June 2013 | www.rtands.

com

de-
Gra sing
s
Cro Guide
E&M ide
Ins

Annual report

Grade
crossings
plus

Engineering the frac

sand boom
Grinding update

And also
AREMA News p. 58
Contents
June 2013
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES

News Features

4 18
Industry Today Annual grade-crossing
4 Supplier News surfaces report
9 People Smooth and safe are the two top
12 Calculating maximum priorities when it comes to grade-
allowable curve speeds using new crossing surfaces.
FRA rules, effective in July

46
Rail grinding patterns

18 Through studying
various grinding patterns, a longer
life-cycle can be acheived. Two 46
approaches are analyzed here.

Departments
54
Engineering the
frac sand boom
15 TTCI R&D
An increase in energy-related
railroad traffic has CN and CP 58 Arema News
upgrading its infrastructure. 64 Products
65 Advertisers Index
65 Sales Representatives
Workers
installing a HiRail 66 Calendar
Columns Corporation 67 Classified Advertising

2
grade crossing.
On Track 68 Professional Directory
 Expanding railroad
education

14
NRC Chairman’s Column
Rail conferences - past,
present and future

Special section

28
Grade-Crossing Equipment
& Materials Guide

41
Grade-Crossing Surface
Data Sheets

FOLLOW US on Twitter
54
LIKE US on Facebook

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 1

On Track
Expanding
railroad education
R
ailroad activity in the U.S. is
flourishing, with expansion across
the industry – in freight, passen-
ger (inter-urban and commuter), tran-
sit and emerging high-speed rail. With
increased activity comes the need for
highly-trained professionals to ensure
operating safety, efficiency and cost-
effective use of resources. Yet many of the
most experienced engineers and supervi-
sors are retiring, leaving a gap in knowl-
edge, experience and capability.
Comprehensive, as well as targeted
railroad education for both degreed and
non-degreed professionals will fill this gap.
Newly-graduated engineers bring knowl-
edge and understanding of railroad operat-
ing and engineering principles, significantly
shortening the time it takes these young
engineers to come up-to-speed and con-
tribute. Training for non-degreed person-
nel is also critical, as track foremen and
supervisors represent the backbone of any
engineering department. Relying solely on
On-the-Job-Training for the skills needed to
maintain a modern rail system is slow and
inefficient. Professional training and special-
ized education can accelerate the develop-
ment of supervisory personnel who can
then help fill the gaps existing in any large
rail maintenance organization.
In recent years, we have seen a signifi-
cant increase in both types of education. At
my institution, the University of Delaware
(UD), we have been aggressively developing
courses at multiple levels – for undergradu-
ates, graduate students, degreed engineers
and also for non-degreed professionals.
In the past year, we have introduced
courses in railroad engineering, safety and
study of derailments. These have proven
popular with senior undergraduates and
graduate students who are finding railroad
engineering to be interesting and profes-
sionally stimulating. The courses have also
attracted working professionals seeking
to expand their knowledge beyond their
undergraduate degrees. Time and distance
present challenges for them, though, in
Guest editor’s appearance should not be viewed as an endorsement of products, advertisements
or opinions found within this issue.
2 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
light of their generally long and sometimes
odd working hours. They are also geo-
graphically diverse, spanning multiple time
zones. Hence, for them to attend classes on
a university campus is difficult at best.
UD’s answer to this dilemma is inter-
net-based education, where the courses
are available on an “anytime, anywhere”
basis. For example, my Fall ‘12 Railroad
Engineering class roster included on-cam-
pus seniors and graduate students, plus
professional engineers from three conti-
nents taking the course without having to
set foot in the classroom. My recorded lec-
tures and course handouts were available
online thanks to “UDCapture” technolo-
gy. My Spring ‘13 course, Railroad Derail-
ment and Safety, likewise is available in
this format, as well as in the traditional
classroom. Furthermore, interest in this
approach is high. When one overseas rail-
way offered the course to its professionals,
those indicating interest exceeded their
budget; so a selection process ensued!
Next, we are using this format for our
professional development courses. In the
past few months, we have given two non-
credit courses (with CEUs) in traditional
classroom format: “Rail Problems, Main-
tenance and Grinding” and “Maintenance
of CWR,” both with excellent reviews. This
summer, we will start making these cours-
es available online, accessible by railroad
professionals worldwide. https://www.engr.
udel.edu/outreach/short-courses/Rail%20
Engineering/RailProblemsMaintenance-
Grinding/index.html.
We, as railroad educators, need to
be part of this exciting future, making
railroad education available to the new
generation of engineers and professionals
currently in the field.
D r. A l l a n Z a r e m b s k i , P. E . ,
FASME, Hon. Mbr. AREMA,
Research Professor and Director
of the Railroad Engineering and
Safety Program, University of
Delaware, Dramz@udel.edu
RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES
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INDUSTRY TODAY
Supplier News
Altus Capital
Partners acquired Rocla
Concrete Tie, Inc.
Axion International
Holdings, Inc., received
a purchase order from
Edmonton Light Rail Transit,
in Edmonton, AB, Canada,
for its ECOTRAX ties.
California High-Speed Rail
Authority awarded a two-
year, $120-million contract
extension to Parsons
Brinckerhoff, Balfour
Beatty’s professional
services division, for
program management
services on the California
High-Speed Rail project.
L.B. Foster Company
delivered approximately
2,600 tons of 36-inch
diameter steel pipe
to Balfour Beatty
Infrastructure, Inc., for use
as lateral shoring struts
in the excavation of San
Francisco’s new Transbay
Transit Center.
Anthony Foxx nominated as
next U.S transportation secretary
President Obama nominated
Anthony Foxx as the next
Secretary of Transportation,
who is set to replace current
secretar y, Ray LaHood.
Fo x x i s t h e m a y o r o f
Charlotte, N.C., who took
office in 2009.
“When Anthony became
mayor in 2009, Charlotte,
like the rest of the country,
was going through a bruising
e c o n o m i c c r i s i s ,” s a i d
President Obama. “But the
city has managed to turn things around. day Ray LaHood was swor n in, he
The economy is growing. There are more fought tirelessly to rebuild America’s
jobs, more opportunity. And if you ask infrastructure, creating good jobs that
Anthony how that happened, he’ll tell you strengthen the economy and allow the
that one of the reasons is that Charlotte United States to better compete in the
made one of the largest investments in global economy.
transportation in the city’s history. “Over the past four years, thanks to Ray’s
“Since Anthony took office, they’ve leadership, we’ve built or improved more
broken ground on a new streetcar project than 350,000 miles of road, enough to
that’s going to bring modern electric tram circle the world more than 14 times,” the
service to the downtown area. They’ve president said. “We’ve upgraded more than
expanded the international airport and 6,000 miles of rail, enough to go coast to
they’re extending the city’s light-rail system. coast and back. We’ve repaired or replaced
All of that has not only helped create new more than 20,000 bridges and helped put
jobs, it’s helped Charlotte become more tens of thousands of construction workers
attractive to business.” back on the job. And that’s all due in no
President Obama said that from the small part to Ray LaHood’s leadership.”

FRA issues flat switching operations safety advisory

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued an indus-
try-wide safety advisory to warn about safety hazards asso-
ciated with flat switching operations on railroads.
Since 2009, six railroad employees sustained fatal inju-
ries placing themselves between unsecured rolling equip-
ment during switching operations, including one employee
who was killed last year.
In flat switching, rail cars are diverted to the proper track
to complete a train by one of two methods, either by “man-
ually kicking” or “shoving to couple.” When rail cars are
kicked, they are uncoupled from the switching locomotive
while in motion, allowed to roll freely and are expected to
couple with the other rail cars upon impact with the new
train. When rail cars are shoved to couple, they are not
uncoupled from the switching locomotive until they have
already coupled with and are secured to the new train.
Through investigations, FRA identified switching yard
characteristics that may increase the risks of unsecured rail
equipment rolling back onto an employee if an irregular
grade is present in a flat switching yard.
“Kicking railcars is efficient, but it can also have sig-
nificant consequences if rail carriers don’t have operating
rules to safeguard employees to ensure that kicked rail
cars are securely coupled,” said Federal Railroad Admin-
istrator Joseph Szabo. “Where there is risk of a rollback
shoving to couple provides absolute certitude.”
In 2010, FRA released recommendations developed by the
Switching Operations Fatality Analysis Working Group (SOFA)
that have been adopted by individual railroads in their oper-
ating rules. The Safety Advisory 2013-03 warns railroad man-
agement and employees about the inherent dangers of
employee movements between unsecured rolling rail cars.
It advises railroads to review and follow SOFA recommenda-
tions previously set forth in a FRA 2011 Safety Advisory and,
where conditions exists, to develop operating rules that safe-
guard employees and advises employees to follow the rules.

