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Abstract

onments. Optional remote wireless control enables specific car and gate selections for up to 1,000 cars. AggreGate has guillotine door openings capable of stopping the flow of ballast.Stopping ballast flow is necessary at switches, crossovers, and bridges. AggreGate can dump rock inside, outside, or on both sides of the rail at the same time. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a><h2 id="0259">Plasser American</h2>This company offers the largest undercutter in the industry with unbeatable performance. The RM80–800 is a high-performance ballast cleaning machine is an articulated design with a powerful cutting chain. The machine also has a high-capacity screening system that ensures high working speeds even in fouled, encrusted ballast.This machine has a track lifting and lining device that performs lifts and lateral shifts, so the track is kept free of track-side obstacles. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a>The company also offers the 09 2X DYNACAT. The machine is a heavy-duty, high-speed, continuous-action two-tie switch and production track tamping machine. The 09 2X DYNACAT comes equipped with an integral dynamic track stabilizer, and the company purports this to be the” perfect” tool for railroads that face reduced manning and increased output.It seems that all railroads are facing these obstacles now. The machine tamps and indexes two railroad ties at the same time while the mainframe of the stabilizer moves in a smooth manner at a rate of speed determined by the operator. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a>The company is not one to sit back on its laurels and watch the world go by. Instead, they have just fielded The Plasser American GRM4000. This new product is the next step of the GRM line of tamping machines.This machine is a modified design capable of two-tied tamping to increase the production rate and has improved weight distribution. A road truck or flat rail car can transport this machine. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a>The GRM4000 can be linked in a remote manner to the Plasser Dynamic Track Stabilizer PTS90C via the Autonomous Remote Stabilizer Upgrade Kit. The kit consists of two modules. Module one is attached to the existing stabilizer, and the second module is attached to the independent lead machine such as the GRM4000.When installed, the lead machine operator can control the stabilizer, and there is no need for an additional operator. The kit meets the industry’s push to precision railroading, improving resourcefulness, productivity, safety, and adaptability. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a><h2 id="4b45">Rail Construction Equipment Co. (RCE)</h2>The company said the supply chain challenges it has experienced during the last several years have eased. They stated further that they have had a strong demand for equipment heading into the new year. They have experienced increased demand for sales, rental, and leasing.They are bringing new technologies. New Series Railavators and the Series 5P Swing Loader use a John Deere 544 P-Tier model machine. The operator gets better performance, efficiency, and comfort. The manufacturer removed the standard loader boom and replaced it with a 200-degree turntable that allows swing crane functionality.The main boom retains its structural integrity, allowing Series 5 to lift 14,500 pounds. This machine can work on or off the rail and has a drawbar pull to handle the positioning of continuous rail. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a>The Railavator high rail excavator has patented hydraulic-powered retractable high rail that customers can use on or off the track. The new excavators have RCE’s Ultra Life Axles. These drives are high-strength alloy steel and offer twice as strong as existing cast iron final drives.The axles are rebuildable and repairable. The design enhancements of the new railavators include a new hydraulic system and more components in the common manifold (fewer hoses, separate components, and fewer joints to leak).The F-N-R valves are now pilot-operated instead of operated by electrical coils. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwa

Options

yage.com</a>The manufacturer updated the Railavator structure, including the high rail linkages and supports, extended support gussets, and added weight to the links and frames. The reason for updating the structure was to reduce frame flexing and cracking. The manufacturer realigned the main axle drive frame, so all axles work well for drive components.The manufacturer also changed the drive axle mounting, the axle mount, and the front and rear bumpers. A focus on strength and durability led to changing the two points. The improved rotary manifold has a higher-pressure rating and longer life.The push-button monitor controls the high rail and attachments from inside the cab. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a><h2 id="fe48">Rhomberg Sersa North America (RNSA)</h2>This company offers ballast maintenance solutions and technologies for public and private railroads. They provide new and innovative solutions in conditional assessment, maintenance planning, and delivering the most effective maintenance solution in optimizing the life and performance of ballast and the overall track bed. This company just added a Material Handling and Distribution Train that helps alleviate the bottleneck in production-based ballast cleaning.The train is a standalone ballast or spoil management train that compromises MFS (mineral conveyor and storage unit) cars and power wagons that enable ballast to be loaded, stored, transported, unloaded, and distributed at the site. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a>The train operates with the company’s fleet of RM80 high-output ballast undercutters to collect track spoil in areas where casting material from the undercutter is impractical or unacceptable for the environment. The train is adaptable and can serve the purpose of a direct ballast feeder to the ballast cleaner during ballast cleaning.This process optimizes the overall production process and reduces costs. To view a short film clip of the company performing this process please go to <a href="https://northamerica.rhomberg-sersa.com/en/services/ballast-cleaning">Rhomberg Sersa NA_Ballast Cleaning — Rhomberg Sersa North America (rhomberg-sersa.com)</a>. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a>Each MFS car has its conveyor system that transfers material from car to car; a single line can be ballast cleaned while an adjacent track is left open. There are concerns and costs of removing the adjacent track from service. Using this train for spoil wagons or in challenging but critical infrastructure, high population areas, sensitive or environmental areas, and difficult-to-maintain areas such as tunnels is no longer a concern. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a><h2 id="6fd0">Loram Technologies, Inc.</h2>This company works with domestic and international customers, turning to data gathering and analysis to make informed decisions about where to spend their ballast maintenance dollars. Customers must use ballast maintenance dollars to replace the right ties and ballast to clean areas most in need. This company has inspection equipment that can use GPR, LiDAR, line scan, x-ray tie inspection, and video to assess the entire track structure.Loram Technologies partners with railroad companies to develop multiyear maintenance plans to fit the railroad companies’ budget and remediate and maintain as much track as possible being the most cost-effective. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. <a href="http://www.railwayage.com">www.railwayage.com</a>This is the end of article two of a two-article series. In this article, we learned about some of the equipment that suppliers are providing to the railroads and the capabilities of that equipment. It looks to us like the supplier companies are trying hard to do all they can to make railroading successful with the least amount of painstaking maintenance using the right machines for the task.The suppliers are assisting railroad managers to the best of their ability always looking for another way to perform the tasks they are required to do. The charge is keeping the railroads safe and locomotives and trains running down the tracks at the best cost with the real effort being made by machines instead of humans.We hope you have enjoyed reading the series on MOW and it has piqued your interest to learn even more about it. We look forward to bringing you additional content in the near term.</article></body>

New Machines/Methods Empower Maintenance of Way — Ballast Clean/Installation

Railroads Discover New Ways to Save Money, Manning, Time Article Two of a Two-Article Series.

Texas Gulf Sulphur Company.jpg — Wikimedia Commons

Introduction

This is article two of a two-article series. As a railfan and follower of Railway Age magazine, I noticed when I got the most recent edition dated November 2023, that it contained an article titled Rock Solid Support written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor. This article is Railway Age’s attempt to contact supplier companies to find out about its latest technologies, what their customers (railroads) are looking for, and the state of the market.

Some companies responded to these queries with their offers. Let’s look at some information on the latest and greatest equipment, machines, and methods being used within the railway business sector. The end goal is to keep ballast in good repair, providing a smooth-running surface with excellent drainage. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

In this article, we will review the companies that provided a response to the Railway Age. We will review the equipment that suppliers are providing to the railroad and the capabilities of that equipment. It looks to us like the supplier companies are trying to do all they can to make railroading successful and Maintenance of Way (MOW) tolerable while still getting necessary maintenance done.

Supplier Companies

Railway Age invited the following companies to respond: Brandt Road Rail; BTE (Ballast, Tools, and Equipment); Dymax Rail; HRSI (Herzog Railroad Services); Know Kershaw; Loran Technologies, Inc.; Miner Enterprises; Plasser American; RCE (Rail Construction Equipment co.); Ontario Trap Rock; Mitchell Railgear; and Rhomberg Sersa North America. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

We will now take a look at some of the information in the responses provided. We begin with Ballast Tools Equipment (BTE).

