RT&S July 2016

July 2016 | www.rtands.com

Advances in fastening systems

PLUS Special Trackwork Preventing wheel climb derailments and also AREMA News p.36

Contents July 2016

News

4

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Features

20

Industry Today 4 Supplier News 9 People

Fastening systems Stronger and more resilient components help keep track in place.

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Columns

32

pandrol north america

Preventing wheel-climb derailments Including three-dimensional climbup criterion when calculating lateral wheel force to vertical wheel load ratio could mitigate wheel-climb risk.

barry tait

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Special trackwork Stronger, more costeffective frogs, turnouts and other special trackwork are being manufactured and delivered.

32 Departments 14 TTCI R&D 36 Arema News 43 Calendar 44 Products 45 Advertisers Index

3

Progress Rail’s ME63 “skl”-style fastening system.

Story on page 20

On Track Preparing for failure

45 Sales Representatives 46 Classified Advertising 47 Professional Directory

12

NRC Chairman’s Column Summer heat, regulations, transit agency contracting

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Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 1

On Track

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

Vol. 112, No. 7 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Mischa Wanek-Libman/Editor, mischa@sbpub.com Jennifer Nunez/Assistant Editor, jnunez@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 55 Broad St 26th Fl. New York, N.Y. 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr./ President and Chairman Jonathan Chalon/Publisher Mary Conyers/Production Director Wendy Williams/Creative Director Maureen Cooney/Circulation Director Michelle Zolkos/Conference Director

RT&S Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 00339016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204654), (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly by SimmonsBoardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St 26th Fl., New York, N.Y. 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified indi vidual in the railroad employees may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/Canada/Mexico) $16.0 0; all others $46.0 0; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00. Single copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2016. 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 & address changes, Please call (80 0) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail rtands@halldata.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, SimmonsBoardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172.

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Preparing for failure

H

ard lessons are learned from failure. Ideally, the need to lear n those lessons should only occur once and the failure never repeated. However, in the case of crude-by-rail accidents, there seem to be a multitude of failures, each with a new lesson to be learned after the fact.

The latest occurred in Mosier, Ore., on June 3 when 16 tank cars derailed. A fire followed, causing the evacuation of 100 residents, about a quarter of the town population, closing a highway and forcing the cancellation of the last week of school for students in the area.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) preliminary report on the incident said broken lag bolts that led to gauge widening were the cause of the accident, but FRA placed blame squarely on Union Pacific’s shoulders.

The report read, “Union Pacific’s failure to maintain its track and track equipment resulted in the derailment.”

FRA noted in the report that broken or sheared lag bolts would be more detectable via walking inspection versus a hi-rail vehicle.

How can similar potentially dangerous situations be found ahead of an incident instead of after? How does the industry match the ability of the human eye to spot track errors with the speed of a hi-rail vehicle?

The industry is working on finding those answers, but they won’t come within days or weeks. Until the industry has these answers and more, there is a need to prepare for failure.

The industry has taken a concerted effort to train first responders and reach out to communities along these hazardous material routes to ensure that should an incident occur, it can be handled, contained and the risk mitigated. Every large railroad in the U.S. holds training events along its lines. There are national efforts, for example FRA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration have partnered on the Trans-

portation Rail Incident Preparedness and Response (TRIPR) online training resource. Transportation Technology Center, Inc., operates the Security & Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC), which offers classroom training and full-scale derailment scenarios of incidents involving hazardous materials.

The industry also has AskRail™, the mobile application developed as an added safety tool for first responders. The invite-only “smar t-app” allows first responders who show up at the scene of a freight train accident to quickly determine what type of hazardous materials are being carried on each railcar.

As long as there is a shipper at one end and a customer at the other, the transport of hazardous materials by rail isn’t going to cease. It’s the railroads common carrier obligation to transport these and other commodities. While the industry works on building more resilient infrastructure and enhancing inspection technologies, it’s also working to make sure communities and first responders are ready.

I leave you with the words of Jim Appleton, Mosier’s fire chief, who wrote an op-ed column in The Seattle Times a week after the accident, “Union Pacific sent exactly the right people to deal with this incident. Literally, the people who wrote the book on oil response were the ones vetting this response. Their hazmat team could not be finer representatives of the brotherhood of emergency-services providers.

They treated this as a public emergency, not a derailment. Think what you will about Union Pacific as a corporation, their personnel represent what many of us hope is a sea change in how it responds to its failures.”

Mischa Wanek-Libman, Editor Railway Track & Structures

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INDUSTRY TODAY RBMN acquires Locust Valley Line

FRA preliminary report says broken bolts caused Oregon derailment

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad (RBMN) purchased the 5.5-mile Locust Valley Line; the acquisition became effective on June 8, 2016.

RBMN has been operating the line since it was returned to service in 2006.

By taking on ownership, RBMN says it will be better able to pursue industrial development along this line.

The line runs from Laurel Jct., Penn., in Delano Township to near Mahanoy City in Mahanoy Township in Schuylkill County. RBMN acquired the line from the Locust Valley Coal Company.

“This acquisition continues our efforts to acquire and operate contiguous railroad lines in our service territory,” said RBMN Chief Executive Officer Andy Muller, Jr. RBMN is the largest privately-owned railroad company in Pennsylvania and is the only railroad to be named Regional Railroad of the Year three times by Railway Age, receiving the honor in 2002, 2011 and 2015.

A Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) preliminary report of the June 3 Union Pacific oil train derailment near Mosier, Ore., found broken lag bolts that led to gauge widening to be the cause of the accident.

“Unless or until additional details come to light, FRA has made the preliminary determination that Union Pacific’s failure to maintain its track and track equipment resulted in the derailment. Broken and sheared lag bolts, while difficult to detect by hi-rail, are more detectable by walking inspection combined with indications of movement in the rail or track structure and/or uneven rail wear and are critically important to resolve quickly,” the report said.

The cars in the train were general purpose specification DOT-111 tank cars that had been modified to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) CPC-1232 standard and were equipped with full-height head shields and metal jackets with insulation, but did not have thermal protection.

The Union Pacific train was equipped with an air brake system and was operating on distributive power. FRA’s preliminary report said that a simulation found that had the train been equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, two fewer tank cars may have derailed and one less tank car may have been punctured. Under mandate, all unit oil trains will be required to have ECP brakes after January 2023. The rail industry has called the ECP brake mandate unjustified arguing that the braking system is unreliable and unnecessary.

After the derailment, FRA conducted walking inspections of all the curves in the Columbia River Gorge to inspect for additional track, fastener or bolt issues. Additionally, inspectors from state and federal agencies in Oregon and Washington state conducted track inspections along the Columbia River Gorge rail line between Vancouver and Pasco, Wash.

Union Pacific has said will resume oil transport along the line the week of June 20.

Union Pacific also has plans to use rail spikes instead of lag bolts with similar fastening systems as was found at the derailment site as part of the Class 1s track renewal program.

Two days prior to the derailment, UP detailed plans to invest a planned $34.6 million into its Oregon infrastructure this year. The majority of the funds, $28.5 million, will go to maintain track and $3.8 million will be spent on maintaining bridges.

The railroad said key projects to advance under the Oregon plan include the replacement of 33,372 crossties between Chemult and Oakridge and 28,342 crossties between Bridal Veil and Hood River, as well as replacing nearly four miles of curve rail between Stanfield and La Grande.

The planned 2016 capital expenditure in Oregon is on top of the $193 million the railroad spent between 2011 and 2015 on rail infrastructure in the state.

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INDUSTRY TODAY Agreement reached to reconstruct the U.S.-Mexico Desert Line An agreement has been reached to pay for the reconstruction and operation of the 70-mile Desert Line railway in southeastern San Diego County that connects Mexico maquiladoras–manufacturing operations–to rail shipping in the United States.

The agreement between Pacific Imperial Railroad (PIR) and Baja California Railroad (Baja Rail) provides a notable economic boost to both sides of the border. The San Diego region and U.S.-Mexico binational economies lose a staggering $6 billion annually due to long delays in getting trucks carrying freight across the U.S. – Mexico land borders in San Diego, according to a study done by the San Diego Association of Governments. The study found an operational Desert Line will ease congestion, reduce air pollution, promote commerce and create jobs.

Work on the line will include repairing bridges and tunnels and improvements to track. Once completed, it will allow trains up to 30 cars to travel on the line from Mexico to Coyote Wells. To accommodate this activity, a

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Supplier News

new intermodal facility will be built in Coyote Wells by PIR. Details of the new Cali-Baja Joint Venture Sublease and Operating Agreement include: • Baja Rail and PIR will pay the estimated $60-70 million to reconstruct and operate the Desert Line; construction is set to begin in summer 2016 • Baja Rail will oversee the railroad repair, maintenance and operational obligations for 60 miles of the Desert Line • PIR will build an intermodal facility to load freight and provide space to build the necessary trains that can be delivered to the Union Pacific mainline network • The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System will continue to earn a minimum annual guarantee of $1 million annually related to the Desert Line lease and receive seven percent of gross revenue if greater than $1 million • Extending the deadline by 12 months for all milestones (initial repairs, test train operations, limited operations, full-scale repairs and operations).

Metra approved a $3-million contract to fully renovate the Calumet Station on its Electric Line to John Burns Construction Co. of Orland Park, Ill. Dallas Area Rapid Transit awarded an engineering services contract to CH2M for the rehabilitation of the timber pile trestle span Trinity Railway Express bridge over Inwood Road.

The North American Maintenance Railway Club named Ian Rauch, manager of steel and OTM sales at

Railway Track & Structures

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News Omaha Track as its 2015-2016 Supplier of the Year.

Protran Technology, part of Harsco Rail, has formed a marketing alliance with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to introduce unmanned vehicle technology to traditional railway safety and security operations.

Chicago Transit Authority awarded a construction project for the Quincy Loop Station Upgrade

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Maryland Purple Line receives TIFIA loan; partners reach financial close The United States Department of Transportation awarded a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan of $874.6 million to Purple Line Transit Partners, LLC, for implementation of the Maryland Purple Line.

Additionally, the Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and Purple Line Transit Partners, LLC, signed the final financial documents on the $5.6-billion Purple Line Public-Private Partnership (P3) contract.

The TIFIA loan will support the construction of the light-rail line connecting Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, Md. The Maryland Purple Line Project is a 16.2-mile, 21-station, east-west light-rail line that will connect numerous communities in Maryland, from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County. The corridor is located inside the Capital Beltway near Washington, D.C., in a densely populated area with commercial, mixed use and residential development. The

July 2016

line will connect major activity centers in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma-Langley Park, College Park and New Carrollton with communities along the alignment, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Red, Green and Orange lines, all three Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail lines and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line. Although the project will provide direct connections with WMATA, MARC and Amtrak, it will remain physically and operationally separate.

In addition to the TIFIA loan of $874.6 million, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is working with MTA on a Full Funding Grant Agreement that would provide $900 million from FTA’s Capital Investment Grant Program. In addition, MTA will use $36 million of FTA Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Grant funds for the project. FTA anticipates that the FFGA will be signed this summer.