4 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

INDUSTRY TODAY
Supplier News
Gross & Janes
Co. entered into an
agreement to manage
and operate two green
crosstie processing
facilities owned by
Boatright Railroad
Products in Montevallo
and Clanton, Ala.
Bowen Civil
Engineering Inc.
is now part of Hanson
Professional Services Inc.
Metropolitan
Washington Airports
Authority selected
the Capital Rail
Constructors joint
venture for the Dulles
Corridor Metrorail
Project, Phase 2:
Package A.
6 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
Gov. O’Malley signs $4.4 billion
transporation legislation
On May 16, Mar yland Gov. Mar tin
O’Malley, Senate President Thomas Mike
Miller, Jr., House Speaker Michael Busch,
and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, signed the
$4.4-billion Transportation Infrastructure
Investment Act of 2013.
The bill will create a safer, more
efficient transportation network and spur
economic development.
It is expected to support more than
57,200 jobs and invest an average of $800
million a year at full implementation for the
next six years (FY 2014 – FY 2019). As a
result, Gov. O’Malley announced the first
round of projects to be funded with money
generated by the act.
“This historic transportation bill allows
us to move forward with the first new major
transportation projects in more than eight
years and get our construction industry
back to work. Today, I am pleased to
announce $1.2 billion for key new highway
and transit projects from Western Maryland
to the Eastern Shore,” said Gov. O’Malley.
A total of $100 million has been
provided for MARC Enhancements (Penn-
weekend service, Camden-weekday two
new roundtrips and new locomotives) and
transit funding for final design of the Red
Line ($170 million), Purple Line ($280
million) and Corridor Cities Transitway
($100 million).
The Transpor tation Act allows the
state to activate long-ter m funding
strategies to invest in Maryland’s roads
and transit systems.
During the summer months, the state
will continue to review project needs
and make investment decisions. The
Maryland Department of Transportation’s
draft six-year transpor tation budget
will be published on September 3. This
budget, known as the Consolidated
Transportation Program, will provide a
full list of the new projects funded by the
Transportation Act.
 INDUSTRY TODAY
Gov. McDonnell
signs $5.9 billion
transportation
funding bill
On May 13, Virg inia Gov. Bob
McDonnell signed the state’s first
transportation funding plan approved in
27 years, Virginia’s Road to the Future,

Office of Gov. McDonnell Flickr

which will increase transit funding by
$509 million and provide more than
$256 million in funding for intercity
passenger rail within the first five years.
During the next five years, the
bill is expected to provide more than
$3.4 billion in additional statewide
transpor tation funding, more than
$1.5 billion in additional funding
for Northern Virginia and more than
$1 billion in additional funding for
Hampton Roads Transit. This legisla- released. The analysis that focused on and support 14,625 jobs, or 2,925 jobs
tion is expected to annually sustain new transit and rail spending, deter- per year, between FY 2014 and FY
13,058 new jobs. mined that the additional funding pro- 2018. The new dedicated intercity pas-
Additionally, findings of a recently- vided to the Department of Rail and senger rail funding will enable Virginia
completed economic impact analyses Public Transportation will have an eco- to extend passenger rail service to Roa-
conducted by Chmura Economics were nomic impact of more than $1.4 billion noke within the next four years.

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 7

INDUSTRY TODAY
LACMTA receives upwards of $390 million
from CTC and Caltrans for improvements
The Los Angles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (LACMTA) was awarded more than $390 mil-
lion from the California Transportation Commission and
the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
to support construction of new rail, upgrade existing
transit service, buy much-needed rail cars, repair and
improve buses and create jobs.
The money comes from Proposition 1B, the 2006
voter-approved transportation bond, Proposition 1A,
the voter-approved High-Speed Rail Bond and the State
Transportation Improvement Program. The High-Speed
Rail Bond program targets some funds at connectivity
with future high-Speed rail service. LACMTA used its
Measure R funds, approved by the Los Angeles County
voters in 2008, to aid in leveraging state funding to Los
Angeles County.
Projects benefiting from state bond funds include $264
million for the Regional Connector project, which will
improve connectivity county-wide by linking the Blue,
Expo and Gold lines via a 1.9-mile extension of light-rail
8 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
tracks beneath downtown Los Angeles and $61 million for
the current Life of Project for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit
Corridor, a new 8.5-mile light-rail line that will connect the
Green Line with the Exposition Line and provide a link to
the Los Angeles Airport.
Another project to receive a portion of the funding,
$45.4 million, will aid in the purchase of 78 light-rail
vehicles for system-wide service expansion and for use
on future light-rail lines that will open during the next
few years.
“These funds will help us continue to expand and
upgrade the LACMTA system,” said CEO Art Leahy.
“They are slotted for bus and rail projects that will work
together to buy us improved mobility and move us closer
to our goal of creating a 21st Century transit network for
our region.”
The projects were included in the Long Range
Transportation Plan and were chosen because they already
are underway and the new round of funding will ensure
they stay on schedule.
 PEOPLE

Alameda Corridor-East Construction

Authority elected El Monte, Calif., Mayor Pro Tem
Norma Macias as chair and Montebello, Calif., Councilman
Jack Hadjinian as vice chair of its board of directors.
Auto Truck Group named Steve Terry as regional
fleet sales manager and Mike Pekny regional fleet sales
manager.
Continental Rail Corp. named Ambassador Ned
Siegel to its board of directors.
Kal Krishnan Consulting Services, Inc.,
appointed Gary Gordon, PE, to associate vice president.
Kansas City Southern promoted Darin Selby to vice
president energy markets and shortline partner relations.
Las Vegas Railway Express, Inc., elected John
McPherson to chairman of the board and George
Rebensdorf to director; former Chairman Gil Lamphere
remains on the board as director.
New York City Transit named Joseph Leader acting
senior vice president, Department of Subways.
Norfolk Southern named James Squires president
and Cindy Earhart executive vice president administration,
effective June 1; and named David Lawson vice president
coal marketing, Michael McClellan vice president industrial
products and Jeffrey Heller vice president intermodal and
automotive marketing; Daniel Smith, senior vice president
energy and properties, has elected to retire.
Parsons Brinckerhoff named Hugh Fuller senior
engineer manager of its Transit and Rail Technical
Excellence Center.
RailWorks Corporation named Mark Patterson
president of its transit systems subsidiary L.K. Comstock
National Transit, Inc., and named Nuno Pereira president of
its Canadian subsidiary PNR RailWorks Inc.
STV hired Aarin Silver, PE, as vice president of its
Transportation and Infrastructure Division’s Western Region.
SYSTRA promoted Joseph Sais, PE, to executive vice
president, engineering.
Nebraska Central Railroad Company
named Tres Meyer chief operating officer.
Unity Railway Supply Co., Inc. and IRECO, LLC
named Marc Trani president, succeeding Bob Grandy
who retired.
Watco Mechanical Services named Mark
Peterson-Overton chief operating officer; Watco
Transportation Services named Anwar Aiken
general manager and Nathan Champion trainmaster of the
Alabama Southern Railroad; Watco Companies hired
Nate Henderson as director of operations for the Central
Region for its Terminal and Port Services division and
named Justin Cox assistant trainmaster for the Wisconsin
and Southern Railroad; Watco Western Australia
Rail hired Ken Potts as vice president projects.

