In a joint study with a Class I railroad, the TTCI is evaluating “all-season” gaugeface lubricants, which are meant to be used under extreme hot and cold temperatures without the need to change product types or perform other maintenance related to seasonal variations. The TTCI also evaluated rail performance over two 39-MGT periods on four curves in revenue service over a two-year period. The objectives were to document the influence of TOR friction modifiers on rail friction, rail wear, and the development of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) on select curves (as reported in TTCI Technology Digest TD-17035 and TD-18-031). Over the course of the test, the rails, which differed by rail mill, age and wear, were ground twice to replicate typical conditions. Observations over a 39-40 MGT period, each with a different TOR product, indicated that the TOR
materials used in the test did not accelerate the development or growth of RCF. When the TOR materials were applied in an area that was also subjected to periodic grinding, RCF did not become excessive. While extended monitoring would be required to assess the long-term effects, initial results have generated interest among Class I railroads to further evaluate the influence of TOR friction management on the growth and development of RCF. Consequently, additional testing of RCF development relating to other TOR materials has been proposed in the TTCI’s research plan for the next few years. AREMA is also committed to addressing issues relating to friction management, having recently split friction management from Grinding and Rail Wear to a standalone subcommittee on Committee 4 - Rail that is devoted to friction management. The committee’s initial efforts will be to develop practices to evaluate equipment and products and the placement of equipment to optimize carry-down properties and address control point concerns. “We’re pretty encouraged,” said Robert Pieper, president of RBL and subcommittee chairman. There are members from each of the Class 1 railroads on the subcommittee. Ongoing research, continued development by suppliers, work to establish recommended practices, and further development of measurement tools will create a better matrix that will help railroads better understand the benefits and shortcomings of different products and procedures in various applications. rtands.com
FRICTION MANAGEMENT
Meeting Market Demands Supplier innovations push the technology forward. L.B. Foster fulfilled several goals this year. One was to improve uptime and overall system reliability through the introduction of new services and more robust equipment designs. Another was to introduce more highly engineered f ric tio n m a n a g e m e nt co nsum a b le materials. Yet another was to increase its presence in areas of the world outside of its traditional markets. The company expanded its “all-in” service model to maximize equipment uptime and the overall investment value. “Railroads have adopted this model to realize the long-term benefits that friction management provides— improvement in fuel economy and an increase in the life of the rail,” said Steve Fletcher, L.B. Foster’s Director of Global Friction Management. L.B. Foster worked with a Class
1 to develop a service through which the supplier provides a mobile unit to refurbish its applicator bars in the field. The service can extend the life an existing bar for substantially less than the cost of a new one, he said. O ve r th e p as t ye a r, L. B. Fos te r introduced products developed fo r ra i lwa ys i n Ch i n a a n d B razi l . The inability to obtain the track time required to implement a typical wayside friction management system in China led the company to introduce the next generation of its AUTOPILOT® l o c o m o t i v e - m o u n te d K E LT R AC K® sys te m, wh ic h s p ra ys th e f ric tio n modifier directly onto the top of rail. The company expects to implement the system, which is currently in commercial testing, across the full fleet in 2019. The company also developed a dual
gauge application system for use In Brazil, where railroads run dual-gauge networks (in which both the standardgauge and narrow-gauge train sets share a common outside rail). The dual-gauge application system allows grease to be stored and pumped from a common reservoir to the pair of rails that the train is running on. The company also introduced its next generation water-based TOR KELTR ACK® ER Plus, an all-season product that provides better carrydown and improved performance to optimize the per-mile cost to effectively condition the rail. For colder climates, L.B. Foster introduced 0°F. ALLEVIATE® traction gel, which is used to enhance the coefficient of friction at the wheel/ rail interface in instances when it may be compromised by leaf fall on the
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friction management
Meeting Market Demands cont. track. ALLEVIATE®, which is capable of performing at temperatures down to 0 degrees F, also improves train braking capability, wheel traction and conductivity in track circuits. On the hardware side, the company introduced a next generation PROTECTOR® trackside unit which improves product flow through the ta n k re s e r vo i r, re s u l ti n g i n l owe r cavitation levels and ensuring first-in, first-out product flow from the unit. It also provides shorter transitions on friction management product switches between seasons. Loram M aintenan ce of Way expanded its Friction Management p ro d u c t l i n e ove r th e p a s t ye a r, continuing its goal to increase the efficiency of its top-of-rail and gaugeface wayside systems. As a provider of wayside and on-board TOR units; wiper bars; water-based, synthetic
and hybrid friction modif iers; and consulting services, Loram brings a lot to the table. “We want to check all the boxes,” said Vennie Dyavanapalli, Loram Maintenance of Way’s Director of Friction Management “Wayside system improvements can seem less impressive if the product they apply doesn’t fit the need of the railroad,” he said. That’s why Loram invested substantial engineering efforts to improve and expand its line of friction modifiers and gauge-face greases. “Our improved TOR-H2Ox Hybrid friction modifier has proven both its carry-down ability and its minimal environmental impact. The addition of our All-Season EcoCurve Heavy Haul grease creates an all season, hassle-free option for any railroad’s lubrication program.” Additional development ef for t has been directed toward improving controller and sensor technologies
i n o rd e r to e n h a n c e th e p re c i s e application of friction modifier materials, he said. Toward that end, Loram improved its SMART distribution algorithms to provide a customizable product that generates less waste. This, combined with its proprietary Remote Monitoring System (cellular and Wi-Fi data transmission capable), and the introduction of a smaller, transit-friendly 25-gallon TOR/GF tank, has enabled Loram to improve its product line. Long invested in the Class 1 market, Loram intends to move toward transit markets. “Transit systems are unique; some have a fairly defined spec that we think we can hit at this point,” Dyavanapalli said. “ We understand that M/W maintenance and fuel represent the two largest expenses in the industry,” he said. With its recent acquisitions Continued on page 44
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December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 25
Switch Stands/Machines
SWITCHING
Switch stands and switch machines remain critical assets to preventative maintenance efforts within the freight and transit industries. By Kyra Senese, managing editor
W
hile switch stands are still a popular standby, manufacturers cite excitement within the transit industry as switch machines offer hope for growth in the market as positive train control implementation efforts continue. 26 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
Ansaldo STS USA As a global provider with deep technical expertise in the industry, Ansaldo STS operates in different markets and economies, serving passenger transit authorities as well as freight railways. “Our business model is robust and
designed to benefit from economic shifts and changes, withstanding potential headwinds of individual economies,� said Jason White, CEO of Ansaldo STS USA, Inc. Throughout the past year, White said Ansaldo has been working on new products and is currently in the process of field rtands.com
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Switch Stands/Machines
Twinco Manufacturing said it is continually focusing on innovation and process improvement. The company developed multiple products for the industry’s switch machine market during the past year.
