RT&S January 2020

RAIL BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION

pERFECTLY

PLACED Construction of the Kankakee River bridge is a big success

JANUARY 2020 | www.rtands.com

ALSO: State of the Industry Ottawa Light Rail Conversion

Rail Flaw Detection rtands.com

February 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1

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contents

January 2020

FEATURES

8

Moving forward and moving up RT&S takes a hard look at the state of the industry

16

8 DEPARTMENTS

4

TTCI The influence of rain events on degraded ballast

32

Products

35

AREMA Message from the President, Watford fellowship, and more

38 40 40

Classifieds Advertisers Index Sales Representatives

Columns

3

On Track Everybody is yelling

Innovating in stream Teams work together to tackle through conditions surrounding Kankakee River rail bridge project

20

The plan sticks Conversion from bus rapid transit to light rail a success so far in the city of Ottawa

24

Striving for perfection Technology pushes the rail flaw detection market Crews place a steel beam during Kankakee River rail bridge construction. For story, see p 16.

Credit: Brett Westcott

29

Keep off and stay back Vegetation management helps railroad companies battle nature

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January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 1

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On Track

Everybody is yelling Vol. 115, No. 6 No. 1 PrintVol. ISSN 116, # 0033-9016, Print ISSN ## 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514 Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Chicago, Ill. 60603 Telephone (312) 683-0130 Telephone 683-0130 Fax (312)(312) 683-0131 Fax (312) 683-0131 Website www.rtands.com Website www.rtands.com Bill Wilson Bill WILSON Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief wwilson@sbpub.com wwilson@sbpub.com Kyra Senese David C. Lester Managing Editor Managing Editor ksenese@sbpub.com dlester@sbpub.com Bob Tuzik CORPORATE OFFICES Consulting Editor 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, btuzik@sbpub.com New York, NY 10005 CORPORATE OFFICES Telephone (212) 620-7200 55 Broad 26th Fl. Fax (212) St 633-1165 New York, N.Y. 10004 Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Telephone (212) 620-7200 and Chairman President Fax (212) 633-1165 Jonathan ChalonJr. J. McGinnis, Arthur Publisher President and Chairman Mary Conyers Chalon Jonathan Director Production Publisher Nicole D’Antona Mary Conyers Art Director Production Director Hillary Coleman Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Art Director Maureen Cooney Aleza Leinwand Circulation Director Graphic Designer MichelleCooney Zolkos Maureen Conference Director Circulation Director Customer Service: 800-895-4389 Zolkos Michelle Reprints: PARS International Conference Director Corp.

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F

OLLOW ME, ASHTON!! OVER HERE!!! STOP ... ASHTON!!”

“Declan? DECLAN?!

DEECLLAAAAN??!!”

“Oh, yeah Dad?” “You are being way too loud!”

Fortnite, or as I would like to call it “all-out rage-athon,” is a video game you can play with your friends (using headsets so you cannot hear any impending doom in real life, like my youngest son Declan), and it is a military last-manstanding game. Gamers can buy skins (uniforms), weapons and even dances.

That all costs money, and at one point my two sons were establishing a line of credit with me. They were making purchases with cash they did not have.

The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is locked and loaded and ready to rumble. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) does not want any part of it, either, and has sent the message to the CHSRA asking it to take a step back and hold for a moment, or a year. According to the FRA, current high-speed rail construction packages are facing significant and continuing delays, leading it to conclude that CHSRA cannot handle another design-build contract.

So what did the CHSRA do a day after receiving that message? It pushed it aside and passed a 30-year contract to place track, install high-voltage electrical lines, produce a digital signaling system and construct a heavy maintenance train garage. The work is for the San Joseto-Bakersfield track, which is half of a proposed high-speed line running from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

The CHSRA wants to open up bidding for the San Jose-to-Bakersfield line. The winning bid could be determined in 2020 and construction could begin as early as September. The problem is, CHSRA is running on credit and apparently has no problem with getting a group together (the winning bidders) and racing to the top of the hill first. This project did receive

two grants under the Obama administration worth $3.5 billion. However, the U.S. DOT revoked a 2010 grant of $929 million because it was not used. Another $2.5 billion could be pulled because the U.S. DOT says the state of California, or the CHSRA, has violated an agreement involving high-speed rail.

The Los Angeles-to-San Francisco route was supposed to be completed back in 2017 at a cost of $6 billion. Work is terribly behind schedule, with only a handful of bridges, viaducts and structures under construction.

Cost estimates for the project now run up to $10.6 billion. If the CHSRA cannot put a lightning bolt in its step, funding might fall on the California state legislature.

The CHSRA says the bid vote following the FRA warning was a case of bad timing.

According to Brian Kelly, CEO of the CHSRA, it is the FRA that has been non-respondent.

Kelly’s agency submitted a contingency plan for the San Jose-to-Bakersfield work in 2016 and 2019. The FRA apparently has not been listening. Perhaps it’s too wrapped up in barking out orders to anyone who will listen?

That appears to be the Fortnite approach anyway. Kelly also says FRA’s technical concerns stem from outdated drafts.

High-speed rail was a pipe dream of the Obama administration. For the most part, it has been a failure. Federal money has been returned and abused. A high-speed line from L.A. to San Fran sounds great, as does one from Chicago to Milwaukee and New York to Boston.

To date, nothing substantial is out there.

That’s the biggest disappointment. Now, if life were a video game perhaps more would get done ... just keep the voices down.

Bill Wilson Editor-in-Chief

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January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 3

TTCI r&D

The Influence of Rain Events on Degraded Ballast The Rainy Section and how it relates to fines that infiltrate ballast Stephen Wilk, Ph.D., Senior Engineer II, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

D

egraded ballast is a condition in which the ballast layer wears down and fines infiltrate the ballast. This condition, especially when wetted, can reduce the ballast performance by limiting drainage, decreasing track stiffness, and increasing track settlement. These affected track zones can become a recurring maintenance challenge. One issue with predicting the behavior of degraded ballast is that it is often dependent on the percentage of fines, fine material size and plasticity, and moisture.

Rainy Section and previous work The Rainy Section is a 13-tie, 20-ft-long portion of Section 36 of the HTL that uses a watering system to control the moisture and drainage of the track section. The ballast consists of degraded granite ballast (degraded from track wear) with 37.2 percent of fines passing the No. 4 sieve (4.76 mm), and 4.5 percent passing the No. 200 sieve (0.074 mm).

This results in a Selig’s Fouling Index (FI) of 41.7 (37.2 + 4.5). The fine particles generally are non-plastic, sand- and silt-sized pieces resulting from granitic ballast wear with minor eolian (windblown) silica.

Key findings from previous testing: • The soaked section resulted in settlement rates 3 to 10 times higher than the dry condition.

• Soaking resulted in mud pumping and blocked drainage; inhibiting the drainage of surface water.

• After drying, the settlement rate returned to its pre-wetting rate.

Simulating rain events The first focus of the spring 2018 testing involved simulating various rain events to determine how the magnitude of rainfall affected softening and settlement. The rain events are listed in Table 1 and the rainfall intensities were based on publicly available rainfall charts.

4 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

During spring 2018, the Pueblo area did not experience significant natural rainfall, so all moisture was added using the irrigation system. Additionally, time was allotted between test events for the track to dry to be confident that the initial moisture levels within the ballast were relatively similar. The fully saturated case did not attempt to simulate rainfall but had the goal of soaking the track and building a water table. This has the benefit of being the worst-case situation.

Three main findings are observed from these results.

First, the heavy rain (10 mm/hour or 0.4 in./hour for two hours) and the fully saturated case resulted in settlement rates about 3 to 10 times the dry and light rain (1 mm/ hour for two hours) settlement rate. As a note, the dry condition experienced settlement rates ranging from 0.01 to 0.03 in./ MGT, but the 0.03 in./MGT value was selected in Figure 1 because it was considered more representative when comparing against the wetted conditions. This verifies that moisture does influence track settlement once a certain moisture level is exceeded and gives a quantifiable value to historically known field observation.

Second, the similar results from the dry and light rain indicates that the fine material can retain some moisture before softening.

This suggests that softening will depend on the initial moisture condition, the amount of rainfall, and drainage condition.

Third, the similar results from the heavy rain where only the top surface was saturated (visually verified from excavations), and fully

saturated conditions where the entire track section was saturated, suggest that the zone immediately below the tie is a critical region where most of the settlement and fines migration takes place. This means that in the Rainy Section a water table or excess moisture in the lower ballast section is not required for increased settlement and mud pumping. The Rainy Section does not represent all mud pumping cases as there are other situations in which the water source does appear to come from the lower ballast section in the case of flooded track in cut regions. This emphasizes the importance of knowing the water source (top-down from rain events, or bottom-up from a water table) and understanding how that affects the mud-pumping mechanism and additionally appropriate remediation.

Figure 2 plots the dynamic rail and tie deflections during the heavy rain wetting event. The results show both the rail and tie deflections start to increase about one hour (or 0.2 MGT) into the wetting. This suggests that for this particular case, about 0.4 in. (10 mm) of rain was needed to soften the track.

Near the end of wetting, the deflections appeared to reach a stable value and either continued at this deflection level for the remainder of the night or experienced a slight decrease.

This shows the track required wetting for about one hour before enough moisture was present at the track surface for softening to take place. Additionally, mud pumping was noted about an hour into the testing, corresponding with the start of track softening.

This suggests that when the moisture level

TABLE 1. SIMULATED RAINFALL INTENSITIES

Event

Rainfall Intensities

Light

1 mm/hr.

Heavy Saturated

10 mm/hr.

-

0.04 in./hr.

0.4 in./hr.

