RTS April 2022

2022 RT&S

10 UNDER

40 APRIL 2022 | WWW.RTANDS.COM

ALSO: RIGHT-OF-WAY SAFETY MATERIAL HANDLING rtands.com

February 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1

Congratulations to our very own Kristina Boka!

The CN family is proud of Kristina Boka, Manager, Design and Construction, for being named a 2022 Railway Track & Structures 10 under 40 winner.

CN is hiring — join us!

Get your career moving at www.cn.ca/careers

CONTENTS

April 2022

8

COLUMNS

3 36

On Track Who wants to be part of this club?

Last Stop Freight rail research and implementation

On the Cover 10 under 40 recipient Maxim Delisle from Cando Rail & Terminals.

DEPARTMENTS

4 31 34 35 35

8

TTCI R&D Revenue service frog testing results AREMA News Message from the President, Getting to know, and more

Filling in beautifully This year’s elite list of young professionals see a hole and come up with a solution

17

Classifieds Advertiser Index Sales Representatives

What are we watching?

Innovative data collection and analysis involving video for understanding railroad right-of-way trespassing

22

22 Follow Us On Social Media @RTSMag

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FEATURES

Getting it done Proper equipment ensures materials get to where and when they’re needed

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 1

HIGH CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY

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ON TRACK

Who wants to be part of this club?

VOL. Vol. 118, 115, No. NO.46 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South 3680Clark Heathmoor Street, Drive Suite 1910 Chicago, Elgin, ILIll. 60124 60603 Telephone Telephone (312) 630-336-1148 683-0130 Website Fax (312) www.rtands.com 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com BILL WILSON Editor-in-Chief BILL WILSON wwilson@sbpub.com Editor-in-Chief wwilson@sbpub.com DAVID C. LESTER Managing KYRA SENESE Editor dlester@sbpub.com Managing Editor ksenese@sbpub.com CORPORATE OFFICES 88BOB PineTUZIK Street New Consulting York, N.Y.Editor 10005 Telephone btuzik@sbpub.com (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 CORPORATE OFFICES ARTHUR 55 Broad J. MCGINNIS, St 26th Fl. JR. President New York, and N.Y. Chairman 10004 Telephone (212) 620-7200 JONATHAN CHALON Fax (212) 633-1165 Publisher ARTHUR J. MCGINNIS, JR. MARY and CONYERS President Chairman Production Director JONATHAN CHALON NICOLE D’ANTONA Publisher Art Director MARY CONYERS HILLARY COLEMAN Production Director Graphic Designer NICOLE D’ANTONA MAUREEN COONEY Art Director Circulation Director ALEZA LEINWAND MICHELLE ZOLKOS Graphic Designer Conference Director MAUREEN COONEY CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-895-4389 Circulation Director Reprints: PARS International Corp.

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

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

I

want the locker with my name sketched on a plate at the top.

Now, I have a traveling one polluted with sweaty clothes and snack wrappers ... but at

least it’s labeled Wilson.

Ask my 20-something self what my ultimate later-in-life fantasy would be and it probably involved unlimited access to an 18-hole golf course and a locker room with my name in it ... somewhere. That is what I imagined would take up a good portion of my finances when I was in my 50s. Instead, the locker is now in the form of a personalized backpack jammed with volleyballs, basketballs, uniforms, water bottles, and dead wrappers that travels all over the country. Club sports pale in comparison to country clubs with a 19th hole. All three of my kids are entrenched in the elite leagues, and the budget has two major lines: known costs and unexpected costs.

Just recently my daughter’s group of 13-year-olds wanted to switch it up on their volleyball team. Along with the standard black shorts, they wanted blue ones to go with their other two jerseys. One of the parents had finally had enough.

She has two daughters pulling the money chute constantly due to travel sports. The pile of money was rubbing against the ceiling. My wife and I thought it was not right to keep one of the girls in black, so volunteered to take on the extra, extra cost and bought the last remaining onecolor pants holder and second colored pair.

Every contractor involved in construction projects are very well versed in my extremely amateur two-line budget.

There are known costs and unexpected ones. Light-rail builder SNC-Lavelin has engaged in a new way of winning bids.

Since 2019, the goal of the company has

been to end the process of bidding on fixed-price construction work and is focusing more on turnkey contracts. With those contracts, construction firms agree to a set price for a project and do not pass along any cost overruns.

The results of this endeavor have me wondering when the company finances are going to hit the basement floor. In early March SNC-Lavelin announced a $231 million pretax loss on its projects unit due to cost reforecasts on three lightrail contracts in Canada. In a worse-case scenario, SNC-Lavelin is projecting additional losses of as much as $300 million on the Reseau Express Metropolitan project in Montreal, Ottawa’s Trillium Line, and the Eglinton Crosstown project in Toronto.

The builder, however, is blaming COVID-19, inflation, and supply chain issues for the loss. According to SNC, absenteeism due to the pandemic over the last few months has been as high as 50% on some jobs, and inflation has tacked on another 10% on costs.

I have no doubt those factors have been tripping up just about every contractor in existence, but I can’t help but question the business approach of SNC-Lavelin. In one way it does force the contractor to control costs, which is noble, but there are those unexpected costs that act like an avalanche ... nobody sees it coming and the impact can leave one buried in trouble. They can throw all the money and technology at an avalanche, but nobody will be able to predict the timing and the destruction of it.

Thanks, but I’ll take the model that includes the extra pair of shorts and maybe an unplanned trip to St. Louis.

BILL WILSON Editor-in-Chief

Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices.

Pricing: Qualified individual and railroad employees may request a free subscription. Printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only.

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2022. 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.

F o r s u b s c r i p t i o n s a n d a d d r e s s c h a n g e s, P l e a s e c a l l +1 (4 02 ) 3 4 6 - 474 0, F a x +1 ( 8 47 ) 2 9 1 - 4 8 1 6 , e -m a i l r ta n d s @ o m e d a .c o m o r w r i te to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA.

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 3

TTCI R&D

Revenue service frog testing results Data shows the need for modifications of frog designs Benjamin Bakkum, P.E.; David Davis, P.E. (retired); Stephen Wilk, Ph.D.; and Duane Otter, Ph.D., P.E. Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

T

ransportation Technolog y Center, Inc. (TTCI), in partnership with multiple North American special trackwork vendors, Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is monitoring revenue service frogs on NS as part of an evaluation of modified frog designs. Data analyzed by TTCI engineers and supported by observations from revenue service have shown the need for additional modifications of current conformal frog designs.

Highlights The highlights of this research are as follows: • Low-impact tapered heels performed better than conventional heels with 60° angle cuts; • Frog wings wear to a conformal transverse profile: » Initially flat and 1:20 profile wings both wear to a conformal shape. » Conformal wings have lower initial wear rates than flat wings; • The current generation of conformal frog profiles does not sufficiently accommodate hollow tread worn wheels, which could contribute to premature failure of frog running surfaces; and • A relatively simple change in the longitudinal profile, analogous to the switch point riser used today, will accommodate wheels with up to a 4-mm hollow profile.

4 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

Figure 1. 60° conventional angle cut heel (top); low impact or tapered heel (bottom).

Figure 2. Example progression from flat to conformal wing profile, No. 20 frog.

Heel designs Frog heels are the transition locations where wheelsets transfer off the frog casting and back onto the running rail. These transitions are normally short and abrupt, and, with older style designs, prone to premature

failure. A low-impact heel design, also known as a tapered heel, was tested along with a more conventional 60° angle cut design (Figure 1).

Data collected during this test showed that the tapered heel design decreased deformation at the frog/heel interface. Data collected showed rtands.com

TTCI R&D

Figure 3. Wing running surface damage on a test frog.

that traverses across them.2,3 By making the frog wing conformal initially, this surface does not undergo rapid initial deformation (wear and/or metal flow) to become a conformal shape. Rather, it starts off as essentially conformal and experiences some minor degradation due to natural variation in wheels of different ages.

