RTS August 2022

HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROGRESS

HIGH ANTICIPATED HIGH-ANTICIPATED

TRAVEL TWO HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECTS ARE MAKING STRIDES, WHILE ONE SITS IDLE

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ALSO: BALLAST MAINTENANCE RAIL WELDING rtands.com

February 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1

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CONTENTS

August 2022

8 COLUMNS

3 36

On Track Is it dead, or is it alive?

Last Stop What’s up with the FRA?

On the Cover The Hanford Viaduct under construction in California. Photo courtesy of the CHSRA. For more on the story, see p 8.

DEPARTMENTS

4 31 34 35

MxV Rail R&D Residual stress investigation of ultrasonic impact treated and untreated thermite welds AREMA News Message from the President, nominations, and more Classifieds

FEATURES

8

Moving at a low speed Despite all of the hoopla about high-speed rail, construction is moving slowly

16

Motion detectors Technology being developed takes a deep dive into ballast movement

Advertiser Index

26

16

Keeping it together Quality rail welding is vital to avoid track failures Follow Us On Social Media @RTSMag

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TOC_August.indd 1

August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 1

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ON TRACK

Is it dead, or is it alive?

VOL. Vol. 118, 115, No. NO.86 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South 3680Clark Heathmoor Street, Drive Suite 1910 Chicago, Elgin, ILIll. 60124 60603 Telephone (312) (630)683-0130 336-1148 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 JO BINZ ArtANN 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

M

y son came off looking like an unlucky racoon sprawled across the pavement.

A back injury forced him to miss the entire high school summer league, so to the flock of college scouts watching his team play, he might as well have been road kill in his street clothes. Fortunately, he will have another summer season to reincarnate his chances at some kind of basketball scholarship.

During the entire month, I just wanted to shout to the gym rooftops: “MY SON IS 6-8 AND STILL GROWING! HE’S ATHLETIC, HAS GREAT COURT VISION, AND CAN DUNK!” Doing that would cause a scene, and even though I do that all too well at times my wife would not tolerate it. One stare from her and I would be that unlucky racoon.

The high-speed rail industry in the U.S. has been advertising a transportation giant for years now. They shout all the right things: “GET TO YOUR DESTINATION FASTER! RIDE AND SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT! SIT BACK AND DREAM ABOUT DUNKING!” However, several factors have stunted the growth of this giant, and the weight from all the pressure has injured its back.

Brightline has been the first out of the station, and it’s higher-speed lines in Florida do hold promise. The route between Miami and West Palm Beach can only carry trains running about 80 mph because the ride is mostly on existing right-of-way that makes true high speed unattainable. Almost complete is the route running up to the Orlando International Airport, and in the works is service that will connect Orlando to Tampa. Speeds should run faster than 80, but that will not be Japan fast. Bullet trains in the Far East can zoom at over 200 mph.

The high-speed rail project in California has received the most media attention over the last couple of years, but not because of

progress. Ultimately, the route will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles, but political wavering and funding issues has the project segmented. Stretches are being constructed here and there.

Then there is the ambition of the Texas Central, which wants to build a zip line from Dallas to Houston. Like the California version, the track will mostly be built on new right-of-way that will be able to produce true high speeds on the rail. Texas Central, however, was without a CEO at press time, and still does not have the funding it needs to get off the ground.

My colleague, David Lester, penned an excellent Last Stop piece (see A requiem for HSR in America, May 2022) where he expressed heavy doubt on the establishment of an authentic high-speed rail service, one that could challenge jet liners to a race. I also recently ran into a Facebook post from a gentlemen who was screaming from the rooftops about the promise of high-speed rail in the U.S.: “IT WILL BE FANTASTIC! SOON WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRAVEL THE COUNTRY AT TRAIN SPEEDS YOU ONLY SEE IN EUROPE AND THE FAR EAST! IT’S A SLAM DUNK!” Yes, I paraphrased a little, but the post was sparkling in enthusiasm. I fall in between Lester’s lackluster attitude and the frenzy on Facebook. I do believe rail lines in Texas and California (and let’s not forget Brightline West connecting Las Vegas to Los Angeles) will eventually get up to high speed. But the worst of the cost is yet to come in California, as tunnel work and construction through difficult terrain awaits. Brightline West faces a similar challenge. Could the Houston ride be the first to reach speeds of 200+ mph? Do I dare say yes?

I feel like a racoon in headlights.

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.

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August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 3

MXV RAIL

Residual stress investigation of ultrasonic impact treated and untreated thermite welds Residual stress estimation on three different thermite welds Ananyo Banerjee, Ph.D., Principal Investigator I, MxV Rail Gary T. Fry, formerly MxV Rail

I

n late 2020 and early 2021, MxV Rail (formerly TTCI) collaborated with Hill Engineering to investigate residual strains and stresses in thermite welds using two different techniques—the hole drilling (HD) method and the contour method. As a part of the investigation on how ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) assists in extending the life of thermite welds, MxV Rail performed residual stress estimation on three different thermite welds: 1) a UIT-treated new weld; 2) a UITtreated weld removed from the track after 165 million gross tons (MGT); and 3) an untreated new weld.

Background Historically, thermite welds in revenue service have been a weak spot in the track.

These welds typically have a shorter life span than the rail surrounding the weld, particularly on the high rail of a curve.

However, due to the portability of its equipment and the fact that it does not consume rail, thermite welding remains the most common method of field welding.

When a thermite weld is poured, the filler material is released from the bottom of the crucible into the center of the mold in a liquid state, and the impurities in the slag material are expelled through the top sides of the mold into slag pans. Due to the sharp angle of the web/base and head/web fillets, impurities that would normally be expelled through the slag material can get caught in the web/base or head/web fillet locations.

Pores also can get trapped and create voids.

Both the impurities and porosity in the fillets can be harmful to the weld by acting as nucleation sites for fatigue cracks. To reduce these types of weld failures, MxV Rail began evaluating the UIT of the welds using the equipment and method developed by Empowering Technologies.

Since fatigue defects grow more quickly under tensile stresses and more slowly under compressive stresses depending on the orientation of the crack in relation to the direction of the applied stresses, fatigue defect growth in the web/base fillets, as well as in the head/ web fillets, can be retarded by introducing compressive stresses in these locations. The

UIT method uses a needle operating at an ultrasonic frequency to place small, rapid, localized impacts to plastically deform the material along the edges of the weld and introduce compressive stresses.1 When treating a thermite weld, the goal is to treat the steepest angle where the weld material meets the rail material. The treatment begins at the head/web fillet on one side of the weld and continues down to the base on the same side.

This process is then repeated on the other side of the rail, as shown in Figure 1.

With the help of Hill Engineering, MxV Rail selected three welds for residual stress estimation and investigated the stress conditions inside the welds using the hole drilling method and the contour method. While the hole drilling method focused on the head/ web and web/base fillet locations for estimating localized strains and stresses, the contour method was used to estimate a residual stress contour map of the cross section of each weld.

Hole drilling method The incremental HD method was used to measure the localized residual strains and corresponding stresses and involved drilling into the center of the strain gage rosette surrounding the location where the hole is being drilled. The holes are drilled in 20 discrete increments. When one increment is complete, the drill is turned off, and the

Figure 1. UlT being performed on a thermite weld (left) and locations of head/web fillet and web/base fillet on a schematic diagram of a rail or weld cross section (right).

4 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

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MXV RAIL

Figure 2. HD equipment (left) and strain gage rosette (right).

strain readings are recorded at that point.

Then, drilling for the next increment begins and the process continues. The strain gage rosette shown in Figure 2 helps with the determination of perpendicular strains along with 45° shear strains. The hole is drilled through the center of the strain gage rosette and the strain release is recorded for each incremental depth.