-

Duration 2 hrs.

2 hrs.

-

Figure 1. The settlement rates measured from an unloaded rail at the center tie within the Rainy Section.

rtands.com

TTCI r&d

near the track surface reaches a particular level, it can affect three performance-related metrics. First, the track settlement rate increases. Second, the track deflection increases and is likely due to both hanging ties and decreased ballast stiffness. Third, excess water and dynamic action results in the accumulation of water and fines, commonly referred to as mud, at the track surface.

In the fall of 2018, moisture sensors were installed about an inch below the ballast surface in the crib to monitor moisture levels throughout the testing process. The moisture sensors were not installed at the critical location directly below the tie because the sensors cannot withstand the dynamic loads, but the surface location will still give insight into surface moisture levels and drainage times.

The Pueblo area experienced more rainfall in Fall 2018, so the Rainy Section received moisture from both natural and simulated rainfall. As a result, it was more difficult to control for varying initial moisture conditions, and it was decided to take the moisture levels directly instead of rainfall values. Figure 3 shows the relation between moisture levels and settlement rates. The results show the track begins to soften at about 10 percent moisture and reaches saturation level at about 15 percent. The 15 percent moisture appears to be the general threshold when the fines lose their compaction ability; resulting in reduced track performance, mud pumping, and fines accumulate near the surface. The 10 and 15 percent values will be site and fine materialdependent and more variation is expected with additional testing. However, this 15 percent threshold can be used to quantify drainage times.

Additionally, it should be emphasized that a wider range of settlement rates were measured in Fall 2019 (Figure 3) than in Spring 2019 (Figure 1). This likely is dependent on the varying initial moisture conditions.

Track modulus Track modulus is an indicator of track stiffness. Figure 4 presents the results of track modulus in a variety of track conditions.

Based on previous studies, it is generally recommended that the track modulus exceed 2,000 lbs/in./in. because rapid track geometry deterioration has been observed below this recommended value. The results agree with the previous studies of the track modulus of the wet and mud-pumped condition, which experienced higher rates of settlement, having a track modulus of 1,500 lbs/ in./in. However, prior to the mud pumping and after the mud-pumped section dried rtands.com

(and did not experience high rates of settlement), the track modulus was in the recommended range of 3,000 to 3,500 lb/in./ in. This also means the pre-mud-pumped

and dry mud-pumped surface conditions may look different but perform relatively similarly in both settlement rates and track modulus. Once again, this emphasizes the

Figure 1. Settlement rates from various rainfall events.

Figure 2. Rail and tie deflections during rain events.

Figure 3. Relation between moisture content and settlement rate.

January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 5

TTCI r&D

“mud pumping” conditions. The time for the surface fine-contaminated ballast to drop below 15 percent moisture is compared. The results indicate 0.8 days when no mud pumping is present, but the mud-pumping conditions extend this drainage time to about 5.1 days. Additionally, observations of standing water on the surface were noted the next day after mud pumping.

Figure 4. Track modulus of various ballast conditions.

importance of surface moisture in track conditions similar to the Rainy Section.

Drainage times In addition to increased settlement and reduced stiffness, mud pumping can also inhibit surface drainage by rearranging and accumulating fines near the surface. This

presents an issue because the trapped water at the surface will maintain this reduced performance state for a longer period of time making the track more susceptible to track geometry deterioration.

Using the 15 percent moisture level as a threshold from Figure 3, the drainage times were monitored for “no mud pumping” and

Summary and future work Study results show how moisture accumulating near the surface increases settlement rates, increases rail and tie deflections, and reduces track modulus. The loss of compaction ability of the fines will allow fine particles to rearrange and inhibit surface drainage; extending the time the track experiences this reduced track-performance condition.

While the specific values of the test are only applicable to this specific situation, the overall concepts are expected to apply to most finecontaminated ballast situations. The next testing focus will be determining how maintenance techniques reduce the drainage time of the track when mud-pumped.

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State of the Industry

2019 could be described in a variety of ways, but one thing is for certain—the rail industry is advancing

By David C. Lester, Managing Editor, and Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

T

his past year has included some major shifts in how railroaders do business. Many are frantically trying to meet the Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline in 2020, and the efficiencies of precision scheduled railroading began showing its teeth as Class 1 operations begain trimming payroll.

Railway Track & Structures magazine sent a survey out to its readers to get a feel for how they were doing, and to get a taste of what 2020 will be like for the industry. For the most part, business in all of the markets covered

by RT&S is good. Over 82 percent of survey respondents said the health of their business is either excellent (30 percent) or good (52 8 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

percent). Just under 14 percent said it was fair. It was a solid business year for many, as just over 76 percent rated it an excellent (36.1 percent) or good (40.4 percent) 12 months.

More than 54 percent said 2019 was even a better year than 2018.

As for the year 2020, just over 80 percent of surveyors believe it will either be an excellent business year (26.6 percent) or a good business year (54.2 percent). Surprisingly, 53.1 percent even think 2020 will be a better year than 2019 for their company.

As for spending on maintenance-of-way activities, 50 percent of our readers believe 2020 will be a flat year, while 32 percent say they will spend more.

Look to the experts Business, however, is not as bright on the Class 1 side. To provide an analysis of railroading’s current state, we asked three experienced and knowledgeable professionals for their viewpoints on where the industry has been, where it is now, and where it’s likely to go. David Clarke is the director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee. Robert Gallamore holds a Ph.D. in political economy and government from Harvard University and is the author of American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century. Jason Kuehn is vice president at Oliver Wyman, a consultancy that specializes in the railroad industry. rtands.com

Photo Credit: David C. Lester

Moving FORWARD & Moving UP

State of the Industry

Photo Credit: David C. Lester

Positive Train Control interoperability will be the major PTC hurdle the railroads have in 2020.

David Clarke I’m concerned that the adoption of precision scheduled railroading (PSR) may place the industry on the verge of throwing away many of the advances they have made in the past 40 years. The viewpoint of Wall Street investors, and subsequently the railroads, is very short term, and in the long run, PSR could hurt the industry.

From the customer viewpoint, PSR is not something they’re embracing. According to shippers I talk to, the railroads are not providing good service, yet rates and other charges are increasing. If shippers who have other modal options depart, railroads may be left primarily with captive customers. The combination of poor service and high rates could lead to demands for re-regulation. The industry does not appear to be thinking about the long term.

What’s happening in the railroad industry today has precedents in other business sectors. Activist investors come in and claim to shareholders that they can bring them a higher return than the current management. Hunter Harrison took cardinal principles long known to experienced railroaders and packaged them as PSR. Harrison’s initial success with PSR gave the activist investors something to sell. rtands.com

Management had been dismissed at Canadian Pacific and CSX as a result of Harrison-fronted takeovers. Other than BNSF, which is privately owned, management at the remaining Class 1 railroads felt pressure to implement PSR to avoid problems with shareholders or activist investors.

Under the PSR model, Class 1 railroads are cutting employees. Many shippers are unhappy with the impacts of PSR on service and pricing. If shipper and labor interests lobby Congress, we could get proposals to address their concerns through legislation imposing new regulations. A Democratic administration could be more receptive to such efforts.

The loss of coal traffic has severely impacted freight rail tonnage and revenues.

Intermodal has been viewed as the traffic source to help make up for the loss of coal.

However, intermodal traffic is primarily based on foreign trade, and changes in trade patterns could impact the intermodal business. Intermodal growth has recently tapered off, perhaps as a result of the U.S.-China trade wars. Even if intermodal traffic resumes recent growth trends, the profitability of such traffic leaves much to be desired.

Future industry growth in revenues has to be based on carload traffic, and the bad shipper relationships the railroads

SOURCE: RT&S SURVEY

77%

of businesses reported either a “good” or “excellent” year in 2019.

January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 9

State of the Industry

SOURCE: RT&S SURVEY

every shift. This improves quality of life, which is a big issue for rail crews. Malfunctions in route would be a challenge since an onboard crew member would not be available to address problems; possibly, manufacturers could help by making equipment more reliable.

ALMOST

50%

of readers say the region they live in will spend more on transit in 2020 compared to 2019. are creating now could come back to bite them. Our economy is doing relatively well, but carload traffic is declining. Class 1s are accused of neglecting or even de-marketing small carload shippers, favoring large volume accounts who ship in unit train quantities.

The adage of traffic covering its variable costs, and contributing to fixed costs, is traffic worth having remains true today.

Technology There are a lot of wayside devices to detect problems and collect data, and the industry is beginning to use more onboard technology to detect problems with track, equipment, and lading. Railroads are installing sensors on selected rail cars to collect various types of useful data. Locomotives are already sending a lot of telemetry to railroads and manufacturer service centers. The mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) systems are still in the final stage of implementation. Once we get past the mandated deadlines, railroads can look toward a PTC 2.0 that offers tremendous potential to provide more business information.

It is a challenge to manage all of the data these systems provide and combine it in ways that provide new information. The so-called “Big Data” problem is one that the railroads are looking very closely at.

One multi-sensor installation on a western carrier generates over one terabyte of data per train. Transmitting and interpreting such a large volume of data is challenging, particularly so given that unsafe conditions require quick action.

As automation occurs in other industries, railroads are going to have to look at it carefully to remain competitive. There’s a lot of talk about autonomous (i.e., crewless) freight trains. Since railroads have a fixed guideway, automation is somewhat easier than for other transportation modes. This assumes, though, that there is no en-route switching, as human 10 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

intervention would be needed for this. But, point A to point B automated operation is not a significant technical challenge. However, it’s a big change from an institutional standpoint, where labor groups and other parties are

“

Where is the Railroad Renaissance? There is no rebirth of coveted passenger service as many had hoped. concerned about not having a human operator in the cab.