Construction is on schedule to start late this year with service starting in spring 2022.

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INDUSTRY TODAY Vermont, New York state commit funds to rail projects Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin on June 2, 2016, signed the FY 2017 Transportation Bill, which approves approximately $612.6 million in infrastructure improvements, including $33.4 million for rail.

The bill includes an overhaul of the trespassing regulations to improve safety on Vermont’s rail lines.

The $33.4-million investment in rail is a $1.7-million increase (five percent) over FY2016. The budget invests $4.1 million of state and federal funds for track and bridge upgrades on the Western Corridor from Burlington to Rutland, which will allow increased efficiencies, train speeds and track safety.

The state is also focusing on crossing improvements and safety upgrades by investing $4.5 million on 12 crossings on the Western Corridor, which will install new safety equipment and increased train speeds. This budget continues the state’s support for the current Vermonter and the Ethan Allen Amtrak services and also

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Supplier News

continues to invest in the expansion of the Ethan Allen service to Burlington.

Across the western border, New York state awarded $16.3 million in grants through the Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program to projects that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said will strengthen infrastructure, as well as support economic development by leveraging an additional $12.8 million in additional public and private investments.

The 12 grant winners will use the funds to support track rehabilitation, capacity expansion, railroad bridge repairs and economic development opportunities.

New York State Department of Transportation Matthew J. Driscoll said, “Under Gov. Cuomo’s leadership, New York continues to make smart, strategic investments in rail and port infrastructure to foster economic growth. Freight goods movement helps drive the economy and improvements at rail and port facilities across the state will strengthen our state’s overall competitiveness.”

Project to Ragnar Benson Construction, LLC. RailPros has awarded a program management services contract to CH2M to assist with the development and implementation of the Redlands Passenger Rail Project for the San Bernardino Associated Governments.

Long Island Rail Road awarded two contracts for the Ronkonkoma Branch Double Track project: A $59.7-milliion

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INDUSTRY TODAY Supplier News contract was awarded to SkanskaPosillico II Joint Venture to design and construct a total of 7.4 miles of track between Farmingdale and Central Islip and a $44.8-million contract was awarded to Ansaldo STS USA, Inc., to design and build a new signaling system that will use computer-based train control software to better coordinate train movement when the second track is activated.

8 Railway Track & Structures

Ontario pledges nearly $1 billion to rail transit in province The province of Ontario is providing CA$1.205 billion (US$939 million) to help advance work for the Yonge North Subway Extension, as well as the proposed Relief Line to help manage congestion on the Yonge Line in the Toronto area and the city of Ottawa’s Stage 2 LRT project, which will extend the existing O-Train Trillium Line to Riverside South.

All funds are part of the province’s Moving Ontario Forward plan, which is supporting public transit, transportation and priority infrastructure projects by investing CA$31.5 billion (US$24.5 billion).

Ontario will be providing more than CA$55 million (US$43 million) to Metrolinx will receive CA$55 million (US$43 million) to work with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the Regional Municipality of York and York Region Rapid Transit Corporation to continue planning and design work on the Yonge North Subway Extension. Metrolinx will also receive more than CA$150 million (US$117 mil-

July 2016

lion) to work with the TTC on advancing the planning and design work that will ensure the proposed Relief Line is shovel ready. The city of Toronto expects to complete its Relief Line Project Assessment Study in 2016.

In the eastern end of the province, Ottawa’s Stage 2 light-rail project will receive CA$1 billion (US$779 million) in funds to add 18.64 miles of rail. The expansion plan for Stage 2 includes 19 new stations and extending the Ottawa LRT network to the east from Blair to Place-d’Orléans Station; to the west from Tunney’s Pasture to Bayshore Station and southwest to Baseline Station and to the South from Greenboro Station to Bowesville in Riverside South.

Ontario has already committed up to CA$600 million (US$467.69 million) towards the Stage 1 LRT project, called the Confederation Line — a CA$2.1-billion (US$1.63-billion) project that is jointly funded with the government of Canada and the city of Ottawa.

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PEOPLE Canadian National Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Luc Jobin has been named president and chief executive officer, succeeding Claude Mongeau, who has stepped down.

CTC, Inc., welcomed Chad Baker as director, systems integration.

Georgetown Rail Equipment Company promoted its director of inspection technology, Todd Euston, to the position of vice president of engineering.

Gulf and Ohio Railways promoted Doc Claussen to vice chairman, Todd Burchette to president, Ronnie McKenzie to chief marketing officer and Matt Gedney to chief business development officer.

HNTB Corporation hired Ian Choudri to the new position of national rail and transit business development director and senior vice president.

Keolis Transit America appointed Ryan Adams to senior vice president of strategic development.

LT K Eng i n e e r i ng S e rv i c e s promoted Dominic DiBrito to president, replacing George Dorshimer, who will be retiring, effective January 1, 2017.

Reading and Northern Railroad promoted Erik Yoder to vice president of maintenance of way, replacing Justin Levan, who has been promoted to vice president special projects and promoted Lieutenant Matthew Johnson to vice president asset management and community affairs.

Sacramento Regional Transit District appointed Henry Li as general manager and chief executive officer.

TriMet promoted Steve Witter to executive director of its Capital Projects and Construction Division.

Union Pacific n a m e d R h o n d a Ferguson executive vice president and chief legal officer, effective July 11.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority named Joseph Leader as the new chief operating officer (COO) in charge of rail, bus and paratransit services, effective August 1. Jack Requa, who has been intermin COO, will resume his role as executive managing officer. www.rtands.com

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN Summer heat, regulations, transit agency contracting

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

12 Railway Track & Structures

With the summer work season in full swing, we are all planning our crews and schedules so we ensure we finish projects before the winter shutdown. At the same, we’re evaluating what availability we still have with our crews so we can push to get a few more projects booked and completed this year.

Customers are in a big push to get the projects they want to get completed prior to the winter on the streets for bid so they can get started as soon as possible. This is always my favorite time of year, but it doesn’t come without challenges from Mother Nature.

High temperatures, high humidity and dry ground conditions brings a whole host of hazards we all need to be prepared for and must proactively mitigate. Heat exhaustion, overheating equipment, grass/brush fires and heat kinks in the rail are some of the hazards that we normally see this time of year. Training of our coworkers and employees on these hazards and how to mitigate them is the best way to be proactive. The NRC has great safety training tools to help at www.nrcma.org.

We are all busy out on the tracks, but we are also busy in Washington, D.C., at the same time.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued two final rules that are very important to the railroad contracting community. The first is the amended Roadway Worker Protection regulations, per Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act requirements, to resolve interpretative issues that have arisen since the 1996 promulgation of the rule. In particular, this final rule adopts certain terms, resolves miscellaneous interpretive issues, codifies certain FRA Technical Bulletins, adopts new requirements governing redundant signal protections and the movement of roadway maintenance machinery over signalized noncontrolled track and amends certain qualification requirements for roadway workers. This final rule also deletes three outdated incorporations by reference of industry standards in FRA’s Bridge Worker Safety Standards and cross references the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s regulations on the same point. For more information please visit http://www.fra.dot.gov/ elib/details/L17467. This final rule is effective April 1, 2017.

The second is the Drug & Alcohol for maintenece-of-way final rule. In response to Congress’ mandate in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, FRA is expanding the scope of its drug and alcohol regulation to cover m/w employees. This rule also codifies guidance from FRA compliance manuals, July 2016

responds to National Transportation Safety Board recommendations and adopts substantive amendments based upon FRA’s regulatory review of 30 years of implementation of this part. The final rule contains two significant differences from FRA’s July 28, 2014 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (79 FR 48380). First, it adopts part 214’s definition of “roadway worker” to define “m/w employee” under this part. Second, because FRA has withdrawn its proposed peer support requirements, subpart K contains a revised version of the troubled employee identification requirements previously in subpart E. For more information please visit http://www.fra.dot.gov/ elib/details/L17465. The NRC is exploring options to help its member companies comply with this new federal requirement.

Another focus of the NRC in Washington, D.C., is encouraging transit agencies and the federal government that funds them that more of their infrastructure maintenance and construction work should be contracted out via competitive bid. This will ensure that taxpayer money is being spent in the most efficient manner possible.

Currently, at most rail transit agencies, in-house forces are performing an overwhelming majority of maintenance work, largely due to very restrictive labor agreements. These agreements generally force the work to be done in house, which leaves agencies on the hook for equipment purchases, huge overtime charges, unfunded pension liabilities, etc., when frequently contracting out would be a more cost-efficient and productive option. But even within this universe of agreements, there are big differences from agency to agency and the NRC will be looking to spread the word about those differences and encourage agencies to seek the flexibility they need to get work done cost effectively and quickly. With a state of good repair need north of $50 billion dollars just for the seven largest heavy rail transit agencies in the country, the country can not afford for this work to be done in anything other than the most effective manner.

Looking ahead, don’t forget to save the date for the next NRC Conference, January 8-11, 2017, at the Boca Raton Resort in south Florida.

Registration information will be announced shortly via NRC e-mail bulletin and online at www.nrcma.org. I hope to see you there.

Finally, I wish ever yone a safe and successful month.

by Chris Daloisio, NRC Chairman www.rtands.com

TTCI R&D Track geometry Inspection using a prototype LIDAR system TTCI evaluates a non-contact inspection method for detecting track irregularity variations.

by Mehdi Ahmadian, Masood Taheri Andani, Josh Muñoz and Carvel Holton, AAR’s Affiliated Laboratory Program, Virginia Tech and David Davis, TTCI.

A

s part of the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Affiliated Laboratory Program, Virginia Tech has investigated the applicability of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology for track geometr y inspection. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), manages the Affiliated Lab program for AAR. LIDAR measurement of track geometry would allow railroads to greatly increase the frequency of track measurements due

to the potential improvements of ease of use, portability and lower operating costs such a system may bring. This could result in improved track maintenance planning, lower operating costs and improved safety.

This ar ticle describes a proof of concept demonstration using a breadboard prototype LIDAR measurement system. Evaluation of the prototype system shows there is potential for development of a field hardened prototype.

Introduction

Under funding from the AAR and working with various specific railroads, Railway Technologies Laboratory has developed and evaluated a non-contact inspection method for detecting track irregularity variations as extracted from measurements of track speed. Four slightly tilted LIDAR optics are used to measure the vehicle speed and vertical and lateral profiles of the left and right rails simultaneously. Virginia Tech’s LIDAR system, previously shown to be an effective replacement for wheelmounted encoders, 1,2 is now shown to be a reliable instrument to monitor Figure 1: Velocity Measurement of the right LIDAR sensor used for lateral irregularities (a) top view of the embodiment and right rail, (b) front view of the embodiment and right rail.

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Figure 2, top: Carbody-mounted configuration of the LIDAR system (the frame supports four LIDAR optics for the purpose of lateral and vertical geometry measurements).

Figure 3: Lateral LIDAR optics used for lateral geometry measurements: (a) beams target the gauge face of the rails, (b) left and right track speeds are measured, (c) rates of left and right lateral geometry are observed by the lateral lenses.

track geometry parameters.