Residual stresses are computed using the measured strain data.2 Contour method Previously, MxV Rail performed rail stress estimations using the contour method.3 This method involved cutting a specimen into two pieces using a wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) process and measuring the resulting deformation.

The measured displacement data results are used to compute longitudinal residual stresses through an analysis that involves a finite element analysis (FEA) model of the specimen.4,5 The output is a 2-D map

of residual stress normal to the measurement plane. The original sample has a stress distribution that includes compressive and tensile stresses. The deformations at the cut surfaces are converted to strains for calculating the longitudinal stresses that were present before cutting.

Results HD Method Figures 3a and 3b show the plots of longitudinal residual stresses around the holes drilled on the head/web fillet and the web/ base fillet of each weld.

The in-service weld has been referred to as the “used” weld in all plots. Negative values indicate compressive stresses, and positive values indicate tensile stresses in these plots. Figure 3a shows that, underneath the surface of the head/web collar, the thermite weld without UIT has tensile longitudinal residual stress values while the UIT-treated new and in-service welds have compressive

longitudinal residual stresses. The longitudinal stresses located underneath the surface of web/base fillets (Figure 3b) are tensile for the untreated and the UIT welds with tonnage, while longitudinal stresses are compressive for the new UIT weld. Both Figure 3a and Figure 3b indicate that the UIT welds have compressive stresses due to the UIT weld treatment, but as the tonnage and repeated wheel load cycles increase, the residual stresses near the surface of the weld become more tensile. In contrast, an untreated weld has tensile stresses in the head/web and web/base fillets from the beginning and, therefore, this type of weld is more susceptible to fatigue defects when subjected to repeated wheel loads.

Contour method Figures 4 a-c show the contour method results of the longitudinal stresses calculated along the center cross section of the welds and across the fusion zones. These figures show the cross section at the web/ base fillets and not the full cross sections of the welds.

Figures 4a and 4b use blue bands to show the presence of compressive stresses in the 0 to -20 and -20 to -40 ksi ranges for both the UIT new and UIT in-service welds in the web/base fillet locations. Figure 4c shows no presence of compressive stresses in the web/base fillet location for the untreated thermite weld. The tensile stress zones, indicated by green and yellow, exist mostly at the middle of the base of the weld. Due to the residual tensile stress zones, any fatigue defect originating at the bottom of the base of a UIT weld is expected to grow more quickly than a defect that originates at the web/base fillets.

Figure 3. Longitudinal stresses at holes drilled on the head/web fillet (left) and web/base fillet (right) of test welds.

rtands.com

August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 5

MXV RAIL

(a)

(b)

Conclusions MxV Rail used the HD and contour methods to conduct an investigation of residual stresses in welds with and without UIT. The results of longitudinal residual stress estimations using both methods confirmed the presence of lower (more compressive) stresses in the web/base fillet locations right below the surface for new and in-service UIT welds compared to the untreated weld.

The compressive stresses are introduced

by UIT to delay the growth of any fatigue defects in these locations. The HD method confirmed compressive stresses underneath the surface at the head/web fillet locations of UIT welds.

As shown by both the HD method and the contour method, the untreated weld had longitudinal tensile stress zones in the web/base fillet location. The findings of this study can explain why UIT thermite welds show more longevity and better resistance to defect formation at the head/ web and web/base fillets when compared to untreated thermite welds.

Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge Adrian DeWald and Brett Watanabe of Hill Engineering for their contributions to this work and Empowering Technologies for the UIT method and equipment.

(c)

Figure 4. Longitudinal stress estimations using contour method in (a) UIT new weld, (b) UIT in-service weld, and (c) untreated new weld.

6 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

MXV_August.indd 6

References 1. Fry et al., (2021). “Ultrasonic Impact Treatment of Thermite Rail Welds,” Technology Digest TD21-11, AAR/TTCI, Pueblo Colo.

2. ASTM Standard E837-08, “Standard Test Method for Determining Residual Stresses by the Hole-Drilling Strain-Gage Method,” ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2008, DOI: 10.1520/ E0837-08, www.astm.org.

3. “Determining Residual Stresses in Rails using Contour Method,” May 2020, Technology Digest TD20-008, AAR/ TTCI, Pueblo, Colo.

4. Prime, M.B. and A.T. DeWald, 2013, “The Contour Method,” Chapter 5, Practical Residual Stress Measurement Methods, G S. Schajer, (ed.), Wiley-Blackwell, pp.

109–138. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M. 5. Olson, et al. (2015). “Estimation of Uncertainty for Contour Method Residual Stress Measurements.” Experimental Mechanics 55, 577-585. https://doi.org./ DOI 10.1007/s11340-014-9971-2. rtands.com

7/28/22 2:31 PM

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

MOVING AT A

LOW SPEED

8 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

rtands.com

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

F

Despite all of the hoopla about high-speed rail, construction is moving slowly

By David C. Lester, Managing Editor

rtands.com

Photo Credit: Brightline

ew rail projects have received as much ink, photographic, and video coverage as those attempting to develop high-speed rail (HSR) in North America. The challenges of high-speed rail are primarily the high cost of construction and the lack of political will to absorb those costs, along with those who question whether HSR is even worthwhile.

There are three high-speed rail projects underway in the U.S. Brightline is well ahead of the curve in construction and operation.

Indeed, it is currently operating between Miami and West Palm Beach with multiple train sets and hourly departures. Moreover, Brightline has completed its line from West Palm Beach to Orlando, and crews are currently making qualifying runs along this route, with regular service scheduled to be either late this year or early 2023. The line connecting Orlando to Tampa also is in the planning phases.

At this point, Brightline is a “higher-speed” system, as its trains approach 80 mph along portions of the Florida East Coast right-of-way it uses. Technically, HSR is considered by most to be 200+ mph. However, when the railroad opens its own West Palm Beach-to-Orlando segment, trains will operate at 125 mph in some areas, blurring the line between highspeed and higher-speed rail.

The second big U.S. HSR project is run by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), with a genuinely high-speed line between San Francisco and Los Angeles currently under construction.

Finally, there is Texas Central, with plans for an HSR line between Dallas and Houston.

However, construction has not gotten off the ground due to various problems, including the recent resignation of its CEO and a court battle over the question of eminent domain.

This discussion will dive deeper into the current construction status on all of these lines and what the future may hold.

Brightline Brightline has been working on the Orlando extension since 2019, and it is nearly 100% complete. Crews are working through qualifying runs on the line between West Palm Beach and Orlando. In addition to the railroad, Brightline began building the Orlando station in January 2022, with expected completion in November. In addition, a vehicle maintenance facility will begin operating in Orlando in November.

A significant part of Brightline construction includes upgrading grade crossings with stateof-the-art safety and warning equipment. For August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 9

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

“Infrastructure projects like these are never fullly funded from the start,” Kyle Simerly of the CHSRA told RT&S. “That’s why we must complete what we have in funding for now.”

California High-Speed Rail Authority The most ambitious high-speed rail project in the U.S. is a line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. This project has been fraught with political and economic challenges, but construction has moved forward at a reasonable rate for a project of this size.

Funding has been a significant issue for the project. However, Kyle Simerly of the CHSRA told RT&S, “infrastructure projects like these are never fully funded from the start. That’s why we must complete what we have in funding for now and continue in this building-block approach as funding becomes available. We continue to progress and diligently work at the state and federal level to receive additional funding.”