qualifying, with several freight railroads, its second generation Solid State Switch Machine Controller – called the IECC (Intelligent Electronic Circuit Controller). “The IECC is an evolution of our existing ECC (Electronic Circuit Controler), and will eventually include remote diagnostic capabilities and potentially Ethernet interfacing with the interlocking control centers, allowing for switch machine controls with less field wiring,” White explained. The company is also working on its next generation interlocking controller CPU, called ViPro, which is the evolution of its MicroLok II workhorse product, with nearly 10,000 units deployed worldwide and more than 1.9 billion hours of revenue service. The ViPro will include improvements to the existing MicroLok II efficacy and speed parameters, allow for easier development for control of more complex interlocking, and will also include upgraded state of the art diagnostic tools, White said. According to the company’s assessments, the market will remain flat in the short to medium term. However, its analysis predicts a varying outlook based on
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geographies and lines of business. Western Europe and the Asia Pacific are expected to remain the largest markets, while the U.S. and Canada are anticipated to be the fastest growing. In the field of Turnkey projects, where Ansaldo STS acts as a systems integrator, the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) segment is expected to grow faster than the other lines of business, boosted by jumbo projects in specific regions such as the Middle East. Moreover, a relevant share of future Turnkey projects is expected to be financed through Public-Private Partnerships (P3). White notes that the company’s clients have distinct needs. “Some are undertaking large-scale programs to transform their operations, so those needs certainly go beyond new orders and equipment, to full-scale systems design and integration, turnkey services, and operations and maintenance,” he said. “Other clients are doing regular equipment upgrades, so ordering equipment and such. Other clients opt to remanufacture. It depends on the
client and their overall need. We have truly outstanding clients.”
“
With PTC-related projects consuming a large portion of our customers’ funding, we have noticed a dramatic switch in focus to preventative maintenance of the existing system in order to ensure reliability.”
Ansaldo STS is also actively involved in helping the U.S. industry adopt positive
train control (PTC), working with numerous clients to meet their regulatory deadlines. “It’s certainly a major emphasis for the US industry and a key focus for us as we help our clients,” White said. Looking ahead to what’s next, White said Ansaldo STS works to leverage the company’s local and global expertise along with other resources to develop solutions. “This applies to the switch stand/ machine market, as well as other products, services and solutions we offer,” he said. “Let me underscore that this is an exciting time for our company.” Overall, the Ansaldo STS vision for the future is to become a provider of integrated technological solutions and full valueadded services, leveraging the company’s technological competitive advantages, and its safety and security expertise. “As part of the Hitachi Organization, and in addition to our core technologies, which are the basis for current business, we’re focused on applying the most innovative digital technologies to the product portfolio and installed base, to create a superior offering,” White explained.
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The approach to digital innovation will focus mainly on railway operations and asset management, he said. The company is also focused on launching an operations and maintenance business to complement its offerings. “We think our vision is clear and compelling,” White stated. He also explained that Ansaldo STS believes that the rail industry plays a key role in the safe and reliable movement of people and goods, with an understanding of social responsibility and the environment.
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Twinco Manufacturing Twinco Manufacturing said it is continually focusing on innovation and process improvement. The company developed multiple products for the industry’s switch machine market during the past year. The TMC-1 Switch Machine offers a low profile, and the company said it is highly modular and submersible. Twinco also released the 300 Amp Mini Impedance Bond LED Countdown Signs. Patrick Rogers, vice president, Sales, said Twinco Manufacturing has seen a surge in sales of maintenance-related products in the transit industry. “Industry focus has shifted to preventative maintenance and the adaptation of innovative products to work with their existing system but improve passenger train throughput,” he said. As positive train control (PTC) integration ramps up nationwide, Rogers says PTC implementation has led to a surge in various products Twinco Manufacturing offers, including wired enclosures, junction boxes, impedance bonds and AREMA Hardware. “With PTC-related projects consuming a large portion of our customers’ funding, we have noticed a dramatic switch in focus to preventative maintenance of the existing system in order to ensure reliability,” Rogers explained. 2018 has also been a positive year for safety at Twinco Manufacturing, Rogers said, citing zero safety-related issues for the company this year to date. “Safety has always been a big concern of a large majority of our customers because they are moving passengers,” he said. Users of switch machines are also observing more value in features that make the machines more reliable and maintainable, Rogers stated. “Increasing climatic events such as flooding and large sudden temperature swings are becoming more frequent,” he says. “A major influence on reliability can be achieved by controlling the effects of all forms of water that finds its way inside the machine.” Whether it be water vapor turning into frost on contact or liquid expanding when freezing, Rogers said the best way to deal with a reliability killer is to not allow such a risk factor into the machine to begin with. “Our Twinco TMC-1 Switch Machine has been specifically designed to address this killer,” Rogers said. “No liquid water is allowed to penetrate this machine. Any residual water or moisture trapped inside this non-ventilated machine due to normal maintenance inspections is addressed with a controlled absorption process.” Rogers said visual indication is provided on the cover of the TMC-1 Switch Machine to ensure a dry environment. “Our machine has been tested to an IP68 rating in 6 feet of water for 24 hours,” he added. “A fundamental element of ease of maintainability is modularity. All the electrical rtands.com