TTCI engineers analyzed wear data from the test frogs to determine if additional modifications to the conformal wing shape were necessary. The original conformal wing shape had a 1:20 slope intended to match the tread taper for new wheels. A review of the worn frog profiles showed the following: • The conformal profile is potentially useful for the toe end of the frog where new wheels are running only on the wing. But more work is needed, particularly to accommodate hollow worn wheels; • Worn frogs had wing slopes that ranged from approximately 1:20 to 1:30; • The conformal profile is not needed on the part of the wing that reaches beyond where the tapered portion of the wheel tread contacts the wing; • Frogs built with conformal wings have shown lower wear rates than frogs built with initially flat wings in tests conducted at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) with minimal hollow worn wheels; • The reduction in vertical wear ranges from 15% to 30%; and • The conformal profile is useful in reducing metal flow over the entire length of the frog point.

Regardless of the initial transverse profile, traffic will wear the wings to a conformal shape, as Figure 2 shows. This example originally had flat wings. To avoid contact on the field side of the wheel tread, the design profile should be no steeper than 1:20. The wear pattern shown is typical of the frogs measured.

As the frogs accumulate tonnage, the initial wear is concentrated on the gage corner and then spreads laterally over a wider area.

Figure 4. Wing running surface damage on a test frog.

that the dynamic loading environment also was typically less severe with the frogs that had better heel interface designs.1 Wing rail shapes The test frogs used heavy points in rtands.com

conjunction with a conformal wing running surface. The conformal wing design was selected because TTCI’s previous experience indicated that as frog wings wear over time, they will inevitably wear to a shape that is conformal with the wheel shape of the fleet

Modifications for hollow tread wheels TTCI continued observation of four test frogs in revenue service, and during subsequent observation trips began to note severe degradation of the wing running surface (Figure 3).

An analysis of cross-sectional profiles taken at the frogs revealed a potential issue with contact from hollow tread wheels. Figure 4 shows a plot with an overlay of a new and a hollow worn wheel profile for one test frog.

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 5

TTCI r&D

Figure 5. Profile view of longitudinal wing slope versus frog point slope.

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Only a proper elevation relationship between wing and point will provide a smooth wheel transition. For hollow tread worn wheels, there is the potential of lateral interference between the false flange and the wing (or concentrated point loading on the frog wing running surface). This problem is exacerbated in situations where the frog point has worn to be substantially lower than the running surface of the wings, resulting in more wheels contacting the wing running surface or flangeway wall near the outside face of the wheel. This condition can lead to accelerated degradation such as that seen in Figure 3.

Using this analysis of profiles, TTCI engineers began considering additional modifications that could be made with the conformal profile that would alleviate the contact issue with hollow tread wheels.4 TTCI engineers ultimately settled on a modification to the conformal wing that introduced a longitudinal slope to each wing running surface. Field observations indicated that the previously mentioned lateral interference between the hollow worn false flange and the frog wing does exist. Worn wheels must climb up the

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TTCI R&D

flangeway to get on top of the wing, which, in turn, can result in high force and stress on the frog wings.

In the facing point direction, hollow worn wheels will ride on the wing until the point becomes wide enough that the wheels run out of wing and “fall” onto the point. In this scenario, the point is not tall enough to contact the wheel tread, which results in the mashed down point often being seen in revenue service.

Longitudinal wing slop design This analysis eventually led to the next design modifications: A frog with point slope and conformal wings with longitudinal wing slopes. The successful model for this design is the switch point riser that is already used in railroad operations. The difference between the switch point riser and the frog running surface design is that, for the latter, the wing is lowered rather than raised, placing the frog point above nominal rail height.

From conversations and discussions among TTCI, NS, and the vendor’s technical staff, two frogs were fabricated by special

trackwork vendors. The slope design was developed based on work performed by TTCI at FAST.2,3 Figure 5 illustrates the profile view of the longitudinal wing slope in relation to the frog point.

The goal of this downward slope was to prevent impacts between frog points and hollow tread wheels in facing point moves and to prevent collisions between wheels and the wing surface in trailing point moves.

There was initial discussion on the length and steepness of the longitudinal slope to be fabricated for testing.

Through this discussion, it was determined that one of the frogs would have uniform longitudinal slopes on both wings and a second frog would have longitudinal slopes of different lengths and inclines.

Therefore, one wing was built with a steeper slope design, and the other wing was built with a gentler slope design to investigate which would be more ideal.

Future work Two test frogs installed on NS track in late

2019 have been accumulating tonnage.

TTCI engineers plan to continue monitoring the two frogs in revenue service to evaluate wear and assess their condition.

Additional data compiled will be analyzed and updated results will be reported.

References 1. Jimenez, R., D. Davis, X. Shu, and I. Aragona. June 2016. “Performance of No. 20 Frogs of Various Designs in Revenue Service.” Technology Digest TD16-028.

AAR/TTCI. Pueblo, Colo.

2. Sasaoka, C., D. Davis, and D. Guillen.

2002. “Improved Running Surface Profile for Number 20 Frogs.” Technology Digest TD02-017. AAR/TTCI. Pueblo, Colo.

3. Sasaoka, C., D. Davis, and G. Guillen.

2003. “Service Evaluation of Improved Running Surface Profile Frogs.”

Research Summary RS-03-004. TTCI. Pueblo, Colo.

4. Davis, D., B. Bakkum, S. Wilk, and D. Otter. May 2019. “Review of Turnout Frog Running Surface Design.”

Technology Digest TD19-002. AAR/ TTCI. Pueblo, Colo.

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April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 7

RT&S 10 UNDER 40

This year’s elite list of young workers see a hole and come up with a solution

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

FILLING IN

N

BEAUTIFULLY

ot all holes are meant to be here.

The ones that instantly appear often demand rescue.

Union Pacific’s Omar Monge has been exposed to the most dangerous craters anyone could imagine. As a Marine, Monge was deployed to Iraq in 2003 under Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later led some of the U.S. military’s most difficult operations in Fallujah. The wreckage he witnessed was certainly intense, and more than a decade later Monge was commanding a unit attacking another unplanned hole. This one was 100 ft long and 20 ft deep and was the 8 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

creation of washout. Last August in Gila Bend, Ariz., a portion of railroad track and train were suspended in midair as Monge united track, bridge, signal, dispatch, and transportation crews to remedy a chaotic scene. Service was restored 24 hours later.

Recipients on this year’s RT&S 10 under 40 list have used their talents and relentless pursuit of excellence to fill any hole thrown at them. The following is the 2022 group, in no particular order, that represent the finest young people the railroad engineering field has to offer. rtands.com

RT&S 10 UNDER 40

NATHAN WILLIAMS Vice President, Rail Infrastructure Maintenance & Engineering Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Nathan Williams planned and managed eight continuous shutdowns which allowed for recovery of capital project schedules and lost time during the initial COVID pandemic.

Those capital projects were critical to the rail service in the District of Columbia and surrounding areas. He leads multi-functional teams in accomplishing challenging technical tasks under stressful and resource-constrained conditions. Williams led development of the FY 2021 annual track access plan and set the Revenue Service Adjustment Schedule to optimize allocation of track access and assist in multiple project deliveries.

He also is a key contributor on the execution team for the first Authorized Construction Site at WMATA that allows the contractor to be electrically isolated from the rail system and have full control over a section of WMATA’s roadway. Williams has served as a mentor in the Kappa Alpha Psi Guide Right program, helping mentor young men with life skills and career development.

“

NATHAN WILLIAMS PLANNED AND MANAGED EIGHT CONTINUOUS SHUTDOWNS WHICH ALLOWED FOR RECOVERY OF CAPITAL PROJECT SCHEDULES AND LOST TIME DURING THE INITIAL COVID PANDEMIC.

G&W congratulates

Kate Krysiak on her recognition in this year’s “10 Under 40 ” feature!

Photo Credit: Sharif Bobbitt

Kate’s analytical insights and engineering expertise help to ensure safe and efficient freightrail service for our customers.

gwrr.com rtands.com

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 9

RT&S 10 UNDER 40

CHARLES ROLLINS Director, Communications & Signals CSX

KRISTINA BOKA Manager, Design & Construction Canadian National

As director of Communications and Signals, Rollins has successfully led teams in Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., and he now leads the entire Georgia Zone. His unique style of leadership and the Charles Rollins “brand” have led those around him to become better. In every assignment he has been given, his teams have provided the system with improved reliability.

Rollins models good leadership daily. His infectious personality and likability make it easy to follow him. He consistently gets buy-in from his team to accomplish short- and long-term goals. He has successfully led teams through operationally challenging signal cutovers as well as multiple large-scale track structure improvement projects. In addition, he has built a cohesive and supportive team everywhere he has been. A defining moment early in his career came when one of his team members committed a rule violation that led to an activation failure/ near miss at a road crossing. During the investigation and follow-up, Rollins was passionate about refocusing his team while also displaying calm leadership that was impressive for a new manager.