10 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

CHSRA met the engineering challenges during construction to this point, but there are more to deal with in the future. Simerly pointed out that “it was mandated we start in the Central Valley when we did by the federal government in their 2008 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) seed money for initiating the project, because of the Valley being historically disadvantaged, reeling from the recession, and hosting some of the worst air quality in the nation. We’ve openly reported that, as a result, we have proceeded with our current construction contracts out of sequence with, and in advance of, other elements such as right-of-way acquisition and utility relocations assessments, which have created challenges.

We are currently working through the associated challenges and implementing procedures to mitigate the risk of reoccurrence on future contracts. One mitigation we have implemented is a Staged Project Delivery process.”

Regarding recent project accomplishments, Simerly told RT&S: • As of the June 2022 Central Valley Status Report, CHSRA has over 90% of the parcels in hand for the current 119 miles under construction; • In early July, the final precast girder in Construction Package 4 was placed. Package 4 is a 22-mile segment of the 119 miles under

construction; and • The last two years have been the most productive in the program’s history. Construction Package 4 will be the first construction package to complete in Q2 2023.

Given the tremendous work remaining to complete the project, Simerly said significant engineering challenges are ahead. For example, “the line will require tunnels through three main areas of the state: the Pacheco Pass in the north, and the Tehachapi Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains in the south.”

He added, “tunneling sections are challenging elements of the high-speed rail system, so our engineers draw upon state, national, and international expertise in designing and constructing our tunnels. We are receiving advice from technical advisers that are experts in seismic, geotechnical, tunnel design and construction, and seismic design. The Authority has a Seismic Advisory Board that supports the development of our seismic design criteria that we will use for tunnel design. We also have a Technical Advisory Panel comprised of international technical experts who review and provide input on our design criteria.

“The Authority will proceed with advanced design, geotechnical investigations, and tunneling once the project rtands.com

Photo Credit: CHSRA

example, there are 156 rail-highway grade crossings between West Palm Beach and Cocoa. At this point, work on 122 of those crossings is complete.

Other construction milestones in 2022 include the substantial completion of the airport corridor and the installation of a new bascule span on the Loxahatchee River bridge.

Despite the normal challenges of a major construction project like Brightline, the railroad has made steady progress over the past few years, even during a pandemic.

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

sections receive environmental clearance and funding is available.

“Design for tunnels and structures will adhere to the Authority’s design criteria and all state and federal codes and standards for both an operating basis earthquake and a maximum considered earthquake. Our seismic performance criteria require that a tunnel not only survive an earthquake but provide for the safe evacuation of passengers and personnel.

“Safety is the high-speed rail top priority. In addition to the above, the Authority also will employ other safety measures such as Automatic Train Control and an Early Earthquake Warning System that will result in a seismically safe, reliable system, not at risk from the San Andreas and other major fault lines.”

While supply chain issues have impacted many businesses, projects, and consumers over the past year, CHSRA said these have not had a tremendous impact on the forward progress of its construction.

The pandemic, however, did require modifications to the construction plans. Simerly said, “The Authority has nimbly adapted to

the dynamic and unpredictable effects by increasing telework and virtual meetings and coordinating with our contractors and labor groups to implement safety standards to protect essential workers while they advanced the construction work. But the pandemic still resulted in some challenges, requiring schedule adjustments. One of the effects was a one-year delay of our 2020 Business Plan.

We granted extensions of several comment periods for environmental documents.”

The CHSRA project also funds other activities that will tie in with high-speed rail. For example, Simerly told RT&S, “Outside the 119 miles, we are also substantial funders of coordinated initial investments in ‘bookend projects’ like Caltrain electrification and the Los Angeles Union Station renovation LinkUS project, as well as working in cooperation with Los Angeles Metro to break ground last month on the Rosecrans and Marquardt grade separation, a heavily trafficked crossing utilized by the Pacific Surfliner among many other services. The Authority supports more train service all over the state. High-speed rail is not just about this system but how it

integrates into California’s existing and future transit and rail systems.”

Simerly added, “relatedly, we’re also advancing beyond the 119 miles to a full 171-mile initial system between Merced and Bakersfield. Advance design contracts are up for consideration at the August board of directors meeting for the extensions Madera to Merced and Poplar to Bakersfield.” Environmental clearance is complete for 400 miles of the 500-mile CHSRA project.

With such a large project, different line sections will be in very different stages of approval and construction. For example, while much construction is complete in the Central Valley, environmental clearance is still required for 100 miles of the line.

Funding will continue to be challenging, and the entire project will be an uphill battle until it is finished and operating. The success of the project will continue to depend on the willingness of taxpayers and Congress to provide funding and be committed to the notion that high-speed rail is an excellent alternative to automobiles and jet aircraft, which continue to dump greenhouse gases

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HIGH-SPEED RAIL

in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Brightline is the furthest along with higher-speed rail construction in the U.S. One route is already up and running.

While potential ridership surveys suggest a high-speed rail market between

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Texas Central Unfortunately, the Texas Central Railroad project faces significant financial and legal challenges, and no construction has begun on this proposed high-speed line. Texas Central seeks to provide high-speed rail service (200+ mph) between Dallas and Houston using technology based on the Japanese bullet trains.

Texas Central plans to partner with the Central Japan Rail Company for knowledge transfer and long-term and continuous technical support and process improvement of the rail system. This seems like a wise choice, as Japan has been operating Shinkansen bullet trains for decades and with great success.

Texas Central recently won a court case where a landowner challenged the eminent domain of the rail company to build a line on specific parcels of property. This is the only real good news the company has had in a while. Earlier this year, the press revealed that the company owed roughly $600,000 in unpaid taxes, and the CEO resigned, leaving the railroad without a skipper.

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The new Insulated Joint Repair (IJ-30) was specifically formulated to repair a failing joint by not allowing rail heads to contact each other (shunting). IJ-30 was designed to be a repair product that could be applied quickly and easily in the field with minimal effort and no specialized equipment. With a set time of less than five minutes, the repair can be made without the hassle of holding up freight traffic.

Insulated joints are crucial in the safety and effectiveness of moving freight and people on any

WVCO_Advertorial.indd 1

railroad. They also are costly and require time and planning to replace. The IJ-30 will allow railroaders the ability to repair a failing joint and give them time to schedule a new installation. Initially IJ-30 was developed as a short-term repair, but field tests with several Class 1 railroads have shown no failure after several months. It is packaged in a caulking tube for easy dispensing and cures quickly. Customers have reported no field failures and the only question has been: “Where and when can we get more of the IJ-30?”

Willamette Valley Company is a chemicalformulating company that has brought several polymer repairs to the industry over the past 20 years. The flagship products like SpikeFast ES-50 for wood tie plugging and CTR-100 for rail seat abrasion are just a few different solutions we offer. WVCO has a precision technology division that builds our equipment and a state-of-the-art R&D lab located in Eugene, Oregon.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Lee Nall at 541-484-9621 or

email wvcorailroadsolutions@wilvaco.com, website: www.wvcorailroad.com.

7/28/22 9:17 AM

BALLAST MAINTENANCE

Herzog responds to its customers’ Maintenanceof-Way needs with a suite of specialized equipment.

16 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

ballast and record inter-particle contact forces and particle motion in real time. A model scale track section was constructed and has been subjected to repeated loading similar to train traffic.

As for the ballast maintenance market, most manufacturers are seeing unimpressive results in 2022, but they are expected a rise in about a year.

Both Loram Technologies and RCE Equipment Solutions Rail Division said the market is showing a flat trend this year.

“The trend has been that the undercutting requirements systemwide fluctuate about every three to four years, so we should anticipate a rise in 2023,” RCE Equipment Solutions Rail Division told RT&S. The market has experienced a major

acquisition, with Rhomberg Sersa North America acquiring Balfour Beatty. Since the purchase, Rhomberg Sersa has experienced a positive upturn in the North America market.