connections in our machine are addressed with vibration tested tool-less connectors.” Rogers also explained that all vital wiring inside the machine is controlled in an ISO 9001 factory environment, which means the gears and motor are also modular in design for ease and quickness of service. In the coming year of business, Twinco’s main focus will be on the company’s efforts to continue innovation and break into a larger percentage of the switch machine market. With the ability to offer a complete Switch Package (Switch Machine, Junction boxes, Switch Heater Case and Switch Heaters), Rogers said Twinco Manufacturing is equipped to provide a onestop turnkey solution to address all of the company’s customers’ turnout needs. voestalpine Nortrak Inc. Last year, voestalpine Nortrak discussed the successful performance of more than 100 submersible CSV-24 in-street switch machines in Houston, Texas, after the waters from Hurricane Harvey receded. This year, the heavy rail switch machine in of the company’s submersible line, the Unistar-HR, was rolled out to a number of agencies. In addition to being submersible, the Unistar-HR also meets the most stringent demands for a switch machine, including the 20,000 lb. locking requirement, says Chris Nordstrom, regional sales manager, Signaling. “This year has been very healthy for business in both the freight and transit markets,” Nordstrom said. The company’s CSV-24 seems to have become the “Buy America” standard for the streetcar market, he explained, stating that the Automater HT yard switch machine was recently adopted at another Class 1 railroad. In another area of the business, Nordstrom notes that communication networks and back offices are becoming more empowered to handle the increased amount of PTC data being shared with the field. “We believe that railways will be better positioned to analyze and act upon field information,” he explained. “This ‘digitalization’ within the railways will allow them to accept data from the integrated condition monitoring modules available as options with the Unistar-HR and CSV-24 switch machines.” The modules monitor the energy required for every single throw and generate alerts when operations become degraded, he said. “Railways can prevent train delays by dispatching maintenance forces during regular working hours to make switch adjustments at identified locations,” Nordstrom said. Nordstrom said the company has not faced any safety issues within the past year, and the company will remain intensely focused on safety as Nortrak has been throughout the past few years. “Safety is one of our central values and it will always be a top priority at Nortrak,” he said. Echoing sentiments shared by others in the market, Nordstrom explained that as extreme weather events have become more common, the company has noticed more interest in submersible switch machines. Going forward, Nordstrom says voestalpine Nortrak expects to see a continuation of the strong sales the company has observed with transit agencies. On the freight side, Nortrak expects to see an overall increase of 2-3 percent in capital envelopes. rtands.com
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hand-held tools
SMALL TOOLS HANDLE
CRITICAL PROJECTS In our 2018 market update, manufacturers of hand-held tools aim to fulfill the market’s needs for powerful tools in small sizes. By Kyra Senese
F
or an industry dominated by large, heavy-weight equipment, small tools can be a big help to the most significant portions of railroad projects.
Cembre Cembre’s R&D engineers have been actively working on developing more battery operated track tools over the past 12 months,
says Chris Drew, vice president of Sales for Cembre Inc. The company introduced the new Cembre SD-19BR battery tie drill in conjunction with the CS-EU support trolley at the AREMA show in Chicago with great success. Drew says 2019 will be a memorable year for Cembre as the company is celebrating 20
years in North America and it’s the company’s 50th anniversary generally. “I’ve personally been involved from the beginning with Cembre Inc.,” Drew said. “It only seems like yesterday relocating my family to a new country, with a 4-yearold son and a 6-month-old daughter, not forgetting my wife, back in 1999. Over the past 20 years living in America I feel I’ve
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hand-held tools
“
Due to our relationship with a major supplier of LiHD batteries and our own 30 years experience in manufacturing battery operated crimping and cutting tools, we are at the forefront in the development of batteryoperated track tools,” – Chris drew, CEMBRE
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34 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
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seen it all!” As always, Drew said safety is a priority. The demand for more battery operated tools will not only be a benefit when it comes to safety, but he said it will also have a major effect on the environment, due to emissions and noise pollution. Cembre Inc traditionally has been strong with transit systems due to the company’s rail bonding system and electrified systems. The Class 1 railroads have been tough due to the amount of hydraulic tooling they use, however, Drew said the company believes this could change due to the opportunities battery tooling could offer. Drew said the company has not faced any major issues this past year in particular, apart from the need for any manufacturer to remember that the industry is always evolving. He also noted that the main trend the company has observed recently is the demand for battery-operated tools. He said the company is working closely with BNSF on the devolvement on battery tools.
As for the next year or so of business, Drew says Cembre aims to continue developing products that the industry needs while implementing new technology. “Due to our relationship with a major supplier of LiHD batteries and our own 30 years experience in manufacturing battery operated crimping and cutting tools, we are at the forefront in the development of battery-operated track tools, the first to introduce a lightweight battery rail and tie drilling machines with a commercial battery platform,” Drew added. Husqvarna Husqvarna Construction Products Americas recently updated its K 1260 Rail hand-held power cutter with the K 1270 model, which features the company’s patented X-Torq® engine that reduces emissions by more than 50 percent and fuel consumption by up to 20 percent. The company notes that successfully cutting a rail track requires power, precision and speed. “The K 1270 Rail is the market’s most
powerful cutter, customised for railways, tram tracks and metro systems,” the company’s website states. Husqvarna says its K 1270 Rail cuts fast and straight. The attachment is also intended to mount quickly to the rail while the double attachment mountings enable users to cut from any direction. The tool is equipped with a maximum cutting depth of 5.7 inches, has a maximum blade diameter of 16 inches and is capable of an output power of 7.8 hp. “Husqvarna has always been focused on ergonomics and ease of use for our operators, which is why the K 1270 Rail features a new ergonomic design on the filter cover to optimize user comfort,” the company said. Pandrol Alex Hellkamp, vice president equipment -North America at Pandrol, which recently brought Vortok, Pandrol CDM Track, Rosenqvist, Matweld and RSS under a single brand, explained that the company’s focus is on helping customers
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hand-held tools
Husqvarna’s K 1270 Rail is a hand-held cutter that is customized for railways, tram tracks and metro systems, the company said.