LIDAR, as used for speed sensing, is an accurate, non-contact speed measurement technique that uses the Doppler frequency shift imposed on laser radiation reflected from a moving object. Based on the Doppler frequency shift, the speed of a moving object can be determined.

Tilted configuration

A Doppler sensor measures the velocity vector aligned with the axis of the laser beam. The sensor is typically mounted in a way that the laser strikes perpendicular to the moving object. In this case, the object velocity is identical to the velocity measured by the laser. In the proposed embodiment, however, the LIDAR sensor is not positioned exactly perpendicular to the gauge surface, but the laser strikes the rail at a forward angle of ď ą . In addition, the lens is not installed at the same height as the gauge surface because of the mounting limitations; thus, the laser direction also has an inclination angle of ď Ş relative to

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Railway Track & Structures

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TTCI R&D Figure 4: Vertical LIDAR optics used for vertical geometry measurements: (a) beams target the gauge corner of the rails, (b) left and right track speeds are measured, (C) rates of left and right vertical geometry are observed by the vertical lenses.

measures the track speed in addition to left or right lateral deviations from the mean of the track gauge. As the train moves down track, lateral deviations in space are seen as time varying displacements. The time variance gives rise to a lateral velocity component that is sensed by the LIDAR as a Doppler frequency shift. Figure 4 illustrates the orientation of the lenses used for measuring vertical deviations. The LIDAR processing systems are located in the cab of the metrology car and are connected to the lenses below the car via fiber optic cables.

Results

the surface of the object (see Figure 1).

With this configuration, the sensor’s reading has a vector component of forward track speed, as well as a vector component that represents lateral or vertical track variations that depend on the lens positioning and angles.

As an illustration, the lens configuration used for track speed and lateral irregularities of the right rail is shown in Figure 1.

In this case, the velocity measured by the right sensor, is related to the right rail forward speed and right lateral variations rate as:

LIDAR data mapping

LIDAR measurements are made in the time domain. But for the data to be beneficial for track administrators, geometry data must be presented in the spatial domain. A datamapping algorithm is developed to find the correct location of LIDAR measurements. This algorithm includes steps for: a) Obtaining spatial track data for reference use, b) Constructing the LIDAR signature data in the spatial domain to be correlated, c) Dividing the LIDAR track data into spatial segments, d) Comparing the reference data to the measured track LIDAR data segments to identify the location of the segments and e) Stretching or shrinking (re-scaling) the LIDAR data to account for local spatial deviations in calibration value(s).

System installation

As shown in Figure 2, the LIDAR frame is body-mounted to the metrology car. This frame supports and orients the four LIDAR lenses. The two lenses primarily employed for measuring train speed are shown in this embodiment enclosed in blue housings. These lenses are oriented toward the gauge corner and point opposite to the forward direction of travel. The two lenses that capture rail lateral variations are installed below the blue housings. As mentioned earlier, they are oriented at a shallow backward and vertical angles to allow for a simultaneous measurement of track speed, as well as lateral deformation.

Figure 3 illustrates the configuration of these two lenses as used for the lateral measurements. As shown, each lens 16 Railway Track & Structures

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LIDAR data for the current report was collected from a round-trip itinerary between Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va. Wheel-mounted encoder speed data, onboard inertial measurement unit (IMU) spatial data and gauge sensor data were also collected for evaluation of the spatial data derived from the LIDAR data. Data was accumulated over multiple sections of both tangent and curved tracks for analysis.

The local alignment variations measured by the lateral LIDAR optics (Figure 3) for the right rail is compared with IMU’s alignment measurements in Figure 5 for a distance of a 0.7 mile. IMU curvature is also simultaneously plotted in Figure 6 to distinguish the curved rail from tangent rail. The LIDAR data corresponds reasonably with IMU data in measuring the alignment deviation and its trend.

However, a perfect correlation is not achieved because the two measuring systems use different sensing, detection and processing techniques. The gauge variations are also computed for the same piece of track and the results are compared with an onboard gauge sensor in Figure 6. A closer match is observed between the two units in assessing the gauge variations. In a manner similar to that used for the lateral geometry parameters, vertical parameter deviations, such as profile and superelevation variation, can be measured by using the vertical LIDAR optics (Figure 4).

Figure 7 shows the superelevation variations derived from the LIDAR measurements compared with those from IMU data over a short section of track. Although the two systems monitor the same trend of variations, some discrepancies are evident between the results. A more exact spatial match cannot be achieved using the current data because the measurements were made by asynchronous instruments.

The developed data mapping approach was further evaluated over a longer stretch of 12 miles of track. The IMU curvature is used as reference (or “signature”) data. Three LIDAR data segments of different lengths are then analyzed for the purpose of correlation with the asynchronously acquired IMU signature. The first segment contains a right curve in about two miles of the track. The second segment has two curves, including one right and one left curve over 1.5 miles. The third segment includes four curves of differing radii. The LIDAR data for these three segments are then overlaid on the IMU data in Figure 8. The plots show a comparable measurement accuracy between the two sensors. www.rtands.com

TTCI R&D Figure 5, top: Right rail alignment measurements made by lateral LIDAR system and compared with IMU data.

Figure 6, middle top: Gauge variations measured by the lateral LIDAR optics are compared with the onboard measurements made by the gauge sensor.

Figure 7, middle bottom: Superelevation variations measured by vertical optics are compared with IMU data.

Figure 8: LIDAR curvature data is positioned with respect to a set of IMU reference data using the developed mapping algorithm.

Conclusions

A body-mounted LIDAR velocity measurement system was shown to be capable of measuring lateral and vertical spatial deviations of track rails. The method is an adaption of the LIDAR technology developed at Virginia Tech and already proven to be effective for noncontact measurements of track speed and distance. Data from field tests was used to demonstrate the capability of developed signal processing algorithms to identify and separate the different vector speed components to calculate the variations in track geometry.

These preliminary results showed a good agreement between LIDAR measurements and other established measurement methods for the segments of track measured.

Future work

Additional efforts are needed to further investigate the integration of the prototype LIDAR system used for this study into an industrially viable platform for the rail geometry cars and/or hi-rail class vehicles operated by U.S. railroads.

Recommendations as a result of this investigation are for 1) the prototype architecture to be used to develop a compact and ruggedized system readily accessible to the railroad industry and 2) the feasibility and applicability of using the system to be assessed on board hi-rail trucks or portable units that can be operated remotely down to below walking speeds.

Acknowledgements

The authors greatly acknowledge the financial support provided by AAR through the Technology Outreach Program. The additional funding provided by the Federal Railroad Administration has also been instrumental for performing the field-testing necessary for the results reported herein. The generous support provided by Norfolk Southern’s Research and Testing Department, in particular Brad Kerchof and Scott Hailey, have played a key role in the success of the program.

References 1. Muñoz, J., et al. April 18–21, 2013. “Multifunction LIDAR Sensors for Non-Contact Speed Measurement in Rail Vehicles: Part 1: System Installation and Implementation,” Proc. 2013 Joint Rail Conference, Knoxville, Tenn.

2. Wrobel, S.A., et al. April 18–21, 2013. “Multifunction LIDAR Sensors for Non-Contact Speed Measurements in Rail Vehicles, Part 2: Data Collection and Analysis,” Proc.

2013 Joint Rail Conference, Knoxville, Tenn.

18 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

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a firm grasp on

fastening systems

by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

Suppliers look to improve the way their respective fastening systems hold track together.

R

ailway fastening systems’ sole role is to hold track infrastructure together in order to preserve proper geometry and, ultimately, support the safe operation of trains.

When something goes wrong among these components, the results can be devastating. While inspection technologies work to improve finding flaws among fastening system components, suppliers of those systems are focused on manufacturing resilient fasteners that can sustain their grip in the harsh environment of railroading.

Alcoa Fastening Systems

Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings manufactures the Huck 360®, a locking fastener that the company says improves on the traditional HuckBolt® system by providing dependable clamping strength and reliability that HuckBolt fasteners are known for – but with the added benefit of offering quick installation and removal with conventional tools (due to the freespinning nut design). Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings says the Huck 360 eliminates the “gap” around the crest of the bolt when tightened to a specific clamp force – preventing transverse vibration by 20 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

locking the thread flanks in place. With conventional nut-and-bolt systems, clamp load quickly decays under vibration.

The company says its own Finite Element Analysis showed that the Huck 360’s shallow thread form results in 27 percent less axial stress in the root compared to conventional bolt threads. The company also notes that the shallow thread allows the effective area of the fastener to be widened by as much as 20 percent, which increases tensile and fatigue strength. The company says the free-spinning, swage-able nut design installs up to 300 percent faster than other conventional lock nut solutions.

“The Huck 360 system is designed for numerous applications where highstrength, vibration-resistance and lowmaintenance is required,” said Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings.

L.B. Foster

L.B. Foster Company says it utilizes its technical and product development expertise to introduce customized product solutions to meet specific customer needs.

According to Jason Bowlin, general manager, L.B. Foster Transit Products, “35 different fastening designs have

this page: Pandrol has manufactured more than two billion rail fasteners that are in use on more than 400 railways worldwide. opposite page: Progress Rail’s GageLok fasteners are formed cold, which the company says makes it more shear resistant.

been developed to meet the unique requirements of transit agencies across North America. We closely collaborate with engineering design firms and transit authorities to address critical requirements such as stiffness, adjustability, rail seat width and alternative clip designs.”

As examples, he added, “Our design of a resilient tie system, incorporating a concrete tie/boot, elastomeric pad, insulator and clips, has recently been introduced into a West Coast transit system. To grow our position across North America, we continue to focus on evolving customer needs for this type of system. And to enhance the performance of infrastructure components in severe environmental conditions such as tunnels, through the novel use of coatings, solutions involving appliwww.rtands.com

cation to specific elements of the fastener are expected to dramatically reduce corrosion due to stray currents and significantly extend the life of the fastener.”

He concluded, “The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which is the recently passed five-year U.S. transportation infrastructure legislation, will provide a stable and growing source of funds to be available to U.S. transit agencies. We expect that this will drive growing investment and require continuing collaboration with suppliers like L.B. Foster to provide unique solutions for their growing needs.

Lewis Bolt & Nut

Lewis Bolt & Nut Company introduced its patent pending Quick-Set® Hook Bolt System following successful testing at Transportation Technology Center, Inc., in Pueblo, Colo. The company says the new system is designed to be installed from the surface of a bridge deck and does not require holes to be drilled through the bridge ties.

The single Quick-Set bolt can be installed in under five minutes by sliding the hook bolt through the associated bracket, attach the hex nut and engage the flange. Follow by installing the high strength lag screws through the bracket and into the ties, add the second (lock) nut and installation is complete.

The Quick-Set system offers an option to include a built-in continuous guard rail along with a new bracket which the company says offers a wider surface area that allows lags to be installed closer to the center of the bridge ties.