“We expect the market to remain steady throughout 2023, but as from what we see happening around the world we also expect inflation to bring commercial pressures,” Rhomberg Sersa North America told RT&S. The following is an overview of products offered in the North American market.

Loram Loram offers the industry a full lineup of ballast maintenance equipment. Loram’s 1,200-cu-meters/hour production rate and 98% uptime continues to set the standard for productivity and reliability. For targeted rtands.com

Photo Credit: Herzog

W

hen you are face to face, elbow to elbow, back to back, and feet to feet with others you are going to feel every inch of movement. Ballast, however, does not have a voice, but the next best thing could be on the horizon.

Researchers at Penn State University are developing SmartRock, which is a wireless device that has been developed to study the relationship between individual ballast particle behavior and overall ballast performance. SmartRock has a shell of a typical ballast particle shape with force cells attached on the surface and embedded with a tri-axial gyroscope, a tri-axial accelerometer, and a tri-axial magnetometer. The device can move under train traffic like real

BALLAST MAINTENANCE

MOTION DETECTORS Technology being developed takes a deep dive into ballast movement

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

ballast maintenance, Loram’s LRV excavator is the tool of choice for railroads. The LRV is designed for doing ballast maintenance in areas that cannot be serviced by traditional excavating equipment. Utilizing 5,000 lb of nozzle force and 10,000 CFM of airflow, the LRV can excavate and remove almost anything within its reach. Customers typically utilize the machine for full-section undercutting at switches and crossings, over bridges and through tunnels, or on mudspots too short for traditional undercutters to be efficient. Because vacuum excavation does not require a rotating work head, the LRV is capable of excavating around signal wires, conduits, and other sensitive track infrastructure without risk of damage.

Recently, an industry customer required rtands.com

full ballast removal and replacement of four tracks with over a mile of excavation necessary. They partnered with Loram for turnkey service using the LRV as the lead machine to excavate and remove all material. Loram managed the removal to off-site of all excavated ballast as well as the ballast delivery, placement, and finishing work. Loram continues to develop this work to provide fullservice ballast renewal relieving customers of the task of managing the details of large maintenance projects.

Loram Technologies, Inc. The economics of shoulder ballast cleaning can now be calculated using a ballast LifeCycle Cost (LCC) model. The LCC model determines how much of cost savings are as

the result of: a) a reduction in the frequency of needed tamping, and b) an extension of ballast life that allows postponement of a costly undercutting and ballast renewal operation. This model is designed considering the relationship between the settlement behavior of ballast and the ballast fouling condition.

In addition, the amount of ballast breakdown that results from the combined degradation mechanisms of loading and tamping are considered in this model. The model also considers the costs of future undercutting and repeated tamping over the time period in years, and the Present Value (PV) calculation is used to put these costs in terms of presentday dollars.

The results in this model might propose performing SBC to delay ballast undercutting (renewal) for several years, or it might propose performing undercutting or replacing ballast as a more economical solution in the present year, depending on the input data provided by the user.

The figure on p 18 shows the cumulative tamping maintenance costs (per mile) that accrue over time due to the repeated tamping required to maintain a Class 4 track with an annual tonnage of 60 MGT, and with a moderately strong and moderately fouled ballast (Abrasion Number = 35, Fouling index = 20). The difference between these two lines shows the savings that is predicted by performing SBC, reducing the amount of tamping required due to the reduction of fouling in the ballast.

RELAM Railroad Equipment Leasing And Maintenance (RELAM) Inc. has a wide range of ballast regulators, tampers, and track stabilizers available for short- or long-term lease.

RELAM now has three locations in the U.S. in California, Illinois, and Ohio, and is able to react quickly to customer requests and shorten transit times to customer jobsites.

The RELAM fleet of regulators consists of Knox 860, 925, and 940 combo snow/ballast machines as well as Kershaw 46-2 and 4600s.

RELAM also has completely rebuilt regulators available for lease in 2022 and the future. Brush-cutting equipment based on ballast regulator frames also are for rent.

Tampers consist of Production Mark IV and 6700 tampers, spot or switch tampers like the Nordco HST, Harsco 2400, 3000, and 3300. Track stabilizers in the lease fleet consist of the Harsco TS30-HD and Plasser American PTS90C. In addition, RELAM also has Hudson ballast cars and hi-rail rotary dump trucks for precise ballast distribution.

Augustl 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 17

BALLAST MAINTENANCE

attachments solve one of the most laborintensive jobs of spot tie maintenance. Mitchell’s ballast regulator attachments for both backhoe loaders and hydraulic excavators are provided with the same hard rubber cords and rotational power as full-time production ballast regulators.

Mitchell’s ballast regulator can be configured to be used on third rail and be mounted on backhoe loader booms with rotation and on the front loader arms. Mitchell’s ballast regulator broom attachments also can be attached to certain model skid-steer loaders with Mitchell rail gear.

Total Cost per Mile ($ Thousands)

150 125

Tamping Only

100 75

SBC & Tamping

50 25 0 0

2

4

6

8

10

Year Figure 1. The cumulative tamping maintenance costs (per mile) that accrue over time due to the repeated tamping to maintain a track with 60 MGT annual tonnage.

RELAM’s excavators can be equipped with a TinBin vac unit for tough jobs removing ballast and mud.

Rhomberg Sersa North America Following the acquisition of the Track Solutions business from Balfour Beatty, Rhomberg Sersa North America is now positioned as the largest provider of production undercutting services in North America, according to the company. The company inspects and reports on more than 30,000 miles of ballast and subgrade conditions per year from highspeed inspections systems integrated onto

customers’ rail-bound track geometry inspection platforms.

Rhomberg Sersa’s fleet of ballast cleaners includes the three newest contract RM80s available in North America. The RM80/ RM76 machines provide a quality effective to many railroads. The company’s switch and spot undercutters provide support for smaller-scale projects.

RSNA has been rebranding its machines with a new white and grey color scheme.

Mitchell Rail Gear Mitchell’s ballast

regulator

broom

Herzog With 50 years of railroad industry experience under its belt, Herzog responds to its clients’ Maintenance-of-Way needs with a suite of specialized equipment. When safety and efficiency are paramount, customers can rely on a number of Herzog’s solutions for ballast maintenance—with the help of just one experienced operator to perform the task at hand.

• Herzog Survey Platform—Traveling at track speed, this hi-rail truck performs comprehensive LiDAR scans of the railroad ROW for ballast surveys. Once data is loaded into Herzog’s proprietary ballast application, cutand-fill calculations are identified for areas of ballast spreading; • GPS ballast trains—Using Herzog’s LiDAR survey data and GPS technology, Herzog’s automated ballast trains unload material to track centers and shoulders along long stretches of right-of-way. The trains are programmed to open and close ballast

From the industry’s first in-track mobile welder in 1972 to a fleet of nearly 200 today

Photo Credit: Loram Technologies Inc.

We engineer and manufacture the equipment we operate, so our customers can rely on us to have the right equipment and teams to provide a quality flash-butt welding solution every time. hollandco.com #HollandRail

18 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

rtands.com

HIGH CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY

Ballast Distributing and Profiling

Stabilization and Consolidation

Tamping

A Surfacing-Fleet for Every Demand Plasser American Contracting offers a wide range of services for tamping, stabilizing and profiling. With more than 30 years of contracting experience supporting the railroads and transits in North America, we’re one of the most trusted names in the industry.