Ballast Tools Equipment (BTE)

The company said mud spots and fouled ballast not cleaned soon will create defects and cause track components to decline fast and compromise track structure. The way the company had been performing this task before the change they made was to field a crew of six people using different machines that included an undercutter, dump truck, tamper, and regulator. The company has now developed a new way to do the repairs required by the Federal Railway Authority (FRA). Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The new process involves a one-person crew with a single Hi-Rail excavator, the new Cribber, and work attachments. The new Cribber uses the technology of its trencher-style undercutter and the company’s proprietary carbide-protected cutting chain. The company uses chain guarding to protect the rails and ties from damage while using the Cribber.

The Cribber saves human resources (going from a crew of six to a crew of one). Shortfalls in manning available at the railroads has made it necessary to determine more cost-effective ways to get things such as maintenance done with less people to do the work. Customer expectations have demanded less track time to remediate FRA ballast defects. The Cribber has attachments such as a bucket, the Cribber itself, a dump cart, and a tamper. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The company says railways can now clean mud spots and remove fouled ballast rock defects in a fraction of the time and cost of the other method. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

Miner Enterprises

This company used AggreGate Maintenance of Way (MOW) ballast outlet gates. The AggreGate is a standalone solar-powered piece of equipment attached to the underside of a railcar, and it has LED work lights for nighttime operations. It has a photovoltaic system with a solar array, batteries, two switches, and a lighting controller with a temperature compensation feature.

The equipment operator can use the temperature compensation feature to ensure a charged system for hot or cold environments. Optional remote wireless control enables specific car and gate selections for up to 1,000 cars. AggreGate has guillotine door openings capable of stopping the flow of ballast.

Stopping ballast flow is necessary at switches, crossovers, and bridges. AggreGate can dump rock inside, outside, or on both sides of the rail at the same time. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

Plasser American

This company offers the largest undercutter in the industry with unbeatable performance. The RM80–800 is a high-performance ballast cleaning machine is an articulated design with a powerful cutting chain. The machine also has a high-capacity screening system that ensures high working speeds even in fouled, encrusted ballast.

This machine has a track lifting and lining device that performs lifts and lateral shifts, so the track is kept free of track-side obstacles. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The company also offers the 09 2X DYNACAT. The machine is a heavy-duty, high-speed, continuous-action two-tie switch and production track tamping machine. The 09 2X DYNACAT comes equipped with an integral dynamic track stabilizer, and the company purports this to be the” perfect” tool for railroads that face reduced manning and increased output.

It seems that all railroads are facing these obstacles now. The machine tamps and indexes two railroad ties at the same time while the mainframe of the stabilizer moves in a smooth manner at a rate of speed determined by the operator. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The company is not one to sit back on its laurels and watch the world go by. Instead, they have just fielded The Plasser American GRM4000. This new product is the next step of the GRM line of tamping machines.

This machine is a modified design capable of two-tied tamping to increase the production rate and has improved weight distribution. A road truck or flat rail car can transport this machine. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The GRM4000 can be linked in a remote manner to the Plasser Dynamic Track Stabilizer PTS90C via the Autonomous Remote Stabilizer Upgrade Kit. The kit consists of two modules. Module one is attached to the existing stabilizer, and the second module is attached to the independent lead machine such as the GRM4000.

When installed, the lead machine operator can control the stabilizer, and there is no need for an additional operator. The kit meets the industry’s push to precision railroading, improving resourcefulness, productivity, safety, and adaptability. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

Rail Construction Equipment Co. (RCE)

The company said the supply chain challenges it has experienced during the last several years have eased. They stated further that they have had a strong demand for equipment heading into the new year. They have experienced increased demand for sales, rental, and leasing.