Before trains are automated, they are more likely to be remotely controlled.

Remote-control operation has benefits for rail labor. An engineer would still operate the train but from a remote location. In case of a grade crossing accident or a derailment, the engineer is not in harm’s way.

Also, the engineer is going to be home after

Bob Gallamore Until only recently, railroads’ enviable fuel efficiency and economies of density seemed to suggest the industry would gain in public popularity by being able to make important contributions to improving environmental quality and energy conservation. Now, however, because of their intense participation in fossil fuel consumption and transport (coal has been their largest staple source of traffic for generations), railroads seem to be on the wrong side of concerns over global climate change.

Experts even wonder as they did not only a few short years ago whether or not railroads will be able to find enough new traffic by diversion of cargo from less fuel-efficient modes to make up for their endangered fossil fuel traffic. Rail hauls of crude oil and ethanol substitutes for petroleum will continue to make an impact on energy transportation, and locomotives powered by natural gas replacing diesel fuel looks promising. Still, the challenges of conversion are great, and the outcome is uncertain.

There is ample evidence that the Staggers Act of 1980 deregulating railroads saved the industry from what otherwise would have been a death-spiral in the post-World War II years.

Obsolete ICC regulatory rules governing rates and services were replaced by a crucial Staggers Act reform allowing long-term contracts between rail carriers and their shippers that enabled rational economic laws of supply and demand to keep needed services

SOURCE: RT&S SURVEY

ALMOST

55%

of businesses believe 2020 will be at least a “good” year. rtands.com

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State of the Industry

operating in the private sector at compensatory rates.

Traffic increases and better railroad profitability have since enabled increased reinvestment in the industry; that, in turn, has contributed to substantial improvements in derailment experience, accidents, and injuries. Overcoming industry resistance and significant technical hurdles to implementation of interoperable of PTC has been painfully slow, but the legal mandate is finally on the books.

There has been an apparent end to rail bankruptcies and the wholesale light density line abandonments following in the wake of the devastating Penn Central merger of 1978 and realignment of Prairie railroads in the 1970s and 1980s. The rise of short line railroads is perpetually endangered, and Congress has shown little interest in fixing problems in the law.

Railroad stocks have done quite well on Wall Street, but where is the Railroad Renaissance? There is no rebirth of coveted passenger service as many had hoped (though experts carefully explained the reasons why not!) What

20 20

SOURCE: RT&S SURVEY

OVER

50%

of readers say maintenance-of-way activity spending will be flat in 2020 compared to 2019.

happened to my optimism for the industry of just five years ago?

Jason Kuehn In its 150th year of being a transportation cornerstone of our nation, the rail industry is at a key juncture: All traffic, including intermodal, is down mid-single digits this year.

Arguably, there is a freight recession going on, the result of a slow year for the industrial sector and ongoing trade wars.

Until recently, Canada had seemed to be

apart from this, but now even Canadian traffic has started to show weakness.

PSR, aggressive pricing, and share buybacks have often managed to keep earnings per share growing, even though a decline in net income. There are hopes in the industry that truck capacity will tighten and that rates will rise again in 2020. The recent bankruptcy and shutdown of Celadon was the largest bankruptcy ever in the trucking industry and is clearly a step in that direction.

Driving velocity in the rail industry.

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12 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

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State of the Industry

If OPEC keeps output constrained, with oil production growth in the U.S. slowing, and with IMO 2020 low-sulfur fuel requirements for vessels—which would mean steamships swapping in low-sulfur diesel for high-sulfur bunker fuel, diesel prices could rise significantly.

In the longer-term, fuel surcharges are factored into costs by shippers in making modal decisions, and rails being more fuel efficient should benefit. Together these factors may raise truck rates and drive traffic back to rail.

But, the U.S. economic expansion has now spanned more than the entire decade, which is unusual.

While a recession might give the railroads a little breathing room, as nobody would expect traffic growth during a recession, it also would keep rate pressures higher and traffic weaker for an extended period.

Railroads also are working to provide supply chain transparency to shippers to add value to their product. So far, it appears the tools are unique to each railroad and not necessarily compatible across the

industry. Unlike trucking, the rail industry is a network of separate companies with most shipments, including intermodal, having to travel across two or more railroads from origin to destination.

An industry-wide approach would be far more beneficial to shippers. The ability to integrate data across companies within a mode, and eventually across modes, is what shippers ultimately need.

We are also seeing lots of technological progress on the operating side of the industry: 1. On the train side, suppliers are well along in developing and testing software that will move a train from stopped to running and back to stop again. This could fully automate the basic control of the train; 2. Wabtec announced at RailTrends that it is trying to double fuel efficiency for locomotives by 2030 to more than 900 ton-miles per gallon, which will help offset improved truck efficiency; 3. Track inspection technology incorporated into boxcars moving in regular trains also is being implemented and

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A call for transit On the public transit side, respondents to the RT&S survey acknowledged there is continual growth. Over 51 percent said their region spent more on transit in 2019 than 2018, and almost 50 percent believe more will be spent on transit in 2020 compared to 2019.

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Rail Bridge Construction

Innovating in stream

16 Railway Track & Structures // June 2019

rtands.com

Rail Bridge Construction

T

he Kankakee River Bridge located in Wilmington, Ill., was part of the state of Illinois’ $1.7 billion high-speed rail program running between St. Louis and Chicago. The scope of the project was to upgrade from an existing single main to double main as well as replacing three rail structures originally constructed in the early 1900s.

The critical path and main artery of the project involved building the eight-span, 604-ft-long rail bridge spanning the Kankakee River. The proposed structure would be built adjacent to the existing bridge through two stages of construction in order to provide minimal impact to existing rail traffic. The project included many aspects of heavy construction along with the new rail bridges such as upgrading three at-grade crossings, jack and bore utility relocations and extensive in-stream cofferdam work.

What sets this project apart from similar in-stream construction efforts was outsideof-the-box thinking to tackle permitting restrictions as well as the contractors unique approach to modular cofferdam systems in the waterway. Along with these factors, successful acceleration and scheduling produced a great finished project in a short amount of time.

Teams work together to tackle tough conditions surrounding Kankakee River rail bridge project

Photo Credit: ICC

By Brett Westcott, P.E., and Dan Kelly, P.E., Contributing Authors

rtands.com

Securing the permit The previous Kankakee River Bridge spanned across the river for over 105 years, originally constructed in 1913. The old bridge was a five-span, open deck design with wood ties resting on two massive steel girders per span. The girders sat atop four large limestone block piers with spread footings resting on the bedrock bottom of the Kankakee River. The footings and piers for the new structure were constructed adjacent to the existing bridge with the footings being embedded 2 ft into the bedrock.

The piers utilized riser blocks for staged construction without taking the existing main out of service until the new structural steel was in place and the new track was cut into its proposed alignment. In order to construct the permanent Kankakee River Bridge, a temporary work bridge also was built across the river. The temporary bridge allowed for the efficient transportation of equipment and materials needed to build the new piers and footings.

As with any in-stream project, proper permitting was obtained to allow for new construction in the waterway. However, the same permits which allowed for the construction of the new bridge in the January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 17

Rail Bridge Construction

The first phase, which included a temporary bridge, was done in 90 days.

18 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

stone along the shoreline of the Kankakee River. The ramp allowed for equipment access from the shoreline directly onto the bedrock bottom of the river. Entering the water along the shoreline was a main culprit of sediment disturbance and armoring the slope greatly minimized the amount of sediment released into the waterway.

Once the access problem was resolved, the next major hurdle related to the acquisition of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources permit (IDNR). The IDNR permit pertained to the overall impact to the flow and upstream water elevations of the river. Upon meeting with the IDNR, crews learned of Wilmington’s history of ice jams, which are common to the Kankakee River during the colder season. The ice jams have a history of causing flooded conditions and the IDNR required the temporary work bridge to be completely removed from the Kankakee River prior to the winter months. IDNR required a draft of both a 100-year flood mitigation plan and emergency ice jam removal plan. Once both plans were approved, the contractor would need to accelerate their construction efforts in order to complete the first stage of the

proposed Kankakee River Bridge before the end of the year.

Speeding ahead ICC Group’s accelerated construction of the Kankakee River bridge was an impressive feat and was achieved with intelligent scheduling as well as a little help from mother nature. ICC Group was able to construct its 16-span temporary bridge, the nine piers and risers for the permanent structure and a set of 10 spans of structural steel to complete the first phase of bridge construction all within 90 in-stream working days.

The weather late in the year cooperated and no major rainfall events meant water levels remained manageable during construction. Once construction of the temp bridge started, ICC Group’s goal was to work their way up out of the water by pouring footings and piers as quickly as possible. If the footings and piers could be constructed, the temporary work bridge provided access to finish the risers and structural steel without being effected by heavy rainfall events that would cause the Kankakee River to spike in water elevation and flow. rtands.com

Photo Credit: Brett Westcott

Kankakee River also created access and time constraints. There were two major permits acquired for the project and each dealt with different aspects of in-stream work. The Army Corps of Engineers permit pertained to more of the environmental aspects of the work in the waterway. The permit required monitoring of in-stream construction activities and the use of turbidity curtains to minimize impact and contain any sediment released from in-stream work. A major hurdle with the Army Corps permit was that it restricted access into the river. Permit conditions called for the use of extensive causeways in order to transfer equipment into the Kankakee River as well as the use of large stone work pads. It was essential to place equipment into the Kankakee River to efficiently construct not only the temporary work bridge but the permanent piers as well. The project manager was able to work with the Army Corps to make an addendum to the permit involving the use of biodegradable hydraulic oil in all in-stream equipment.