Boka is CN’s construction project manager and has been involved in many of the capital projects across the Greater Toronto area that will help to increase capacity for more containers to come through the area, resolving supply chain capacity and fluidity issues. She has led in many projects, including the $250 million Milton Logistics Hub project, major capital pad pavement and track/crossings construction projects at various CN Rail intermodal terminals, including the completion of the new Malport intermodal terminal, and various land reuse projects as well as specialized capital projects at the Brampton Intermodal Terminal. She also previously managed CN’s relationship with the provincial Metrolinx/GO Transit projects, which involved protecting CN’s assets and interests across various Metrolinx projects that occupy CN property or engage with CN customers. The expansion projects led to an increased service and reach of transit system to a bigger pool of passengers. She actively supports and mentors civil engineering students/recent graduates on their career development in the transportation industry.

CONGRATULATIONS A ATULATIONS MAXIM DELISLE

for being named one of RT&S’s 10 under 40.

candorail.com

10 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

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RT&S 10 UNDER 40

NAVROJ BHULLAR Director, Track & Structures Canadian Pacific Bhullar joined CP as a project engineer in 2013 where he managed various track and structure projects on CP’s Moose Jaw Division. Within a year, his role was expanded to manage track and structure projects on the Saskatoon and Moose Jaw Division. During this time, he managed various projects, including culvert replacements, bridge upgrades, track extensions, track reconfigurations, turnout and crossover installs, public crossing upgrades, and subgrade/slope reconstruction. He was then promoted to his current role as Director of Track & Structures, where his scope of work has increased year over year to lead him to where he is now, overseeing track and structures for CP’s Vancouver Division. CP’s Vancouver Division comprises of one of the most challenging railroad terrain on the CP network. During 2021, this division faced multiple catastrophic events including a series of wildfires and rain events, causing track and structure damage at 55 locations. Bhullar led a team of CP forces and external contractors to restore the safe train operations during these significant events.

rtands.com

“

CP’S VANCOUVER DIVISION COMPRISES ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING RAILROAD TERRAIN. THIS DIVISION FACED MULTIPLE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS IN 2021.

BHULLAR LED A TEAM OF CP FORCES TO RESTORE OPERATIONS DURING THESE EVENTS.

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 11

RT&S 10 UNDER 40

JAQUINTON BRASWELL Manager, Advanced Train Control (ATC) System Compliance & Safety Norfolk Southern In his nearly decade-long career with Norfolk Southern, Braswell has worked across all phases of design, inspection, and maintenance of NS’s communications and signal facilities. Braswell is regarded as the “best of the best” within NS, in part because he helped the railroad successfully implement Positive Train Control. Braswell was instrumental on the team responsible for developing the company’s formal request to the Federal Railroad Administration for the PTCSP approval and system certification. Last year, the system was formally certified and the railroad is fully implementing and maintaining the program. Braswell was recently appointed to the Leadership Council of the Norfolk Southern J. Whitaker Group.

He was appointed to the council by previous leadership and helps the group’s mission to sponsor initiatives that promote enrichment, mentoring, community outreach, and relationship building. Braswell was thrust into a leadership role to manage and supervise employees senior to him in age and managed that with ongoing success.

OMAR MONGE Director, Track Maintenance Union Pacific Monge’s team of six managers and 100 agreement professionals maintain and repair 1,110 track miles from southern California to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.

The group battles temperature swings from 20 to 120° F and extreme weather events, not to mention the wildlife inhabiting the desolate terrain. Monge instills trust and credibility with his team to create a fearless organization, where safety is paramount. He leads a diverse team, representing several cultures and ethnic backgrounds, including African American, Asian American, Hispanic, and Caucasian. It is by no accident the group is celebrating 900 injury-free days and more than 140 days free of track-caused incidents. Monge was faced with a train track and train suspended over a 100-ft-long, 20-ft-deep hole created by a washout last August in Arizona. He attacked the situation organized, structured, and disciplined. In just 24 hours, the team safely restored service allowing train traffic to resume as normal. Monge is a decorated Marine Corps veteran, serving his country through several tours, including Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Congratulations Wes Adkins Chief Executive Officer Throughout his illustrious career, Wes has distinguished himself as a visionary railroad leader. His commitment to safety and operational excellence has propelled him to the highest levels of the rail and logistics industries. Wes’s leadership is the driving force behind the meteoric success of US Rail & Logistics.

That’s why we’re proud to congratulate Wes on being named one of Railway Track & Structures 10 under 40 winners.

usrailandlogistics.com TM

12 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

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RT&S 10 UNDER 40

MAXIM DELISLE General Manager, Infrastructure Development Cando Rail & Terminals Since joining Cando in 2018, Delisle has been instrumental in delivering significant rail infrastructure projects that are increasing rail capacity in key markets and creating strong and reliable supply chains. Projects he has led or continues to lead include Cando’s $85 million rail terminal in Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada, Mosaic’s train staging yard in Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, Canada, and a site assessment of the Mosaic New Wales Facility in Tampa, Fla. His ability to create detailed track planning and design strategies that give customers access to increased transportation and logistics solutions makes him an integral part of Cando’s expanding Infrastructure Development team. Cando’s Sturgeon Terminal has been an extremely challenging but rewarding project for Delisle. The first phase was complete in October 2020 and construction was highly impacted by the onset of COVID-19 and an extremely rainy construction season. Delisle overcame all obstacles and delivered phase one on time and on budget. Cando Sturgeon Terminal is the largest non-Class 1 rail terminal in Canada.

“

CANDO’S STURGEON TERMINAL HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING PROJECT FOR DELISLE. PHASE ONE WAS IMPACTED BY THE ONSET OF COVID-19. DELISLE OVERCAME ALL OBSTACLES AND PHASE 1 WAS DELIVERED ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.

Metro congratulates Nathan Williams for being chosen as one of RTS’s Top 10 Under 40.

rtands.com

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 13

RT&S 10 UNDER 40

KATELYN KRYSIAK Assistant Vice President of Engineering, G&W Northern Region Railroads Genesee & Wyoming At both CSX and Genesee & Wyoming, Krysiak has ensured that thousands of rail bridges and track miles are safe and compliant for operations. Her work to secure grant funding for upgrades also enables freightrail transportation to become even more efficient for new and veteran customers alike. Krysiak was hired amid the pandemic as Director of Engineering Projects and Grants, a position created to address grant projects born from the federal infrastructure bill. In less than two years, she relocated from Ohio to Massachusetts and was promoted to her current role, in which she has not only continued to track close to 60 different grant projects totaling more than $65 million, but helped G&W’s Northern Region finish 2021 49% below its track-caused derailment target. On Jan. 17, 2022, several cars on a Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad train derailed due to broken rail from cold temperatures. Despite bitterly cold conditions and hazardous winter weather, Krysiak led the engineering response on the ground and safely restored mainline service within five days.

BRIAN KING Senior Program Manager HNTB Corp. (WMATA) For the last 5 ½ years serving as an HNTB business consultant, King has applied his expertise to deliver organizational change management, improve business processes, maximize revenue, cut costs, and minimize risk for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). From September 2016 through June 2017, King provided financial oversight and management for SafeTrack, WMATA’s $163 million Federal Transit Authority-funded track rehabilitation program. The unprecedented project—the largest state-of-good-repair project ever undertaken by a rail property—compressed three years of work into about a year. It included 16 “safety surges,” long-duration track outages for rehabilitation in key parts of the system. King worked with people one on one clarifying assumptions, validating conclusions, and implementing standardized best business practices to get actuals within approximately 3% of estimates. Over the last four years, King has served as a management consultant and technology integrator working with WMATA’s rail operations, maintenance, and engineering groups.

Congratulations Charles Rollins Director of Communications & Signals

Congratulations Charles Rollins for being named one of Railway Track and Structures Top 10 Under 40! Charles encourages his team to grow with every project and delivers innovative solutions that improve safety and reliability. Through his great work ethic, Charles is helping CSX build a stronger infrastructure and continually provide great service to customers across our far-reaching network.

csx.com

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3/23/22 4:09 PM rtands.com

RT&S 10 UNDER 40

WES ADKINS Founder and CEO U.S. Rail and Logistics Adkins has managed rail terminals and line segments across BNSF’s network, driving an accident- and incident-free work culture while meeting customer expectations for rail service.