Additionally, Lewis Bolt & Nut is ofwww.rtands.com

fering its Lewis LT-1 drive-on style of rail anchor, which is manufactured at the company’s facility in La Junta, Colo.

The company says the new anchor meets all AREMA specifications, has been successfully tested and is currently being purchased by numerous Class 1 railroads.

“Lewis continues to produce the most complete line of fasteners for special trackwork. This includes the patented Self Centering Frog Bolt System, regular hex or square head frog bolts, available drilled as needed and switch bolts available drilled as required,” said Dave Barry, vice president – sales.

Lewis Bolt together with Nylok® Corporation recently developed the new Everlok™ Nut. “This new lock nut incorporates a patented, proprietary patch applied by Nylok Corporation. Once installed to recommended torque values, the nut remains tight. If desired, it can be removed and re-installed without damage to threads as is common on metal-to-metal interference lock nuts. The new lock nut, in 1-3/8-inch hex or square is fully Buy America compliant,” said Barry.

Pandrol North America

Allen Goff, vice president Sales and Marketing for Pandrol North America states 2015 was a record year and anticipates 2016 to be solid, as well.

“Even though capital budgets for most of our customers have been reduced, we feel day-to-day maintenance programs will continue to be strong,” said Goff.

To date, Pandrol has manufactured more than two billion rail fasteners for use on more than 400 railways in 100 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 21

fastening systems

Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings’ Huck 360 can be installed using conventional tools.

countries throughout the world. Goff says Pandrol continues to address existing customer needs while working to develop new and safer ideas for future applications.

Pandrol North America uses a threedimensional printer that allows the company to design, evaluate and review concepts with customers before a final design is produced.

“This, along with a having a small production line dedicated to R&D prototyping reduces the lead-time of turning an idea into a real product, thus saving both sides time and money. However, we do understand a product is not complete until it passes the true test of performing in daily service under real operating conditions,” said Goff.

Goff references the FE1505 rail fastening assembly as an example of this type of development. The FE1505 was created in response to customer requests for a fastening assembly to last the life of rail in heavy-haul applications. The FE1505 is equipped with a recessed rail seat utilizing a FASTCLIP fastener and two-piece integral pad, which Goff says significantly extends component life while maintaining a slide-on/slide-off fastening system.

“The FE1505 has been installed in a heavy-haul environment for over two years and continues to perform very well,” said Goff.

22 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

Pandrol has also implemented a second production line to meet the growing demand for its customizable Victor tie plates, which utilize standard AREMA rolled steel tie plates in customer-requested sizes that are equipped with the customer’s choice of resilient fastener. Goff notes that the Victor product line includes a “Rollblock” version that provides a solid flat bottom eliminating the protrusion created by a bolt head.

“Pandrol has also taken its wellknown ‘e’-clip design to another level.

The new ‘e’-clip RE offers all the familiar advantages of the original design but with fewer components that provides faster installation and improved product life,” said Goff.

Progress Rail

Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company, kicked off 2016 by integrating its latest acquisition, Rail Product Solutions (RPS), a provider of fastening systems for both freight and transit customers.

“The addition of RPS to the current product line reinforces Progress Rail’s position as the largest provider of value-added infrastructure products and services to the rail industry,” the company said.

The latest product offering from Progress Rail’s Fastener Solutions Division are GageLok® screws. The selfdrilling GageLok secures rails and tie

plates to traditional, wood ties and the company notes that they can be used to replace traditional cut track spikes and screw spikes to prolong tie life and minimize tie splitting during insertion.

According to Progress Rail Director of Fastening Engineering Jose Mediavilla, “The unique manufacturing technology allows GageLok screws to be formed cold and that results in a tougher, more shear resistant product that can stand up to the rigors of curved track in heavy-haul environments. The added shear strength and thread grip of our GageLok screws allow them to be used against the rail or as plate holding screws to prevent gauge widening. This improves track safety and minimizes maintenance costs. Laboratory and field tests on Class 1 railroads have proven that our GageLok screws can hold track gauge up to three times longer than traditional methods.”

Progress Rail Vice President of Engineering & Track Sales Patrick Jansen said, “Our Fastener Solutions Division has taken a systematic approach to develop products adjacent to our core rail anchors and resilient fasteners to provide more complete systems that add customer value by designing systems that are meant to work together. As an example, Progress Rail anchors are used for longitudinal rail restraint can be paired with GageLok rail screws to help prevent lateral rail movement on wood ties and provide a complete solution to holding rail in place.”

Progress Rail says that for concrete ties, gauge restraint is achieved with the ME63 “skl” style fastening system by using the inherent structural strength of the concrete, coupled with advanced design and manufacturing process of the fastening components. The ME63 system was brought to the North American market through Progress Rail’s joint venture with Switzerland-based Schwihag AG, complete with manufacturing in Atchison, Kan., making the ME63 Buy America compliant.

The system features the ME1 Clip with the highest fatigue limit of any resilient clip available on the market, along with a rail pad, abrasion plate, screw spikes, dowels and both field and gauge guide plates. All ME63 components work as a system; however, the guide plates set gauge orientation of the www.rtands.com

fastening systems

rails and transfer the lateral forces into the concrete tie. The guide plates are designed to cover the full width of the tie to prevent point loading and excessive compression of insulators. Progress Rail says that by spreading the load across a wider area and using a proprietary abrasion resistant polymer material, the ME63 guide plates limit wear and prevent gauge widening on concrete ties to maximize the life of the rail seat.

Progress Rail’s MACRO Armor is designed restore gauge on concrete ties with rail seat abrasion.

“Progress Rail believes that MACRO Armor can extend the life of repaired ties by at least 10 years, while delivering significant cost savings when compared to replacing gauge worn concrete ties,” the company said.

Vossloh Fastening Systems

Vossloh Fastening Systems introduced a new fastening solution for high speed and conventional slab track applica-

24 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

tions: System 300 NG, which stands for new generation. The company says the new system is the evolutionary next step of the company’s System 300 and features design updates that optimize surface geometries and increase material efficiency, thereby reducing the overall volume of material needed to achieve the same performance and safety standards as System 300.

“This improved usage not only saves the environment, but also reduces logistics costs. These new components are adapted to the already approved Vossloh Skl 15 tension clamp to ensure the established characteristics of System 300, e.g. high fatigue strength and high toe load. The highly elastic cellentic intermediate plate optimizes load distribution,” said Vossloh.

The company also notes that its development and integration of advanced materials in rail fastening systems provide optimal functionality, as well as numerous cost saving attri-

butes, which help railroads maximize economic efficiency, performance and safety.

“Many of our systems utilize composite plastics components that are resistant to corrosion and abrasion, while also providing electrical insulation.

Compared to steel, these lightweight materials also provided the added benefit of reduced logistical costs as these lighter weight materials are much less expensive to transport to the job site.

Examples include, Vossloh fastening systems DFF 21 and DFF 300 UTS for urban transport - both feature a durable nylon baseplate. Many of our systems include our patented cellentic rail pad, an elastomer made of EPDM that serves to increase stability, as well as reduce noise and vibration. Our W40 systems for heavy-haul utilize another type of innovative rail pad geometry that reduces rail tilting and deflection, increasing the life of the components,” said Vossloh.

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2016 update:

Special trackwork Progress Rail’s vertical derail switch.

Turnouts, diamonds, frogs and other special trackwork components are always evolving as manufacturers study new technologies to improve the rails.

M

anufacturers of special trackwork report a capital spending decrease in the past two years, but are optomistic and anticipate an increase in late 2016.

Atlantic Track

Atlantic Track says its focus has been on expanding infrastructure to enhance technology and to expand capacity to produce special trackwork.

“In the past 12 months, the company has made significant capital investments as part of its commitment to maintain its present customer base, as well as meet the demand with better delivery times,” the company noted.

“We have completed the expansion of a 30,000-square-ft. space that now houses our new Advanced Switchpoint Machining Center in Memphis, Tenn.”

Atlantic Track anticipates that orders for manufactured goods will be sluggish through the third quarter of 2016, but are optimistic that they should pick up from there in anticipation of 2017 projects.

Cleveland Track Material

Cleveland Track Material, part of Vossloh North America, is utilizing its in-house resources to soon begin producing Buy America-compliant 26 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor

flash-butt welded frogs.

Products will include welded monoblock, conformal and standard profile welded frogs.

“We are committed to expanding our product offerings to meet the needs of North American railroads,” explained the company.

L.B. Foster Company

Since 2013, L.B. Foster Co. has been marketing the Tracksure ™ range of patented nut locking devices in North America. The company said these devices can be used in a variety of trackwork applications, such as large diamond crossings, as this unique product prevents unintentional bolt loosening due to vibration and settlement.

They are designed to minimize railroad maintenance operations and enhance track safety. The company notes that the Tracksure bolt offers significant benefits in maintenance-intensive and safety-critical applications by securing the joint more effectively, thereby reducing railroad downtime, reducing bolt fatigue and allowing for quicker and simpler service where necessary.

“It has been extensively tested and approved by many freight and passenger railroads around the world and has just recently been approved for use in

The Netherlands and Australia,” the company noted. “In North America, it has been successfully trialed at major transit agencies and is used by Class 1 railroads. It is suitable for OEM applications and can be retro-fitted to existing track.”

The locking device consists of a modified bolt with a reverse thread added to the end, which accommodates both the original nut and a Tracksure locking nut. This locking nut is applied to the reverse thread until it tightens against the original nut. A serrated steel locking cap then pushes down over both the original nut and the Tracksure nut, held in place with a spring clip.

If the original nut starts to loosen, even microscopically, L.B. Foster says the locking nut tightens on the reverse thread with the locking cover combining both actions, ensuring a fail-safe bolt fixing.

“But unlike other fasteners, it can be simply maintained and does not require expensive capital equipment to install,” the company explained.

Nortrak-Damy

Nortrak-Damy introduced the WSM spr ing frog to Fer romex dur ing 2014/2015, which is used in the www.rtands.com

special trackwork railroad’s highest traffic lines.

Some anti-vandalism features have been tested and introduced to Ferromex and Ferrosur during the past few years due the high rate of steel components being robbed from the track. The company is now in process to test an insulator (steel/ plastic) to be applied in track curves with high vandalism.

Alejandro Damy, chief executive officer, notes that there has been a decrease in sales since 2014 and 2015 due the high investments in rolling stock to attend to the increasing demand of the auto manufacturing industry and intermodal in Mexico.

“We believe 2016 will be similar compared to 2015,” he explained.

“Basically, railroads are looking for better performance on special trackwork, less maintenance and longer warranties. The major problem in Mexico is the poor maintenance provided by railroads to specialty trackwork after installation. Class 1s rely much on suppliers when a

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Cleveland Track Material’s frog.

product fails prematurely or shows bad perfor mance. Frogs are still the most demanding component in turnouts; Ferromex and Ferrosur are looking to test improved design frogs for mainline traffic.”

Progress Rail

Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, manufactures a full line of track infrastr ucture products for the railroad, transit and industrial markets, including turnouts, crossing diamonds and replacement components for all sizes and design s p e c i f i c a t i o n s . P r o g r e s s R a i l ’s acquisition of Rail Products Solutions ( R P S ) e x p a n d s t h e c o m p a ny ’s product line for special trackwork to the transit and freight markets.