The contractor installed the biodegradable fluid into all of their in-stream equipment and built an armored ramp of clean

Rail Bridge Construction

Photo Credit: ICC

To accommodate this rapid construction, an additional addendum was made to the IDNR permit. The permit originally limited the number of cofferdams allowed in the river to two. During construction the impact of ICC Group’s modular cofferdam system was realized to be much less than what was originally proposed in the plans.

We were able to prove that ICC Group could use three of their smaller, modular cofferdams and still impact the flow of the Kankakee River less than what was originally planned. This concept was illustrated to the IDNR and once they approved it, it allowed for concrete forms to be placed much more effectively.

By having three cofferdams, the contractor was able to always have a location to set forms. They could be stripped from one pier (after achieving the required break strength and cure) and immediately placed on the next footing. The third cofferdam allowed the contractor to always be one step ahead with his footings.

Equally as impressive as the successful acceleration was that the contractor was able to do so without any major reportable injuries.

After each standard morning briefing, ICC would hold a secondary briefing to cover relevant safety topics pertaining to the days scheduled tasks. Standard in-stream safety practices were followed such as the use of life jackets and boats for recovery.

ICC also used large concrete blocks and strategically placed equipment to break the current for their workers when setting the required cofferdams.

Three that were unique ICC spent a considerable amount of effort in the preconstruction phase of the project, planning and strategizing their access, logistics, and schedule.

Three unique construction methods that helped ICC successfully construct phase 1 in the narrow timeframe required by the IDNR permit were the contractor’s influence on the design of the temporary bridge and work platform, the modular cofferdam system, and some unique equipment attachments.

ICC worked closely with Westbrook Associated Engineers, Inc. out of Spring Green, Wis., in the constructability and design of the temporary bridge. The temporary bridge consisted of 15 pile bents with 16 spans at 40 ft each for a total of 640 ft in length. Temporary bridges are fairly common in bridge construction over rtands.com

waterways, however it was how ICC’s team cleverly designed how the 15 pipe pile bents would be anchored into the bedrock that provided the efficiency and production necessary to contribute to the advancement of the schedule.

The 1.25-in.-diam. threaded anchors for the temp bridge columns were designed to be much longer than necessary, approximately 8 ft long in total with a 3-ft embedment in the rock. An underwater epoxy system was used to secure them in the bedrock. This allowed ICC to bolt them to a plate above the typical water line of the river, and provided ICC with easy access to very quickly and efficiently disassemble the temp bridge. ICC also custom fabricated a very thick heavy wall pipe about twice as long as the anchor bolt projection and welded a lifting lug attachment at the top. This heavy-duty pipe would slide down over the bolts. A cable was then attached to it from an excavator arm. The excavator would swing its arm left or right and it would snap the anchor bolt off cleanly at the bedrock.

Secondly, the modular cofferdam system chosen by ICC allowed the contractor to quickly construct and dewater each cofferdam. The cofferdam system was composed of linear segments of 5-quantity, 1-cu-yd sand bags linked together. The inside of each bag has a 1-in. x 3-in. pine U-shaped frame.

The bags are fastened together through this U-shaped frame. The bags are delivered compressed like an accordion. ICC filled the bags with sand utilizing a Bobcat and each five-bag unit weighed approximately 6.75 tons. Plastic tarps were floated in the water and the sand bag units were set on top. The

tarps were then wrapped on the outside and over the top to further minimize water infiltration. The bags have rigging loops in the corners, and the manufacturer supplied a specialty hoisting device for the five-bag unit. The five-bag units were set with the Link Belt 460 excavator or a crane, depending on the location. In areas where the water was above the first row of bags, two rows would be placed on the bottom, with one row on top in a pyramid-like section. The bags were a one-time use item. Once no longer needed, the sand was donated to a masonry contractor with property adjacent to the site.

Finally, three unique equipment attachments were used on this project by ICC and expedited tasks that would have otherwise been very difficult and time consuming. A custom-fabricated modular sandbag hoisting device was supplied by the manufacturer Drips, LLC. A very large 8-ft-diam. hydraulic rock saw attachment was used on a Link Belt 460 excavator in conjunction with an integrated GPS system to cut out the bedrock bottom of the Kankakee River in the wet for the proposed bridge pier footing embedment. This provided quick, clean cuts for each of the footings and set a consistent limit for rock removals. Rock bottom was very uneven and this really was the only efficient solution.

Finally, a custom-fabricated air drill attachment for a mini excavator was used to drill holes for the 180-quantity temporary bridge pier anchors. This attachment allowed ICC to quickly drill each of the 12-quantity, 3-ft-deep holes at each pier bent.

ICC Group’s accelerated construction was an impressive feat.

January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 19

Transit Construction

The plan Sticks Conversion from bus rapid transit to light rail a success so far in the city of Ottawa

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

H

ow do you talk a bus off the ledge? If you are the city of Ottawa, Canada, you gently put it out to pasture, where it can spend the rest of its service life taking commuters from their home to the nearest light rail station.

There is always something coming along that is bigger, faster, and more efficent. The fact is buses can no longer handle Ottawa’s booming population, and believe it or not it was alway in the plan to phase them out. Up until last year, buses roamed the city limits until they simply could not deal with the task any longer. In 2009, there were as many as 300,000 bus riders a day.

“About 25 years ago they created a bus system and the buses had their own lane 20 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

to the downtown area,” Alfred Klag, Jr., senior associate at STV Inc., told RT&S. Klag is a design manager of the Ottawa Rail Construction Program and is overseeing Stage 2 of light-rail construction in the city. “The city grew significantly and the bus system was very congested.

If you stood downtown at rush hour the bus stops would cover almost a full city block in length, and people would be stacked three or four deep trying to get on the buses.”

Today, most buses do not tread in the downtown area.

When city officials built the bus rapid transit system they knew it would eventually be converted into a light rail system over time. The strategy called for the buses

to be moved out to the suburbs, where they could pick commuters up by their home and take them to light rail stations. A total of 13 stations forming the $2.3 billion O-Train Line 1 Confederation Line are now in operation, and more is on the way.

Stage 1 involved the construction of the 13 stations, which included a tunnel that now houses three, 12.5 meters of double track— 2.5 km underground and 10 km on grade and crossing bridges (the surface track is on its own alignment so there are no grade crossings), and the installation of a CBTC signal system and catenary DC power.

Standard 115-lb rail was used along with concrete ties. Construction of the tunnel started back in 2013 and was recently completed. Crews are now gearing up for rtands.com

Transit Construction

The new Confederation Line currently has 12.5 meters of double track.

mine the tunnel. Three Sandvik roadheaders advanced in increments. Reinforced shotcrete and steel support elements provided support. Rock and soil settling strengthened the self-supporting system. The benefits of SEM was it provided flexibility to adjust excavation and support measures for soil and rock conditions encountered, and the excavation at the station sites were done in the tunnel. Because excavation was underground it limited noise and vibration.

Only entrance and ventilation structures were built at the surface. The three roadheaders mined simultaneously from three headings—the East Portal, West Portal and the central shaft.

Once all mining was complete a concrete lining was built, and after rebar installation crews poured the concrete walls.

Tunnel construction did take a bit of a hit on Feb. 21, 2014, when a sinkhole formed inside the tunnel construction area due to what officials believed was a previously excavated construction pit. Construction efforts were delayed by a month.

Soil made of soft clay, stations made of glass Most of the tunnel was constructed through bedrock, but the soil around Ottawa can be susceptible in some areas, which affected above-ground construction of the stations and bridges. Soft clay material, called Leda clays, can be found in pockets throughout the region, which calls for either excavating it out or connecting to deep foundations.

Many stations and bridges sit on caissons, and ground settlement during construction has been closely monitored. Adjacent buildings are at risk, but so far no issues have been reported.

The stations on the Confederation Line

could be described as glass palaces. The two biggest stations are underground at Rideau, Parliament and Lyon. Pimisi and Tunney’s Pasture are two of the more graceful stations at surface level.

“They built very elaborate stations, much more elaborate than you would ever expect to see,” remarked Klag. “This is a highquality light rail system. It is all completely on its own right-of-way, there are no grade crossings, there are no city street obstacles, there are no glorified electric buses.”

Trains are almost 100 meters long and are fully automated, but are still staffed by electric rail operators who can take over control as required.

The Stage 2 Confederation Line Extension project contract was awarded this past March and is still in the design phase. Some boring work and earthwork has been done, but construction activity will not elevate until Spring 2020. On the Confederation Line, five new stations will be built to the east by 2024, and workers have been drilling test holes to test the soil along the route. The west addition will consist of 15 km and 11 new stations. This line is scheduled to finish in 2025.

Another contract is the reconstruction and extension of the existing Trillium Line O-Train Line 2 at a cost of $663 million.

The existing Line 2 will be shut down in the spring so that the reconstruction can take place. At press time foundations were being put in place, and the new route, which will be 21 km long and will showcase 13 new or improved stations, is supposed to open in 2022. It will serve southern Ottawa, including a link to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Tunnel construction also will take place during Stage 2. According to Klag, three

Stage 2 work, which should hit a groove by next spring. Stage 1 work was done under a public-private partnership by the Rideau Transit Group, a consortium of ACS Infrastructure, Dragados, EllisDon Corp., and SNC-Lavalin.

Tunneling through Perhaps the most complex portion of the Confederation Line was the construction of the tunnel system.

“They had to be careful [during tunnel construction],” Klag said. “They had to go under some major sewer lines and had to go under a canal that connects the Rideau River to the Ottawa River.”

The $1.2 billion endeavor involved the sequential excavation method (SEM) to rtands.com

Three Sandvik roadheaders advanced in increments during tunnel construction.