Currently he is the leader of teams of up to 350 employees and annual operational budgets of $205 million. In 2015, Adkins headed up North American Rail for Halliburton and led the implementation of logistics strategies and negotiating rail contracts/ agreements to support category management. This was a brand new division that became a top five shipper. Adkins has shown an incredible appetite for building strategies and teams that are willing to go to war with him. He’s implemented revenue classes that did not exist prior to his arrival. In the midst of a crashing oil and gas market, Adkins led U.S. Rail & Logistics to complete the capital raise, acquisition, and management of $200 million AUM and has successfully turned a profit during one of the toughest market times of the century. Past positions he has held include terminal trainmaster, division trainmaster, manager of operations service excellence, and complex terminal manager.

rtands.com

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ON JAN. 17, 2022, SEVERAL CARS ON A BUFFALO & PITTSBURGH RAILROAD TRAIN DERAILED DUE TO BROKEN RAIL FROM COLD TEMPERATURES. KRYSIAK LED THE ENGINEERING RESPONSE ON THE GROUND AND SAFELY RESTORED MAINLINE SERVICE WITHIN FIVE DAYS.

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 15

RT&S 10 UNDER 40

HONORABLE MENTION MATT MILLER Project Manager, Field Services, Southeast Region, Construction Engineering & Inspection Group Leader Modjeski and Masters MUYINAT MAJEKODUNMI Senior OCS Engineer New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority ZHENLIN GUAN Director of Project Delivery, Caltrain Modernization Program San Mateo County Transit District (Caltrain) GIOVANNI DIDOMENICO Track Engineer Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc. DREW BOKENKA Assistant Vice President, Signal Maintenance and Construction Union Pacific

RT&S

10 UNDER 40 HONOREE CONGRATULATIONS TO

JAQUINTON BRASWELL

Congratulations to Navroj Bhullar, for being named one of Railway Track and Structures 10 under 40.

Join our team at careers.cpr.ca

16 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

In his nearly decade-long career with NS, JaQuinton has worked across all phases of design, inspection, and maintenance of our communications and signal facilities.

He is regarded as the “best of the best,” thanks to his contributions to successfully implement Positive Train Control.

To learn more, visit NorfolkSouthern.com © 2022 Norfolk Southern Corp.

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SAFETY

Exhibit 1. Static (fixed base) thermal video camera system (left); Example of exclusion areas defined in AXIS Compansion Software (top right); a captured event (bottom right).

WHAT ARE WE WATCHING? Photo Credit: NC State University

Innovative data collection and analysis that involves video for understanding pedestrian railroad right-of-way trespassing

T

By Azhagan Avr, Daniel Coble, Chris Cunningham, Sarah Searcy, and Chris Vaughan, Contributing Authors

respassing is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in the U.S. Addressing trespassing along railroad rights-of-way (ROW) is a leading priority for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). On Feb. 19, 2019, the FRA issued to Congress the first National Strategy to Prevent Trespassing on Railroad Property. The report acknowledged that more people are struck and killed by trains each year while trespassing than in motor vehicle collisions rtands.com

with trains at highway rail crossings, and further emphasized that the number of trespassing events each year exceeds the number of fatalities and injuries. This report recognized that previous FRA trespassing prevention programs have not been national in scope or proactive to address the root causes of trespassing. The national strategy includes four focus areas: data gathering and analysis, community site visits, funding, and partnerships with stakeholders. Data

gathering and analysis involves review of trespass incidents and close calls to enable the FRA to target its resources to trespassing hot spots. The collection and analysis of quantitative event-based data is an important element for achieving this goal.

The Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at NC State University is involved in ongoing research funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) that seeks to develop a more complete April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 17

SAFETY

Exhibit 2. Total number of trespassing events and dates observed by study location (top); average number of trespassing events per day by month, year, and study location (bottom left); average number of trespassing events per day by day of week and site (bottom right).

According to the FRA The FRA is the primary source for data related to the injury or death of trespassers on the railroad ROW in the U.S. Under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 225, railroad carriers are required to provide the FRA with accurate 18 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

information concerning the hazards and risks that exist on railroads in the U.S. so that the FRA can effectively carry out its regulatory and enforcement responsibilities under the federal railroad safety statutes. Railroads are required to complete reports and records of accident/incidents in accordance with the current FRA Guide for Preparing Accident/Incident Reports.

According to the FRA guide, the following definitions are used in reference to trespassing: • Trespass: Any vehicle or pedestrian is deemed by the FRA to be trespassing if they are on the part of railroad property used in railroad operation and whose presence is prohibited, forbidden, or unlawful, including if: » They are in the railroad ROW not at a designated crossing; and » They are in the railroad ROW at a designated crossing when the gates are down.

• Trespass incident: A trespasser is struck or otherwise injured by rail equipment, resulting in a form being submitted to the FRA. While FRA incident reporting potentially provides a near-census of trespasser

casualties on railroad ROW, the dataset does not capture the universe of trespassing activities including those events that do not result in injury or death. ITRE’s research in North Carolina attempts to address this gap by developing a scientific data collection strategy and analysis approach to better understand pedestrian trespassing along railroad ROW in the state.

Through the use of video The first component of the research involved thermal video data collection at a sample of trespassing hot spots along the railroad network in North Carolina.

The selection of the study locations was informed by Amtrak train crew surveys, FRA incident data, and feedback from the NCDOT Rail Division staff. At least one week of 24/7 video data was collected in each seasonal quarter at each hot spot using static (fixed base) thermal video camera systems. AXIS thermal video camera systems with motion detection, remote data access, and local data storage were used (Exhibit 1). The video data were reduced by manual reviewing and coding attributes for each trespassing event, including time of day, duration, direction of travel, whether the trespasser is alone rtands.com

Photo Credit: NC State University

understanding of the extent of pedestrian trespassing along the railroad network in North Carolina. This research has two major components that seek to better quantify and describe the universe of trespassing activities including those events that do not result in injury or death: • Development and testing of a static (fixed base) thermal camera system at a sample of trespassing hot spots along railroad corridors to determine a count of trespassing events for the data collection time periods and an estimate of the trespassing frequency at the hot spots which can be used to model trespassing across the railroad network; and • Development and testing of a dynamic camera system for detecting trespassing events, including near-strike events, from a moving locomotive.

SAFETY

Photo Credit: NC State University

or in a group, group size, whether the trespasser crossed the tracks or traveled along the tracks, and basic information about the trespasser’s activity (walking, standing, sitting, laying). A notes field captured additional information not covered by the standardized fields, such as whether the trespasser was a child, riding or pushing a bicycle, walking a dog, carrying something, or anything else unusual or of note.

Fundamentally, the final dataset provides a count of trespassing events for the data collection time periods and provides an estimate of the trespassing frequency at the hot spots.

Data collection occurred in two phases.

The first pilot phase included five hot spot locations along the 174-mile-long North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) corridor from Raleigh to Charlotte, N.C. The second phase included six additional hot spot locations on the broader railroad network outside of the pilot corridor.

Preliminary analyses were completed for the first phase in early 2019, and analyses for the second phase was concluded in late 2020. Key preliminary findings for the pilot corridor included (Exhibit 2): • The magnitude of trespassing at hot spots along the corridor is much greater than indicated by FRA incident reporting and Amtrak train crew surveys. According to FRA statistics, 29 pedestrian rail trespass casualties (fatalities and injuries) occurred in North Carolina in 2018; • The majority of trespassing events are short in duration and involve crossing the tracks rather than movement along the ROW; • Variability in time-of-day/dayof-week/month-of-year patterns appear to be inf luenced by local

environmental and population factors, such as the case of the study location adjacent to Elon University where university academic and athletic schedules appear correlated with trespassing activity; and • The profile of the average trespasser represented in the event-based data may not be consistent with the profile as defined with FRA incident data, particularly when analyzed at the local level rather than as a regional or state level aggregate.

Predictive modeling was developed using data from both phases and additional secondary contextual data sources.

“

THE FIRST PILOT PHASE INCLUDED FIVE HOT SPOT LOCATIONS ALONG THE 174-MILE-LONG NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD CORRIDOR.