as they seek better, safer and efficient solutions to issues. “We have always partnered with our customers to evolve equipment to meet the ever-changing demands of this industry. We are specialists in the industry with our product line and have earned the respect by listening and reacting to needs,” said Hellkamp. He points to a recent modification the company made to its Precision Frog Grinder in order to extend the target area
Take the
that is needed to grind and blend out a surface defect. “This was accomplished by working directly with our customers to achieve the results merely by modifying the existing equipment components,” said Hellkamp. “The result is now there is a way to grind out qualifying SSC defects in track and do it cost effectively. This avoids the replacement of the frog with the defect and provides a significant time and cost savings.” Regarding the power behind hand-held tools in the rail market, Hellkamp says Pandrol’s expertise is in hydraulic tools and he sees innovation in the realm of battery technology. “There is still a significant gap in power delivered to cost effectiveness in the battery powered divisions of the world. With innovations continuing, I predict soon will come some opportunities,” he said. Racine Railroad Products In 2018, Racine Railroad Products developed a new Hydraulic 1-inch impact wrench that the company says is more compact,
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more durable and one of the most economical in the market. Steve Ries, sales and product support manager for Racine Railroad Products, said the company is also offering a HYD track jack with a 10-ton lifting capacity. The track jack is also one of the most economical in the market Ries said. “We have recently developed new gasoline and hydraulic rail drills that offer a quick disconnect cutter, has a smaller footprint than many in the market, and utilizes the same drill body for gas and hydraulic, so motors could be interchanged for more versatility and value,” he explained. Like all areas of the railroad industry, Ries notes that safety is always a top priority for whatever tool the company develops. “All of our tools have been designed for better operator safety and better ergonomics to lessen operator injury due to fatigue,” Ries said. As requests for battery operated tools are on the rise, Ries said Racine Railroad Products is looking into making several of the
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hand-held tools
company’s tools battery powered to satisfy the market. “Not only is battery power cleaner, but also involves less moving parts, making the tool easier to use and more durable,” Ries added. With the advancements in lithium-ion battery technology, there are more opportunities to utilize batteries to power equipment. Additionally, there is more need for tools to be on-hand for immediate shipment, Ries explained. The company maintains a comprehensive inventory of tools and can likely ship to customers within 24 hours of an order, he said. So far, Racine Railroad Products is anticipating a year of growth for handheld tools in 2019. In response, Ries said the company has added to its sales force to provide better sales and service coverage to better serve the market. “With so many new tools being released in 2019 and additions to the sales force, we are expecting significant sales growth for 2019,” he said.
Quantifying Friction Measurement cont. Continued from page 20 “There’s so much more scrubbing taking place on the low rail that the effect of the friction modifier is reduced,” Harrison said. Reduced, but not eliminated: Residual material remains even after 10,000 wheel passes. Tests in in the body of 10- and 12-degree curves in the high-tonnage loop at TTCI showed that there are differences in the ef fective friction levels as seen by an instrumented wheelset, the older push Tribo and the new HO Tribo. The presumed causes of these differences, which are under consideration for future tests are: 1) the differences in creep and 2) the differences in effective third-body wear par ticles af fecting each measurement device. T h e n e x t s te p i s to c l e a r l y
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ascertain what the researchers and end users want to look for. “So, we’re going to look at three different types of third-body materials: an oil-based lubricant, a water-based traction enhancer and a water-based friction modifier,” Harrison said. This may be where the payoff for using tools like these to evaluate what’s actually going on in track is greatest. Research and development cadres expect to get to the point where users can use a handheld tribometer to tune wayside applicators or onboard applicators to ap p ly th e right am o unt of material based on actual, analyzed data, rather than relying on the rule of thumb. More information on ICRI-related research projects can be found at ICRI.org.
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Message from the President
G
reetings! AREMA enjoys an excellent and long-running relationship with the Railway Tie Association (RTA) and I was honored to be asked to speak at their 100th anniversary conference held in Bonita Springs, Fla. According to RTA’s website, the association’s mission is to provide the forum and direction for the continued improvement of the life-cycle of the engineered wood crosstie system and RTA’s purpose is to promote the economical and environmentally sound use of wood crossties. RTA is involved in research into all aspects of the crosstie industry and ongoing activities dealing with sound forest management, conservation of timber resources, timber processing, wood preservation and the safety of industry workers. My presentation at the conference provided an update on AREMA’s activities and initiatives during 2018 and our plans for future AREMA conferences. A focus of the presentation included a report on AREMA’s student chapters and student activities, along with the excellent work being done by Committee 30 – Ties. Committee 30 held their fall meeting in conjunction with the RTA conference and many of Committee 30’s members are also active in RTA. Fall is a very busy season for AREMA’s leadership and staff. In late October, the Finance Committee met to review AREMA finances from 2018 and to discuss and finalize the 2019 AREMA budget. This year, the Finance Committee is led by Dwight Clark, the Immediate Past President of AREMA. The Committee also includes the president, senior vice president, treasurer and executive director/CEO. Dwight worked closely with the AREMA
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staff to prepare the 2019 budget, which the Finance Committee approved and submitted a recommendation to the Board of Governors for approval. In early November of each year, the Board of Governors, Functional Group Board of Directors and committee chairs conduct their individual meetings at a common location. This year’s meetings were held in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7. In conjunction with these meetings, the AREMA staff and senior vice president conduct an orientation session for all newly elected governors, Functional Group vice presidents and directors and committee chairs. The orientation session includes presentations designed to educate the incoming leaders about AREMA’s operations and their responsibilities as leaders in the organization. A round table discussion is also held to provide the opportunity for all committee chairs to exchange ideas regarding committee activities and to promote communication between committees. The Board of Governors is the governing body of AREMA and is responsible for AREMA’s strategic direction and policy. The business affairs of the organization are governed by the Board of Governors, which includes members such as the president, immediate past president, senior vice president, treasurer, three governors and the executive director/CEO. Meetings of the Board of Governors are held twice a year and feature reports from the Board’s committees, the president and the executive director/CEO, along with other business as needed. The meeting held this fall included the approval of AREMA’s 2019 budget, approval of an agreement with Engineers Australia to form a relationship to expand the technical exchange between the Railway Technical Society of Australia and AREMA and approval of an AREMA Antitrust Policy. The Board of Governors also approved a major update to AREMA’s Strategic Plan. We will be communicating details of the new Strategic Plan and its implementation in the near future. The Functional Group Board of Directors administers all Technical Committee operations. Each Functional Group is represented on the Board of Directors by a Functional Group vice president and two directors.