January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 21

Transit Construction

Most of the tunnel work was done underground.

new tunnels, all cut-and-cover, will be built and a fourth tunnel will be rehabbed.

Measures will be taken to minimize local

ground movements due to the pockets of soft soil.

Two maintenance yards also will be built.

Diesel-powered trains will operate on the Trillium Line, while the Confederation Line will be all electric. The entire system can be converted to electric in the future.

“There is just a huge amount of work to do,” said Klag. “On the Confederation Line, they are required to use the same signal system and same signal supplier that was used in Stage 1. Just coordinating all of that, you have to tie off the end of the Stage 1 contract. It’s a lot of work to coordinate the whole thing and get the pieces to fit together.

“The city itself has grown to a million people, so this is needed for the growth.

The city itself is huge. It actually incorporated the county that was around it. They needed the lines for growth and real estate projects have shot up and they are already building a 40-story apartment building at one station.”

You can still see buses running around, but most are outside the city limits. Phase 3 is still in the planning mode, but once complete Ottawa’s bus rapid transit line may be completely abolished.

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

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22 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

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Rail Flaw Detection

Technology pushes the rail flaw detection market

STRIVING FOR

PERFECTION

24 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

be detectable because of how RCF can interfere with ultrasonic testing. If not detected, cracks can grow and cause a service failure, sometimes resulting in an expensive and dangerous derailment.

Ultrasonic rail flaw detection was first available in 1928 when the founder of Sperry Rail, Dr. Elmer Sperry, introduced the world’s first non-destructive way to test internal rail defects.

According to Matthew Witte and Anish Poudel, writing in the Transportation Testing Center, Inc.’s (TTCI) Technology Digest (TD-16-030), the approach uses transducers housed in the roller search units (RSUs) of a detector car to emit ultrasonic waves into the rail, then “listens” for the echo of reflected energy that occurs at internal discontinuities and the surface of the rail. The amount of reflected sound energy is displayed on a time chart, which provides information about the features that reflect the sound. A trained operator learns to discern the difference between defects and normal features, such as bolt holes and welds.

Herzog Ultrasonic rail testing (UT) is presently conducted using a real-time inspection process where a single qualified operator will collect inspection data, analyze the information, then immediately examine/verify a potential rail defect while on-track. This method also is known as Start/Stop Testing.

Continuous Testing (CT), otherwise known as Non-Stop Testing, provides the railroad with an option to perform the inspection as a three-phased operation. The process relies on an inspection program to continuously collect data, transmit the data to operation headquarters for review by a qualified operator, and finally, verify suspect indications and compulsory inspection locations in the field within a specified timeframe according to each railroad’s specific waiver from FRA regulations.

In the past few years, Herzog has seen increased usage of CT among Class 1 railroads as most have the necessary FRA waivers to perform CT on their rail lines.

The goals of CT are to reduce the required rtands.com

Photo Credit: Nordco, Inc.

T

he detection of conditions that cause a rail to break is a science that has improved over the past several years but has not achieved perfection. And, given the technology used today, no one can say for sure that we will lick this issue any time soon. Rail breaks continue to be a leading cause of derailments, even though rail quality is higher than ever today.

Inspection technology has improved, and the railroads conduct inspections more often than ever.

One factor to consider is that rails also are stressed more today than they have been in previous decades. Trains are longer and heavier, and the move to AC traction in diesel locomotives improves rail adhesion that places greater stress on the rail surface.

The damage to the rail surface, called rolling contact fatigue or RCF is a significant problem though one that can be managed by rail grinding. However, a more serious problem can develop depending if the surface damage is left unaddressed. RCF can initiate a transverse defect, whichmay not

By David C. Lester, Managing Editor

Herzog’s Vision System cameras now come standard on its rail-testing vehicles, which complement scan data with high-definition images of the rail.

footprint of rail flaw detection vehicles, traverse more rail within the same work windows, and quickly compare historical data during the analysis phase.

“After our initial offering of the CT process, we have been able to maximize efficiency within the program,” shared Troy Elbert, president of Herzog’s rail testing division.

“During the analysis phase, our NDT Level II Chief Operators can whittle down our ‘pick list’ and remove benign indications ... to teach our software to skip over those repeated marked objects in future tests. Additionally, GPS mapping technology integrated into the software enables field verifiers to precisely navigate to areas of concern while off-track, reducing track occupancy and speeding up the verification process tremendously.”

In 2020, Herzog also is looking for ways to integrate data points and offer bundled services for roadmasters. We will be offering dual-purpose test results for UT and geometry in one report. The results of our light geometry tests are promising when compared to legacy geometry systems,” said Elbert.

“This service offers railroads with a bigger data set complete with more frequent, accurate results to help them address their internal data analytic initiatives.”

Cameras now come standard on all of Herzog’s CT trucks that capture photos of the rail to identify surface defects, rolling contact fatigue, branding marks, and joint bar defects.

This feature adds another layer of inspection and visual information of the rail to complement ultrasonic data.

Herzog’s 2020 Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) continues to prove itself as a premium inspection method by applying 26 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

profile measurements into a PAUT system and correcting the entry angle of the inspection beam accordingly. With this system, the data shows an increase in accuracy and a significant absence of technology-related service failures, or rail failures immediately post-inspection. Herzog continues to refine and explore the possibilities that this technology can provide with the potential to integrate PAUT into the CT process.

Additionally, Herzog’s commitment to continual refinement and investment back into technology has produced the company’s next generation of ultrasonic testing hardware, Series 7000. This generation of software and hardware has a myriad of new tools to help the operator identify and locate suspect indications by significantly increasing the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), which is crucial to developing accurate and repeatable algorithms for artificial intelligence (AI) engines.

“

IF Rolling contact fatigue is not detected, cracks can grow and cause a service failure, sometimes resulting in an expensive and dangerous derailment.

Sperry Rail Ninety-one years after the beginning of the world’s first rail inspection company, Sperry Rail has more than 500 rail flaw detection systems in service throughout the world. Its technology has been used to test more than 18 million miles of track and has identified more than 6 million rail defects.

Building on the foundation that Dr. Elmer Sperry established in 1928, Sperry’s global reach includes relationships with railways from heavy-haul networks to metropolitan transit systems in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Among the Sperry innovations is non-stop testing, which increases test frequency and maintains test quality while interfering less with day-to-day rail operations. Non-stop testing, which can provide earlier detection and a reduction in service failures, has driven quality, efficiency, and operational improvements. It also has enabled Sperry to

incorporate additional technologies, such as joint bar inspection, eddy current, and vision systems, to non-stop testing, all of which will improve efficiency and productivity. Eddy current, the non-destructive inspection method that uses electromechanical induction to detect and characterize defects that occur on and below the surface of the rail, is now being used for detecting rolling contact fatigue (RCF), a condition in which normal wheel contact and loading cause small fractures to form at the head surface of the rail.

This technology covers the full surface of the railhead and can be deployed on any Sperry vehicle, including hi-rail, railbound, and pedestrian solutions. As operating speeds and rail loadings increase, the focus on RCF has intensified. Data gathered via eddy current inspection will help the industry gain a more thorough understanding of RCF so we can work toward improving safety and allowing better management of rail assets.

Sperry also has deployed its high-speed ultrasonic and eddy current systems in Europe, providing the highest testing speed on the continent, 80 kph. Sperry accomplished this by leveraging technology advancements and historical knowledge of high-speed testing in Asia. The system incorporates algorithms to optimize measurement resolution and defect detection at higher operating speeds.

Recognizing changing requirements associated with increased traffic and reductions in available track time, along with the aging infrastructure, higher speed, and heavier loads, mean more inspections are needed to ensure safety, so Sperry introduced the Adaptive Testing System (ATS). Deployed first in Europe and growing in North America, ATS offers a smaller, easily deployable system that allows for high-frequency track testing at a lower cost. Sperry’s ATS can couple to existing railway-owned equipment. It quickly assembles and deploys, and once installed, requires no additional drivers or maintenance crews to operate the system.

Elmer is an AI tool and Sperry’s newest rail safety initiative. Elmer uses machine learning based on neural networks to process data from rail flaw detection systems and to identify patterns in the data that may indicate the presence of defects. The system learns from the data gathered by ultrasound, induction, and eddy current inspection methods, applying modern, AI-driven data analysis. The system is fittingly named after Elmer Sperry and was inspired by his work toward the goal of increased rail safety facilitated by effective, accurate inspection and data analysis.

Sperry is the only company using AI and rtands.com

Photo Credit: Herzog

Rail Flaw Detection

Rail Flaw Detection

developed it entirely in-house. Elmer gives consistent results and reduces human intervention during analysis, and reduces the number of verifications that need to be done on track, improving worker safety. Also, Sperry’s non-stop customers around the world are using Elmer.

Sperry’s 360° solution, a full scope technology suite that captures the rail health of an entire network, combines comprehensive testing techniques and technologies, such as eddy current for full surface coverage of the railhead while leveraging the Elmer AI tool and big data predictive analytics. The 360° solution utilizes algorithms and tools as a predictive tool to measure the probability and consequences of failure from detected exceptions and provide a complete view of the infrastructure. The 360° solution can be deployed on any Sperry hi-rail or railbound vehicles, including the ATS. Nordco Nordco Rail Services & Inspection Technologies, a division of Nordco, Inc., has been serving the rail industry for over 45 years by providing state-of-the-art ultrasonic rail flaw

detection (RFD) equipment and services.