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 9

INDUSTRY TODAY
USDOT releases more than $3.7 billion for
Sandy-related repairs
The U.S. Department of Transportation released an
additional $3.7 billion to transit agencies in New York and
New Jersey and $30.9 million to Amtrak. The funds come
from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013.
In addition to supporting ongoing post-storm recovery
work, nearly one-third of the money, made available through
the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Emergency Relief
Program, is set aside to help transit agencies begin investing
in resiliency projects to help ensure that their transit assets,
from trains and buses to stations and subway tunnels, are
better able to withstand future disasters, such as major floods.
“We continue to work closely with the transit agencies
hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy to ensure they can recover
from this terrible disaster and emerge stronger than before,”
said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The
millions of riders in New York and New Jersey deserve a
robust public transportation network that can deliver the
service they depend on every day.”
Funds will be allocated to the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority of New York, the New York City
Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit and
10 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Of the
$3.7 billion in disaster relief funds, $2.4 billion is allocated
for recovery and rebuilding projects, while $1.3 billion is
dedicated to increasing the transit systems’ resiliency in the
face of future disasters.
Before submitting grant applications for the newly-
announced funds, the transit agencies are required to
develop a list of eligible projects and work with FTA to
meet eligibility requirements.
“We have learned from the back-to-back impacts of
Hurricanes Irene and Sandy that it is vitally important
to prepare for the future,” said FTA Administrator Peter
Rogoff. “Investing in the strength of the region’s transit
infrastructure now will help reduce the impact of travel
delays, disruptions and economic losses when the next big
storm hits.”
Examples of resiliency projects may include elevating
storm drains to reduce the volume of water that pours into
stations below street level, installing higher capacity water
pumps and installing back-up sources of power for lighting,
flood pumps and other necessities. Because a significant
por tion of the seriously-damaged
transit infrastructure was already aging,
FTA will fund repair and replacement
projects that bring transit assets up to a
state of good repair.
FTA will continue to work with the
affected transit agencies and will make
additional Disaster Relief Act funds
available for additional recovery and
resiliency projects on a competitive
basis in the future.
The monies given to Amtrak are
to repair damage caused along its
Northeast Corridor.
“ A m t r a k s e r ve s a s a c r i t i c a l
transportation link throughout the
Nor theast Cor r idor and we are
committed to helping it rebuild from
Hurricane Sandy on behalf of the
thousands of riders who rely on it each
day,” said LaHood. “We continue to
do all we can to help make all of our
storm-damaged public transportation
systems whole again.”
The grant reimburses Amtrak for
$20.1 million in expenses associated
with pumping water from tunnels and
debris removal and for immediate and
on-going repairs to infrastructure. The
balance of the grant money will fund
repairs to the East Tunnel that connects
Manhattan and Queens, the North
River Tunnel that connects New Jersey
and New York City and other facilities.
“The storm’s wake demonstrates the
necessity to not only rebuild, but to invest
in our infrastructure so we are better
prepared to withstand and recover from
future natural disasters,” said Federal
Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo.
Additional repairs to rail, crossties,
ballast, third rail signal systems,
pump stations, circuit breakers and
infrastructure are still on-going and are
expected to continue throughout the
summer months.

Correction:
In the NRC Directory within
the May issue of RT&S, on
page NRC 2, under 2013
Board of Directors, it reads
Joe Daloisio, Railroad
Constructors and should have
read Joe Daloisio, Railroad
Construction Co., Inc.

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 11

INDUSTRY TODAY
Calculating maximum allowable
curve speeds using new FRA rules
scheduled to become effective July 11, 2013
By Louis Cerny, Railway Engineering Consultant

The changes in the FRA Track Safety Standards
scheduled to go into effect July 11, 2013 have a new way
of calculating allowable train speeds on curves. In the
present regulations, the timetable or design speeds on a
curve have no effect on the allowable speeds, but they do
come into play in the revised standards.
Because many freight railroad standards for curve
speeds are stricter than present FRA regulations due to
the economics involved in curve maintenance, the change
will not have an effect in many circumstances, but it will
still effect when slow orders are required by the FRA
when various levels of irregularities occur.
Because of the complexities involved, it was felt that
an example would be the best method of showing the
differences.
The example is a 2 degree curve with a design
allowable speed for the curve.
Where the existing Vmax formula shows 3, the new
formula, shown in (D) below, shows E u . For most
track professionals, this is no change, because Eu will
equal 3. All rolling stock is assumed by the FRA to
be qualified to operate at 3 inches of unbalance (also
called cant deficiency), so unless all cars of a train
are qualified to operate at a cant deficiency of over 3
inches, the Vmax formula is calculated just the same as
in the present regulations.
Now, however, we measure the elevation using the
methods now shown in the 07/11/13 changes as footnote
one. While this new method of measuring elevation differs
slightly from the present standard by using 11 instead
of 10 points through the 155-foot track segment, so
both end points are included, many track professionals

elevation of 2 ½ inches, and a timetable speed of 60 (including some FRA inspectors) have been using the
mph, which later degrades to have an elevation of only 11 point method all along, so this will not represent a
1¼ inches. change for them. Say upon measuring we find the actual
elevation has degraded to only 1¼ inches, then a new
Calculations using present standards footnote 2 to 213.57(b) comes into play. Working through
Using the present (pre-07/11/13) standards, if we check the Vmax equation gives a MAPTOS of 55.1 mph. But
the curvature and elevation using the methods shown in under the new rules we can use the new footnote 2 to find
footnotes 1 and 2 in 213.57(b) and find that it matches that there is a one inch tolerance in the cant deficiency for
the design, then by using the Vmax formula in 213.57(b) which equipment is qualified.
as using Ea as 2.5 inches and D as 2 degrees we get Using the Vmax formula with 3 inches plus the
62.7 mph, showing the 60 mph posted speed is OK, as one inch tolerance, as shown in (D) above, gives 61.2
calculated in (A) above. mph, which allows the curve to remain at the timetable
If however, at some later date we measure the operating speed of 60 mph.
elevation, using the method in footnote 1 in 213.57(b), This tolerance does not apply if the curve is designed for
that the elevation has degraded to only 1¼ inches, then 1¼ inches elevation, but is meant to provide a maintenance
the same series of calculations in (B) indicate that the tolerance. The same applies to deviations from design
allowable speed is only 55.1 mph, so a slow order would curvature, which is measured as per the new footnote 3.
be needed. It must be understood that your railroad’s instructions
may be different than FRA standards, and so a change
Calculations using new FRA standards in FRA standards may not necessarily mean that a slow
Under the new standards, the Vmax formula gives us order does not still have to be posted on your railroad
what is called the “Maximum Allowable Posted Timetable under the circumstances of this example. Be sure to
Operating Speed,” (MAPTOS). check with appropriate company officers before changing
As will be shown, this is not same as the maximum any procedures.