The Functional Group Board of Directors meets in November and June of each year. A Committee Chairs’ meeting accompanies each Board of Directors’ meeting. The role of the Functional Groups is to monitor and give direction to their respective committees. AREMA includes the following six functional groups: • Track – Committees 1 (Roadway and Ballast), 4 (Rail), 5 (Track) and 30 (Ties) • Structures – Committees 7 (Timber Structures), 8 (Concrete Structures & Foundations), 9 (Seismic Design for Railway Structures), 10 (Structures Maintenance and Construction), 15 (Steel Structures) and 28 (Clearances). • Passenger and Transit – Committees 11 (Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems), 12 (Rail Transit), 17 (High Speed Rail Systems) and 33 (Electric Energy Utilization). • Engineering Services – Committees 6 (Building & Support Facilities), 13 (Environmental), 14 (Yards & Terminals), 16 (Economics of Railway Engineering & Operations and 18 (Light Density & Short Line Railways and 24 (Education & Training). • Maintenance-of-Way – Committees 2 (Track Measurement and Assessment Systems), 27 (Maintenance of Way Work Equipment, 40 (Engineering Safety) and 41 (Track Maintenance). • Communications and Signals – Committees 34 (Scales), 36 (Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems), 37 (Signal Systems), 38 (Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems), 39 (Positive Train Control) and 43 (Signals Maintenance). At their semi-annual meetings, the Board of Directors hears reports from the standing committees, the senior vice president and executive director/CEO and Functional Group vice presidents. A key agenda item is the approval of all ballots submitted by the committees for material to be included in the Manuals and approval of all committee leadership changes. I want to wish you, your families and friends a safe and joyful holiday season. Thank you for all of your contributions to making 2018 a successful year for AREMA and I’m looking forward to seeing you in 2019! Follow Arema on Social Media:
December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 39
FYI
• AREMA would like to wish you and your family a very happy and safe holiday season. • G et your last m in ute 201 8 tax deductions by donating to the AREMA E d u c a t i o n a l F o u n d a t i o n a t w w w. aremafoundation.org. The foundation is a charitable organization established to promote educational activities related to railway engineering. • Re-released af ter four years, order the NEW 2018 edition of the Portfolio of Trackwork Plans. This edition features new plans and specifications that relate to the design, details, materials and workmanship for switches, frogs, turnouts and crossovers, crossings, rails and other
special trackwork. Order online now at www.arema.org or contact mbruins@ arema.org for more details.
has begun. Entries must be submitted by May 24, 2019. Please visit www.arema.org for more information.
• Please join AREMA in welcoming its two new student chapters: the Illinois Tech Railroad Club at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Delaware! AREMA student chapters represent the next generation of the railway industry and bring together students interested in railroading where they can be directed toward activities that foster their academic curiosity in the field. If you are an AREMA member who is interested in supporting a student chapter or if you’re a student who is curious about starting a new chapter, please contact the Student Chapter Coordinator at scc@arema.org.
• Leverage the power of your trusted association’s Railway Careers Network to tap into a talent pool of job candidates with the training and education needed for long-term success. Visit www.arema. org/careers to post your job today. Use code RAILCAREER to receive a discount.
• Call for Entries for the 2019 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence. The selection process for the twentieth W. W. Hay Award
• AR EMA m e m b e rs, if yo u h ave n ot already done so, be sure to renew your membership today to take advantage of what AREMA can of fer you. Login now to www.arema.org and renew your 2019 dues online. Not a member? Join now to get exclusive rates on products and educational courses, committee opportunities, access to the directories, subscriptions to your favorite magazine and much more.
Upcoming Committee Meetings 2018 December 11 Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization Philadelphia, PA 2019 January 7 Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction San Marco Island, FL January 23 Committee 16 - Economics of Railway Engineering & Operations Teleconference January 24-25 Committee 8 - Concrete Structures and Foundations St. Petersburg, FL January 25 - 26 Committee 24 - Education & Training Atlanta, GA February 4 - 5 Committee 1 - Roadway & Ballast Fresno, CA February 5 Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures
New Orleans, LA February 5 - 6 Committee 15 - Steel Structures New Orleans, LA February 20 - 21 Committee 7 - Timber Structures Georgetown, TX February 28 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Racine, WI March 2019 Committee 37 - Signal Systems Jacksonville, FL March 24 – 26 Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems Raleigh & Charlotte, NC March 24 – 26 Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Raleigh & Charlotte, NC April 2019 Committee 14 - Yards & Terminals Norfolk, VA May 2019 Committee 34 – Scales San Diego, CA
May 14 – 15 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Kansas City, MO June 18 – 19 Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction Petaluma, CA September 10 - 11 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Columbus, OH September 22 Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction Minneapolis, MN 2020 January TBD Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction Albuquerque, NM June TBD Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction New York, NY September 13 Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction Dallas, TX
If you’d like to learn more about the AREMA Technical Committees and would like to get involved, please contact Alayne Bell at abell@arema.org. For a complete list of all committee meetings, visit https://www.arema.org/events.aspx. Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA Committee meetings can be found online at: http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.
40 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
rtands.com
Professional Development A R EM A i s f o c u s e d o n yo u r education within the railway industry to help your advancement and to extend our ability to serve the community. AREMA’s webbased courses and briefings provide Professional Development H o u r s (PD H) to s e r ve yo u r educational needs.
AREMA Staff takes a break from Leadership Meetings in Jacksonville, FL to tour local CSX bridges and facilities. Their educational tour was led by Ed Sparks, AREMA Senior Vice President and Assistant Chief Engineer of Structures at CSX.
AREMA staff visits CSX facilities
A
The AREMA Staff Team enjoyed a full day of activities and learning with various CSX employees. The Staff Team toured the CSX Operations Center and two CSX bridge projects. AREMA would like to thank all of those involved in making this event happen. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Notice to all members of AREMA The 2018-2019 Nominating Committee, under the Chairmanship of Immediate Past President Dwight W. Clark, hereby solicits suggestions and recommendations of candidates to serve on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors in the following positions: All must be members of AREMA in good standing * (1) Senior Vice President – one-year term Must be a current or past member of the AREMA Board of Directors, and must be employed by a railway or transit company. * (3) Functional Group Vice Presidents – rtands.com
Introduction to Wayside Detection Systems Webinar Date: Jan. 23 Time: 2 – 3 p.m.EST PDH: 1 hour Details: This 1 PDH webinar is designed to provide a basic understanding of the operations of defect detector systems. It is not to instruct on the maintenance of these systems but to provide an introduction to how they work. Design & Construction of Highway/Railway Grade Crossings Webinar Date: Feb. 19 Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. EST PDH: 1.5 hours Details: This 1.5 hour webinar will provide design and construction elements alongside AREMA recommendations to highway designers for projects that have railroad at-grade crossings.