Plasser American’s high-speed surfacing, continuous-moving multi-tie tamping machines offer unbeatable performance combined with high-reliability of an OEM. Our surfacing machines include 09-3X or 09-2X and 09-16 Dynacat with integrated Stabilizer; PBR2005 and PBR2005 DB and BDS100 / 200 for single pass plow.

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

BALLAST MAINTENANCE

construction, and trackbed washouts, the ACT uses an automated plow to level out ballast that accumulates in the center of the track. Using Herzog’s automated unloading program, the ACT distributes ballast in curves up to 13° with one operator from its climate-controlled cab; • Multi-Purpose Machine (MPM)—A versatile machine with an excavator cab that handles and transports various aggregates including ballast and rip rap. True to its name, the MPM can perform other services in the same deployment with a quick switch out of a Rototilt attachment; and • CarTopper Material Handling Services— Self-mounts from the ground to the top of railcars to pick up and unload ballast and other aggregates.

Loram Technologies’ LCC model determines how much of cost savings are the result of several factors.

doors at specific coordinates, avoiding no-dump zones;

• Automated Conveyor Train (ACT)— With ideal uses including stockpiling, new

Herzog’s ballast operations have been consistently steady this year. “We are completely leased out for ballast trains.

Herzog is beginning to incorporate more ballast cars into its fleet to meet the demand,” said Ryan Crawford, Herzog’s vice president of Ballast Operation and Railcar Leasing.

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Photo Credit: Loram Technologies Inc.

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20 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

rtands.com

BALLAST MAINTENANCE

Mitchell’s ballast regulator broom attachments solve one of the most labor-intensive jobs of spot tie maintenance.

Co., has been busy enhancing the Railavator product line. RCE can supply the full range of models—from compact excavators to 35-metric-ton excavators—with undercutter

Photo Credit: Mitchell Rail Gear

RCE Equipment Solutions Rail Division The RCE Equipment Solutions Rail Division, previously Rail Construction Equipment

bars ranging from 9 to 15 ft in size. By increasing these options, RCE customers can perform undercutting with all the RCE models of hi-rail or standard excavators. The largest machine—the 350G—has more hydraulic power to perform in hard conditions and the longer bar is beneficial for switch undercutting. Most recently, the smallest undercutter bar at 9 ft has been well received as an alternative to the larger machines and bars. For our contracting customers, the smaller machine and undercutter bar has made mobilization an easier task.

In 2020, RCE unveiled its new Series 210G, 245G, and 250G Railavators. These new models boast RCE’s new Ultra Life Axles. The final drives are made of highstrength alloy steel—two times more structural strength than existing cast iron final drives. Many rail maintenance operations require severe-duty applications with high point loading. The Ultra Life Axles have overall increased axle bearing capacity and are rebuildable/repairable.

The new Series Railavators also have many design enhancements, including a new

22 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

rtands.com

BALLAST MAINTENANCE

hydraulic system. There are more components in the common manifold, which means less hoses, less separate components, and less joints to potentially leak. The F-N-R valves are now pilot-operated instead of electrical coils which makes for a more reliable design.

The full Railavator product line has seven models available and offers 16 attachments, including undercutter bars, brush cutters, grapples, buckets, magnets, and several cart designs.

The RCE Equipment Solutions Rail Division continues to enhance the Railavator product line.

Custom Truck Custom Truck’s hi-rail rotary dump comes with hydraulic actuation, front rail sweeps, slotted rear links, a heavyduty rear bracket, and remote rear air pins. The body package includes a 14-ft, 12-cu-yd body, proportional hydraulics, and a hinged drop ladder with adjustable spreader chutes and an electric tarp. and contractors need products that perform multiple functions to provide to lessen track downtime for rail maintenance.

Vancer’s hi-rail equipment options, like the

161-hp CHX25 Hi-Rail Excavator, help keep rail ballast maintenance operations moving efficiently during plan and unplanned track repair projects. In addition to the

Photo Credit: RCE Equipment Solutions Rail Division

Vancer Lifecycle product value and demand on the country’s supply chain is top of mind with the railroad industry. Class 1s, short lines,

Omni_newad.indd 1

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7/25/22 9:24 AM

August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 23

BALLAST MAINTENANCE

machine’s horsepower, it features a hydraulically powered hi-rail gear undercarriage with multiple attachment functionality like undercutter bars, the patented Vancer Ballast Cribber, and various other attachments.

Hi-rail equipment from Vancer is engineered to easily move on and off track lines offering operators the ability to quickly spottreat sections of track that need work.

This ability allows for work to happen during short windows to alleviate the need for extended track downtime and keeps trains and cargo moving.

Integrity Rail Products The tinbin TC2 is an excavator attachment that uses a hydraulically activated fan to suck up railroad ballast or other material. Driven by the hydraulics on the excavator, the material is stored in a hopper that holds a cu yd of material. There are hydraulically activated doors at the bottom of the unit that allow you to dump material beside the track, into a bin, or into a cart or dump truck.

The first model of the tinbin, the TC1, was designed in Germany to suck up garbage

around transit stations over 20 years ago. It was basically a box with a hydraulically activated fan, a manual hose, and doors at the bottom to dump the material. More recently, the tinbin TC2 was released and includes additional features such as a rotating nozzle to allow operation from the cab of the excavator and a dust suppression system.

In North America, the tinbin TC2 has become especially popular for mud spot removal.

This is particularly true in areas where other tools struggle, such as around switches, like in yards, at the ends of level crossings, and at diamonds. Because of the deflection of the track caused by train movement over the switches and diamonds, mud spots are especially common in these areas.

Lately, the tinbin TC2 also is being used on the mainline for mudspot removal. The Class 1 customers appreciate that only an excavator with a quick connect is needed to complete the work. By using the tinbin TC2 to remove the contaminated ballast and a bucket to refill the cribs with clean ballast, only one piece of equipment is required on track.

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Plasser understands this very well and offers several products and services to help customers achieve the required results. These areas of ballast maintenance include ballast

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“Working directly with Cat, our engineers have developed root-level software and incorporated it into the system, allowing the platform to better manage flow pressures and increase power to attachments while the machine is in motion,” said Matt Weyand, sales engineer at BTE. In addition to developing software with Cat, BTE has upgraded the hi-rail systems of these next-generation machines.

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BALLAST MAINTENANCE

Photo Credit: Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc.

undercutting/cleaning, shoulder cleaning, and ballast management.

Clean ballast is extremely important in maintaining track geometry. Plasser offers several machines for cleaning ballast, but the workhorse of this fleet of machines is the RM80, which undercuts and cleans plain track as well as switches. Additionally, highcapacity double screening units, such as the RM2003 and the RM802, are available. Plasser also offers shoulder ballast cleaning machines such as the FRM 802 or FRM 85.

The BDS100/200 Ballast Distribution System is the ideal machine to accompany high-speed, multiple tie tampers such as the 09-3X or 09-2X Dynacat tamper, or used alone to reposition existing ballast along the right-of-way using existing valuable assets.

The machines are equipped with plows to profile the ballast, hopper, and conveyors to distribute ballast, and double brooms to sweep up and store excess ballast with all work performed in a single pass.

Plasser’s PBR2005DB Ballast Profiling machine has the ability to plow, profile, and broom in one pass. The unique design of the shoulder plows allows the machine to reach out and pull in ballast, which was previously beyond the reach of conventional ballast regulators.

Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc. Industry-Railway Suppliers, founded in 1966, is the distribution representative of Supertrak machines and a North America distributor of AREMA track tools, abrasives, heavy railroad equipment, work equipment wear parts, and mechanical shop tools. Supertrak is a 30-year, Cat-authorized OEM building custom machines for ballast maintenance, vegetation management, heavy-duty trenchers, custom utility trucks, cable retrieval equipment, and monorail work tractors.