“Through efforts to reduce wheel impacts within turnouts and crossing diamonds, we are striving to achieve

the railroad industry’s goal of reducing maintenance and overall product life cycle cost,” said Scot Campbell, director Class 1 sales, engineering and track services at Progress Rail. “We continue to develop and improve on our One-Way Low-Speed (OWLS) and full-flange bear ing crossing designs. The OWLS design eliminates the flangeway gap on the mainline

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 27

special trackwork Left, Atlantic Track’s Advanced Switchpoint Machining Center in Memphis, Tenn.

Opposite page, L.B. Foster’s Tracksure nut locking devices.

run. The full-flange bearing crossing design eliminates the wheel contact at the flange opening, which is an area with tread bearing diamonds that receives high impacts, leading to accelerated maintenance costs and eventual replacement of castings and subcomponents. Our full-flange bearing diamond significantly reduces these impacts.”

Progress Rail has also developed a vertical switch that eliminates the traditional interface between the switch point and stock rail. When used along with the company’s lift frog, Progress Rail says the turnout is seamless and invisible to mainline traffic. The company has also designed

28 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

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special trackwork and tested in track a vertical, doublepoint switch derail, that when open, is also said to be seamless and invisible to mainline traffic.

“Following several years of strong demand for special trackwork from all segments, there has been a slight pull back in the market this year due to reduced car loadings caused by lower coal and oil shipments,” Progress Rail noted.

The company says it is actively pur suing transit and high-speed rail projects.

“We work jointly with our trackwork manufacturing and design staff in the United Kingdom and Australia to develop products for the transit and high-speed markets. With the acquisition of RPS, we now offer a complete system with direct fixation plates, rail fasteners and special trackwork,” Progress Rail commented.

voestalpine Nortrak

After the introduction of the thick web

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moveable point frog (MPF-TW) last year, voestalpine Nortrak released its Heavy Point Switch (HPS) this year.

The HPS is a stock rail – switch point pair designed to strengthen and substantially extend the life of switch

points in Class 1 turnouts.

“We have used a patented process called Kinematic Gauge Optimization to thicken the switch point at the most vulnerable area near the tip,” explained Ken Ouelette, vice president

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 29

special trackwork

Top, Nortrak-Damy’s WSM Spring Frog. voestalpine Nortrak’s Heavy Point Switch.

marketing. “The HPS can replace existing switch point – stock rail sets as a ‘direct drop in’ without modifications, regardless of the turnout geometry or manufacturer.”

Ouelette says that as Class 1 carloads, revenue and capital budgets have decreased, the company has seen a proportional decrease in available capital for special trackwork.

“At voestalpine Nortrak, we are fortunate to have the largest engineering team in the industry,” he noted. “We have had design resources dedicated to passenger rail in

30 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

North America for many years. Beyond North America, we are also part of the voestalpine group, which has extensive experience with high-speed rail turnouts and signaling systems in Europe and Asia. This relationship within voestalpine allows us to draw upon shared experience and IP within the group to develop the right high-speed rail products for North America.”

He says that he has noticed that railroad managers are demanding optimal value for their special trackwork investments and that the company understands that this means products must be competitively priced and easy to install and maintain.

“We also understand that products must be delivered on time,” he noted. “At voestalpine Nortrak, we have rolled out an ‘Operational Excellence’ (OpEx) program to align all of our processes behind fulfilling customer needs. This has already helped us to improve on time delivery and we anticipate many more improvements as the OpEx program permeates our organization.” voestalpine Nortrak’s Welded Boltless Manganese® frogs are designed specifically for Class 1 heavy-haul service. The design utilizes explosive depth hardened manganese steel and eliminates all rail joints, which reduces maintenance and leaves the frog unaffected by continuous-welded rail thermal stresses.

The company’s Welded Spring Manganese® (WSM) frogs are said to improve performance by using wear-resistant manganese steel to replace an assembly of rail, blocks and bolts that can wear and work loose.

“WSM Frogs can be welded when worn because of the high solidity casting. The WSM presents a continuous running surface along the mainline route and, when coupled with the Nortrak Spring Wing Controller, the operation of the wing for the diverging route is smooth and controlled,” he explained.

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This study focused on applying new research results to develop preventing and practical understanding of wheel climb derailments.

by Dr. Leonid Katz, vice president of engineering, I. G. Technologies, research consulting, Harsco/Zeta-Tech

preventing

wheel-climb derailments

W

heel climbing over the rail accidents represents one of the most frequent and dangerous kinds of derailments and attract continuous attention from railway engineers and scientists. This derailment mode constitutes a complicated phenomenon, especially in curve negotiation, due to the non-linear ity of the creep forces involved and the wheel-rail interface. Several useful practical approaches have been developed, based on analytical simplifications, linearization and confined in a set of major parameters. As mentioned

by Liu and Magel 1, despite a large body of research “wheel climb continues to be a persistent problem and pose ser ious challenges for commuter and freight railroads alike.” 1 Recent derailments dramatically stressed the issue.

After the 1960s, railway scientists started to recognize the problems associated with the previously omitted climb-up parameters, specifically forces due to the spin between the wheel and rail in their area of contact. Modern studies4, 6 show that the angle of attack, or yaw angle, as well as contact creep forces must be used 32 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

Figures 1(left) and 2: Threedimensional space/plane geometry.

as prim parameters of incipient derailment investigation.

Initial and still commonly used practical criterion (limit) of the wheel-climb derailment was introduced by French scientist M.J. Nadal in his article “Theorie de la stabilite des Locomotives” in 1896, based on simplified equilibrium assumption. Considering typical climb-up conditions, as associated with large lateral L and reduced vertical V forces, Nadal established the following well-known formulation for the critical L/V ratio: L –– V

=

TAN(β) – μ ––––––––––– 1 + μTAN (β)

The formula shows that derailment possibility depends only on the wheel flange/rail angle of attack β and the amount of friction µ. Notwithstanding the several essential weaknesses4,6, Nadal’s criterion above is believed to represent a conservative estimate of a possible derailment in steady state conditions, therefore included in many railroad standards, international research and measurement models.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration’s point of view “current use of Nadal’s criterion in combination with other safety standards, including vehicle track interaction standards, has been demonstrated to be an efficient means to determine the root www.rtands.com

Wheel-climb derailments figure 3, top: Three-dimensional critical (L/V) ratio, new rail. figure 4: Three-dimensional critical (L/V) ratio, worn rail.

cause of wheel-climb derailments and to accurately assess the safety of vehicle/truck dynamics.”

However, a lot of railroad scientists follow the viewpoint, that Nadal limit and approach, in spite of simplicity and effectiveness, does not provide the necessary level of accuracy in many practical applications.4, 7 As it was admitted by Dr. Blader, certain weaknesses of the Nadal’s approach could be eliminated by a comprehensive space (x, y, z) study of the wheel/rail contact geometry, allowing for true space angle of the wheel-climb derailment definition.

Magel, Liu and Weinstock admitted limitations of the Nadal formula, noting that longitudinal forces are usually also present. The following three-dimensional space study of the climb-up derailment was undertaken in order to remove Nadal’s approach limitations by including missing longitudinal information and determine a real level of safety, associated with the common practical and international use of Nadal’s criteria.

Three-dimensional space geometry of the wheel/rail contact zone (Figures 1, 2) can be described by the geometrical set of equations, using both track and angle of attack oriented coordinate systems as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The space distribution of contact forces can be represented, taking into consideration that a vehicle, traversing a curve, develops lateral and longitudinal forces generated at the wheelrail contacts. These forces lead to an angle of attack at the leading wheelset, as it is forced around the curve with significant creepage. Note, that Nadal’s approach was criticized3,7 for omitting the influence of substantial longitudinal contact forces, associated with rolling contact spin and relative rotation of the contact bodies.

The physical nature of the longitudinal force components represents a rather complicated mixture of parameters of influence, including yaw angle of the wheelset, creep level at contact www.rtands.com

area, variable resistance of the climbing wheel, free and spring slack shock as result of the train cars interaction, etc.

To find amplitude and direction of the aggregate climb-up force P, three-dimensional force system was rearranged into two separate groups, acting in- and out-of the climbing plane (u, s). At this point, aggregate matrix of the kinematical and dynamic equations can be used to identify real three-dimensional angle of climb, determined by the wheel-climb direction (z). Taking this into consideration, common condition of steady-state equilibrium for space distribution of forces after substituting kinematical and dynamic parameters, rearranging and solving for the lateral to vertical forces ratio (L/V), yields to the following final equation:

where f=nonlinear function of parameters[ ] above

and prim parameters are as follows: α

Three-dimensional real angle of climb β1 Lateral under angle of attack

climb angle γ Wheel angle of attack L Lateral wheel rail force component D Tangential wheel rail

force component V Vertical wheel rail force μ Coefficient of friction

This combining equation represents nothing but generalized three-dimensional Nadal climb-up derailment criterion. It is important to stress, that for the special two-dimensional case of tangential wheel rail force D=0, this threedimensional-climb limit above yields to the well known derailment condition, developed by Nadal: L –– V

=

TAN(β1) – μ ––––––––––– 1 + μTAN (β1)

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 33

wheel-climb derailments

It should be pointed out that, unlike Nadal’s derailment conditions, three-dimensional climb-up criterion (3D-climb limit) incorporates not only a level of longitudinal dynamics, but is also important for practical derailment investigation to determine real aggregate angle of the climb α. Another way of putting it is, that angle α represents nothing but derailed wheel trajectory angle, marked on the rail surface.

3D-climb limit implementation is presented in Figure 3, showing critical (L/V) ratio as a function of longitudinal to lateral force ratio (D/L) for new rail conditions. This Figure is displaying fundamental trend, according to which Nadal’s criterion is conservative and safe only for the relatively small (D/L) ratios, up to 0.4, where both 3D and Nadal limits practically coincide.

It can be seen however, that already for moderate level of longitudinal force D, the range of the critical space (L/V) ratios is located substantially lower than Nadal’s, which should be considered in

future climb-in derailment investigation and research.

Figure 4 defined 3D-climb limits for (L/V), showing critical (L/V) ratio as a function of longitudinal to lateral force ratio (D/L) for worn rail conditions.

Again, both Nadal’s and 3D limits show close results only for the relatively small (D/L) ratios, up to 0.4, with the 3D criterion curves for moderate and large (D/L) diminishing steeply than for new rail conditions.

It is essential that, in the matrix of parameters under consideration, the threedimensional model above does not contain any additional approximations or assumptions, comparing to the Nadal’s widely-used approach. Consequently, with the same levels of analytical accuracy and missing out-of-lateral plane forces for Nadal limit, 3D study shows, that popular Nadal criterium has substantial limitation, specifically, it is reliable and conservative only for the small (D/L) ratios and longitudinal forces. It should be particularly underscored for the practical

applications and derailment preventions, that the space between Nadal limit line and corresponding 3D limit curve (see Figures 3 and 4) represents a hidden area of possible climb-up derailment for relatively low (L/V) ratios.