The company’s RFD team provides both continuous and stop-and-verify testing to Class 1, 2, and 3 railroads across North America. All operators are certified through Nordco’s training program, including ASNT Level I and II Ultrasonic Training and a minimum of six months of supervised on-track experience. Training also is provided to all those who purchase Nordco’s equipment and is available to clients of Nordco RFD service. Nordco aims to educate clients in ultrasonic technology and rail flaw detection so they can ensure a safe environment, no matter who inspects their track.

Nordco’s fleet of rail flaw detection vehicles includes the newest model, NRS260 Prime, which incorporates a 48-channel digital signal processing system allowing for a higher speed of testing with fewer false-positive results. Accurate testing minimizes on-track time, saves money on unnecessary repairs, and prevents catastrophic failures.

The Prime utilizes six roller search unit (RSU) wheel probes, with a total of 42 transducers, providing full railhead and web coverage. Along with the main XL9-11 RSU with 11

Nordco’s railbound RB560 ultrasonic rail flaw detection system is designed to be integrated into a measurement car along with geometry and vision systems to provide complete track analysis.

transducers per wheel, the Sweeper wheels are optimized to detect transverse detail fractures beneath sub-surface shelling where traditional detection probes have struggled in the past. The Tracer wheel probes are oriented

Listen to your railroad

Photo Credit: Nordco, Inc.

Pandrol’s ultrasonic rail testing uses high pitched waves to identify defects in the rail. A full track inspection service is available, which provides an exhaustive report of the location, characteristics and urgency of all defects.

For further information contact us at info@pandrol.com Partners in excellence

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January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 20/12/2019 11:48:59 27

Rail Flaw Detection

Herzog’s Series 5500 4WD ultrasonic testing vehicles are ideal for use in mountainous regions and can handle any mainline rail flaw inspections.

at a cant angle to inspect worn gage corners that cannot be sufficiently inspected with perpendicularly oriented RSUs due to contact loss. The combination of these wheel probes provides the most rail test coverage available on the market today.

The NRS260 Prime is built on a Freightliner truck with room for four passengers (DOT-approved seating) while maintaining a

GVW of less than 23,000 lb avoiding the need for a CDL for operation or transport.

Besides providing RFD service, Nordco has a long history of providing railbound and hi-rail systems to railroads around the world. By working in conjunction with manufacturers of other measurement systems, Nordco ultrasonic equipment has been successfully deployed on numerous

THE NEWS DESTINATION FOR THE RAIL INDUSTRY

measurement cars, including the newest system for Egypt Railways as well as for transits, including WMATA and PATH in the U.S. Railbound systems offer continuous, non-stop testing up to 45 mph/hour (60 km/hour), which allows for remote analysis of the inspection data to minimize on-track time. The ultrasonic inspection system integrates with other track inspection systems to provide detailed reports for optimization of track management and to allow for run-onrun comparisons over time.

Nordco is proud to offer both complete hi-rail vehicle systems as well as FLEX Rail Flaw Detection systems that can mount to the client’s vehicle of choice. The FLEX is customizable with various combinations of RSU wheel probes to meet the specific needs of the railroad. All systems come with Nordco’s patented pattern recognition defect classification engine, which incorporates artificial intelligence to recognize and classify common rail conditions, track structures, and defects.

By automatically recognizing common features such as bolt holes, the operator is free to focus on the more important and potentially hazardous defects.

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Expert analysis from industry leaders and vital rail resources

Vegetation Management

Keep off and

STAY BACK

Vegetation management helps railroad companies battle nature

By Bill Wilson, Editor-in-Chief

D

Photo Credit: RCE

ynamic envelopes can be used as a reinforcement to keep traffic away from flashing lights and gate arms when trains are crossing an intersection. Regular envelopes work for a sample clip of a type of vegetation, but nothing can keep shrubs, weeds and trees away from the track when they are in their natural element. This is why vegetation management is a critical operation to help systems run smoothly on and around the track. Below is a summary of some of the equipment, herbicides and systems available to railroad companies.

Ferrovia Services, LLC Ferrovia Services, LLC, an innovation leader in the railroad vegetation management industry, continues to provide nextgeneration solutions for today’s vegetation issues. This year, Ferrovia is introducing a patented technology spray system to the U.S. rail market, which operates at posted track speeds. The spray system allows rtands.com

vegetation control to occur within the normal flow of traffic, reducing the need for costly field support and track and time. This revolutionary weed management system will provide seamless data management between the spray container, trucks and the management team.

Environmental areas, crossings, and waterways are just a few of the areas that can be geo-fenced to prevent accidental spray application.

“Traditionally, spray applicators are only as good as what they can see, but the spray container takes the guesswork out of ‘no spray areas’,” said Ferrovia’s COO Ryan Cammack. “Furthermore, with real-time mapping and detailed spray data, customers don’t have to wonder if an area was sprayed or not.”

Marden Industries (Supertrak) Supertrak’s new SK170RR is an industry first non-permitted dedicated mulching hi-rail excavator. The Cat 170-hp,

Tier 4 Final single engine is matched with a dedicated closed loop high-f low system that is equipped with reversing fan systems to meet the demand of highambient working conditions.

Unlike stock excavators, the closed-loop system provides the necessary flow and pressure separately from the boom/stick and tracks to meet high production requirements in a small transportable package.

Brandt The Brandt Rail Tool brings productivity to a wide range of tasks, including brush cutting, undercutting, material handling, and moving dirt. Its John Deere 200-hp auxiliary engine provides plenty of torque for your undercutter and mulching heads.

The powerful engine enables the Rail Tool to travel up to 30 mph on rails and pull ballast or maintenance railcars without the need of a costly locomotive. With the 80-gal fuel tank, you can keep working for up to 10 hours under a full load, allowing you to get January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 29

Vegetation Management

increase in the number of hi-rail excavators going out with brush cutter heads. RCE also has an all-makes rail gear package, allowing for Cat, Deere and Komatsu 20-metric-ton excavators with high rail.

more done without interruption.

The Rail Tool is designed for maximum operator visibility with clear, convenient sightlines, and the toolbox at the rear gives you 6 sq ft of storage space, so you don’t have to compromise leg room to store your equipment. Plus, you can enjoy the comfort of heating and air conditioning to get the job done without breaking a sweat.

This machine is purpose-built to deliver maximum uptime in the toughest conditions. Its Funk Series 1400 axle utilizes high-capacity bearings to extend service life under heavy loads. What’s more, the Rail Tool has been stability tested for 6 in. of super elevation for safe, reliable operation on uneven tracks.

NatureChem Since 1987, NaturChem has been a trusted partner in the vegetation management industry. The company serves over 9,000 customers in a wide array of markets including industrial, railroad, telecommunications, aviation, retail, and solar industries, as well as many other areas in the public and private sectors.

NaturChem provides vegetation management services to railroad companies, power generating plants, and other industrial sites. The company’s services help anyone with responsibility to maintain tracks in an environment free of vegetation issues.

NaturChem’s fleet of hi-rail trucks and other equipment are specifically designed to solve any railroad right-of-way vegetation problem.

NaturChem provides a wide variety of 30 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

services to the railroad industry. It offers complete (bareground) weed control for the floor of the right-of-way. This is accomplished through the application of preemergent and post-emergent herbicides.

Where some low-growth vegetation cover is desirable, NaturChem provides applications of selective herbicides. This technique eliminates weeds, woody brush and certain tall-growing grasses.

NaturChem also provides encroaching woody brush applications. One of the most cost-effective moves a railroad can make is to control encroaching brush with herbicides. NaturChem kills the brush and limbs without harming trees growing at the rightof-way edge. Controlling woody brush in this manner is much more effective and much less costly than traditional mechanical side-cutting methods.

RCE Equipment Solutions With the use of RCE’s hi-rail excavators equipped with a brushcutter head, brush management can be achieved both in an on-track and off-track mode. Unlike traditional dedicated on-track brush cutters, RCE’s hi-rail excavator can be used for a wide range of rail maintenance duties such as removal and installing ties, undercutting ballast, laying new rail, and standard excavation tasks.

In the past couple years RCE has expanded its Railavator lineup, including two new models—the 245G and 250G Railavators. We now provide seven John Deere models—50G, 85G, 135G, 210G, 245G, 250G and 350G. RCE has seen an

Progress Rail Progress Rail serves the vegetation management industry with reliable Kershaw equipment to tackle tough maintenance jobs, accessing sites quickly and easily. Suitable for a variety of applications, our machines can perform tree and brush clearing for railroads, utilities, right-of-way clearing and more.

The Kershaw SkyTrim 75HRT is specifically built for safe, efficient and reliable tree trimming along the railways. The SkyTrim 75HRT is an over-the-road, rubber-tired prime mover vehicle with a rear bedmounted special cab and an attached telescoping boom with saw-type cutter head designed to trim trees. The machine is equipped with hydraulically deployed rail wheels for operation on the railroad.

The operator is capable of fully rotating the cab around the bed of the truck to ensure maximum reach along the railroad.

The full length, tinted Lexgard access door has a positive latch and steel reinforcing frame. The cab also features a light touch, hydraulic pilot pressure joystick for extend-lift-swing-tilt boom controls, engine instruments and an ergonomic seat.

A special cab-operated creep drive system helps propel the hi-rail truck down the track at a maximum of 5 mph.

The telescoping composite boom has a 75-ft reach from the ground and is driven with a 50-lb chain. Each unit is electrically insulated and tested to ANSI standards to 100kV for maximum operator safety. The boom is equipped with a single 24-in.diam., carbide-tipped saw turning at 2,800 rotations per minimum.

A new addition to the Vancer line is the Huddig 1260D Hi-Rail. rtands.com

Photo Credit: Progress Rail, Vancer

The Kershaw SkyTrim 75HRT is built for reliable tree trimming along the railways.