The Supertrak SK170RR Hi-Rail Excavator is based on a Cat 313 hi-rail platform. It has a single 170-hp engine, dedicated high flow with reversing fans, and multi-functionality.

The hi-rail is equipped with 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel brakes. The SK170RR maintains power in a small package with zero permit required for transportation due to its compact size, making it well suited for ballast maintenance tasks in remote places. This excavator meets national railroad safety specifications.

When the SK170RR is upfitted with the heavy-duty, hydraulic-powered SK10RR undercutter bar, it becomes a ballast and mud regulator.

This 10-ft bar is designed to quickly remove mud and fouled ballast from beneath the rtands.com

The Supertrak SK170RR Hi-Rail Excavator is based on a Cat 313 hi-rail platform.

track with its replaceable teeth. The chain offers a variable controlled reverse for easy cleanout, and also there is a direct coupler mounted to use with or without a rotator option. The undercutter bar fits 8- to 15-ton class machines.

Railmetrics Railmetrics’ LRAIL technology delivers greater return on investment than existing inspection technology by combining 2-D imaging and 3-D scanning in a single pass with Artificial Intelligence to inspect everything from spikes, anchors, and tie plates to elastic fasteners, crossties, rail heads, and ballast. Ballast-focused inspection includes: • 3-D ballast profiling across the track and at end of tie; • Automated detection and volume reporting of ballast holes; • Automated detection and volume reporting of over application; and • Automated detection and volume reporting of surface-fouled ballast.

Miner Enterprises The AggreGate from Miner Enterprises can effectively ballast inside, outside, or on both sides of the rail simultaneously. These safe, durable, and maintenance-free ballast

systems can be applied to new or existing cars.

Among its many design features are large guillotine door openings designed to stop ballast flow with minimum effort, easy-tooperate toggle-type linkage systems, and tapered doors for easy ballast shutoff at switches, crossovers, and bridges.

The AggreGate ballast discharge outlet is available as either manually operated, air powered, or as a standalone electric powered to meet virtually any ballast unloading need.

In addition, the AggreGate remote-control feature allows the user to deposit ballast while remaining a safe distance from the activity.

Engineered as a fabricated and completely assembled unit, AggreGate are easy to apply to new or existing hopper cars. Miner’s electric stand-alone AggreGate enables independent operation of the car from anywhere within a ballast train, eliminating the need for grouping manual and automatic cars.

Miner also offers a stand-alone lighting system to aid in night ballasting. Energy from the system’s solar panels is stored during the day and then powers LED work lights at night, creating a safer work environment. The Miner AggreGate is available in pry bar manual, push button, or remote-control operations using pneumatic or electric power to operate the gates.

August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 25

RAIL WELDING

KEEPING IT

TOGETHER Quality rail welding is vital to avoid track failures

B

roken rails, rolling contact fatigue, and spalling are just a few of the challenges for the track maintenance department of all railroads. The strength of rail welds, whether within switches or on welded rail mainline track, is of critical importance, and most railroads require a certain amount of welding services each year. The

26 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

recent infrastructure bill will help fund new railroad construction and maintenance that require welding.

For example, Mike Madden of Orgo-Thermit told RT&S that “the welding market is similar to what we have seen in prior years.

We expect to see the situation remaining stable for the rest of the year. As funds for more construction are available, we look

forward to supporting future infrastructure growth.” Amy Everitt with Progress Rail added, “demand for fixed plant welding has been consistent in 2022. This year, the international requirement for flash butt welding equipment has also been stable, with large railway expansion and rehabilitation projects contributing to demand.”

These vendors and others share information rtands.com

Photo Credit: Holland

By David C. Lester, Managing Editor

RAIL WELDING

Holland’s Automated Manganese Refurbishment provides robotically controlled welding procedures.

about their rail welding products and services in the remainder of this article.

Orgo-Thermit Orgo-Thermit continues to support the market for aluminothermic welding in North America. The company pointed out that it has years of experience on which it bases its support of customers with thermit rtands.com

welding needs.

Orgo-Thermit continues to develop new products to meet changing needs in the market with its thermit 2.0 welding kits for head hardened rail. These kits have proven results for extended weld life. Class 1s, contractors, and transit customers see this technology’s benefits.

Furthermore, the company said its safestart crucible allows its customers to ignite the portion with the cap on utilizing the torch, so no igniter is needed, eliminating the Hazmat shipping requirements for the igniters. Many customers, including Class 1s, transits, and contractors, have converted to this product and are benefiting.

Orgo-Thermit’s technical sales and service team is located throughout North America, supporting customers in America, Canada, and Mexico. The team has expertise in the thermit welding process and the tools required to perform thermit welds that PortaCo manufactures.

Holland Holland is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first self-propelled railcar with a portable electric flash butt welding machine, which it introduced to the industry in the March 1972 issue of RT&S. As the company celebrates the 50th anniversary of mobile flash-butt welding, it also is bringing new rail welding solutions to the market.

For example, Holland’s Automated Manganese Refurbishment (HAMR) provides robotically controlled welding procedures to build back damaged areas on frogs and crossing diamonds to like-new conditions. This service offers several benefits, including higher quality repair with lower porosity than traditional methods, and is two to three times faster than the manual process. From a safety aspect, the operator can move away for a passing train on adjacent tracks while the robot builds back material and does not need to work over fumes for prolonged periods. A complete refurbishment service includes a HAMR weld warranty.

Short plug repair welding is the newest to Holland’s welding portfolio. This flash-butt welding process provides higher quality and more cost-effective defect remediation than traditional methods with less equipment and labor. With Holland’s short plug repair welding gang, 5-ft plugs are used with two pieces of equipment and four (railroad and Holland) employees.

At the heart of Holland’s flash-butt welding services is its Intelliweld Control

System, which allows the operators and weld quality lab to see real-time weld monitoring, control, and diagnostics.

Progress Rail Progress Rail operates two flash butt welding plants in North America and supplies mobile welding equipment to contractors, railways, and transit customers worldwide.

Safety, reliability, consistency, and efficiency are essential factors clients consider as part of flash butt welding projects.

Whether the lead time for delivering 80,000 lineal ft of CWR from a fixed plant or welding together strings during construction in the field, safely executing high-quality welds in a manner that minimizes delays to the network is critical to the success of a welding project.

Progress Rail fixed plants are actively welding rail for various projects and customers. From Class 1s and short lines to transits, continuously welded rail is needed to keep customers’ projects on track. Progress Rail is producing flash butt welding systems for international markets to support its customers’ development and rehabilitation projects. These machines include All Terrain Mobile Welders (ATMW) and fully containerized welding systems equipped with destressing weld heads with integrated shears or the K1045 narrow head for welding turnouts.

Working with strategic suppliers, Progress Rail has developed a narrow-head welder for its mobile units. This head can be used with extended boom trucks or AMTWs when welding turnouts and tight confines.

The Narrow-Head Flash Butt Welder is tall and narrow, requiring only 8.5 in. of clearance from the adjacent rail or fixed object.

This allows for completing a flash butt weld inside a turnout in transit areas, where flash butt welds were impossible in the past, and even thermite welds were difficult. Progress Rail also has been rehabilitating several AllTerrain Mobile Welders that will support contractors working in Australia.

Pandrol AutoSeal moulds are Pandrol’s newest aluminothermic welding innovation that streamlines the welding process. The builtin felt expands during the preheating phase of welding, creating a tight seal between the mold and rail. This removes the need for luting with paste or sand, preventing welding leaks. They are the world’s first self-sealing moulds and bring numerous August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 27

RAIL WELDING

AutoSeal moulds are Pandrol’s newest aluminothermic welding innovation that streamlines the welding process.

benefits, including faster welding speeds, enhanced welder ergonomics, increased reliability, and reduced waste.