AREMA Staff stands on a 605.25 Steel Bridge Rehabilitation on the Florida/ Georgia line to learn about the current job status and what steps are to be taken in order to complete this project safely. three-year term (Communications & Signals, Passenger & Transit and Track) Must be current or past member of the AREMA Board of Directors. * Three (3) Functional Groups will have a vacancy to be filled in the Functional Group Director positions – three-year term (Engineering Services, Maintenanceof-Way and Structures). Nominating recom mendation should be subm it ted via let ter or fax, an d should include all documentation to substantiate the recommendation. This must be signed by the member making the recommendation.
For more information on our webinar programs and to register, please visit www.arema.org.
Deadline for Receipt of Recommendations is January 31, 2019. The Nominating Committee will consider all recommendations. Submission of a recommendation should not be construed as affirmative Committee action on that recommendation. Please fax or mail to: Dwight W. Clark Nominating Committee Chair AREMA 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 130 Lanham, MD 20706 USA FAX +1.301.459.8077
December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 41
WE SIFT THROUGH THE NEWS SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO RAIL GROUP NEWS brings you a daily round-up of news stories from Railway Age, RT&S, and IRJ. This email newsletter offers North American and global news and analysis of the freight and passenger markets. From developments in rail technology, operations, and strategic planning to legislative issues and engineering news, we’ve got you covered.
RAIL From Railway Age, RT&S and IRJ GROUP www.railwayage.com/rgn NEWS
ROUND-UP of
RAILWA
Calendar
DECEMBER 11-12 . Application of Emerging Data Techniques in Railway Maintenance. University of Delaware Newark Campus. Phone: 302-831-8302. E-mail: enggoutreach@udel.edu. Website: www. udel.edu/. 13-14. Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Pl a n n i n g C o n f e re n c e. U n i ve rs it y of Delaware Newark Campus. Newark, Del. Contact: Allan Zarembski. E-mail: dramz@ udel.edu.
JANUARY 2019 6 -9. N R C- R E M S A C o n f e r e n c e & E x p os i ti o n . J.W. M a rc o I s l a n d, Fl a . Contact: Matt Bell. E-mail: mbell@nrcma. org. Phone: 202-715-2921. Website: http:// www.nrcma.org/conference_exhibition. 8. Western Railway Club meeting. Union League Club of Chicago. Chicago, Ill. Website: http://www.westernrailwayclub. org/railway-meetings.htm. Phone: 847-877-
1514. E-mail: info@westernrailwayclub.com.
wisconsinrailroadassociation.com/.
1 6 -17. M i d we s t A s s o c i a t i o n o f R a i l Shippers (MARS) Winter Meeting. Westin Lombard Yorktown Center. Lombard, Ill. Contact: Bill Schauer. Phone: 630-5136700. E-mail: mars@mwrailshippers.com.
11-15. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards. TN Valley Railroad Museum. Chattanooga, Tenn. Website: http://ttap. utk.edu/.
22-24 . A AR’s 31st Quality Assurance Auditor and Industry Conference. Hilton Riverside. New Orleans, La. Website: www. aar.com/standards/FAQ.html.
26-27. 24th Annual AAR Research Review. Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the Transportation Technology Center Inc. in Pueblo, Colo.
24-25. Texas Rail Advocates’ 15th Annual Southwestern Rail Conference. Magnolia Hotel – Park Cities/SMU. Dallas, Texas. E-mail: peter@texasrailadvocates.org. We bs ite: ht tp://texa s ra i l a d vo c a te s . org/2019-southwestern-rail-conference/.
FEBRUARY 2 8 . Wisconsin Rai lroad As sociation Freight Rail Day. The Westin Milwaukee. Milwaukee, Wis. Contact: Shari Liebe. Phone: (608) 512-1280. Website: https://
The Railway Educational Bureau Design and Construction of Modern Steel Railway Bridges,
APRIL 6-9. American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s 2019 Connections Convention. Orlando, Fla. Contact: Kathy Cassidy. Phone: 202-585-3443. E-mail: kc a s s i d y@ a s l rra .o rg . We bs ite: w w w. aslrra.org.
MAY 8. Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. Washington, D.C. Website: www.aslrra.org or www.aar.org.
Track Resources NEW!
Railroader:
The Unfiltered Genius and Controversy of Four-Time CEO Hunter Harrison
Second Edition
This new edition encompasses current design methods used for steel railway bridges in both SI and Imperial (US Customary) units. It discusses the planning of railway bridges and the appropriate types of bridges based on planning considerations. BKDMSRB2 Design & Const. of Mod. Railway Bridges $169.95*
Hunter Harrison, the revolutionary railroader from Memphis, dramatically turned four publicly traded companies into cash machines.
BKHUNTER
$27.99*
Railroader - Hunter Harrison
The Art and Science of Rail Grinding
Basic Principles of Track Maintenance
Rail grinding saves millions of dollars every year! The Art and Science of Rail Grinding is the first book dedicated exclusively to the subject.
Basic Principles of Track Maintenance progresses from an overview of the basic track structure to examinations of its components and ends with a comprehensive look at turnouts and right-of-way.
BKGRIND Rail Grinding
$145.00
BKTMB
$140.00
Basic Principles of Track Maintenance
Railway Geotechnics
The Frog Gauge
Railway Geotechnics covers track, track substructure, load environment, materials, mechanics, design, construction, measurements, and management. It is written primarily for professionals and graduate students.
Easy-to-use, this gauge is made of rugged, indestructible, composite material. Ideal for track inspectors, maintenance and welders repairing frogs. The compact gauge measures the flangeway gap and checks proper spacing for guardrails. Order 10 or more and get a 20% discount.