The video train The second component of the research involved the development of a trainmounted camera system for detecting trespassing activities and close-call events from a moving locomotive. Prototype machine learning algorithms also were developed using Aggregate Channel

Features (ACF) detection to detect trespassing events.

Initially, a standard camera system interfaced with a Raspberry Pi and Arduino was tested that included the ability to overlap date, time, and GPS data onto the video in real time. However, the camera’s inability to detect in low light and darkness and the possibility of improving the detection algorithm using heat signatures led to the current system under testing. This system adapts the thermal cameras used for the hot spot (static) data collection for detection under dynamic conditions.

The system was tested in a variety of scenarios along a 2-mile rail corridor provided by Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway Company (ACWRC) in Star, N.C. Standard video and thermal camera systems were setup on a hi-rail maintenance vehicle and were oriented forward and backward to capture staged pedestrian events in the front and rear of the vehicle as it approached. Scenarios were conducted that involved staged pedestrians walking parallel and perpendicular to the moving vehicle at a distance of 200 and 600 ft away from the vehicle.

Exhibit 3 provides a snapshot from both camera views (standard and thermal) for one subject scenario of 32 possible scenarios. This test provided a rich video-based dataset to develop the machine-learning algorithms. A dataset was developed from the video collected during the scenarios to validate the pedestrian detection algorithms that are being developed.

Picking up pedestrians The algorithm development process for detecting pedestrians involved four steps: 1. Defining the algorithm;

Exhibit 3. Forward-facing view from standard camera (left); forward-facing view from AXIS thermal camera (right). rtands.com

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 19

SAFETY

2. Creating the database; 3. Training the algorithm; and 4. Testing the algorithm.

In step one, a region of interest was chosen in the camera field of view for the frame-by-frame object detection. Yellow boxes highlight a detected object and a confidence score defines the accuracy of the detection. Next, a database was developed from the videos collected in the first and second phase of hot spot data collection.

This database was determined to be unsuitable for dynamic video detection due to the need for different thermal shades of pedestrians in natural lighting, different pedestrian profiles, and different pedestrian scale lengths. Preliminary testing with this database revealed many false-positive detections assigned a high confidence level (i.e., non-pedestrian objects were assigned high confidence scores). To meet the need for appropriate thermal video samples to build a suitable database, the thermal camera system was mounted to a passenger vehicle and samples of naturalistic pedestrian activity were collected from sidewalks along Hillsborough Street adjacent to NC State University’s main campus.

A total of five hours of pedestrian data were collected during differing times of day between 07:30 to 09:30, 12:30 to 14:00, and 15:30 to 17:00 representing perpendicular and parallel paths as well as different walking gaits and arm movements. In the third step, Matlab was used for algorithm training. Matlab’s ACF object detector was trained using images of pedestrians extracted from the thermal video samples collected in the previous step. The ACF object detector learns to 20 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

identify positive instances of objects such as pedestrians and negative instances of objects such as trees, cars, lampposts, etc., in images during the training.

Once the algorithm is trained, a variable or parameter is created. This parameter can be saved in .mat file format through Matlab. Once the .mat file is created, the database is not required, as all the necessary information will be stored in the file to be used in the future

“

WHEN RUNNING THE ENTIRE STAR TEST TRACK, A FEW FALSE POSITIVES WERE DETECTED. ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO REDUCE FALSE POSITIVES WERE EXPLORED.

to detect pedestrians. In the final step, the trained algorithm was tested using the thermal video collected during the experiment in Star. Once the .mat file was created based on the imagery database, a code was written to import videos previously collected from the hi-rail setup in Star. The algorithm was overlaid onto this previously retrieved video to detect trespassers along the railroad ROW. The video was manually checked to determine if it was a true or false positive and recorded in a database by the research team for

future analysis.

During the first test, a filter of 60% confidence was employed (Exhibit 4).

When running the entire Star test track, a few false positives were detected. Additional measures to reduce false positives were explored, including modifying the region of interest into segments rather than a large frame of reference, allowing unnecessary regions to be excluded. This is useful to account for when a train goes around a curve, since the outer portion of the curve often includes areas with low pedestrian expectation.

Exhibit 5 shows an example of how the region of interest can be configured so that two small lower boxes track the railheads to capture when the train is entering a curve and three upper boxes track the regions of interest. The two upper/ outer boxes respond to curves by shrinking horizontally on the outside section of a curve. The algorithms developed showed a lot of promise, even with a very limited library of thermal imagery in its database. Additional imagery from more dynamic camera deployments also was being collected and processed to enhance the image database for improved training.

Future research efforts include expanding the image database to continue to increase the confidence in the algorithm’s ability to capture pedestrian events. Even with such a limited database, the team was able to capture a significant number of events on its test track.

Summary and conclusions The results of this research are useful at multiple levels. At the local level, data collected at the hot spot locations provided up-to-date information on the rtands.com

Photo Credit: NC State University

Exhibit 4. Pedestrian detection with no confidence filter showing false positives (left); pedestrian detection with 60% confidence filter (right).

SAFETY

This information can be used by local law enforcement and municipal officials to inform targeted educational initiatives and interventions to prevent trespassing by pedestrians along the railroad ROW, which will ultimately reduce injuries and deaths that may occur from these events.

At the state level, data-driven analyses that describe and estimate trespass events can be used to more accurately estimate costs related to strikes and near-strikes, including maintenance and delays, and to evaluate the effectiveness of safety programs by informing about when, where, and how trespassing events are taking place.

At the national level, this research provides a model for scientifically assessing pedestrian trespassing on the railroad ROW through the applied use of static and dynamic video detection technology. Overall, the methodology developed in the research can be applied outside of North Carolina to help meet the need for robust data and analyses of pedestrian trespassing in the U.S. and beyond.

The data and information produced

Exhibit 5. Region of interest implementation with pedestrian detection at 71% confidence.

are important resources for educating colleagues, citizens, and public figures on the extent of trespassing along the railroad ROW and informing initiatives for reducing its occurrence.

The Railway Educational Bureau Track Safety Standards

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Photo Credit: NC State University

Bridge Safety Standards FRA Part 237 establishes Federal safety requirements for railroad bridges. This rule requires track owners to implement bridge management programs, which include annual inspections of railroad bridges, and to audit the programs. Part 237 also requires track owners to know the safe load capacity of bridges and to conduct special inspections if the weather or other conditions warrant such inspections. Updated March 21, 2022.

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Updated March 21, 2022.

Avr, Coble, Cunningham, Searcy, and Vaughan are with the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at NC State University, Raleigh, N.C.

This reprint includes the FRA's Railroad Workplace Safety Standards addressing roadway workers and their work environments. These laws cover such things as: personal protective equipment, fall protection, and scaffolding for bridgeworkers; and training issues. Also includes safety standards for on-track roadway vehicles. Updated March 21, 2022.

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April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 21

MATERIAL HANDLING

GETTING IT

By David C. Lester, Managing Editor

M

aterial handling equipment is critical to maintaining track and responding to emergencies. While not as glamorous as hot Z trains splitting the wind in the Mojave 22 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

desert, the railroad would fall apart without this equipment. Welcome to the 2022 product review of the material handling sector.

Discussion with several equipment vendors indicates that 2022 will be a strong year. For

example, Loram told RT&S that “2022 is forecast to be a positive year for material handling.

Customers are planning and executing work that was deferred during the pandemic and starting up equipment earlier than in previous rtands.com

Photo Credit: Omaha Track

Proper equipment ensures materials get to where and when they’re needed

MATERIAL HANDLING

facilities disappear; supply and demand has been consistently shifting.” The company anticipates that it will only get harder to find outlets for tie chips. And, it aims to be the reliable company that customers can depend on for tie disposal. Omaha Track also said that current market conditions are very similar to what it experienced in the past few years.

The company told RT&S that many biomass facilities are closing. “There is also an excessive quantity of legacy ties requiring disposal.

Lastly, we see that transportation costs are high and only expected to get higher.”

Omaha Track equipment carrying used railroad ties that will be disposed of or repurposed.

DONE years.” Moreover, Loram said it expects 2022 to be better than 2021. “Equipment utilization was at pre-pandemic levels in 2021 and is forecast to be higher in 2022. The company told RT&S that other equipment builds are rtands.com

underway to support the growing demand for material handling equipment.