12 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN
The National Railroad
Construction & Maintenance
Association, Inc.
500 New Jersey Ave., N. W.
Suite 400
Washington D. C. 20009
Tel: 202-715-2920
Fax: 202-318-0867
www.nrcma.org
info@nrcma.org
14 Railway Track & Structures
Rail conferences – past,
present and future
Congratulations to the American Short Line and
Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) for 100
years of service to their members and the railroad
industry. The Centennial Convention in Atlanta in
late April was a huge success and a record setter
for attendance and number of exhibitors. The
Marriott Marquis host hotel was in great shape, it
was an excellent crowd and I enjoyed seeing many
familiar faces. As always, the conference was well
organized – in my opinion, it’s the second best
conference of the year in our industry. Hint, hint,
see you in January at the NRC Conference.
A special highlight was the tribute dinner for
retiring ASLRRA president Rich Timmons, which
also doubled as a successful fundraiser for the
worthy ASLRRA Political Action Committee.
Keith Hartwell of rail government affairs firm
Chambers, Conlon, & Hartwell, LLC, provided
the entertainment and speeches by him, his
colleague Adam Nordstrom and Association of
American Railroads (AAR) President and CEO Ed
Hamberger helped provide Gen. Timmons with a
fitting send-off. AAR Chairman of the Board and
Union Pacific President and CEO Jack Koraleski
and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
Administrator Joe Szabo were also in attendance.
Gen. Timmons has served the ASLRRA and the rail
industry well and he will be missed.
While we’re on the subject of rail industry
conferences, there are four more good ones to put
on your calendar before you start 2014 with the
NRC in California.
T h e A m e r i c a n P u b l i c Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
Association Rail Conference is in Philadelphia, Pa.,
from June 2 - 5; it’s the year’s best gathering of top
rail transit professionals.
T h e A m e r i c a n R a i l w a y D eve l o p m e n t
Association (ARDA) has their Annual Meeting in
San Francisco, Calif., also on June 2-5. ARDA is
the premier professional association for railroaders
interested in issues related to freight rail economic
and industrial development, environmental factors,
law, real estate and technology.
The huge joint AREMA/REMSA/RSI/RSSI
Railway Interchange event will be September
29-October 2 in Indianapolis, Ind. If you’re reading
this magazine, you really have to be at this event.
And the Railway Tie Association (RTA) will
hold their 95th Annual Symposium and Technical
Conference in Lake Tahoe, Nev., from October
9-11. The RTA Conference is always a classy event
June 2013 www.rtands.com
in a wonderful location, full of high-level attendees
and informative speakers.
And finally, don’t forget to save the date: The
2014 NRC Conference will be held at J.W. Marriott
in Palm Desert, Calif., from Sunday, January 5,
2014, through Wednesday, January 8, 2014.
Updated information will eventually be posted on
www.nrcma.org/go/conference.
The NRC was pleased to recently make
contributions to support rail education programs
to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s
C e n t e r f o r Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n R e s e a r c h a n d
Michigan State University’s Certificate Course
in Railway Management.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s
Center for Transportation Research seeks to
conduct a program of research in transportation that
is recognized for its excellence, comprehensiveness,
innovation, productivity and national leadership;
develop and sustain the technical expertise of
high-quality transportation research and to serve
the transportation research, service and training
needs of state and local government, business and
industry in Tennessee, the southeast region and the
nation. For more information on the University of
Tennessee, Knoxville’s Center for Transportation
Research, visit: http://ctr.utk.edu.
Michigan State University’s Certificate Course
in Railway Management offers a comprehensive
course for railroad employees to grow professionally
and increase their management capabilities. The
course was developed and evaluated by the Railway
Management Program Staff, working closely with
Class 1 and Class 2 railroad education and training
directors, as well as the AAR, ASLRRA and FRA
decision makers and other transportation industry
leaders. For more information on Michigan State
University’s Rail Transportation Program, visit:
www.raileducation.com.
With support from NRC members, the NRC
will plan to continue to support rail education
programs throughout the country as they train the
next generation of rail industry leaders.
2012 was the safest year in railroad history.
While we’re all out in the field this construction
season, let’s remember to make 2013 an even safer
year yet.
Work safe and keep those around you
working safe.
by Terry Benton,
NRC Chairman
TTCI R&D

Testing new weld products

at the Facility for Accelerated
Service Testing by Daniel Gutscher, senior engineer and
Joseph LoPresti, principal investigator, TTCI

TTCI engineers test two different weld techniques that

target different industry welding challenges, welding
high-strength rails and repairing railhead defects.

T
ransportation Technology
Center, Inc., regularly
tests new or improved
r a i l we l d i n g p r o d u c t s
submitted by industr y
vendors at the Facility for Accelerated
Service Testing (FAST), Pueblo, Colo.
Two rail weld products recently
tested at FAST are the head alloyed
weld from Orgo-Thermit, Inc., and
the head defect repair (HDR) weld
from Holland L.P. Head alloyed
welds are thermite welds that have
increased running surface hardness
Figure 1: Test weld locations at
FAST in the High Tonnage Loop.
(390 Brinell hardness) compared to
standard thermite welds (320 Bhn)
to better match the surface hardness
of high-strength rail and maintain the
toughness of a standard weld in the
base. HDR welds enable the repair
of railhead defects without changing
the stress-free temperature of the rail.
Figure 1 shows the locations of the test
welds installed in Section 3 of the High
Tonnage Loop (HTL), a five-degree
curve with a four-inch superelevation.
The test train at FAST operates at
40 mph, which is about six mph
overbalance speed in Section 3.
Ten head alloyed welds installed
at FAST in Februar y 2011 have
accumulated 324 million gross tons
(mgt) of heavy-axle-load (HAL)
traffic with no ser vice failures in
high-strength rails; they have shown
a reduction in wear rate at the weld
centerline of approximately 50 percent
compared to standard thermite welds.
Two groups of eight HDR welds
were installed at FAST in 2011. The
first eight welds were made in rail
plugs at the Holland L.P. facility and
then installed in January 2011; they
have accumulated 344 mgt with no
service failures. The remaining eight
welds were installed in September
2011, using a mobile head-repair
welder; they have accumulated 230
mgt with three service-related failures.
Weld testing at FAST is conducted