For those derailments to occur, reasons for high longitudinal forces D are many and varied, often associated from railroad engineering point of view with train handling, dynamic overloading in turnouts, train acceleration and deceleration, specifically sudden emergency breaking, as in the May 2015 Amtrak derailment. Including 3D-limit and approach into the engineering set of safety tools allows operators to control and reduce the risk of climb-up derailments.

Acknowledgments

The author expresses his appreciation to Dr. Allan M. Zarembski, PE, FASME, Hon. Mbr. AREMA, for discussion and formulation of Generalized Three-Dimensional Nadal Criterion and would like to acknowledge as support research, performed by railway scientists over years, including H. Weinstock, Magdy El-Sibaie, A. Zarembski, E. Magel, J. Kalker, J. A. Elkins and many others.

References

1. Liu, Y. and Magel, E. December 2007. “Understanding wheel-climb derailments.” Railway Track & Structures, pp.37-41. Chicago, Ill. 2. Zarembski A. M. 2007. “What is an acceptable level of risk.” Railway Age/Zeta-Tech/Railway Track & Structures Risk Management & Safety for Railroad Infrastructure & Equipment Conference.

3. Nadal M.J. “Theory de la stabilite des Locomotives, Annales des Mines, Vol.10, 1896.

4. Weinstock H., “Wheel climb derailment criteria for evaluation of rail vehicle safety”, US DOT, Cambridge, 02142, 1985.

5. Kalker J.J. “Survey of Wheel-Rail Rolling Contact Theory”, Vehicle Systems Dynamics, Vol.5, 1979.

6. Johnson K.L. “The effect of tangential contact force upon the rolling motion of an elastic sphere on a plain,” Journal of Applied Mechanics. 1958, pp.25.

7. Gilchrist A.O. and Brickle B.V. “A re-examination of the proneness to derailment of a railway wheelset. Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, Vol.18, no.3, 1976.

34 Railway Track & Structures

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AREMA NEWS Professional Development

Message from the President

Seminars Eight AREMA Seminars will be held in conjunction with the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, August 28 - 31, 2016

What is old is new again

Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering August 27 - 28 Orlando, FL rail bulk terminal design August 27 Orlando, FL building the steel interstate August 27 Orlando, FL

Brian A. Lindamood, PE AREMA President 2015-2016

environmental permitting issues in railroad construction projects August 28 Orlando, FL intermodal terminal engineering August 31 - September 1 Orlando, FL track alignment design August 31 - September 2 Orlando, FL fra 213: Track Safety standards August 31 - September 2 Orlando, FL Railroad bridge load rating steel structures September 1 Orlando, FL

To see a complete list of all upcoming seminars and to register, please visit www.arema.org or contact Desireé Knight at dknight@arema.org

36 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association was established in 1899 “to organize a forum for the development and study of recommended practices for the newly-integrated standard-gauge North American railway network.” Much work was completed over the ensuing decade, but by 1912, the term “maintenance-of-way” was removed and the name became the American Railway Engineering Association (AREA). The reason for this change is likely lost to history, but the name of the organization would remain for another 95 years. The primary focus of the organization was engineering design, but much consideration was given to maintenance practices through that lens and the Manual for Railway Engineering (MRE) continues to provide insight into maintenance matters throughout the text.

In October of 1997, there was a “grand merger” of railway technical organizations, which, besides AREA, included the Roadmaster’s and Maintenance of Way Association (Roadmasters). Similar to AREA, but founded nearly two decades earlier, the organization “was dedicated to work through committees and publish the results in the proceedings, a practice that was continued through its 114-year history.” The proceedings of this organization (1930-1999 are available through AREMA) remain a testament to the talent and dedication of its membership.

The new combined organization, which also included the American Railway Bridge and Building Association (ARBA) and the Communications and Signals Division of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), brought with it changes. First, the name was changed back to American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA). The proceedings, of not only the Roadmasters, but also AREA and ARBA, were no longer published throughout the year, but became a publication of the Technical Conference published annually. The committee structure, common to both the Roadmasters and AREA, was combined with the Roadmasters membership, largely being merged into the existing AREA Technical Committees.

AREMA has benefited greatly from the perspective, expertise and energy that the former Roadmasters members brought to the Technical Committees. Despite this, the participation of former Roadmasters began to wane shortly after the merger. Perhaps it was the change in moving from the publication of proceedings to Manual material or the overall size of the engineering committees made the development of additional maintenance material too difficult. Recognizing the problem, in 2003, AREMA developed four Maintenance Teams to continue to develop training materials and to provide a forum for maintenance personnel to continue to interact and address challenges in the upkeep of railway infrastructure.

A dozen years later, the Maintenance Teams have developed some quality programs related to railway maintenance, but the participation has not rebounded.

This situation has developed as the charge of “maintenance-of-way” remains as challenging as ever. We continue to be asked to maintain our infrastructure to high standards with limited track time and budgets. Our industry has risen to that challenge and we continue to provide the world-class infrastructure that is demanded through the hard work of railway maintenance employees and the valuable equipment and technology that our suppliers provide. While industry www.rtands.com

Upcoming Committee Meetings

July 27-28 Committee 7 - Timber Structures

Denver, CO

Oct. 23-24

Committee 34 - Scales

St. Louis, MO

Sept. 20-21 Committee 15 - Steel Structures

Buffalo, NY

Oct. 25-26

Committee 30 - Ties

Bonita Springs, FL

Oct. 18-19

Danbury, CT

Oct. 25-26 Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems

Committee 4 - Track

Jacksonville, FL

For a complete list of all committee meetings being held at the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition please visit www.arema.org/meetings/2016.

Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA Committee Meetings can be found online at http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.

collaboration exists, there remains no single comprehensive source for industry-developed recommended practices for the maintenance of railway infrastructure similar to the MRE and the Communications and Signals Manual (C&S Manual).

I am both proud and excited to announce that AREMA’s leadership has made the bold decision to address these issues directly. This past June, AREMA’s Board of Directors changed the Maintenance Teams to full standing AREMA Technical Committees. This change will pave the way for the development of formal recommended practices specifically addressing the maintenance of railway infrastructure and will be published in the MRE under their own chapters.

This is no small undertaking. Although these newly-named committees continue to develop material, as outlined in a previous article, the approval of material to be published in the MRE or C&S Manual is rigorous and requires thoughtful review. It is anticipated that it may be two years before substantial material is published. While this may seem arduously slow, it is necessary to be sure that our recommendations have been fully vetted and consistent with guidance throughout the rest of AREMA’s publications.

For more than a century, AREMA and its predecessor organizations have continued to provide the most comprehensive materials to the North American railway industry. This has only been possible through the significant effort of those volunteers who have provided their time and expertise. The other Technical Committees have already been given direction to help foster the development of these new chapters, but the assistance of the other 27 committees will not be enough on its own. If you work in, have an interest in or manage people in the maintenance of railway infrastructure, I strongly encourage you to participate in this exciting effort and advocate for others to do the same. Together, but only together, we can seize this opportunity to further support the North American railway industry in a meaningful way.

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

www.rtands.com

FYI…

Register before July 20, 2016, to save money at the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition, August 28-31, 2016, in Orlando, FL. Visit www.arema.org to register today.

The AREMA 2016 Manual for Railway Engineering i s n o w available. Order your updated, 2016 version online at www.arema.org or with Morgan Bruins at 301-459-3200, ext. 711 or mbruins@arema.org.

Please help us in welcoming AREMA's 20th Student Chapter, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Post your career opportunity now on AREMA's Railway Careers Network.

Target your recruiting and reach qualified candidates quickly and easily.

Use code JULY2016 for five-percent off any job posting during the month of July. Start posting jobs today.

AREMA on social media... Stay up-to-date on the most recent AREMA information through all official social media outlets. Become a fan of the AREMA Facebook Page and join the AREMA LinkedIn Group.

Not an AREMA Member?

Join today at www.arema.org Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 37

AREMA NEWS

Announcement of AREMA Board of Governors 2016 Election The Governance Nominating Committee, chaired by Past President Randy L. Bowman, has completed its task and the following nominees have been officially elected: Gregory D. Workman – board of governor and Joseph A. Smak – treasurer. Each will assume their board of governors positions at the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition, which is being held in Orlando, FL, August 28 – 31, 2016.

Elected as Governor (2016 – 2019) Name Gregory D. Workman Vice President Engineering Title Organization/company Union Pacific

Greg Workman was assigned as vice president engineering on December 1, 2015. He is responsible for maintaining and hardening the company's infrastructure, leading the design, construction and maintenance of track, structures and signal systems and ensur ing safe and efficient movement of trains. He has served as the vice president of safety and chief safety officer since July 1, 2015, where he was responsible for developing and implementing corporate safety, security and environmental policies, processes and practices, as well as compliance with operations-related policies and

Elected as Treasurer (2016 – 2019) Name Joseph A. Smak Title Director Engineering - Track Organization/Company Amtrak

Joseph A. Smak began his career in 1980 as an engineering associate with Conrail. He also held the positions of field engineer of special projects, field engineer planning and support and engineer field services at Conrail.

From 1999 to 2008, he held various positions at CSX, such as engineer field services, general engineering inspector and engineer track rail services. In 2008, he accepted a position at Amtrak as director of track standards and specifications and was promoted to senior director of track maintenance and compliance in 2013. He was promoted to director of engineering 38 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

regulations. He has served as the regional vice president of Union Pacific's Southern Region since March 1, 2008.

In that position, Greg was responsible for the daily operation of the Southern Region territory that consists of 9,225 miles of main track and approximately 8 , 0 0 0 e m p l oye e s. H i s r e g i o n a l responsibilities included safety, train and terminal operations, mechanical support, engineering and financial performance. He has held a number of positions in the Operating Department including assistant vice president on the North and South regions and superintendent. Greg started as a management trainee with Union Pacific following his graduation from Purdue University in 1984 with a degree in civil engineering. After completion of the Management Training Program he served as manager track maintenance.

– track in late 2015. He holds a BS degree in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Smak has been heavily involved with AREMA Committee 4-Rail, as the secretary, vice chair and chair and is also an active member of Committee 5-Track. He has also served on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as a director – track, group vice president – Track and senior vice president. He became president of AREMA in 2013 and is a past president. He has also been on the AREMA Publications Committee, which oversees the review of all changes prior to the production of the Manual for Railway of Engineering. Smak is an active member of several Association of American Railroads technical committees, as well as a member of two Federal Railroad Administration Railroad Safety Advisory Committees.

Gregory D. Workman Vice President Engineering Union Pacific

Joseph A. Smak Director Engineering - Track Amtrak

www.rtands.com

Register now for the AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition August 28-31

AREMA Publications 2016 Manual for Railway Engineering ©

now available There have been numerous updates to more than 5,000 pages of the Manual for Railway Engineering.

The chapters are grouped into four general categories: • Track • Structures • Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems Management.