Omaha Track told RT&S of another business segment that will be robust. “The demand for crosstie disposal is strong as biomass

Loram Loram offers a complete line of material handling equipment to support delivering product where and when customers need it.

DumpTrains can deliver 1,500 tons of material to washout locations, worksites, or stockpiles and unload an entire consist in under an hour. Offloading can occur up to 45 ft from track centerline. The DumpTrain for Curves offers all the same features as the traditional DumpTrain and also can operate while in curves and tangent track. According to the company, the DumpTrain and DumpTrain for Curves are the only belt trains in the market today that can deliver sub-ballast and ballast.

The SlotMachine fleet continues to experience strong demand from customers who utilize these machines’ flexibility to support almost any material handling demand. The SlotMachine consists of overlapping gondola cars carrying an excavator that can traverse the entire 378 ft length. This arrangement allows for quick and efficient loading and offloading of ties, ballast, rip rap, spoils, and almost anything in the right-of-way that is within reach of the excavator. The SelfPowered Slot (SPS) has the same features as the traditional SlotMachine while also including a traction car, so the entire consist is selfpropelled to and from the worksite.

The MHC60 material handling car excels at storing excavating equipment spoils and extending work windows in areas where discharging adjacent to the track is not an option. The MHC60 is the perfect complement to undercutting, shoulder ballast cleaning, and vacuum excavation equipment with best-in-class offload rates and casting distances.

Omaha Track Omaha Track has historically been one of the largest-used railroad tie processor and supplier companies in North America. The company annually handles and processes over 2.5 million ties, and the business continues to April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 23

MATERIAL HANDLING

Omaha Track has purchased 100 new gondolos to be used for direct loading using a cartopper and excavator.

Vancer Excavators, wheel loaders, and bulldozers tend to get all the glory of Maintenance-ofWay machinery. Still, tie cranes are the true 24 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

workhorses for maintenance and transport projects for railroad material handling.

Agile and flexible tie cranes have the strength to handle the most demanding on-track maintenance jobs. Still, they also can tackle general maintenance duties, whether laying out new ties or picking up and disposing of used ones lying along the right-of-way.

Now, Vancer has introduced the next generation of tie cranes. Redesigned in 2021, the Vancer CTC08 tie crane boasts all of the rugged features customers have come to rely on in a tie crane, along with the latest equipment technology to help Maintenance-of-Way crews get the job done effectively—and safely.

The Vancer CTC08 tie crane sports a compact design that gives operators the ability to handle railroad concrete and wood ties and tackle numerous other material handling applications. Safety features like an in-cab rear camera allow greater visibility and accuracy while placing ties. The standard quadrant stop protection prevents the machine and the operator from swinging the boom to adjacent rail lines while working.

Other new features of the Vancer CTC08 tie crane include:

• A grapple that can hold multiple ties at once and a tie placer that can move multiple ties with ease; • A pre-fill system for hydraulic oil that allows for quick refills and a standard high-pressure filter to keep the machine running in top form (and keep dirty oil and contaminants out of the hydraulic system); and • The ability to couple with a variety of attachments.

The Vancer CTC08 tie crane is a lighterweight on-track machine with an operating weight of 25,000 lb and can travel up to 25 mph.

Additional technical specifications: • Engine: Cat C3.3B; • Net power: 69.5 hp; • Tier: Tier 4 Final; • Shipping height: 10 ft; • Shipping length: 23.7 ft; • Shipping width: 8.4 ft; • Fuel tank: 39 gal; • Tail swing: 5.2 ft – pending additional counterweight; and rtands.com

Photo Credit: Omaha Track

grow through the expansion of operations throughout the U.S. The company recently announced that it has invested in 100 new gondolas. This expansion will help customers improve efficiency, increase capacity, and help to rely less on others to get pool cars. Omaha Track will be able to direct load using a cartopper and excavator and reduce handling, which also will help keep prices low.

Omaha Track provides sustainable solutions for crosstie disposal, partnering with Class 1 railroads to safely repurpose crossties, including those treated with creosote. The company told RT&S that it operates facilities in LaCrosse and Superior, Wis.; Pueblo, Colo.; Hazen, Nev.; and Chicago Heights, Ill., for processing scrap railroad ties and other wood railroad materials into chips for co-generation fuel. Omaha Track can recover ties while working on track, on right-of-way, or stockpiled anywhere in the country for shipment to processing and co-generation fuel facilities.

MATERIAL HANDLING

Maintenance-of-Way fleet.

Plasser American recently introduced the PTS90C, which can be mobilized between worksites more easily than its rail-bound counterparts.

• Other specs: 8-rpm swing speed.

Vancer

told

RT&S

that

on-track

maintenance is more manageable and allows customers to get more done by adding the redesigned Vancer CTC08 to the

Industry Railway Suppliers Industry Railway Suppliers, founded in 1966, is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Rosenqvist machines and attachments and a leading North America distributor of AREMA track tools, abrasives, heavy railroad equipment, work equipment wear parts, and mechanical shop tools. Rosenqvist has been designing, developing, and manufacturing rail handling solutions for over 30 years, and the equipment has assisted in the development of rail infrastructure in over 25 countries.

The Rosenqvist SL450 design provides precise and efficient positioning of four concrete or wood ties allowing complete operator control of tie handling and placement. When mounted to a material handling truck, the SL450 will transload ties or can be utilized as a tie-laying device while building sidings. The unique design of the SL450 simultaneously lays up to four adjacent ties and allows the user to spread the ties to the desired spacing of between 18 to 30 in. apart.

Customers can equip this four-tie layer

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26 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

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Photo Credit: Plasser American

1972-2022

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MATERIAL HANDLING

with an optional tilt/rotator head, which gives the operator precise 360° control of the loading and placement of ties, or with a standalone rotator. The SL450 hydraulic-powered attachment is designed for high-output tie laying with minimal ballast disturbance and is easily adjustable to fit most concrete or wood ties.

Diversified Metal Fabricators Diversified Metal Fabricators is a company dedicated to keeping the railroad industry moving. DMF is a leading manufacturer and supplier of hi-rail equipment used to build and maintain the lifeline of the railroad. DMF began in 1972 as a family owned business and has continued to operate as a leader in the railgear industry.

DMF is consistently making advancements and improvements to elevate the railroad industry with products ranging from the RW-1013 (designed specifically for the Toyota 4Runner) to the RW-1650GX (designed for excavators). For over 40 years, DMF has manufactured over 85% of all components used in the company’s products. DFM is one

of only a handful of manufacturers in the industry that can meet the “Buy America” act, and this helps separate DMF from the competition, according to the company.

DMF invests in new technology to help expand product lines and remain costcompetitive, increasing parts inventory to meet same-day shipping requests and decreasing lead times to support customer needs. DMF has modernized its RW-1630 railgear to incorporate an auto-mechanical lock system, introduced a hydrostatic axle, and redesigned the excavator railgear to improve side load capacity. In the rail industry, there is little time or patience for downtime.

Plasser American Easily transportable, the PTS90C is a new item for Plasser and can be mobilized between worksites more efficiently and affordably than its rail-bound counterparts, according to the company. The overall reduction in the machines’ weight and the ability to manipulate the counterweights between work mode and highway transport make this piece of work equipment a strong asset for any railroad

contractor, agency, or Class 1 railroad.

The heavy-duty stabilizing units are wellproven components used on machines of the Dynacat series or the PTS62 stabilizers.

Powered hydraulically, they can work on plain tracks and turnouts. During working operation and track travel, both axles of the PTS90C receive power hydrostatically.

The Plus+1 Canbus control system ensures safe, reliable, and easy machine control. The robust control system can operate in a wide range of temperatures between -40° F to 158° F. Plasser paid particular attention to ergonomic design during the development of the PTS90C, with all operating controls incorporated in the armrests of the operator’s seat and the monitor showing the measured values located directly within the operator’s field of view.

The PTS90C also has a rear cabin for reverse track travel with integrated operating controls. This configuration ensures optimum visibility for safe travel in both directions. Both cabins are equipped with air conditioning and heating and are accessible via safe access steps.