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 15

TTCI R&D
Figure 2, Left: Longitudinal cross section
of head alloyed weld showing regions with
hardness of >380 Brinell (yellow) and >400
Brinell (orange).
Figure 3: Running surface profiles
comparing a head alloyed weld at 90 mgt
to a standard thermite weld at 72 mgt.
Indicated weld, heat-affected-zone and rail
regions are approximate.
by TTCI as part of the Association
of American Railroads’ Strategic
Research Initiatives Program for
improved rail welding and heavy-axle-
load implementation.
Head alloyed thermite welds
Orgo-Thermit developed the head
alloyed weld to provide increased weld
running surface hardness that better
matches the running surface hardness
in high-strength rails. The welds are
identical to standard thermite welds
except that alloying elements, which
increase hardness and strengthen the
weld metal, are added to the head of
the weld when the head riser fills during
the weld pour. The alloying elements
are held in a small metal container that
is incorporated into the bottom of a
patented thermite weld diverting plug.
When the head riser fills, the hot molten
steel melts the alloy container, dispersing
the alloy elements into the head of the
weld. Figure 2 shows a longitudinal
cross section of a head-alloyed-weld
with a hardness map overlay that shows
hardened regions in the weld head.
In February 2011, TTCI installed
10 head alloyed welds in the high rail
16 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
of the HTL. Seven of the welds were
made of high-strength rail with an initial
hardness of approximately 390 Bhn, two
were made in intermediate strength rail
with a hardness of 340 Bhn and one
was made at the junction of the two rail
grades. Note that the manufacturer does
not recommend using the alloyed plugs
in mixed strength or standard strength
rail welding applications, but this was
done to investigate how unintended
application of the alloy plugs can affect
weld service performance.
TTCI conducted visual inspections,
hardness measurements and longitudinal
profiles of all weld running surfaces.
Initial measurements were taken within
four mgt of installation, and ongoing
measurements were takn approximately
every 25 mgt throughout the test.
Plots of the longitudinal profile
recorded at the different tonnage levels
were overlaid to align the rail running
surf aces. This approach allowed
observation of weld and heat-affected
zone running surface wear and batter
relative to the adjacent rail surfaces.
For the weld installed in high-strength
rail, a steady wear rate was observed
at the centerline of the weld running
surface that was approximately 50
percent slower than observed in standard
unalloyed thermite welds. Figure 3
compares an overlay for a head alloyed
weld made in high-strength rail against
an unalloyed weld made in the same
rail. In the intermediate strength rail, the
alloyed weld centerline appeared to grow
over time. This was a direct result of
the weld being significantly harder than
the adjacent rail. The rail experienced a
higher wear rate than the harder weld.
For the weld installed at the junction
of the two rail grades, the weld metal
neither grew nor dipped compared to
the rails (about 0.002 inch). The heat-
affected-zones on both sides dipped, but
the weld itself saw very little wear/batter
relative to the adjacent rails.
Head defect repair welds
Holland L.P. and EWI collaborated to
develop an electric flash railhead repair
weld that enables repair of defects in
the head of the rail up to approximately
four inches in length without cutting
the full cross section of the rail,
preserving the stress-free temperature
of the rail. HDR welds can repair
detail fatigue cracking, small shells and
small engine burns. The HDR process
consists of several steps. First, a V-cut
is made in the railhead using a rail saw
and specially designed jig. Figure 4
shows rail that has been prepared for
HDR welding. A wedge-shaped insert
is set in place and the welder head is
lowered over the rail. The welding is
initiated and proceeds automatically
through the flash and forge processes.
The expelled metal is sheared and the
welder head removed. The weld is then
manually ground to match the profile
of the rail.
Holland produced a series of HDR
welds in its laboratory. The welds were
made in short rail plugs that were then
sent to TTCI for installation in the
HTL. In January 2011, Holland sent
a standard flash weld truck to TTCI
and welded the rail plugs into strings
as they were placed in track. A string
containing six laboratory-HDR welds
was installed in the high rail and a
string containing two laboratory-HDR
welds was installed in the low rail.
After the January 2011 installation,
H o l l a n d t r a n s i t i o n e d t h e we l d
technology from the laboratory to a
mobile weld unit. Then, in September
2011, Holland sent a mobile weld
truck with the prototype HDR welder
head to install a series of test welds in
the HTL, five in the high rail and three
in the low rail.
TTCI conducted periodic
measurements of longitudinal running
surface profile and hardness of the
test welds. Profiles were overlaid to
reveal trends in running surface metal
flow. For both sets of welds, metal flow
and wear occurred across the entire
length of the insert (i.e., between both
ends of the flash weld at the running
surface). After installation of the welds,
the laboratory-produced weld inserts
had hardness values near 410 Bhn and
the mobile unit in-track weld inserts
had hardness values near 360 Bhn.
Correspondingly, the wear rate of the
laboratory-produced welds was slower
than the wear rate of the mobile unit
in-track welds. Figure 5 compares
overlays for a laboratory-produced
weld with a mobile unit in-track weld.
None of the original laboratory-
produced welds have failed in service
and have accumulated 344 mgt of
traffic. Two of the mobile unit in-track
welds broke in service at 94 and 188
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
mgt from fatigue that initiated at
stress concentrators located under the
railhead. At 132 mgt, ultrasonic railflaw
inspection found one weld that had
developed a fatigue crack, which also
initiated at a stress concentrator. The
stress concentrators were related to
the post weld shear and grind process,
which left material under the railhead.
Of the remaining mobile unit in-track
welds, three were removed for nontest
related reasons and two remaining
mobile unit in-track welds have
accumulated 231 mgt of traffic.
Conclusion
The Orgo-Ther mit head alloyed
ther mite welds showed improved
resistance to batter and wear compared
to standard unalloyed thermite welds.
HDR welds, similar to other
railhead repair weld processes, tend
to be sensitive to stress concentrators
under the railhead. The harder
laboratory-produced welds showed a
greater resistance to wear and batter
compared to the mobile unit in-track
HDR welds.
Future testing
Holland L.P. and EWI are making
the following changes to their welding
process to improve the in-track
performance of the welds:
• T he inserts are being machined to
better match the railhead profile and
the weld shear is being redesigned
to better conform to the rail. The
changes will result in a final weld
that is more confor mal to the
Figure 4, Left: V-cut made in railhead
preperation for HDR welding.
Figure 5: Running surface profiles for a
labratory-produced HDR weld at 257 mgt
and a mobile unit produced weld
at 200 mgt. Indicated weld,
insert and rail regions are approximate.
rail and will eliminate the sharp
transition from rail to insert, which
acted as stress concentrators and
contributed to fractures observed in
this test. This change will also reduce
the post weld grind time.
• I nser ts are being manufactured
with improved chemistry and heat
treatment to produce the desired
hardness for strong running surface
performance and resistance to rail
end batter.
• T he mobile welder head trans-
former is being reworked to bet-
ter distribute the power to the rail
and weld insert. This will result in
reduced heating of the weld insert,
which will improve the metallurgical
integrity and final hardness.
•M  odifications are being made to the
welder hydraulic system to change
how the wedge-shaped inserts are
forged into place, resulting in
reduced stresses and improved
running surface.
TTCI is making plans to establish a
new HDR test at FAST that will
evaluate these changes. Installation of
the new test welds will likely occur
during summer 2013.
June 2013 17
Suppliers help railroads maintain
smooth surfaces at grade crossings to
ensure safety for all.
Annual report:
grade crossing
surfaces
R
ailroads, motorists, bicyclists
and pedestrians all cross paths
at grade crossings. This is why
safety is of utmost importance to
railroads, suppliers and the public.
Manufacturers are offering up the
most technologically advance products
for a smooth and safe passage accross.
American Concrete Products
American Concrete Products, which
has been in business for more than
60 years, offers crossings for wood,
concrete or steel ties. The company
can supply for both 8-ft. 3-inch and
10-ft. steel ties. American Concrete
Products also offers its customers
complete ADA-compliant rubber for
all types of ties on the field and gauge
18 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
by Jennifer Nunez, assistant editor
sections. An example of this can be
found near the entrance to the new
College World Series baseball stadium
in Omaha, Neb.
American Concrete Products has
manufacturing plants in Nebraska
and Texas with satellite operations by
rail on the East and West Coasts. The
company offers steel clad concrete
surface crossings for any tie type or
length. Customers receive a 10-year
free replacement warranty, which the
company says is the longest running
warranty in the industry.
“The oil and intermodal
industries are booming,” said Buz
Hutchinson, railroad sales and service.
“Transportation of fracking materials
and crude oil by rail are increasing
exponentially. Class 1s are adding to,
or improving existing lines, to meet
these demands.”
Century Group
Century Group, Inc., has produced
A Century Group concrete crossing installed.
precast concrete grade-crossing panels
for more than 25 years and has been
in business more than 65 years. The
company provides personnel who travel
to project sites and assist customers in
the design and development of panels
through “as built” measurements
for that particular customer’s needs.
Centur y Group’s manuf actur ing
facilities are all certified by the National
Precast Concrete Association.
The company offers crossings in
numerous rail sizes with features such
annual crossing report
Koppers’ treated full-depth panels.
as custom surfaces to match color
and textured paving at passenger sta-
tion platforms and sidewalks. Century
Group can also provide crossties with
its crossing surfaces and offers custom
manufacturing for various rail configu-
rations, such as turnouts, curves, cross-
overs, diamonds, wide/narrow gauge,
extreme loads, pedestrian and ADA
crossing applications.
“Centur y Group also has a
20 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
system that incorporates an interface
for asphalt on the field side, while
utilizing standard panels for the
gauge area,” said Jerry McCombs,
vice president of the Railroad
Products Division.
“We continue to batch/mix all of our
own concrete at our company-owned/
operated facilities, versus using ready-
mix, combined with using grade 72
reinforcement, versus grade 60,” said
McCombs. “Using 12,000-psi stronger
reinforcement, combined with hands-
on QA/QC from batching/mixing our
own concrete and having certified
welders, enables us to provide a high-
quality product to the marketplace.
Improved capacity and inventories at
our manufacturing facilities allows us
to continue to respond quickly to our
customers’ needs.”
Hanson Pipe & Precast
“ M o s t r a i l r o a d s wa i t u n t i l t h e
crossing has failed before replacing,”
said Wayne Weszka, vice president,
rail products, Hanson Pipe & Precast.
“We would like to see crossings
put on a schedule like railroad ties
and rail to improve the transitions
between the tracks and the actual
road surface.”
He notes the driving factor is
funding to improve the signalization
areas, however, he says there needs
to be more funding to improve the
actual grade-crossing surface using
more efficient crossings that have
longer life expectancies.
“The cost to close a railroad crossing
is increasing every year and it is harder
to get a complete road closure; longer-
life crossing surfaces would help solve
this problem,” he explained.
In the future, he says he sees a need
for a modular railroad crossing that
can handle higher volumes and higher
train speeds to keep up with today’s

higher-speed trains. The company
notes that it is close to coming out
with this new product.
Currently, Hanson Pipe & Precast
offers its new 16-ft. by 8-ft. modular
crossing and is working on a high-
speed module. Hanson’s crossing
products have a textured, skid-
resistant surface.
HiRAIL Corporation
As it pertains to high-speed rail, Walt
Barr y, vice president of HiRAIL
Corporation, says that he feels the
goal would be to have as few grade
crossings as possible.
“Where it is not feasible to eliminate
or grade separate a crossing, the
major modifications would be in the
crossing warning devices more than the
surface,” he explained.
The company now offers a rail
seal product that can accommodate
all types of rail fastenings and it
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
annual crossing report
American Concrete Products’
crossing panels installed.
can be installed on concrete ties, as
well as timber. It is manufactured
in var ying lengths so 18-inch tie
spacing is not required.
HiRAIL manufactures a complete
line of rubber grade-crossing surfaces
including Hi-Rail, Pede-Strail and
HiRAIL Rail Seal (RS). HiRAIL
crossings are a g ree n prod u ct,
manufactured from recycled vehicle
tires and can be recycled at the end of
their useful life.
HiRAIL full-depth rubber
g rade-crossing systems are said
t o p r ov i d e a s m o o t h , s a f e a n d
attractive crossing surface for motor
vehicles. They are manuf actured
t o a c c o m m o d at e m o s t c o m m o n
rail sizes, rail fastenings and wood,
concrete or steel ties.
Pe d e - S t r a i l i s a p e d e s t r i a n
crossing surface that meets ADA
requirements. It has all the features
of HiRAIL full-depth rubber and
comes with a raised diamond surface
for pedestrian stability.
HiRAIL RS is a rubber rail seal
product that works in conjunction
with asphalt or poured-in-place con-
crete crossings and is manufactured
to fit most common rail sizes on tim-
ber or concrete ties using all types of
rail fastening.
Barr y says he sees the highest
June 2013 21
annual crossing report