This new technology, developed by welding experts, is compatible with all existing rail types. AutoSeal moulds are recommended for the most demanding rail networks, meeting the needs of short possession times and high safety standards.

Benefits of using AutoSeal moulds include: • Excess moisture can escape more easily during the preheating process, increasing reliability and reducing defect rates; • Sealing is more reliable, particularly when used in environments where luting is difficult such as in cold weather or tight spaces; • Improves the well-being of the welder with less time spent kneeling and removes the pressure of luting correctly; • Significant time savings of five to 10 minutes per weld, as the sealing of the mould is automatic; and • Reduces plastic waste while removing the production and transportation of luting materials, making welding more environmentally friendly.

Driving velocity in the rail industry.

TRACK MAINTENANCE

RAIL CAR MOVING

AD RT&S Sept 2019.indd 1 28 NORD0788 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

Photo Credit: Pandrol

RAIL INSPECTION

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MICHAEL P. FREEMAN AREMA President 2021-22

W

hen I googled major sporting events in the month of August only one item came up. The FEI World Equestrian Games will be held Aug. 6-14 in Heming, Denmark. Unfortunately, equestrian is a sport I know extraordinarily little about. I know it has to do with horses, but to go further than that would likely insult those who are fans of the sport. The U.S. Open tennis tournament begins on Aug. 29, but is mostly played in early September. A few football games will be played and, of course, August is filled with trash talk about which college football team will dominate the upcoming season. There is one huge event that will be held in Denver in August and that is the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo. Though not a competition, there will be a great deal of skill and expertise on display. After holding two successful AREMA Virtual Conferences (which were a fantastic substitute for a live, faceto-face conference), it will be great to assemble and interact with our colleagues in Denver.

The past year has f lown by. It seems like just last week we were having a virtual meeting when the official gavel was passed to me as I became President of AREMA. The year has been filled with activity. Technical Committees have resumed having face-to-face meetings, though most also provided a virtual option to allow those who were restricted from traveling to participate at some level. The governing body of AREMA, rtands.com

the Board of Governors, resumed face-toface meetings, and the Functional Group Board of Directors held its first face-toface meeting in quite some time in June.

I think most, if not all, appreciated the ability to assemble and discuss issues in person.

I will attempt to recap the year from the AREMA perspective as well as my personal perspective. Let us start by looking at what has occurred during the past year with AREMA. Probably the biggest accomplishment is things returned to normal from a meeting standpoint. The transition to virtual was tough for several Technical Committees, and some stressful negotiations with meeting sites had to be conducted to avoid financial penalties

“

PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT [THIS PAST YEAR] IS THINGS RETURNED TO NORMAL FROM A MEETING STANDPOINT.

when cancellations of in-person meetings were required. Some of those negotiations simply postponed obligations. A special thanks to the leadership of our Technical Committees for working diligently to avoid financial penalties while looking out for the best interest of the membership of their committees.

From a business standpoint, AREMA is in the preliminary stages of downsizing the headquarters facility to better match the realities of remote working.

When this transition is complete, it is anticipated there will be a meeting place option in the Washington, D.C., area, but the current office space will be reduced, making our headquarters facilities much more efficient and in line with the way we now conduct day-to-day business.

Over the past decade, AREMA has participated in Railway Interchange in the

odd years (. . . 2019, 2021, and 2023) and held an AREMA Annual Conference & Expo in the even years ( . . . 2018, 2020, and 2022). At the outset, AREMA hoped to reap both financial benefits and increased membership/attendee registration from being a part of Railway Interchange. Over the past decade, the anticipated benefits have not been realized. Railway Interchange participation also has required significant effort by headquarters staff.

When resources were diverted to Railway Interchange administration, the resources to support AREMA membership and operations were reduced. To address these issues and to mitigate the impacts of being involved in Railway Interchange, AREMA has informed the coalition comprising the Railway Interchange event that AREMA will no longer participate in Railway Interchange beyond 2023. AREMA remains extremely committed to making Railway Interchange 2023 a complete success.

AREMA also has committed to discuss with other associations and/or organizations the possibility of participating in future events such as Railway Interchange or something similar in the future, but no sooner than 2028. It is my opinion that moving in this direction as dictated by the AREMA Board of Governors will reset AREMA as the premier technical resource organization for and of the railroad industry. This reset for AREMA is one of the key accomplishments during my term as AREMA President.

From a personal standpoint, the honor I felt when approached to serve AREMA as Senior Vice President, President, and Past President (2020-2023) has been nothing but magnified. Serving as President of AREMA has been a very humbling experience. The day-to-day experience of working with the highly professional staff at AREMA headquarters as well as the volunteer leaders of the association has been tremendously rewarding and eyeopening at the same time. Prior to this experience, I was unaware of the effort and day-to-day activity required to keep an organization the size and complexity of AREMA functioning. I am just now learning what all the moving parts do to move the organization forward, and unfortunately my term is ending. I extend a heartfelt thank you to the volunteer August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 31

leaders of AREMA and the headquarters staff for helping to make my term productive and keep the association moving forward. I offer a special thanks to Vic Babin, my predecessor, for the guidance he has provided during this year. Thanks also to Trent Hudak, my successor, for his support as Senior Vice President. I know Trent will work hard to make AREMA even stronger. I also would like to thank Union Pacific for its support during my term as AREMA President.

I would be remiss if I failed to express my gratitude to my best friend in this journey, my bride of over 39 years, Amy. She has supported me throughout my career as well as the past year as President of AREMA. Thank you for all you do for me to make my life full.

This is my final RT&S article. I hope you have each learned a bit more of the inner workings of AREMA and a bit more about me. Until we meet at the AREMA Annual Conference & Expo in Denver, or at some other place down the road, stay well and stay safe.

FYI

Denver is calling! Register for the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo, Aug. 28-31 in Denver. For the latest information a b o ut Key n ote S p e a ke rs, te c h n i ca l presentations, Expo, sponsorship, and more, visit www.conference.arema.org.

O rder the 2022 Man ual for Railway Engineering. With more than 40 new or revised Parts, it’s the perfect time to get the 2022 Manual. More details and how to order are available at www.arema.org, or contact publications@arema.org for more information.

Don’t miss out on the conversation happening in AREMA’s Member Forum. The Member Forum connects you with other members by granting access to send messages, start conversations, and more.

See what everyone is talking about today: https://community.arema.org/home.

If you’re looking for a new podcast to binge, listen to AREMA’s Platform Chats.

It features guests from every 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 *AUG. 27

*AUG. 27-28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment

Committee 24 - Education & Training

Committee 12 - Rail Transit

Committee 5 - Track

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems

Committee 11 and 17 Joint Meeting

Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems

Committee 16 - Economics of Railway Engineering & Operations

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28

*AUG. 28-29

*AUG. 29

Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction

Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization

Committee 6 - Rail Facilities, Utilities and Buildings

Committee 13 Environmental

*AUG. 29

*AUG. 29

*AUG. 31

*SEPT. 1

Committee 41 - Track Maintenance

Committee 18 - Light Density and Short Line Railways

Committee 35 Information Technology

Committee 38 Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems

*SEPT. 1 Committee 39 - Positive Train Control *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 // August 2022

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rtands.com

7/28/22 2:30 PM

Announcement of AREMA Board of Governors 2022 election The Governance Nominating Committee, chaired by Past President Victor R. Babin, has completed its task and the following nominees have been officially elected: Mr. Carl A. Walker - Board of Governor Mr. Brian A. Lindamood, P.E., S.E. - Treasurer They will begin their Board of Governors positions at the conclusion of the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo which is being held in Denver, Colo., Aug. 28-31.