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28 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

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7/27/21 3:01 PM

rtands.com

May 15-17 Kansas City, MO Kansas City Marriott Downtown Hotel

REGISTER NOW RATES INCREASE AFTER APRIL 14

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS -

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Keynote address by Marty Schlenker, President of Schlenker LLC Practical elements related to train control systems Railway signal construction and maintenance 20+ Presentations by subject matter experts Roundtable Discussion on Positive Train Control Earn up to 12.5 Professional Development Hours Attendees receive complimentary access to the RSSI C&S Exhibition (May 17-18, 2022) To REGISTER or for more information, visit www.arema.org/symposium

Message From The President

MICHAEL P. FREEMAN AREMA President 2021-22

A

pril always brings a song to mind that was written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and later made famous

by Ray Charles and subsequently

by Willie Nelson. The lyrics of “Georgia on My Mind” repeat over and over and the refrain tends to stick in your brain like the theme song for the It’s a Small World ride at Walt Disney World when you’ve been in line for some extended period. It becomes the first thing you think of in the morning and it’s playing in the background when you close your eyes at night.

But it’s not just the song that excites me—to be more specific, April is the month of the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. In my opinion, it’s truly the pinnacle of golf and golf courses. Famed former PGA professional and current commentator David Feherty once proclaimed, “The toughest thing about playing at Augusta National is finding a weed.”

Just like there are different groups responsible for the greens, fairways, traps and yes, flowers at Augusta National, there are different groups responsible for taking care of the railroad infrastructure. We will continue our journey through the functional groups which comprise the body of AREMA as we examine the Maintenance-of-Way Functional Group.

Matthew R. Porto of Amtrak currently serves as the Functional Group Vice President for the Maintenance-of-Way (MOW) Functional Group. Matt is assisted by two extremely able directors, Anthony J. Bernhard from Union Pacific and Lawrence Fleischer, Ph.D., from BNSF. The diversified leadership team leads the MOW Functional Group which focuses on safety and maintenance operations. The four Technical Committees making up the MOW Functional Group include rtands.com

Committee 2 - Track Measurement and Assessment Systems; Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment; Committee 40 - Engineering Safety; and Committee 41 - Track Maintenance. Obviously, these four Committees address many of the key issues railroads face every day.

Committee 2 - Track Measurement and Assessment Systems, chaired by Matthew Dick, P.E., from ENSCO Rail, is responsible for the development and publication of information and recommended practices regarding track measurement and assessment systems with an emphasis on current technologies, including systems capable of automated measurement and condition assessment. The approach utilized to accomplish the objectives of the committee is to gather industry experts to create recommended practices, educational information, and knowledge sharing. Committee 2 has moved routine

“

A DIVERSIFIED LEADERSHIP TEAM LEADS THE MOW FUNCTIONAL GROUP. Committee work outside of periodic Committee meetings to smaller task force-type groups, leaving time at Committee meetings for more beneficial roundtables and presentations. The most recent assignment for Committee 2 is to address right-of-way asset and clearance assessment.

Committee 27 - Maintenance-of-Way Work Equipment, chaired by Joseph Przybylowicz from CSX Transportation, is responsible for coordinating with manufacturers and suppliers as well as end users of work equipment to encourage development of new machines which meet the needs of the end user while improving productivity and safety simultaneously. The focus of this Committee is publication of recommended practices and information related to the operation, inspection, and Maintenance-of-Work equipment including recommended specifications for new units. The current focus areas for

Committee 27 are reliability, preventive maintenance, hi-rail safety, and ergonomics as well as training on all the items listed.

Committee 40 - Engineering Safety is chaired by Stephen Love from CSX Transportation and has a tremendous responsibility to the railroad industry. The Committee’s mission statement is to compile, promote, and communicate the value of recommended practices in support of an enhanced safety culture for the railroad community which is free of injury and fatality. The current main assignment is focused on promoting hazard identification in proper pre-planning and Job Safety Analysis (JSAs). Committee 40 also tries to work closely with all Committees to promote the critical application of safety throughout the work being addressed.

Committee 41 - Track Maintenance is chaired by Keith Keene from Amtrak. The Committee develops references, guidelines, and procedures for the application of AREMA technical recommendations, railroad best practices, and industry expertise in support of track maintenance professionals with the safe and efficient performance of track maintenance.

Committee 40 is currently engaged with Committee 2 as they work on visual guides and webinars. Track inspection will be the subject of a webinar which is being developed

by Committee 41.

During the previous year, the Committees of the MOW Functional Group continued to meet both in person and virtually. During their meetings the Committees have worked on ballot initiatives, reaffirmation of manual material, and development of training materials. Committee 2 developed and delivered a webinar on critical defects. A webinar covering ground-penetrating radar is another production of the MOW Functional Group. All Committees of the Group are welcoming new members and invite those who want to share their knowledge and experience with others in the industry.

Just like the crews at Augusta National combine their efforts to make the Masters golf tournament unique, and Ray Charles and Willie Nelson flawlessly sing “Georgia on My Mind,” the Committees of the Maintenance-of-Way Functional Group combine their efforts to provide a product that is vital to the rail industry. Until next time, be well and be safe!

“Geor-gia, Geoooooooooorgia.”

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 31

FYI

Denver is calling. Registration is now open for the AREMA 2022 Annual C o n f e r e n c e & E x p o, A u g . 2 8-3 1 , i n Denver, Colo. For the latest information a b o u t key n ote s p e a ke r s , te c h n i c a l presentations, Expo, sponsorship, and more, visit www.conference.arema.org.

S u b m i t yo u r e n t r y f o r t h e 2 02 2 D r.

William W. Hay Award for Excellence.

Be par t of this prestigious group c e l e b ra t i n g i n n ova to r s f o c u s e d o n s a f e t y, s e r v i c e p e r f o r m a n c e , a n d reliability. Please visit www.arema.org for more information and submit your project by May 20, 2022.

The 2022 Manual for Railway E n g i n e e r i n g w i l l s o o n b e a va i l a b l e for sale. With m o re th an 40 n ew or

revised Parts, it’s the perfect time to get the 2022 Manual. Stay tuned for details at www.arema.org or contact publications@arema.org for more information.

D on’t m is s o ut on th e co nve r sation happening in AREMA’s Member Forum.

The Member Forum connects you with other members allowing you to send m es sa g es, s ta r t co nve rsatio n s, a n d m o re. S e e wh at eve r yo n e is ta l ki n g about today: https://community.arema. org/home.

If you’re looking for a new podcast to binge, listen to AREMA’s Platform Chats. The podcast features g uests from ever y aspect of the railway industry. Come “roll with AREMA” on your

favorite streaming platform.

Leverage the power of your trusted association’s Railway Careers Network to tap into a talent pool of job candidates with the training and e d u c a t i o n n e e d e d f o r l o n g -t e r m success. Visit www.arema.org/careers to post your job today.

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

UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS 2022 MEETINGS MAY 4

MAY 10-11

MAY 16-18

MAY 17-18

Committee 6 - Rail Facilities, Utilities and Buildings Virtual Meeting

Committee 13 Environmental Washington, D.C.

Committee 5 - Track New Orleans, La.

Committee 15 - Steel Structures Chicago, Ill.

JUNE 8-9

JUNE 9-10

*AUG. 27

*AUG. 27-28

Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures Anchorage, Alaska

Committee 8 - Concrete Structures and Foundations Anchorage, Alaska

Committee 27 Maintenance of Way Work Equipment

Committee 24 Education & Training

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

Committee 12 - Rail Transit

Committee 5 - Track

Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems

Committee 11 and 17 Joint Meeting

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems

Committee 16 - Economics of Railway Engineering & Operations

Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction

Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization

*Denver, Colo., in conjunction with AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo Join a technical committee Joining a technical committee is the starting point for involvement in the association and an opportunity for lifelong growth in the industry. AREMA has 30 technical committees covering a broad spectrum of railway engineering specialties.

Build your network of contacts, sharpen your leadership skills, learn from other members and maximize your membership investment. If you’re interested in joining a technical committee or sitting in on a meeting as a guest, please contact Alayne Bell at abell@arema.org.

For a complete list of all committee meetings, visit www.arema.org.

32 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

rtands.com

GETTING TO KNOW

Committee 9 Chair Steven R. Williams

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AREMA’s convenient webinars provide Professional Development Hours (PDH) to serve your educational needs.