An Omega crossing being installed

on the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation
Authority’s Gold Line in Azusa, Calif.

spec ifications, in cluding B NSF,

Canadian National, Union Pacific
and Kansas City Southern.
It also produces generic Koppers
specs for full-depth crossings and
panels with asphalt in the center. The
company offers clients wood crossings
that are solid timber panels to cover
8-ft. 6-inch, 9-ft. and 10-ft. crossties
or single panels for asphalt centers.
Koppers also produces generic panels
for both full-depth crossings and for
crossings using asphalt centers.

demand from the Class 1s. Koppers KSA

“Most likely because they have the Koppers states that business has Scott Craig, general manager
greatest number of crossings; we also been stable for several year s. of KSA, says 2012 was one of the
see a large demand from transit and T h e c o m p a ny o f f e r s f u l l - d e p t h company’s best years ever and is
commuter rail systems.” timber crossings meeting Class 1 expecting 2013 to be ver y similar

22 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

 annual crossing report

LT Resources’ Endurance-
XL Crossings supplied for the CSX
Intermodal Terminal in
Worcester, Mass.

or slightly better. He says the Class

1s continue to be steady, but sees a
slight upward trend with transits and
with industrial applications.
KSA is a PCI and AAR
M-1003 cer tified f acility located
i n S c i o t ov i l l e , O h i o, w h i c h h a s
been in operation since 1992.
The KSA concrete grade-crossing
design is a full-width, full-depth
s y s t e m t h at a c c o m m o d at e s r a i l
sizes from 112-lb. to 141-lb. rail.
Its panels are designed for both
timber and concrete crossties and LT Resources The solid panel design includes
are manufactured with a heavy steel LT Resources’ ENDURANCE-XL skid-resistant surface and extends the
angle frame, high-strength 7,000- PLUS design crossing, which is a composite material into the flangeway
psi concrete and come with attached 136-lb. mainline crossing surface, is to provide a more cost-effective
r ubber flangeway, bear ing pads, scheduled for full-scale production late product, says Linda Thomas, president
deflectors and lag screws. summer 2013. of the company. Lifting devices are

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 23

 annual crossing report

OMNI crossing on
the South Shore Railroad in Gary, Ind.

included to assure efficient installation and easy removal

for track maintenance.
Recently, LT Resources supplied approximately 1,900
track feet of ENDURANCE-XL Composite Crossings,
which were manufactured using a proprietary engineered
recycled plastics formulation for the CSX Intermodal
Terminal in Worcester, Mass. More than 700 bales of
plastic waste, or approximately 233 metric tons of plastic
materials, were recycled on this project, rather than
disposing of the waste material in landfills.

Omega
“Crossing business is off to a very good start this year,”
said Mark Mottola, national sales manager at Omega
Industries, Inc. “We ended 2012 with our busiest year to
date and expect 2013 to be even better. Class 1 railroad
orders from BNSF, Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific,
along with Amtrak and a host of large transit projects, are
pushing sales higher each year.”
As a result, Omega is in the process of updating its
four manufacturing facilities to keep up with crossing-
panel demand. The goal is to have annual production
capacity of 150,000 track feet (28 miles) of precast
panels by the end of this year.
As concrete technology continues to evolve, Omega
is constantly keeping an eye on new materials and
techniques to help build a better product. The company
is now using fiber reinforced concrete in all of its panels.
Not as an alternative to rebar reinforcement, but in
addition to traditional reinforcing methods.
“The fiber improves panel durability, impact and
abrasion resistance and reduces damage from freeze/

