Search

The article focuses on technological innovations and improvements resulting in the growth of railroads. It reports on the use of lasers for inspection of rail tracks, for accurate measurements. Information on the lineside detectors used in place of visual inspection technique for railroad equipment problems. It reports on the use of detection gear for monitoring equipment problems on freight cars.

The article offers information on new generation of track geometry cars, for which safety standards are set by the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Boxcars built by ENSCO Rail, Plasser American Corp., and MERMEC are ingrained with new technology to find out cracked joint bars and worn rail profiles. Canadian Pacific Railway Co.'s CP 60 boxcar tested about 20,000 miles of track in 2017, in addition to manned geometry trains.

The article presents questions and answers related to railroads including one on Montour railroad, one on new tracks on the former Atlantic Coast Line, and one on steam locomotives.

The article reports on daily inspections of railroads by the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration. It is noted that a daily inspection, a periodic inspection and a 368-day inspection is required for in-service locomotives. It is mentioned that at 92-day or 184-day intervals, periodic inspection is made in which gauges and other safety systems are checked.

The article focuses on the smart cars used to monitor rolling stock in the railroads. According to Matthew Dick, staff technical manager at ENSCO Inc., monitoring equipment on the market today can be classed into three basic categories including devices installed to measure interaction between car and track, equipment installed to measure track data and equipment installed to measure the freight car itself.

The article offers information on track geometry train, the 34 from Norfolk Southern Railway Co. and hardware on its truck including optical gauge and Orian rail profile measurement systems. Details about the office car Number 33 which brings up the rear of the train and its three part layout, launch of a website www.railinc.com/trainfax by Railinc Corp. and completion of first course in high speed railroad engineering by students of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are included.

The article reports on an order issued by Joseph Boardman, head of the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), requiring inspectors to look for track defects, beginning with CSX. The inspections began immediately following a CSX derailment in Oneida, New York in March 2007. It provides a comparison between the track standards in Norfolk Southern and CSX. It cites the efforts of CSX to train its employees to adhere to a strict safety culture.

The article presents questions and answers related to railroads. One reader asks about the sign End Corn DTC Block in a side of a railway track in Deshler, Ohio. A person questions about the boxes needed to be checked in a track warrant while another asks on the black smoke being produced by efficient fire in steam locomotives.

The article reports on the Evaluation Car-5 (EC-5) track inspection vehicle added by Union Pacific in 2006. The EC-5 is used for checking level track and correct track gauge. It also ensures that the rails adhere to specific engineering specifications. Moreover, EC-5 was received in December 2005 from Plasser & Theurer at a cost of $8.5 million. Its features include rail joint bar and fastener measuring, two track-geometry systems and tunnel laser.

The article focuses on the rail-testing abilities of Sperry Rail Service. Chief operator Troy Rogers and driver-mechanic Kermit Geary, Jr. tested Canadian National's Minneapolis Subdivision in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The rail's vertical, transverse and longitudinal defects are examined by a Sperry truck. The four kinds of defects in the web portion of a rail are bolt-hole cracks, head and web separation, split web and piped rail.

The article discusses 4 key takeaways from a beginner's track inspection workshop. It cites the need for a student in his introductory track inspection course to know that the rail can move even in moderate temperatures. It points out that the track must meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) prescribed minimums for the number of effective ties in 39 feet. It recommends hardwood ties, particularly oak for most freight applications.

The article discusses the procedures which are usually followed to rectify the effects of earthquakes on railroads. It is stated that depending on the strength of the earthquake, the railroad must be carefully examined to ensure the right-of-way has not been degraded, track is still in gauge, and the infrastructure is still functional. Information about the procedure followed by BNSF Railway is presented. It is stated that it is based on the magnitude and epicenter of the quake.

The article presents news briefs on the railroad sector in the U.S. as of January 2007. The Federal Railroad Administration regulations requiring more detailed inspections of railroads with continuous welded rail took effect on October 31, 2006. The $55 million project of Iowa Northern to improve its main line has received a $25.5 million loan from the Department of Transportation. Union Pacific announced its plans to build a $150 million yard and fueling capacity in Strauss, New Mexico.