Environmental Permitting for Railroad Project Managers – Part 2 Date: Wednesday, April 20 Time: 2 - 3:15 p.m. ET PDH: 1.25 Designing an Efficient & Operational Bulk Transfer Facility Date: Thursday, June 2 Time: 2 - 3:30 p.m. ET PDH Hours: 1.5

STEVEN R. WILLIAMS, P.E. AVP Engineering, ARE Corporation

A

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

WILLIAMS: I found myself moving towards railroad bridge engineering because of the practicality of the work. I was always drawn to bridges because the form generally fits the function, and this is exemplified even more in the railroad industry.

AREMA: How did you get started?

WILLIAMS: I started on the consulting side, performing bridge inspections and design for railroad clients. That led me to joining a Class 1 railroad where I managed bridge design projects and eventually to technical oversight of the bridge inspection program.

I am currently applying my background and experience as a consultant for both Class 1 and short line railroads.

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

WILLIAMS: I was encouraged to join AREMA as soon as I started working in the railroad industry as a consultant. It seemed like an interesting opportunity to shape industry policy and interact with a broad knowledge base (these have both proven true). My thesis research involved semi-active structural control algorithms aimed at improving structural performance during seismic events, so rtands.com

Committee 9 made sense for me to join.

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

WILLIAMS: My hobbies include woodwork, home remodel, hiking/backbacking, rock climbing (generally indoors), and travel.

AREMA: Tell us about your family.

WILLIAMS: My wife and I got married on Friday the 13th in the middle of a pandemic.

We like to be bold! We both enjoy outdoors and travel and we recently welcomed our first baby.

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

WILLIAMS: I built the front door to my house from wood I milled from local trees.

AREMA: What is your biggest achievement?

WILLIAMS: That’s a difficult question. I don’t generally view life in this way and focus on doing my best in the moment.

To register for these webinars and our other On Demand education, please visit www.arema.org.

The AREMA Practical Guide to Railway Engineering and Bridge Inspection Handbook are now available as e-publications.

Get convenient access to these publications in a downloadable, PDF format and take advantage of the benefits of our e-publications: • Immediate access to the material; • Searchable, PDF format; • Convenient, printable format (following AREMA’s copyrights); and • Portable and accessible on-thego through our Publications Portal.

AREMA publications are an excellent reference tool for those who are looking to better understand the railway industry and the processes.

Purchase a corporate license today for multi-user access to be sure your employees are well versed in railroading best practices. To see the complete list of AREMA e-publications, to purchase, or to learn more, please contact publications@arema.org or visit www. arema.org.

More AREMA publications are now available in a downloadable format.

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

WILLIAMS: Join AREMA, make connections, learn about the industry, and don’t give up.

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 33

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34 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

RAIL GROUP NEWS

ROUND-UP of NE

RAILWAY

1/26/22 1:25 PM

rtands.com

AD INDEX

COMPANY

PHONE #

E-MAIL ADDRESS

PAGE #

AREMA Marketing Department

301-459-3200

marketing@arema.org

29,C3

Canadian Pacific

415-640-6129

Jeremy_Berry@cpr.ca

16

Cando Rail & Terminals

204-725-2627

sales@candorail.com

9

CN

888-888-5909

CSX Corporation

904-359-3200

csx.com

14

Danella Rental Systems

561-743-7373

SBolte@danella.com

26

G&W Railroad Services Inc

203-202-8900

corpcomm@gwrr.com

10

Herzog

816-901-4038

amcclain@hrsi.com

25

HNTB Corporation

212-594-9717

rhakim@hntb.com

13

Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.

866-245-3745

info@trak-star.com

6

Industrial-Railway

630-766-5708

kgehr@industryrailway.com

C4

Amber.smith@kiewit.com

15

Kiewit Engineering Group Inc

C2

16

Norfolk Southern Plasser American Corp

720-273-8358

plasseramerican@plausa.com

2

Railway Educational Bureau

757-543-3526

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

7,21

Union Pacific

402-346-4300

cbeyah@up.com

11

US Rail & Logistic

402-544-3560

info@usrailandlogistics.com

12

Western Cullen-Hayes

817-360-5240

jm@wch.com

15

WMATA

773-254-9600

13

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

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

April 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 35

LAST STOP

Freight rail research and implementation: Answering challenges and pulling us forward

By Gary Fry, Ph.D., P.E., Vice President, Fry Technical Services, Inc.

S

cience smiles approvingly at the sight of hard steel wheels rolling along hard steel rails and at the favorable aerodynamics of a train’s slipstream.

So much so that rail transportation is a globally compelling resource to develop and maintain.

On every continent, except Antarctica, railways are critical lifeline infrastructure systems.

Regarding freight train efficiency, the heavier and the longer, the better. There are no theoretical limits as to the maximum weight or maximum length of a freight train.

But there are certainly practical challenges that arise from economic, social, political, technological, geographic, geologic, and topographic conditions, all of which must be answered successfully. Often it is through research and implementation that effective answers are found.

For example, prior to around 1970, a normal heavy axle load in North America was 25 tons. By the year 2000, 36-ton axle loads were approved for interchange service in North America and became widespread in use—an increase of more than 40%. This substantial shift in the definition of maximum allowable axle loads did not come easily.

Among other challenges, as implementation of axle load increases progressed in revenue service, a major engineering hurdle was encountered in the form of metal fatigue.

Metal fatigue is the formation of cracks in otherwise sound metal after the accumulation of many load cycles. These fatigue cracks can lead to complete fractures of the components that contain them, but oftentimes it was only after accumulating on the order of millions of load cycles.

In simple terms, for the pearlitic steel alloys used in the rail industry, fatigue damage accumulates with load intensity raised roughly to the third power. That means if nothing changes except increasing axle loads by 40%, a factor of 1.4, the fatigue damage per load cycle could be nearly three times more severe: 1.4 x 1.4 x 1.4 = 2.7. Stated another way, the expected safe service life of the components would decrease by 2.7 times. An overview of techniques to model this phenomenon is provided in Fry and Tangtragulwong (2018).

In response to the situation on the ground, comprehensive, coordinated, multinational research efforts were undertaken. The common

36 Railway Track & Structures // April 2022

objectives were to develop new knowledge, new materials, new designs, new technology, and new recommended procedures that would support safe and economical operations under heavier axle loads.

Within 10 years, work accomplished by the many research and development teams representing industry, government, and academia began to have a measurable and positive impact. Guided by the research results, suppliers around the world developed improved rail steel, improved rail welding materials and procedures, new alloys for special trackwork castings, new wheel alloys and wheel plate designs, new axle designs, new bearing alloys and designs, new designs for bogie systems, new railcars, and more. Of equal and critical significance, the railway companies were able to make the necessary investments to implement the new technology.

It is perhaps most illustrative to view the outcomes of this remarkable global endeavor from a safety point of view. Figure 1 is a graph displaying total derailments (including events on mainline, yard, and siding tracks) per million train-miles in the U.S. from 1975 to 2020 (FRA 2021). Red markers indicate the impact of a future safety challenge goal of eliminating all mainline derailments by the

year 2030. In the U.S., between 1975 and 2000 maximum allowed axle loads increased by 40% (from 25 tons to 36 tons), and the derailment rate per million train-miles decreased by over 70%.

There also were economic gains associated with implementing heavier axle loads.

For example, Martland (2013) estimated that the widespread implementation of 36-ton axle loads in the U.S. between 1994 and 2010 resulted in net cumulative benefits of over $5 billion USD. Compared to not increasing axle loads, and not utilizing the enhanced materials and technology, these benefits continue annually even today.

The years 1970 to 2000 were remarkable in terms of the challenges undertaken and answered by the global heavy-haul freight rail transportation industry and its research partners. Though a specific and focused desire to further increase axle loads does not exist into the foreseeable future, many opportunities and challenges remain that offer potential to enhance the safety, efficiency, and efficacy of heavy-haul freight rail transportation. Creative attention, time, and support for research and implementation are still essential as we look to the future of freight rail transportation.

Figure 2. Total derailments in the U.S. per million train miles (FRA 2021). rtands.com

August 28-31, 2022 | Denver, Colorado Colorado Convention Center

REGISTRATION IS OPEN Join us in-person to network, expand your knowledge from the nearly 80 Technical Presentations, find solutions in the Exhibit Hall featuring over 300 companies, and much more.

To REGISTER or for more information, visit conference.arema.org