24 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com


thaw,” Mottola noted. “This adds a
little to upfront material costs, but
helps offset the higher cost of having to
prematurely replace a crossing.”
In addition to manufacturing and
supplying crossing panels, Omega says
it has been taking a more active role in
crossing design.
“Many customers have come to rely
on us to help field measure and design
their more difficult crossing projects,”
he explained. “There are many
techniques we are able to recommend
that will increase crossing longevity.”
OMNI
OMNI Rail Products, Inc., offers
full-depth heavy-duty virgin rubber,
Rubber Rail Seal, TraCast Concrete
“tub-style”, bolt-on r ubber for
concrete panel crossings and standard
concrete crossings.
Bob Cigrang, vice president of
sales and marketing , says he has
noticed a trend in specialized rubber
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
annual crossing report
blends for flange areas and that
transits are driving the most demand.
However, he notes that budgets seem
to have decreased this year since
many cities are struggling financially.
As high-speed rail gains interest
year-to-year, Cigrang says the company
is currently working on quotes for
various projects.
Polycorp Ltd.
Polycorp Ltd. has developed a new
Removable Railseal crossing system for
use in concrete road surfaces and high-
wear areas.
“The system allows the rubber
railseal to be removed, repairs to be
made and the r ubber reinser ted
in a fraction of the time it takes for
traditional repair work,” said Brad
Bedford, technical sales coordinator.
“This new design allows for overnight
rail and fastener repairs to be made
without costly detours and rush hour
road closures.”
Polycorp manufactures products
for ever y type of surface, rail size
and track construction, including
traditional railseal to precast
concrete panels.
The rise in transit expansion has led
Polycorp to develop a complete line
of rail and special trackwork isolation
products. The company’s patent-
pending TrackJacket Encapsulation
System allows for stray current and
vibration mitigation throughout the
whole rail network.
“The rise in fuel costs throughout
the world is taking people off the
roads and onto the rails,” Bedford
noted. “This has resulted in an all-
t i m e h i g h i n t r a n s i t r i d e r s h i p.
This increased ridership has seen
the payback shor tened for transit
expansion in major city center s,
leading to immediate launches of
shovel-ready projects. Many of these
expansion projects are utilizing
Polycor p’s line of electr ical and
June 2013 25
annual crossing report
vibration isolating Epflex railboot,
Rail Seal and TrackJacket products to
improve their system’s performance
and reduce future maintenance.”
The intricate track construction of
high-speed rail requires a number of
elastomeric products be used in the
track structure, Bedford says and noted
26 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
that these products facilitate vibration
dampening inside the train, as well
as the surrounding areas. Because of
this, Polycorp has refined its line of
elastomeric track products for supply.
Stella-Jones
Stella-Jones Corporation now offers a
S olid Fu ll- Width Tim b er Pan el
Crossing for 10-ft. crossties, along
with the traditional sized panels
for 8-ft., 6-inch and 9-ft. crossties.
Another new feature for Stella-
Jones crossings includes dap(s) that
will accommodate MSR or Pandrol
plates with E-clips. Additionally, the
company can manufacture crossing
panels for tur nouts, if detailed
drawings are provided.
The company has three basic styles
of crossing surfaces: The Full-Width/
Full-Depth Panel style for 8-ft. 6-inch,
9-ft. and 10-ft. crossties, which cover
the entire crosstie; the Standard
Timber and Asphalt style with two
10-inch field side timbers doweled
together and one 10-inch gauge side
of the rail timbers and the Single/
Single style crossing with a 10-inch
gauge side timber and a 10-inch field
side timber.
“It appears that more customers are
coming back to the timber crossings,”
noted Jim Jordie, reg ional sales
manager. “I believe it may be due to
the fact that we have not seen huge
increases in the cost of crossing timbers
and therefore, they remain a good
value for the dollars invested.”
TRANSPO INDUSTRIES
“ O u r n e w p e d e s t r i a n f e at u r e s ,
COLOR-SAFE ® and STEP-SAFE ®,
work as an integrated safety system
with our BODAN® Grade Crossing,”
explained Karen Dinitz, marketing
and communications director for
TRANSPO INDUSTRIES.
BODAN uses a br idge design
concept where the vehicle axle loads
are transferred directly to the rails.
Panel tests show they are capable
of withstanding loads in excess
of 44,000 lbs. Its welded steel cage
reinforcements support HS 25 traffic
loads and the high-friction granular
surfacing material provides a skid-
resistant surface. BODAN’s precast
polymer concrete is imper vious
to salt, diesel fuel and moisture and
offers optional surface-mounted LED
warning lights, she notes.
Dinitz says there is a new focus on
pedestrian and bicycle safety and
because of this, the use of color
pavement on and through the crossing
is commanding new interest.
Equipment & Materials
Grade-crossing surfaces, communications and
signaling equipment, fillers and housings
Grade-crossing
surfaces
A&K Railroad Materials, Inc.—Full-
depth rubber grade crossings are
comprised of interlocking tongue and
groove panels providing a continuous
surface. The 100% rubber panels fit
tightly to the rail and are impervious
to salt, ice and moisture. No lag bolts
are required, eliminating potential
failure points. Fits rail sections 100
lb. and up on 8-ft, 6-in. or 9-ft ties
on 18-in. centers. Will accommodate
up to 23 de­grees of curve. Panels
can be modified to fit concrete ties.
Phone: 800-453-8812.
American Concrete Products—
American Concrete Products has
been in the railroad industry since
1952 and supplies crossings for
steel ties. Structural steel-framed,
test-proven, shunt-resistant, full-
depth crossing panels for installa-
tion on wood, concrete and steel ties
are offered. The uniquely designed
panels, along with its patented pre-
attached rubber flangeway filler, can
be removed easily for routine main-
tenance. With sizeable inventories at
manufacturing plants in Omaha and
Dallas, the company competitively
prices and ships products with very
little notice and in some cases, the
same day. Phone: 402-331-5775.
28 Railway Track & Structures
American Concrete Products—
Manufactures the UP/BNSF concrete
crossing panels in accordance with
the AAR-M1003 quality standards.
Its in-house developed concrete mix
is designed to resist alkali-reactivity,
protect from rapid freezing and thaw-
ing, while maintaining compressive
strengths well above the minimum
6,000-psi. Services include field mea-
suring and engineering to meet any
curve, turnout or special crossing
requirement. The company prides itself
in providing innovative, cost-effective
solutions. Phone: 402-331-5775.
Century Group Inc.—State-of-the-
art, full-depth concrete grade-crossing
panels install directly on crossties,
requiring no shims or headers. Cross-
ings are manufactured to custom fit
curves, turnouts, cross­overs, concrete
and steel ties and special flangeways.
Crossings are manufactured to accom-
modate any size rail and are designed
to be economical and durable. Phone:
800-527-5232.
Century Group Inc.—Custom-built,
full-depth concrete grade crossings
fit any curve up to 20+ degrees. Cen-
tury’s experienced field representa-
tives are available to field measure
curved grade crossings and design
custom-built panels to fit into the
curve. Panels butt up to one another
without the use of filler plates to
June 2013 www.rtands.com
Guide
eliminate gaps between panels. Cen-
tury Precast offers on-site assistance
for tie layout and panel installation.
Phone: 800-527-5232.
Century Group Inc.—Custom turnout
crossings are manufactured to meet
specific job-site objectives. With more
than 60 years of railroad construc-
tion and precast concrete experience,
Century provides on-site consultation,
design and layout to meet the clients’
project needs. After delivery, Century
offers on-site installation assistance.
Phone: 800-527-5232.
Century Group Inc.—Custom cross-
ing panels, from devil strip panels to
diamond crossings, can be manufac-
tured to meet project requirements.
Century provides job-site consultation,
cost analysis, design layout and instal-
lation assistance on all of its projects.
Phone: 800-527-5232.
Century Group Inc.—Light rail trans-
portation industry crossings: Century
works closely with the client, identifying
the grade-crossing challenges and pro-
viding cost-effective solutions. Century
offers highway and pedestrian cross-
ings to the light rail transit industry for
both standard and custom track gaug-
es. Grade-crossing panels can be man-
ufactured with custom surfaces, color-
ing, lengths, widths and shapes. Light
rail transit grade crossings include a
high-resistivity flangeway filler manu-
factured to meet ADA specifications.
Phone: 800-527-5232.
Century Group Inc.—Hi-Rail Access
crossing panels manufactured to
install in standard and non-stand­
ard-­gauge tracks. The Century Hi-Rail
Access crossing panels are custom
manufactured to fit over third-rail
restraint brackets and steel surrounds
insulated with non-conductive protec-
tive shields. Phone: 800-527-5232.
Century Group Inc.—Custom
de­signed full-depth concrete ped­
es­trian crossings that meet ADA
specifications. Century manufactures
pedestrian crossing with custom sur-
faces and colors to match existing
pavements. Century pedestrian cross-
ings are manufactured to be installed
on steel, wood or concrete ties. Phone:
800-527-5232.
Century Group Inc.—Lagless steel-
clad full-depth precast reinforced
concrete grade-crossing panels. Can
be used on wood, concrete or steel
ties. Panels are available for tangent
or curves, vehicular or pedestrian
applications. They are manufactured
to ac­com­­­modate a variety of rail sizes