Vegetation Management

Vancer To help combat vegetation management issues, Vancer continues to expand its hi-rail equipment line to focus on remote vegetation growth.

An addition Vancer made to its product line is the Huddig 1260D Hi-Rail. The wheeled backhoe loader system has a specialized articulating center pivot system that allows the machine to operate multiple attachments, like brush cutters for vegetation management projects.

The Huddig 1260D Hi-Rail also has a power output of 157 hp, which allows the machine to operate multiple attachments for various maintenance-of-way projects, including: tie replacement, ballast regulation, material handling, vegetation management, snow management and utility work.

It also features an auxiliary tool valve and hose reel to run 5/10 GPM hydraulic handheld tools, and the option to add on a man lift and/or a remote control.

Vancer also offers several models of hi-rail equipment to accommodate the varying needs of the railroads and rail

contractors. The largest, most powerful model is the CTB41 Hi-Rail Excavator, which is powered by a Cat C9 engine and has a net power of over 300 hp.

Corteva Agriscience The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unconditionally registered TerraVue herbicide from Corteva Agriscience for the 2020 season. Use sites include, but are not limited to, roadsides, utility rights-ofway, natural areas and wildlife management areas, including grazed areas in and around these sites.

TerraVue features Rinskor active, a new active ingredient in the vegetation management market, designed to deliver quality weed and brush control with tolerance to grasses, forbs, shrubs and other desirable plants. That combination provides two-fold advantages to vegetation managers.

TerraVue is labeled to control more than 140 broadleaf weed species as well as multiple woody plant species. Rinskor active, recipient of the 2018 Green Chemistry Challenge Award, partners with the proven

active aminopyralid to deliver TerraVue features including: • Low use rate; • Low-odor formulation; • Ability to use on grazed areas; • Flexibility across use sites; • Season-long residual control; • Low volatility; • Safety to desirable grasses, forbs and shrubs; • Two active ingredients classified as reduced risk under the EPA’s Conventional Reduced Risk Pesticide Program.

Supertrak’s new SK170RR comes with an industry first.

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GET THE INSIDE SCOOP ON & OFF THE TRACK

RAIL BRIEF The Weekly RT&S Email Newsletter

• Engineering and M/W News • Information on Advancing Projects • Coverage of Developing Technologies • Safety and Regulatory Updates

Subscribe at: http://bit.ly/railbrief

Become a Member Membership in AREMA demonstrates that you are a professional in your field, dedicated to improving your practical knowledge and interested in exchanging information with your peers in order to advance the railroad engineering industry.

JOIN NOW AT WWW.AREMA.ORG

REGISTER NOW FEBRUARY 10 – 12, 2020 KANSAS CITY, MO Ballast & Roadbed Management Research & Development Current Maintenance & Renewal Practices Over Twenty Presentations by top-level national & international engineering professionals Earn up to 13.25 Professional Development Hours

Visit www.arema.org/symposium for more information!

Message From The President

Edward D. Sparks, II, P.E. AREMA President

H

January 2020

appy New Year! The AREMA World Headquarters team and I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful holiday season and a safe and productive conclusion to 2019.

2020 is already off to a good start with two committee meetings this month and five more next month. In addition, the activities of the Program Committee, under the leadership of Senior Vice President Vic Babin, are already underway. The Committee is reviewing the multitude of abstracts submitted for our AREMA Annual Conference and Expo which will be held this September in Dallas, Texas.

Every year this is a challenging but rewarding task, as our industry always produces a wide assortment of interesting presentations on engaging topics to choose from.

Special thanks to all of those who have taken the time to submit an abstract and those who are involved with the Program Committee who are reviewing them. This effort yields excellent results every year, and 2020 will not be an exception.

New this year, as mentioned in my message last month, is the Railway Roadbed & Ballast Symposium being held Feb. 10-12 in Kansas City, Mo. Top experts from railway maintenance and research will bring you the latest on this important topic. Do not miss this great opportunity to improve your knowledge on such a crucial railroad maintenance topic.

Safety first. This two-word statement is one of the more universal traits of our railroad industry. There are many other rtands.com

similar slogans, mottos, or sayings that I’m sure come to your mind which also express the importance of safety. I started out as a new railroader fresh out of college way back in 1994. The concept of workplace safety was not a foreign one to me thanks to my prior construction experience. But once on the railroad, wow, it was a constant, continual message.

There are many reasons this message permeates our industry. First and foremost, the equipment and material used in this industry is large, heavy, and unforgiving. It doesn’t matter how physically fit you are, a train doesn’t care. You also may recall historical accounts of many

“

An old safety bulletin spoke of the excellent safety performance of one division with a frequency index of around 10. That was the best. 10! who perished in constructing the transcontinental railroad. Sadly, they were not alone.

Throughout my early railroad travels I took note that more than a few of the more senior men on maintenance teams were missing a portion of one or more fingers. No doubt these men survived pinch-point incidents. That stark reality made an impression on a new supervisor. Since then, when speaking with the men and women who keep the railroad running, my message has been consistent.

We want you to put in a solid day’s work for your day’s pay. We want you to retire at the end of your career with all of your pieces and parts along with good memories and the satisfaction of a job well done.

It is remarkable how far our industry has come over the past several decades in the area of safety. I recall reading an old safety bulletin left behind by my

predecessor at one of my first assignments. It spoke of the excellent safety performance of one division with a Frequency Index of around 10. That was the best. 10! That is unthinkable nowadays. Most railroads are hovering around the 1 range. For those who are not familiar, the Frequency Index is measured as the number of reportable injuries divided by 200,000 labor hours.

AREMA has safety permeating through every activity and group. For example, if you’ve been to our Conference and Expo or Railway Interchange you’ve undoubtedly heard and participated in a safety briefing before all of the sessions. In addition, we have Committee 40 dedicated to engineering safety. Safety plays a role in every part of our publications and activities.

The growth and development of the railroad industry in North America is truly something to marvel. It is through the ingenuity and hard labor of thousands that we have the robust network that exists today.

As with any industry that spans a couple of centuries, many lives were lost along the way. It is incumbent upon all of us to learn the lessons that past incidents have taught us, spread the word to those around us, and engineer out as much risk as possible, so that continuous improvement in safety is realized. There have been and continue to be tremendous advancements in tools, materials, and methods that further our progress to the ultimate goal of zero injuries. Your participation in AREMA plays a valuable role in such an important matter.

Once more, do not miss out on the Railway Roadbed & Ballast Symposium in Kansas City next month. Last but not least, remember that the AREMA 2020 Annual Conference and Expo is just nine short months away in Dallas, Texas. See you on the railroad.

January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 35

FYI

• HAPPY NEW YEAR! AREMA would like to wish you and your family a prosperous new year.

• Order the 2020 Communications & Signals Manual now. With over 50 new, revised, reaffirmed or extended manual parts, it’s the perfect time to get the 2020 Manual. Order online now at www. arema.org or contact mbruins@arema. org for more details.

• Re-released after six years, order the NEW, Third Edition of the Practical Guide to Railway Engieering. This expanded edition offers in-depth coverage of railway fundamentals and serves as an excellent reference com bining and consolidating the most useful

information from a multitude of sources including: AREMA manuals; Railway Engineering by W.W. Hay; Railway Curves and Earthwork by C. Frank Allen; regulatory and other agency sources.

Order online now at www.arema.org or contact mbruins@arema.org for more details.

• Call for Entries for the 2020 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence. The selection process for the 22nd W. Hay Award has begun. Entries must be submitted by May 22. Please visit www. arema.org for more information.

• Leverage the power of your trusted associations’ Railway Careers Network to tap into a talent pool

of job candidates with the training and education needed for long-term success. Visit www.arema.org/careers to post your job today.

• AREMA members, if you have not already done so, be sure to renew your membership today to take advantage of what AREMA can offer you. Login now to www.arema.org and renew your 2020 dues online. Not an AREMA member? Join now to get exclusive rates on products and educational courses, committee opportunities, access to the directories, subscriptions to your favorite magazine and much more.

Not an AREMA Member?

Join today at www.arema.org

Upcoming Committee Meetings JAN. 23-24

MARch 10-11

MAY 19-20

Committee 8 - Concrete Structures and Foundations New Orleans, La.

Committee 37 - Signal Systems San Diego, Calif.

Committee 15 - Steel Structures Pueblo, Colo.

MARch 11-12

JUNe 1

Committee 36 - Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems San Diego, Calif.

Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Construction New York, N.Y.

MARch 18-19

June 12-13

Committee 38 - Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems Pittsburgh, Pa.

Committee 24 - Education & Training Homewood, Ill.

JAN. 28-29 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Construction Albuquerque, N.M. feb. 11 Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Stuctures Spring, Texas feb. 12-13 Committee 1 - Roadway & Ballast Kansas City, Mo. FEB. 18-19 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Fort Worth, Texas FEB. 19-20 Committee 7 - Timber Structures Jacksonville, Fla. FEB. 21-22

APRil 23-24 Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems Los Angeles, Calif.

Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Los Angeles, Calif.

April 29-30 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Kansas City, Mo.

SEPT. 13 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Construction Dallas, Texas Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Dallas, Texas SEPT. 19-20 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Chicago, Ill.

Committee 24 - Education & Training Jacksonville, Fla. If you’d like to learn more about the AREMA Technical Committees and would like to get involved, please contact Alayne Bell at abell@arema.org. For a complete list of all committee meetings, visit www.arema.org/events.

36 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

rtands.com

Watford fellowship offers global rail experience

By James Michel, Honorary Member, AREMA

The 2019 Fellow, Rebecca Reyman of Amtrak in New York City, attended the 53rd Conference in the Paris suburb of St. Ouen.