Elected as: Governor (2022-2025) Name: Carl A. Walker Title: Assistant Vice President of Communications, Signals and Positive Train Control Organization/Company: CSX Transportation Wa l ker i s t he A s si st a nt Vic e Pre sident of Communications, Signals and Positive Train Control at CSX Transportation. He has worked at CSX for 23 years in a variety of leadership positions. He has led his team through a variety of key projects, most notably the completion of Positive Train Control.

Walker is a retired Naval Officer who served his country for 22 years. He has a BA in Business, a MS in Education/Criminology, and a MS in Telecommunications Management. Walker has completed the Executive Leadership Curriculum at Harvard Business School and the Business Leadership Program at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

Walker is a member of AREMA Technical Committee 39 - Positive Train Control. He also is a member of the Eastern Signal Engineers and North American Signal Engineers. Walker has been a C&S Panel Moderator at the annual National Railroad Construction and Maintenance (NRC) Conference. He also is an Executive Sponsor for CSX’s African American Inclusion Group.

Elected as: Treasurer (2022-2025) Name: Brian A. Lindamood, P.E., S.E. Title: Vice President, Chief Engineer Organization/Company: Alaska Railroad Lindamood has over 32 years of broad railroad industry experience, including railroad operations and economics, alignment and track design, traditional and intermodal terminals, the development of track standards, specifications, and design/maintenance practices. He began his career in 1988 as a Research Assistant at the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. In 1990 he interned at the Burlington Northern Railroad, and in 1991 he interned at the Red River Valley and Western Railroad. He also interned at the Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad in 1992. He worked at HDR as an engineer from 1995-1996, and in 1997 went to work for Hanson Wilson. Lindamond was a project engineer from 1997-1998 and Vice President from 2002-2006.

He was an Associate - AVP at TranSystems from 1998-2002. He started working at the Alaska Railroad in 2006 and is currently Vice President, Chief Engineer.

Lindamood holds BS and MS Civil Engineering degrees from North Dakota State University.

He has a Professional Engineer Designation.

Lindamood has previously served in various committee and Board leadership roles. He served as Senior Vice President, President, and Past President of AREMA on the Board of Governors. He also has served on several local non-profit boards. rtands.com

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AREMA is focused on your education and helping you advance in the railway industry. AREMA’s seminars provide Professional Development Hours (PDH) to serve your educational needs.

Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering Seminar Date: Friday, Aug. 26 Sunday, Aug. 28 Location: Denver, Colo., in conjunction with the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo PDH: 20

Track Alignment Design, Part 1 Seminar Date: Wednesday, Aug. 31 Friday, Sept. 2 Location: Denver, Colo., in conjunction with the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo PDH: 14.5

Culvert and Storm Drain Inspection Seminar Date: Thursday, Sept. 1 Location: Denver, Colo., in conjunction with the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo PDH: 6.5 These courses are comprised of recommended practices and relevant accumulated knowledge from subject matter experts in the railroad industry. They are not intended as a regulatory qualification.

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

August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 33

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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

August 2022 // Railway Track & Structures 35

LAST STOP

What’s up with the FRA? Why has the Federal Railroad Administration put the brakes on automated track inspection testing?

By David C. Lester, Managing Editor

A

s readers of RT&S know well, the advancement of technology has been critical to the industry’s fortunes since trains began operating in North America in the early 1800s. From iron-strapped rails, lightweight locomotives, crude traffic control, little or no roadbed, and many accidents that killed railroad workers and pedestrians, modern railroad operation is almost unrecognizable compared to early efforts.

The transition from steam to diesel was a massive milestone for the industry, just as the development of the microprocessor and flood of digital technology have been in recent years.

BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National all received approval from the FRA to implement ATI test programs in 2018. Roads built test programs with plans to reduce the required visual inspections and add ATI inspections to the existing program. In other words, the FRA granted these roads a “waiver” for performing the current number of visual track inspections and adding automated inspections.

When roads announced these programs, they received some pushback from a rail union that sued the FRA. Interestingly, the FRA successfully defended the approval in federal court, and the test programs were allowed to proceed. And these programs have been quite successful.

Nevertheless, railroads ran into choppy air in 2021 when they applied for extensions to the waiver. For example, BNSF was granted a five-year waiver for testing on two subdivisions, which remains in effect. It applied to expand the waiver last year to include additional subdivisions on its network. In addition, Norfolk Southern applied for a waiver to allow for blending visual inspections with ATI inspections.

The FRA denied both requests.

The question is, why? Mike Rush, senior vice president for safety and operations at the Association of American Railroads, told RT&S, “I haven't seen a reasonable explanation from anyone as to why the FRA is delaying the progression of ATI.” Rush added that “the railroads don’t want to eliminate 36 Railway Track & Structures // August 2022

visual inspections, but are trying to find the right mix of automated and visual inspections to ensure maximum safety. And, there are some things that a visual inspection can detect that ATI cannot, such as overgrown vegetation over, around, or above the track.”

To refine the capability and quality of ATI, the railroads must continue the testing programs. As mentioned earlier, the results, so far, have been very impressive.

Rush said that “the quality of the equipment and inspections conducted by properly equipped locomotives and freight cars is no different from those provided by the geometry car.” Again, the huge advantage of the equipment mounted on freight trains is the large increase in mileage inspected each year, which should considerably reduce the number of track-related accidents.

I believe this issue hinges in part on the ongoing resistance to technology that may reduce the need for rail employees, to which unions naturally object. This is not new. Readers may recall when diesels rapidly replaced steam engines in the 1940s and ’50s and significantly reduced the number of employees needed to maintain and operate locomotives. Indeed, union negotiations resulted in retaining the fireman’s position on a locomotive crew in the diesel age. On steam engines, the fireman must maintain the proper amount of coal in the firebox to maintain the right level of steam pressure. Diesels did not require this position, but the railroads held the fireman’s job.

So, if labor concerns over the loss of jobs are causing the FRA to impede the progress of ATI, that’s not acceptable. The roads need to test and refine this technology to provide a track inspection and safety level unmatched in the industry’s history.

Nevertheless, I am certainly sensitive to the concern of job security on the part of rail labor. Despite the current worker shortages in most industries, job insecurity permeates nearly every sector of our economy.

Here’s something for both railroads and rail labor to consider—if the railroads aren’t running trains and embargoing traffic because of the shortage of qualified crews, can there not be increased focus on

filling these shortages internally? Can some visual track inspectors not be trained to be members of train crews or assume another role at the company? I understand moving from the position of a track inspector to a locomotive engineer could be an extreme adjustment for some folks, but I would think other opportunities would exist. Is it necessarily a job one would prefer? Maybe not, but isn’t that better than losing your job altogether?

Maybe rail labor could drop its objection to increasing ATI. Maybe railroads could drop the objection to two-person crews. I know these are red-hot, contentious issues, and addressing them is not as simple as I make it sound. However, as we continue to rely on technological advances to improve our lives and reduce costs, the spoils of this progress should be shared equally by management and labor. This continued business of massive salaries and bonuses going into the pockets of executives while rail labor and lower-level whitecollar workers, even though their salaries are above the national average, don’t share in the increased benefits and earnings of success, is not sustainable. It’s time for the industry to get the cobwebs out of its collective brains, focus on working together, and get some work done.

It’s also time for the FRA to discontinue the ridiculous impediments to ATI testing and move the industry forward.

RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

David C. Lester

rtands.com

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