The Manual is an annual publication, released every April. It is available in a multi-volume loose-leaf format, CDROM, revision set (loose-leaf only) and individual chapters (downloadable format).

Downloadable Chapters Available Online.

2016 Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices

©

The Communications & Signals Manual is a manual of recommended practices written

by AREMA technical committees in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety or efficiency and economy. The Communications & Signals Manual of Recommended Practices is an annual publication released every October.

Downloadable Sections Available Online.

Reflections on a Half Century of Railway Engineering and Some Related Subjects ©

Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE To see a complete list of available publications and to order, please visit www.arema.org or contact Morgan Bruins at +1.301.459.3200, ext. 711, or mbruins@arema.org.

2014 Portfolio of Trackwork Plans ©

The Portfolio of Trackwork Plans consists of plans and specifications that relate to the design, details, materials and workmanship for switches, frogs, turnouts and crossovers, crossings, rails and other special trackwork.

This is a companion volume to the Manual for Railway Engineering.

AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook ©

The AREMA Bridge Inspection Handbook provides a comprehensive source of information and criteria for bridge inspections for engineers engaged in the assessment of railway bridges.

This handbook is published as a guide to establishing policies and practices relative to bridge inspection. It covers such topics as confined spaces, site conditions, loads & forces, nomenclature, bridge decks, timber, concrete & steel bridges, movable bridges, tunnel and culvert inspections, and emergency & post-earthquake inspections.

Also included are many color photographed examples in several chapters, as well as a glossary in the back of the book.

Practical Guide to Railway Engineering ©

This guide provides a comprehensive overview and understanding of the railway system.

Whether you are new to the rail industry or a longtime contributor wanting to learn more, this bound book and CD-ROM offer in-depth coverage of railway fundamentals and serve as an excellent reference. (Also available in a CD-ROM version only.)

This will be your last chance before rates go up before July 20, 2016. The conference is being held at the Hilton Orlando, in Orlando, FL. This year's premier program will provide an excellent opportunity for members of the railway industry to increase their railway knowledge and experience.

On the Schedule Key Note Speakers: o Jeff Skiles, co-pilot of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, "The Miracle on the Hudson." o Linda Bauer Darr, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association o Anthony B. Hatch, senior transportation analyst, ABH Consulting, will be bringing us an industry update on the morning of Wednesday, August 31.

More than 70 technical presentations are sure to be informative and valuable.

200-plus exhibits from various contractors, suppliers and consulting firms.

Students gain insight about the industry with networking and educational opportunities in the exhibit hall, as well as student events, such as the Student Orientation, Meet The Next Generation, Student Poster Competition, the Quiz Bowl and more. Bring your resume.

Eight Educational Seminars will provide cutting edge information and necessary professional credits. Seats are limited, sign up today.

Spouses will enjoy all of Orlando's finest with a schedule including olive oil tastings, an informative tour of the Titanic's artifacts, shopping and more.

Take advantage of this excellent opportunity to converse with your fellow railroaders, exchange ideas and learn more about the industry.

www.arema.org www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 39

AREMA NEWS

Ask John Report:

Timber cap replacement Part 2 of 2

Part 1 of Ask John Report: Timber cap replacement appeared in the June 2016 issue of RT&S, pages 48 - 49.

Table 1 below shows the load on each pile and the shear stresses for a few different conditions.

The shear diagrams provide a good graphic of how these changes affect the stress in the cap. Additionally, an analysis of how much movement was required to produce the above conditions was completed. Pile P3 with the 200 K/in spring moves 26.3/200 = 0.132-inch. At 50 K/in P3 moves 0.374-inch. At 25 K/in the shear value jumps dramatically, but the movement in the pile is only 0.54-inch, about 1/8inch more. Thus, when a pile starts to pump, a small change in the movement will have a large effect on the cap.

Further, even small gaps between the top of piles and the bottom of caps produces significant increases in the applied cap shear.

Wood Research and Development (WRD) concluded that in the absence of decay and other deg radation, if there are shear problems in properly sized caps, there must be piles that are compromised and are deforming, moving vertically under load. The distribution of the loads from the rails to the ground will not overstress the cap in shear if all

members are sound. The shear and bending stress in the cap will increase dramatically if the inner piles are compromised. As the inner piles move down, the cap deflects and transfers load to the outside piles, the span increases and the member is stressed in a manner well beyond the design.

Today, the vast majority of users consider AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering, Chapter 7 for maintenance, retrofit and inspection of timber bridges where a very high percentage of timber pile bents that have been in service for 50 years or longer have pumping piles or pile tops with gaps below the caps. Since many are side friction bearing, not tip bearing, the bents have numerous piles that could be pumping in the 1/4-inch range or at a minimum have a gap between the pile top and the cap of 1/8-inch. It is very important to understand that the current equations do not address this condition. The piles need to be reinforced or replaced so the cap can perform properly. Shimming a pumping pile is a temporary fix at Table 1: Pile load distribution with various pile top spring constants.

Table 1

Pile Load (kips)

Pile Load (kips)

Pile Load (kips)

P1 Right

P2 Left

P2 Right

P3 Left

Pile Restraint Condition

P1 (X)

P2(X)

P3(X)

3V/2A (psi)

3V/2A (psi)

3V/2A (psi)

3V/2A (psi

AREMA Pile Calcs:

3.9

24.0

32.3

32

24

30

162

Multiframe Fixed:

6.9

23.9

29.4

57

49

54

138

Multiframe Springs P2-P5 200 K/in:

14.8

19.1

26.3

122

114

79

113

Multiframe Springs P2-P5 70 K/in:

24.3

14.8

21.1

200

192

122

70

Multiframe Springs P2-P5 50 K/in:

28.4

13.1

18.7

234

226

141

51

Multiframe Springs P2-P5 25 K/in:

37.4

9.3

13.5

308

300

185

7

40 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

by Robert Keller, P.E., senior engineer, Rebecca Arthur, mechanical engineer, Dan Tingley Ph.D., P.E. (Canada), RPEQ, MIEAust CPEng, senior structural engineer, wood technologist, Wood Research and Development, Jefferson, Ore.

best and not recommended as it doesn’t solve the pumping pile situation, but only provides for the pile to drive deeper under load while still pumping.

If an engineer attempts to solve this problem by replacing timber caps with stiffer concrete caps, for example, the solution will also be problematic. To do so, the cap loading would need to be calculated with only the stable piles used as supports. This will mean longer spans, higher stresses, more deflection and a loss of redundancy historically used in railroad construction. It is also not recommended to use timber caps to span over bad piles for these same reasons, which additionally cause a complication in the deflection calculation. The deflection of short span timber should be calculated using the appropriate G value to add the shear deflection to the bending deflection because in these cases shear deflection will be approximately 16 percent of the total. This is much higher than is assumed when apparent E values are used.

Design of replacement caps

AREMA Manual for Railway Eng ineer ing, Chapter 7, Timber Structures, is the industry standard for designing timber railway bridges.

Figures 7-A1-1 through 7-A1-30 provide design information that can be used to design replacement caps if all the elements are structurally sound.

The first step to replacing a cap needs to be to ensure the piles that support the cap are performing properly. If the previous cap failed in shear and decay of the cap is not the cause of www.rtands.com

Figure 6, top: Typical cap replacement.

The load is removed from the cap, the old cap is removed and the new cap is threaded into place with the help of a crane.

Figure 7: A new cap being guided into place on the piles. The pile in the foreground has been treated with copper Naphthenate and sealed with a waterbased wax emulsion.

that failure, further investigation of the cause is required. To use the equations and figures in Chapter 7 to determine the loads and resistance of the system, the piles must be repaired, replaced or determined to be sound.

To design the replacement cap, typical engineering assumptions of shear in wood members do not seem appropriate. Specifically, ignoring shear within depth d of the support should not be used. Most caps do not span more than 2d so shear would be completely ignored. However, caps have failed in shear, so ignoring shear completely is not correct. Calculating the applied shear on cap beams with the following assumptions is more appropriate: • Shear stress (S) = 4V/(2bh) • V = maximum shear in pounds at the face of piles • b = breadth in inches • h = height in inches Although this is a 33 percent increase in shear stress and loads within depth d are not ignored, it is still vital that the structural condition of piles be confirmed prior to replacing the cap.

Installation of caps

Replacing a timber cap can be done insitu with minimal disruption of train operations, as shown in Figure 6. When replacing a cap, it is imperative to determine the condition of the piles to make sure there are no pumping piles, gaps between the pile and cap or other deterioration to affect the structural integrity of the piles. All piles must carry the distributed load. It is also imperative to inspect all connected and adjacent members and repair any damage or deterioration before installing the new cap.

Conclusion

There has been an upsurge in the number of timber pile caps failing in www.rtands.com

shear. The fact that new, sound timber caps that are properly designed for the applied loads are cracking shortly after installation may be due to pile to-cap-bearing quality and factors that involve gaps between the cap and pile top or pumping piles. Replacing timber caps with concrete will not remedy the situation if the piles are the problem, as this places much greater loads on fewer piles. It may be time to update factors in the AREMA Manual for Railway Eng ineer ing, Chapter 7 design equations to address the situation.

References 1. AITC. Timber Construction Manual, Sixth Edition. American Institute of

Timber Construction, 2012.

2. ANSI/AWC. NDS National Design Specification for Wood Construction.

American Wood Council, Leesburg, Va. Current Edition.

3 . A R E M A . M a n u a l fo r R a i lway Eng ineer ing. American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association, 2013.

4. Keller, R. and Tingley, D. AREMA Committee 7 Timber Pile Bent Pile Load Distribution and Cap Shear Investigation Utilizing Multiframe Structural Software.

Wood Research and Development.

November 13, 2013.

5. Ritter, M. Timber Bridges: Design, Construction, Inspection and Maintenance.

6. Washington, D.C. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1990.

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 41

42 Railway Track & Structures

June 2016

www.rtands.com

CALENDAR JULY 24-26. American Association of Railroad Superintendents 120th Annual Meeting. OMNI William Penn Hotel. Pittsburgh, Pa. Website: http://supt.org/event-2088434.

24-27. 2016 American Railway Development Association Annual Meeting. Renaissance Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nev. Contact: Fred Oelsner. E-mail: staff@amraildev.com. Website: www.amraildev.com/2016annualmeeting.

27-28. Rail Depots & Maintenance Facilities 2016. Capital Hilton Hotel. Washington, D.C. Website: http://www.raildepots-maintenance-facilities.com.

AUGUST 2-4. Railway Engineering Short Course. Newmark Civil Engineering Lab. Urbana, Ill. Phone: 217-244-4600. E-mail: railtec-shortcourse@mx.uillinois.edu. Website: http://railtec. illinois.edu/short-course/overview.php.

8-12. 2016 RTA Crosstie Grading Seminar. Best Western Riverfront. La Crosse, Wis. Bangor, Wis. Phone: 770-460-5553.

E-mail: ties@rta.org. Website: www.rta.com/grading-seminar.