They are bringing new technologies. New Series Railavators and the Series 5P Swing Loader use a John Deere 544 P-Tier model machine. The operator gets better performance, efficiency, and comfort. The manufacturer removed the standard loader boom and replaced it with a 200-degree turntable that allows swing crane functionality.

The main boom retains its structural integrity, allowing Series 5 to lift 14,500 pounds. This machine can work on or off the rail and has a drawbar pull to handle the positioning of continuous rail. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The Railavator high rail excavator has patented hydraulic-powered retractable high rail that customers can use on or off the track. The new excavators have RCE’s Ultra Life Axles. These drives are high-strength alloy steel and offer twice as strong as existing cast iron final drives.

The axles are rebuildable and repairable. The design enhancements of the new railavators include a new hydraulic system and more components in the common manifold (fewer hoses, separate components, and fewer joints to leak).

The F-N-R valves are now pilot-operated instead of operated by electrical coils. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The manufacturer updated the Railavator structure, including the high rail linkages and supports, extended support gussets, and added weight to the links and frames. The reason for updating the structure was to reduce frame flexing and cracking. The manufacturer realigned the main axle drive frame, so all axles work well for drive components.

The manufacturer also changed the drive axle mounting, the axle mount, and the front and rear bumpers. A focus on strength and durability led to changing the two points. The improved rotary manifold has a higher-pressure rating and longer life.

The push-button monitor controls the high rail and attachments from inside the cab. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

Rhomberg Sersa North America (RNSA)

This company offers ballast maintenance solutions and technologies for public and private railroads. They provide new and innovative solutions in conditional assessment, maintenance planning, and delivering the most effective maintenance solution in optimizing the life and performance of ballast and the overall track bed. This company just added a Material Handling and Distribution Train that helps alleviate the bottleneck in production-based ballast cleaning.

The train is a standalone ballast or spoil management train that compromises MFS (mineral conveyor and storage unit) cars and power wagons that enable ballast to be loaded, stored, transported, unloaded, and distributed at the site. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

The train operates with the company’s fleet of RM80 high-output ballast undercutters to collect track spoil in areas where casting material from the undercutter is impractical or unacceptable for the environment. The train is adaptable and can serve the purpose of a direct ballast feeder to the ballast cleaner during ballast cleaning.

This process optimizes the overall production process and reduces costs. To view a short film clip of the company performing this process please go to Rhomberg Sersa NA_Ballast Cleaning — Rhomberg Sersa North America (rhomberg-sersa.com). Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

Each MFS car has its conveyor system that transfers material from car to car; a single line can be ballast cleaned while an adjacent track is left open. There are concerns and costs of removing the adjacent track from service. Using this train for spoil wagons or in challenging but critical infrastructure, high population areas, sensitive or environmental areas, and difficult-to-maintain areas such as tunnels is no longer a concern. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

Loram Technologies, Inc.

This company works with domestic and international customers, turning to data gathering and analysis to make informed decisions about where to spend their ballast maintenance dollars. Customers must use ballast maintenance dollars to replace the right ties and ballast to clean areas most in need. This company has inspection equipment that can use GPR, LiDAR, line scan, x-ray tie inspection, and video to assess the entire track structure.

Loram Technologies partners with railroad companies to develop multiyear maintenance plans to fit the railroad companies’ budget and remediate and maintain as much track as possible being the most cost-effective. Worrell, C. Rock Solid Support. Railway Age, (November 2023), 44, 46, 48, 50–51. www.railwayage.com

This is the end of article two of a two-article series. In this article, we learned about some of the equipment that suppliers are providing to the railroads and the capabilities of that equipment. It looks to us like the supplier companies are trying hard to do all they can to make railroading successful with the least amount of painstaking maintenance using the right machines for the task.

The suppliers are assisting railroad managers to the best of their ability always looking for another way to perform the tasks they are required to do. The charge is keeping the railroads safe and locomotives and trains running down the tracks at the best cost with the real effort being made by machines instead of humans.

We hope you have enjoyed reading the series on MOW and it has piqued your interest to learn even more about it. We look forward to bringing you additional content in the near term.