BKGEOTECH
Railway Geotechnics
$195.00*
The Railway Educational Bureau 1809 Capitol Ave., Omaha NE, 68102 www.RailwayEducationalBureau.com rtands.com
MARCH
MSFROG
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Frog Gauge
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Add Shipping & Handling if your merchandise subtotal is:
UP TO $10.00 10.01 - 25.00 25.01 - 50.00 50.01 - 75.00
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CAN $8.75 12.65 16.80 21.20
Orders over $75, call for shipping
December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 43
PRODUCTS
Mobile light tower The WCDE-4-6X150LTL-LED mobile light tower released by Larson Electronics provides a towable, self-contained LED light plant. The light tower is powered by a watercooled diesel engine turning a single bearing 4 pole generator which produces 6,000 watts at 120/240V, the company said. The six 160 watt LED lamps included with the unit provide a total of 129,600 lumens, which can illuminate a 3-4 acre area. This 960 watt LED lighting package is intended to serve as a replacement for metal halide light plants, and the trailer-mounted light tower and generator set comes equipped with a 30-gallon fuel tank that will run continuously without refueling for up to 120 consecutive hours. The mobile floodlight package is ideal for construction, industrial operations and anywhere an extended operation capable mobile lighting solution is needed, Larson Electronics explained. Website: https://www. larsonelectronics.com/
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Meeting Market Demands cont. Continued from page 25 of HyGround and GREX, Loram is strategically poised to address the stress state of the railroad, from the top of rail down, he said. Orgo-Thermit, Inc., reports rail transit is the primary market for its TRACKSAFE Lube automated lubrication system. The system, which is designed with preassembled components and is powered by a solar panel that charges a high-capacity 12 V battery, has been able to withstand harsh environments in installations on three Nor th American transit systems. In addition to reductions in wheel and rail wear in areas with heavy traffic, the company says that the use of TRACKSAFE Lube can also reduce noise levels by up to 20 decibels. RBL, Inc. / Robolube recently completed a year-long test of the Robolube “Linear” wayside lubrication system at the TTCI’s FAST facilities in Pueblo (see RT&S, October 2018, p 16-18). “We addressed the few issues of concern and are excited to see what will take place with our new technology,” said Robert G. Pieper, President - RBL, Inc./Robolube. As part of its efforts to address the needs for gauge-face and TOR friction management in the Class I and shortline segments of the industry, RBL has introduced the Robolube RY-50, Hyrail Lubricator, a smaller, lighter hi-rail lubricator to address smaller territories. Whitmore Rail’s electric trackside applicator includes enhancements such as a new remote-monitoring option that allows users to track the unit’s activity and provides selfdiagnostics. Whitmore’s TOR and gauge-face wiping bars, which are available in 16- and 48- port configurations, were developed for freight and transit markets. They, along with the company’s TOR Armor® are used to reduce noise, wear and lateral forces on. It, along with the company’s rail curve and switch plate lubricants, is used to reduce rail and wheel flange wear, wheel squeal and fuel consumption.
rtands.com 5/17/18 11:42 AM
Ad Index
COMPANY
PHONE #
FAX #
E-MAIL ADDRESS
AREMA Marketing Department
301-459-3200
301-459-8077
marketing@arema.org
PAGE # Cover 3
Auto Truck Group
816-412-2131
816-412-2191
eschoenfeld@autotruck.com
28
Danella Rental Systems
561-743-7373
561-743-1973
SBolte@danella.com
6
Diversified Metal Fabricators, Inc.
404-875-1512
404-875-4835
sales@dmfatlanta.com
7
East Coast Railroad Services
845-565-7210
845-565-722
Diane@EastCoastRailroadServices.com
16
Hayward Baker, Inc.
314-802-2920
jrhill@HaywardBaker.com
2
Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.
816-385-8233
jhansen@hrsi.com
23
Holland LP
708-672-2300
708-672-0119
rgehl@hollandco.com
30
Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.
866-245-3745
800-309-3299
info@trak-star.com
35
L B foster Company
412-928-3506
412-928-3512
sglippard@lbfosterco.com
24
Light Rail
212-620-7205
212-633-1165
conferences@sbpub.com
9
Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.
763-478-6014
763-478-2221
sales@loram.com
21
Montana Hydraulics, LLC
877-449-3164
dehlke@mthyd.com
5
Next-Gen Freight Rail
212-620-7205
212-633-1162
conferences@sbpub.com
17
Nordco, Inc.
414-766-2180
414-766-2379
cnielsen@nordco.com
8
NRC
202-715-2920
203-318-0867
info@nrcma.org
11
Pandrol USA, L.P.
800-221-CLIP
856-467-2994
Progress Rail, A Caterpillar Company
256-505-6402
256-505-6051
info@progressrail.com
C2
Racine Railroad Products, Inc.
262-637-9681
262-637-9069
custserv@racinerailroad.com
34
RCE Equipment Solutions Inc.
866-472-4510
630-355-7173
dennishanke@rcequip.com
31
Railway Education Bureau, The
402-346-4300
402-346-1783
bbrundige@sb-reb-com
36,43
RoadRail LLC
866-639-9457
sales@RoadRail.com
33
Taimi Hydraulics
402-891-7665
402-891-7745
progers@twincomfg.com
24
Twinco
631-231-0022
631-231-0314
gord.weatherly@voestalpine.com
29
voestalpine Nortrak, Inc.
307-778-8700
307-778-8777
alisha.barrowcliff@wilvaco.com
27
Willamette Valley Company
541-484-9621
541-484-1987
25
C4
Advertising Sales MAIN OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com AL, KY, Jonathan Chalon 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (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 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, In, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK, OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada – AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 683-5026 Fax: (312) 683-0131 hdisabato@sbpub.com The Netherlands, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal,
Switzerland, North Germany, Middle East, South America, Africa (not South), Far East (Excluding Korea / China/India), All Others, Tenders Louise Cooper International Area Sales Manager The Priory, Syresham Gardens Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom +44-1444-416368 Fax: +44-(0)-1444-458185 lc@railjournal.co.uk Scandinavia, Spain, Southern Germany, Austria, Korea, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe Baltic States, Recruitment Advertising Michael Boyle International Area Sales Manager Nils Michael Boyle Dorfstrasse 70, 6393 St. Ulrich, Austria. +011436767089872 mboyle@railjournal.com
Reader Referral Service This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue.
Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 V Piano, Genoa, Italy 16129 +39-10-570-4948 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 info@mediapointsrl.it Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Tokyo 121-0824 Japan +81-3-5691-3335 Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 amkatsu@dream.com CLASSIFIED, PROFESSIONAL & EMPLOYMENT Jeanine Acquart 55 Broad St., 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 (212) 620-7211 Fax: (212) 633-1325 jacquart@sbpub.com
The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and RTS assumes no responsibility for the correctness.
rtands.com
December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 45
New & Used Equipment 100 S PANIPLUS DRIVE OLATHE, KS 66061 MAIN: 913.764.1315
SALES – SERVICE – RENTALS – PARTS – HI-RAIL & CRANE INSPECTIONS HI-RAIL TRUCKS IN INVENTORY AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SALE OR RENTAL (NEW AND USED)
PARTS • SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS
SECTION TRUCKS – GRAPPLE TRUCKS ROTARY DUMP TRUCKS ... PICKUP TRUCKS … AND MORE ALSO HEAVY DUTY HI-RAIL TIE & RAIL CARTS Omaha Track Equipment 13010 F Plaza • Omaha NE 68137 (402) 339-4512 Contact PAUL WARD • (402) 651-6632
MORE
OLATHE, KS • HOUSTON, TX • BRIGHTON, CO • BRANCHBURG, NJ • SAN MARCOS, CA • CALGARY
paul@omahatrack.com
www.Crane-Works.com
PICKUP TRUCKS ….
Sales
aspenequipment.com/railroad
Rentals
Service Parts
Hi Rail Gradalls
New and Used Hi-Rail Trucks Available
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- Pickup Trucks - Service Bodies
- Flatbeds - Bucket Trucks
- Welding Trucks - Section Trucks - Grapple Trucks
- Track Inspector Trucks - Boom Trucks
CAll Bruce Harrod: 877-888-9730 BHarrod@aspeneq.com 46 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
MOW Equipment Lease & Sale Brushcutting Specialized Hauling Track Surfacing Low Boys with Rail
www.RailwayEquipmentServices.net “A full service company with over 25 yrs exp!” rtands.com
New & Used Equipment
R. E. L. A. M., INC.
Email: RelamCFE@aol.com Tel: 440-439-7088 Fax: 440-439-9399 Visit our website at: www.relaminc.com EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, 6700SJ, 6700SJ2 Switch and Production Tampers Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line HYDRAULIC STABILIZERS HARSCO TS-30HDs TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs TR-10s and TKOs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW PRODUCTS KBR-860s and 925s, KSF-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1000/1050 Kribber-Adzers KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Models CX and SS Spikers M-3 Screw Spike Machines Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Model SP2R Dual Spike Puller/Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAILHEATERS Pettibone Model 445E/445F Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments (F’s with Tier 4 Engine) Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Propane and Diesel Railheaters - Single & Dual Sided, Self-propelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts
Available for Lease 3000 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4300 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks 60 ft, 100 ton Plate F box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors 50 ft, 100 ton Plate C box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors 26,671 Gallon, 263k GRL, NC/NI Tank Cars Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com rtands.com
MOW Integrated Carbide Tools 6700 Tamping Tool JK-635
MKIV Tamping Tool JK-215L/R
GRM3000 Tamping Tool JK-560C
Replace worn components with Harsco Rail’s complete line of integrated carbide tools. • Class 1 product approval • Genuine OEM parts • All products in stock with immediate availability
To order, call: 1-800-800-6410 Email: railparts@harsco.com
Professional Directory
MARKETPLACE SALES Contact: Jeanine Acquart Ph: 212/620-7211 Fax: 212/633-1165 Email: jacquart@sbpub.com
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED December 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 47
Products & Services An Authorized Harsco Remanufacturing Facility Let Precision remanufacture your non-functional, outdated 6700 into a fully functional 6700 with the latest technology. If you have an old, worn-out 6700 tamper, we have your solution. CALL 620-485-4277 OR VISIT PRECISIONRWY.COM FOR MORE DETAILS
REMANUFACTURED 6700 SALES
ON-SITE TRAINING
EQUIPMENT LEASING
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Exchange Units/Related Tamper Parts and Assemblies To purchase parts, contact: New & Rebuilt sales@rrcri.com Electromatic/Hydraulic Units available for same Workheads day shipping
825 S. 19th St., Independence, KS 67301
TRADE IN ACCEPTED
REESE
ERIC HEADRICK President Ph217-268-5110 cell217-259-4823 Fax217-268-3059 email eric@rrcri.com
WANT TO SEE MORE OF OUR WORK? SCAN THE QR CODE FOR OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL .
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
• Track construction and maintenance • On-track ditching and rotary dump service • On-track tree trimming and brushcutting • Storm and flood cleanup and debris removal • Tie distribution, removal and disposal
K. W. Reese, Inc.
Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236
(717) 328-5211 • fax (717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com
GET THE INSIDE SCOOP ON & OFF THE TRACK
2016 NRC PlatiNum Safety awaRd wiNNeR
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RAIL BRIEF
The Weekly RT&S Email Newsletter Subscribe at: www.rtands.com/RailBrief
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48 Railway Track & Structures // December 2018
Powered by
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rtands.com
www.arema.org
AREMA Educational Programs To help your advancement, AREMA offers web-based programs that will extend our ability to serve the educational needs of our railway engineering community with PDH accredited web briefings and web based courses.
Introduction To Wayside Detection Systems Webinar Description: This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of the operations of defect detector systems and how they operate. Date: January 23 Time: 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST PDH: 1.0
Design & Construction of Highway/ Railway Grade Crossings Webinar Description: This webinar will provide design and construction elements alongside AREMA recommendations to highway designers for projects that have railroad at-grade crossings. Date: February 19 Time: 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST PDH: 1.5
www.arema.org
We’ll keep you on the right track.
One surefire way to keep your business on the right track is to partner with the best. WVCO Railroad Division is the industry leader in innovative products and application systems for wood and concrete tie remediation. Our products are the trusted solution for major railways all over North America (Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern), the United Kingdom (Tube Lines and Metronet on The London
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