8-12. Railway Engineering Short Course. Newmark Civil Engineering Lab. Urbana, Ill. Phone: 217-244-4600. E-mail: railtec-shortcourse@mx.uillinois.edu. Website: http://railtec. illinois.edu/short-course/overview.php.

17-18. 4th Annual Michigan Rail Conference. Northern Michigan University. Marquette, Mich. Contact: David Nelson. Phone: 906-487-1734. E-mail: dannelso@mtu.edu.

Website: http://rail.mtu.edu/event/4th-annual-michigan-railconference.

28-31. AREMA 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition.

Hilton Orlando. Orlando, Fla. Fax: 301-459-8077. Website: www.arema.org.

SEPTEMBER 15-16. Next-Gen Train Control. Key Bridge Marriott. Arlington, Va. Phone: 212-620-7208. E-mail: conferences@sbpub.com.

Website: www.railwayage.com/nextgen.

20-23. InnoTrans. Berlin, Germany. Phone: +49 30 3038 2376.

Fax: +49 30 3038 2190. E-mail: mjbalve@globaltradeshow.com, innotrans@messe-berlin.de. Website: www.innotrans.com.

OCTOBER 2-4. RSI/CMA 2016 Rail Expo &Technical Conference. Hilton Omaha. Omaha, Neb. Phone: 202-347-4664. Website: http://www. rsiweb.org/rsicma16.

26-28. 98th Annual RailwayTie Association Symposium and Technical Conference. Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Bonita Springs, Fla. Phone: 770-460-5553. E-mail: ties@rta.org. Website: http://www.rta.org/2016-conference.

27-28. Energy by Rail. Key Bridge Marriott. Arlington, Va. Phone: 212-620-7208. E-mail: conferences@sbpub.com.

Website: www.railwayage.com/energy. www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 43

PRODUCTS Mobility controller

LILEE Systems released its virtual LILEE Mobility Controller (vLMC), part of its new systems management suite. The cloud-hosted product helps to manage wayside, locomotive, base station and back office assets, including wayside interface units, 220 MHz radios and train management computers.

LILEE Systems Management Suite interoperates with LILEE’s Communications Management Unit (CMU) family of products for ACSES PTC deployments; the WMS-2000 Wayside Messaging Server, DTS-2000 Dynamic Telematic Server and LMS2450 LILEE Messaging Server communication gateway. Thirdparty devices can be integrated into the suite using LILEE’s software management agents. The vLMC is designed to provide ubiquitous, secure and reliable connectivity between high-value remote mobile or fixed assets and the back office.

The vLMC is an alternative to the LILEE Systems LMC-5500 appliance for network managers who prefer to have the software solution hosted in the cloud or on their own data center hardware. The vLMC is helping LILEE continue the migration of its software solutions for transportation to the cloud. The vLMC manages communications with remote devices, such as the LMS and DTS systems for both passenger and M2M wireless connectivity applications. Phone: 415-397-600.

Bonded abrasives

Weiler Corporation launched of its full line of Tiger® bonded abrasives. The line includes cutting, grinding and combo wheels available in high performance, performance and value tiers, allowing users to prioritize between long life, fast cut or both, depending on their specific application. The Tiger High Performance line features ceramic-infused zirconia alumina, ideal for applications in steel, stainless steel, armored steel, structural steel, cast iron and Inconel. Offering life and fast cutting, the Tiger High Performance tier features a smooth outer layer on cutting wheels to reduce friction and kickback and self-sharpening grain to increase performance and a strong resin bond for long life. The Tiger Performance line offers a long-life solution for general-purpose applications. The cutting wheels are available in thin and super-thin widths and feature an aluminum oxide grain for an even and clean cut. Tiger Cup Rocks are designed for applications in which extreme material removal is necessary and finish is less of a concern. The Tiger Cup Rocks cover a wider area than grinding wheels and remove more material over a longer period of time. Previously known as Vortec Pro®, the Wolverine line has been rebranded and expanded. The line now features new and improved large cut-off wheels and combination wheels ideal for use on carbon steel, iron and general-purpose metal use, delivering a fast cut rate and consistent performance. Phone: 800-835-9999.

44 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

www.rtands.com

Ad Index Company

Phone #

Airtec International Ltd.

Alcoa Fastening Systems & Rings AREMA Marketing Department

Atlantic Track & Turnout Co.

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. Brandt Road Rail Corporation

R. J. Corman Railroad Group

Fax#

+44 141 552 5064

800-388-4825

254-751-5259

301-459-3200

301-459-8077

973-748-5885

973-784-4520

205-424-7245

205-424-7436

bhamrail@aol.com

306-791-3287

306-525-1077

sgettis@brandt.ca

859-885-7804

www.rjcorman.com

17

610-828-2260

pbarents@danella.com

6

610-828-6200

Page #

+44 141 552 5591

800-611-7245

Danella Rental Systems, Inc.

e-mail address

airtec@intl.co.uk

28

stu.millard@alcoa.com

25

marketing@arema.org

Cover 3

stacyw@atlantictrack.com

2 28

ENSCO Rail, Inc.

703-321-4515

dick.matthew@ensco.com

Gage Bilt Inc.

586-226-1500

kyle.lang@gagebilt.com

Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.

512-869-1542, ext.5292

Harsco Rail

803-822-7551

Herzog Railroad Services, Inc.

816-233-9002

734-529-3400

Mitchell Equipment Corporation Moley Magnetics, Inc.

703-913-7858

North American Rail Products Inc. Pandrol USA, L.P. PortaCo, Inc.

bachman@georgetownrail.com

13

mteeter@harsco.com

Cover 2

816-233-7757

tfrancis@hrsi.com

21

lovitt@mitchell-railgear.com

4

sales@moleymagneticsinc.com

703-913-7859

jlewis@neelco.com

cerhart@narailproducts.com

604-946-7272

888-692-1150

1-800-221-CLIP

856-467-2994

218-236-0223

Racine Railroad Products

262-637-9681

RAILCET

866-724-5238

Railway Educational Bureau, The

402-346-4300

Unitrac Railroad Materials, Inc.

412-298-0915

voestalpine Nortrak, Inc.

9

5

24 23

218-233-5281

info@portaco.com

30

913-345-4818

jstout@amstedrps.com

27

913-345-4807

Vossloh North America

34

803-822-7521

716-434-5893

15

512-863-0405

734-529-3433

844-662-4638

Neel Company, The

Progress Rail Corp.

586-226-1505

9

262-637-9069

217-522-6588

402-346-1783

custserv@racinerailroad.com

7

grif1020@yahoo.com

8

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

865-693-9162

ppietrandrea@unitracrail.com

gord.weatherly@voestalpine.com

307-778-8700

307-778-8777

00-49-239-252-273

00-49-239-252-274

claudia.brandt@vc.vossloh.com

24, 43, 44 29 Cover 4

31

Reader Referral Service This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue.

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

Advertising Sales general sales OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher (212) 620-7224 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1165 New York, NY 10014 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada Quebec and East, Ontario Jerome Marullo (212) 620-7260 55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 633-1863 New York, NY 10014 jmarullo@sbpub.com AL, AR, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX Jon Schacht (312) 683-5021 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 jschacht@sbpub.com

www.rtands.com

AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada -­AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato (312) 683-5026 20 South Clark St. Fax: (312) 683-0131 Ste. 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 hdisabato@sbpub.com

Louise Cooper International Sales Manager Suite K5 &K6 The Priory +44-1444-416917 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom lc@railjournal.co.uk

Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 +39-10-570-4948 V Piano, Int 9 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 16129 Genoa, Italy info@mediapointsrl.it

Responsible for advertisement sales in all parts of the world, except Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, Japan, and North America.

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

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

Suite N2, The Priory, Syresham Gardens, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3LB, UK

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

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 45

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

Professional Directory

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS BEING OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER; YES - EST 1910

Rotary Dump

Grapple Truck

Hytracker

LEASE or BUY Hirail Gradall w/opt. Brush Cutter

Hirail Platform/Tunnel Truck

Custom Build New or Used Chassies.

Also: Hirail Boom Dump Trucks Hirail Mechanics Trucks Hirail Section Trucks Hytracker for moving equipment Hudson Ballast Cars DMF & Harsco parts, service and installation

Products and services

RAILROAD SERVICES

Est. 1910

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

REESE

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

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

Grapple Trucks Magnets & Self Propelled

K. W. Reese, Inc.

Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236

(717) 328-5211 •

fax

(717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com

5 Time NRC SafeTy awaRd wiNNeR

Section Trucks Telescoping & Articulating Cranes

ALSO AVAILABLE

GLOBAL RAIL TENDERS

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

and many more truck configurations...

Track Maintenance Trucks

877-888-9370

Turning Opportunities into New Business

Get up-to-the-minute business intelligence by subscribing to GlobalRailTenders.com Powered by

46 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

ASPENEQUIPMENT.COM/RAIL

RailwayAge.com

RT&S2013revAd.indd 1

2/12/13 2:57 PM

The News Destination for the Rail Industry www.rtands.com

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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

PARTS • SALES • SERVICE

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

NEW & USED Grapple Trucks, Roto Dumps, Mechanics Trucks and Pickups.

WE ALSO RENT! Call Rob Wiskerchen at 715-897-2619 Toll Free: 888-405-0110 e-mail: rob@wisktrucks.com • www.wisktrucks.com

Available for Lease 3000 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 3600 cu ft Open Top Hopper Cars 100 ton Automated/Manual Ballast Cars 4480 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks Contact: Tom Monroe: 415-616-3472 Email: tmonroe@atel.com

RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SERVICES, INC. www.railwayequipmentservices.net MOW Equipment – Lease & Sale Track Surfacing – Tamp & Reg Brushcutting – Dual side Kershaw Specialized Hauling – Low Boys with Rail 318-995-7006 or 318-469-7133 “A full service company with over 20 yrs exp!”

www.rtands.com

Railway Track & Structures

July 2016 47

NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

Authorized Harsco Remanufacturer For Sale

Remanufactured Harsco 6700 SJ2 Switch Production Tampers Equipped with the latest technology, considerably less expensive than new, and full one year warranty. Customer satisfaction guaranteed.

Have an old, worn out 6700 Tamper? We have your solution.

Call 620-485-4277 or visit precisionrwy.com for more details.

Want to see some of our work? Scan the QR Code for our YouTube channel.

Remanufactured 6700 sales

On-site training

MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD EQUIPMENT

Equipment leasing

Trade ins accepted

MOW Integrated Carbide Tools 6700 Tamping Tool JK-635

MKIV Tamping Tool JK-215L/R

JOHN GALLO

Replace worn components with Harsco Rail’s complete line of integrated carbide tools.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER 402-990-9385 JOHNG@OMAHATRACK.COM

• Class 1 product approval

• Genuine OEM parts

To order, call: 1-800-800-6410 Email: railparts@harsco.com

Marketplace SaleS

contact: Jeanine acquart ph: 212/620-7211 • Fax: 212/633-1165 email: jacquart@sbpub.com

48 Railway Track & Structures

July 2016

All MAjor Credit CArds ACCepted

www.rtands.com