The AREMA Educational Foundation has been instrumental in introducing college students to the opportunities and rewards of working in our industry, but in 2014, the Foundation created a learning opportunity for railroad employees new to the industry and that also are members of an AREMA committee. Called the Watford Fellowship, the program provides a monetary award to cover the conference registration fee and related travel expenses for the annual Watford Conference for railway designers. The 2019 Fellow, Rebecca Reyman of Amtrak in New York City, attended the 53rd Conference in the Paris suburb of St. Ouen. AREMA’s connection to the Watford Group began in 1994 when all members of Committee 6, Buildings and Support Facilities, were invited into the U.S. Watford delegation and became eligible to attend Watford conferences. Also attending the 2019 conference were Committee 6 members John Lyon and James Michel.

Hosted by the Société Grand Paris, a special purpose agency constructing 125 miles of new urban railways with 68 new stations, the conference featured 22 presentations from railroads, infrastructure management companies and consultants from four continents. Presentations looked at large station redevelopments, systems integration, innovation, and problem solving in a variety of contexts that embraced both facilities and rolling stock. Rebecca made a presentation about her work in the renovation of the track and passenger platforms of New York’s rtands.com

Penn Station. The program also included a technical tour of the Paris rail stations of Les Halles-Chatelet, Saint Lazaire, and the St. Denis du Pleyel, a construction site where four new metro lines will meet to support the 2024 Olympics. Rebecca remarked, “I am grateful to the AREMA Educational Foundation for selecting me as the recipient of the 2019 Watford Fellowship. The opportunity to hear from other presenters, and share my own experience in New York, has broadened my knowledge of what is possible in large station designs and given me new ideas on how various cultures approach the same challenges to create many different results.”

The Watford Group was created in 1963 by British Railways to encourage the exchange of ideas and promote design excellence among its operating regions; other countries were invited to join, and subsequently over 20 nations are now eligible to send delegates to the annual Watford Conference. The meetings mostly occur in Europe but have been held in Japan and the U.S., and integrate all aspects of rail transportation under the umbrella of good design is good business. Rebecca further noted, “The Watford Conference introduced me to international contacts that I would have never met, and I am excited to bring some of the experiences shared in Paris back to enhance my involvement in AREMA Committees 17 and 24.”

The 2020 Watford Fellowship program will consist of registration to the Watford Conference valued at approximately $2,000.

The three-day conference, targeted for Oct. 25-28, 2020, in Singapore will feature presentations in all aspects of railway planning and design with an emphasis on buildings, bridge and tunnel structures, and corporate identity. The Watford Conference fellowship grant includes nearly all of the internal expenses including hotel, most meals, all local travel, and admissions. The only added cost would be air travel (could be done using airline rewards) and incidental expenses not part of the conference registration.

Eligibility is limited to AREMA committee members that are direct employees of a railroad, government transportation agency and persons employed as a consultant assigned on a near full-time basis to a single railroad or transportation agency and having less than 10 years of rail industry experience. Rules and applications for 2020 will be posted on the AREMA Educational Foundation website in February with applications due in April.

order your manual Get your copy of the NEW 2020 AREMA Communications & Signals Manual today. There are over 50 new, revised, reaffirmed or extended manual parts in over 2,500 pages of the 2020 edition.

The AREMA Communications & Signals Manual offers recommendations representing current signal practices for new installations and for replacement of existing installations when general renewal or replacement is to be made. The manual is written in the interest of establishing uniformity, promoting safety, efficiency and economy.

New for 2020: The full manual and individual sections are now available in downloadable PDF formats. This format will provide instant, online access to the manual.

Order online now at www.arema.org or contact mbruins@arema.org for more details.

January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 37

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New & Used Equipment

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

Email: RelamCFE@aol.com Tel: 440-439-7088 Fax: 440-439-9399 Visit our website at: www.relaminc.com EQUIPMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM LEASE HARSCO AND NORDCO TAMPERS 6700S, 6700SJ, 6700SJ2 Switch and Production Tampers Mark IV Switch and Production Tampers 3300 and HST Chase Tampers 3000 Tampers w/Raise & Line or Chase Tampers 2400 Tampers w/Raise & Line HYDRAULIC STABILIZERS HARSCO TS-30HDs TIE INSERTERS/EXTRACTORS Nordco TRIPPs TR-10s and TKOs 925 S/Ss, Standards, KTR-400s KNOX KERSHAW PRODUCTS KBR-860s and 925s, KSF-940 Ballast Regulators & Snow Fighters KBR-940 Dual Head Brush Cutters KTC-1200 Tie Cranes KKA-1000/1050 Kribber-Adzers KPB-200 Plate Brooms NORDCO ANCHOR APPLICATORS, SPIKERS & GRABBERS Models CX and SS Spikers M-3 Screw Spike Machines Model F Anchor Machines and BAAMs Model SP2R Dual Spike Puller/Grabbers RACINE RAILROAD PRODUCTS Dual Anchor Spreaders, Squeezers, Knockers (Anchor Removers), Anchor Applicators, DAACs (Dual Anchor Adjuster Cribber), Dual e-Clip Applicators, Ride-on Regauge Adzers, TPIs, Tie Straighteners, OTM Reclaimers, SAFELOK IIIs (SAR IIIs) HI-RAIL CRANES, SPEEDSWINGS & RAILHEATERS Pettibone Model 445E/445F Speedswings w/Multiple Attachments (F’s with Tier 4 Engine) Geismar 360/360-Tronic Hi-Rail Excavators, (Cold Air Blower, Brush Cutter, Grapple, Heel Boom, Train Air & Knuckle available) Badger 30 Ton Cranes w/Hi-Rails Propane and Diesel Railheaters - Single & Dual Sided, Self-propelled w/Vibrators HI-RAIL TRUCKS, EXCAVATORS, & CARTS Hi-Rail Gradalls, XL3300 Series III w/Digging Buckets & Brush Cutters Hi-Rail Rotary Dumps, Various Hi-Rail Pickups Hi-Rail Grapple Trucks (available w/Magnet, Rail Racks & Creep Drive) 25-ton Hudson Ballast Cars 25-ton Rail and OTM Carts, 5-ton Tie Carts

Products & Services

REESE WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?

• Track construction and maintenance • On-track ditching and rotary dump service • On-track tree trimming and brushcutting • Storm and flood cleanup and debris removal • Tie distribution, removal and disposal

K. W. Reese, Inc.

Box 298 • Mercersburg, PA 17236

(717) 328-5211 • fax (717) 328-9541 • www.kwreese.com

2019 NRC PLATINUM SAFETY AWARD WINNER

ERIC HEADRICK President 205 N. Chestnut/PO Box 404 Arcola, IL 61910

Ph217-268-5110 cell217-259-4823 Fax217-268-3059 email eric@rrcri.com Exchange Units/Related Tamper Parts and Assemblies To purchase parts, contact: New & Rebuilt sales@rrcri.com Electromatic/Hydraulic Units available for same Workheads day shipping

Marketplace SaleS

Jennifer izzo P: 203-604-1744 F: 203-857-0296 jizzo@mediapeople.com

WWW.RTANDS.COM ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

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January 2020 // Railway Track & Structures 39

Ad Index

COMPANY

PHONE #

FAX #

E-MAIL ADDRESS

PAGE #

AREMA Marketing Department

301-459-3200

301-459-8077

marketing@arema.org

34,C3

Herzog Services Inc

816-233-9002

816-672-0119

telbert@herzogservices.com

25

Light Rail

212-620-7205

212-633-1165

conferences@sbpub.com

7

Next Gen Freight Rail

212-620-7205

212-633-1165

conferences@sbpub.com

14-15

Nordco Inc

414-766-2180

414-766-2379

cnielsen@nordco.com

12

Pandrol USA L P

800-221-CLIP

856-467-2994

Progress Rail, A Caterpillar Company

256-505-6402

256-505-6051

info@progressrail.com

C2

Rail Insights

212-620-7205

212-633-1165

conferences@sbpub.com

11

RCE Equipment Solutions Inc

866-472-4510

630-355-7173

dennishanke@rcequip.com

23

Railway Education Bureau The

402-346-4300

402-346-1783

bbrundige@sb-reb-com

13,32

Sperry Rail Services

203-791-4507

robert.dimatteo@sperryrail.com

C4

27

Advertising Sales MAIN OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com AL, KY, Jonathan Chalon 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com

CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada – Quebec and East, Ontario Jerome Marullo 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, In, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK, OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada – AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 683-5026 Fax: (312) 683-0131 hdisabato@sbpub.com The Netherlands, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal,

Switzerland, North Germany, Middle East, South America, Africa (not South), Far East (Excluding Korea / China/India), All Others, Tenders Louise Cooper International Area Sales Manager The Priory, Syresham Gardens Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom +44-1444-416368 Fax: +44-(0)-1444-458185 lc@railjournal.co.uk Scandinavia, Spain, Southern Germany, Austria, Korea, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe Baltic States, Recruitment Advertising Michael Boyle International Area Sales Manager Nils Michael Boyle Dorfstrasse 70, 6393 St. Ulrich, Austria. +011436767089872 mboyle@railjournal.com

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

Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 V Piano, Genoa, Italy 16129 +39-10-570-4948 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 info@mediapointsrl.it Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Tokyo 121-0824 Japan +81-3-5691-3335 Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 amkatsu@dream.com CLASSIFIED, PROFESSIONAL & EMPLOYMENT Jennifer Izzo 800 Connecticut Avenue Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 604-1744 Fax: (203) 857-0296 jizzo@mediapeople.com

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

40 Railway Track & Structures // January 2020

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