and fasteners. Custom sizes and
shapes are available for custom appli-
cations. Phone: 800-527-5232.
ESCO Equipment Service Co.—Jumbo
Tie Caddy, Model JTC-101, is designed
to place and remove double-plank
crossing timbers, help eliminate back
injuries associated with manual han-
dling of crossing timbers. With a 19-in.
opening, this device can double as a
bridge-timber-handling device. Weight
30 lbs. Phone: 847-758-9860.
ESCO Equipment Service Co.—
Insulated Joint Sling, Model IJS-501,
designed to safely handle and position
insulated joint plugs without damage
to the insulated joint. Rated capacity of
4,000 lbs. Weight 34 lbs. Phone: 847-
758-9860.
ESCO Equipment Service Co.—ESCO
Equipment offers a complete line of
hydraulic tools designed to remove and
install grade-crossing material. Pow-
ered by a portable power unit, boom
truck or back hoe with optional tool
circuit. Phone: 847-758-9860.
FITE Corp.—Full-depth steel and con-
crete grade-crossing panels can be
installed on concrete or wood ties. Easy
installation and removal for track main-
tenance. Phone: 888-FITE-CORP.
HiRAIL Corp.—Pede-Strail is a full-
depth rubber walkway system for
use at pedestrian railroad cross-
ings. Pede-Strail’s rais­ed diamond
pattern provides a smooth, slip-
resistant crossing surface for ped­
es­­trians, bicyclists and handi­capp­ed
individuals. Pede-Strail meets ADA
re­quire­ments. Phone: 800-274-7245.
HiRAIL Corp.—Hi-Rail Full Depth Rub-
ber grade crossing systems provide
a smooth, safe and attractive cross-
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
ing surface for motor vehicles. Hi-Rail
crossings are easily removed and
reinstalled when track maintenance is
required and are resistant to a wide
variety of chemicals including road salt.
The tongue and groove design provides
a water tight seal between each pad
and the pads are molded to fit the rail,
keeping water and debris out of the
track while protecting the rail. HiRail
Crossings come in both lagged and
lagless styles. The lagless style lessens
cross tie degradation as well as allow-
ing for installation on concrete ties. The
100% rubber composition helps elimi-
nate false shunting of track circuits and
dampens the forces of vehicles over the
crossing. Each crossing pad is com-
posed of recycled tire rubber which is
fully encased in virgin rubber making
it an environmentally friendly product
which can be recycled at the end of its
useful life. Phone: 800-274-7245.
Koppers Inc.—Koppers produces creo-
sote treated full depth timber crossings
for the Class I, Shortline Railroads and
Industrial accounts. We also produce
gage and field flangway panels specifi-
cally for use with asphalt or concrete.
Panels are produced from oak and
hardwoods and treated to 7 or 8 pound
retention, determined by the specifica-
tion. Phone: 888-567-8437.
KSA—Full-depth/full-width reinforced
steel-framed concrete crossings are
available for both timber and concrete
tie track structures. The panels come
with attached rubber flangeway and all
necessary hardware to secure the panels
to the ties. The panels are manufactured
to accommodate rail sizes ranging from
112 lbs. to 141 lbs. KSA is a PCI and
AAR M-1003 certified facility. Phone:
740-776-3238.
LT Resources, Inc.—ENDURANCE®
-XL Plus Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
are manufactured using an engineered
Equipment & Materials Guide
100% recycled plastics formulation.
Also recyclable. New “Plus” design
accommodates mainline rail profiles
and all types of fastening systems.
Durable, long-lasting, superior grade
crossing product with an improved
skid resistant surface designed for all
types of traffic conditions. Non-con-
ductive, impervious to moisture, harsh
elements and severe temperatures.
Includes installation hardware and
on-site technical support. Pre-bored
and countersunk, or drill in the field.
Includes lifting devices and built-in
composite flangeway filler. Extend the
life of Endurance®-XL Plus or standard
Endurance® -XL Highway-Rail Grade
Crossings with composite railroad ties
to meet AREMA standards. Available
as a complete package. Best value for
your construction and maintenance
dollar. Phone: 800-440-1517.
Magnum Manufacturing Corp.—Insu-
lated concrete grade crossings are con-
structed to prevent electrical current
from passing from one rail to another
rail. This insulation, when used in con-
junction with a rubber flangeway filler,
provides maximum protection to pre-
vent shunting. Phone: 801-785-9700.
Magnum Manufacturing Corp.—
Pedestrian Walkovers fully engineered,
in-plant, prefabricated modular steel
construction. Phone: 801-785-9700.
Magnum Manufacturing Corp.—
Smooth, low-impact concrete grade
crossings are manufactured to fit any
rail from 115-lb to 136-lb, and can be
engineered for any length of tie or tie
spacing and for curves, switches and
frogs. Phone: 801-785-9700.
Omega Industries, Inc.—Omega
manufactures a high-quality Con-
crete Grade-Crossing System with an
innovative attached rubber flangeway
design. Serving main line railroads,
shortline railroads, transit, indus-
try, and port authorities, Omega has
established a reputation for quality,
delivery, and service. Products in­clude:
The BNSF / UPRR Common Standard
Lag-Down Panel, Non-Lag Concrete
Crossing Panels, Custom Curved Pan-
els, Custom Turnout Panels, DF Track
Crossing Panels, ADA-approved Pedes-
trian Crossing Panels, Steel Switch
Point Covers, Steel Switch Plates,
Steel Track Boxes, and Spreader
Bars. Omega manufacturing plants
are conveniently located in Washing-
ton, California, Nebraska, and Texas.
Phone: 360-694-3221.
OMNI Products, Inc.—OMNI’s Heavy
Duty rubber grade-crossing system
is the only full-depth rubber crossing
made from 100% virgin rubber. The
durable Heavy Duty system is de­signed
to withstand repeated punishment of
high-speed, high-average-daily-traffic
volumes. This prod­uct’s durability, long
life and low main­tenance requirements
make it ideal for most applications.
Heavy Duty can accommodate rail sizes
ranging from 90 lbs to 141 lbs. Custom
panels can be made for curves up to 16
degrees. Phone: 815-344-3100.
OMNI Products, Inc.—The OMNI
Steel Reinforced system is the only
steel-reinforced rubber crossing
product available. This system incor-
porates 100% virgin rubber panels
reinforced with corrugated steel
plate and installed on longitudinal,
pressure-treated, hardwood shims.
This durable product has been shown
June 2013 29
Grade-crossing surfaces
to withstand the impacts associated
with high-ADT applications. It can
also accommodate concentrated
loads, such as lift trucks. While Steel
Reinforced is the logical choice for
industrial applications, it is also
used on major highway crossings
with high ADT and a high percentage
of truck traffic. Steel Reinforced can
accommodate rail sections from #20
up to #141. Custom panels can be
made for curves up to 25 degrees.
Phone: 815-344-3100.
OMNI Products, Inc.—The Improved
Con­crete (IC) system incorporates pre-
cast concrete panels with OMNI’s full-
depth, stand-alone 100% virgin rubber
Rail­Guard™ flangeway fillers. Like all
con­crete panels in the OMNI line, these
full-depth, steel-framed, steel-reinfor­c­
ed concrete panels are de­signed to han-
dle typical (HS 20-44) highway traffic
loads. The full-depth, stand-alone vir-
gin rub­ber RailGuard™ panels cushion
load, control surface water, and provide
electrical insulation. The IC system can
be installed on either timber or concrete
ties. Custom panels can be made for
curv­ed track up to 16 degrees. Phone:
815-344-3100.
OMNI Products, Inc.—Embedded
Concrete Rubber/RailGuard™. ECR/
VRA is a unique combination con-
crete/rubber utilizing OMNI’s patented
Embedded Concrete Rubber for gauge
portion of the crossing and virgin rub-
ber RailGuard panels for field portions.
This system, which can be installed on
timber or concrete ties, is ideal for use
with 8-ft, 6-in. timber ties. Other com-
binations, such as ECR/ Heavy Duty,
are available. Phone: 815-344-3100.
OMNI Products, Inc.—Improved Con-
crete/RailGuard™ (IC/VRA). The IC/
30 Railway Track & Structures
VRA system combines the benefits
of a full-depth concrete gauge panel
ut­i  ­lizing OMNI’s full-depth, stand-
alone 100% virgin rubber RailGuard
flangeway fillers, along with Rail-
Guard rail seals used in conjunction
with asphalt on the field sides. This
design is ideal for use with 8-ft, 6-in.
timber ties. Other combinations, such
as IC/Heavy Duty are available. Phone:
815-344-3100.
OMNI Products, Inc.—Improved Con-
crete/Embedded Concrete Rubber (IC/
ECR): This unique full-depth, full-width
system combines the IC-design full-
depth concrete with stand-alone virgin
rubber flangeway fillers in the gauge
with ECR (concrete with attached rub-
ber) panels on the field side. Available
in 8- and 9-ft lengths, this design is
available for timber or concrete tie appli-
cations and for curves up to 16 degrees.
Phone: 815-344-3100.
OMNI Products, Inc.—Embedded
Concrete Rubber is the latest genera-
tion of OMNI’s patented single-com-
ponent concrete/rubber design. ECR
is designed with a rubber flangeway
filler molded di­rect­ly into the face of the
steel-framed, steel-reinforced, concrete
panels. This shunt-resistant system
eliminates hand­l­ing separate concrete
and rubber com­pon­ents during ship-
ping and facilitates ease of installation.
ECR comes in 8-ft, 8-ft, 1-1/2-in., 9-in.
and 10-ft lengths, and can be installed
on either concrete or timber ties. This
system is used on all major railroads;
com­mu­ ­ter, transit, shortline and region-
al rail­road lines, as well as in ports,
yards and terminals. Custom panels
can be made for special trackwork and
curves up to 25 degrees. Phone: 815-
344-3100.
OMNI Products, Inc.—OMNI’s Tra-
Cast™ precast concrete module
eliminates the use of ties and ballast.
June 2013 www.rtands.com
This tie-less system incorporates elas-
tic fasteners to secure the rail to the
base of the rail troughs and maintain
a consist­ent toe load. A continuous
protective rubber rail boot insulates
the rail from electrical interference.
RailGuard™ virgin rubber panels are
installed on the gauge side of the rail
to effectively cover the rail fasteners,
while maintaining a consistent, posi-
tive flangeway. The stand-alone Rail-
Guard™ rubber panels can be easily
removed with a lining bar, eliminating
the need for heavy equipment, for rail
inspection and repair. Widely used in
industrial applications, TraCast™ is
also used on high-ADT highway cross-
ings, as well as on transit, branchline,
port and terminal applications. Tra-
Cast™ is available in 6-ft lengths with
45-degree tapered ends. Custom pan-
els are available for curved track up to
16 degrees. Phone: 815-344-3100.
Premier Concrete Railroad Cros­s­
ings—Rail/Highway Bridge Modular
System. Custom designed to incorpo-
rate Pre­mier’s tie-less modular fea-
tures, this sys­tem meets Coopers E-80
railroad load­ing specifications, as
well as H-20 high­way loadings for all
forms of vehicular traffic. “The Bridge”
replaces normal bridge decking materi-
als and track support, with the con-
crete modular system offering complete
rail isolation, re­sis­t­ance to invasive
road salt (chloride) attack, while ensur-
ing long-term, low-maintenance ser-
vice. “The Bridge” can be modified to
meet rail and highway appli­cations.
Phone: 503-285-8391.
Premier Concrete Railroad Cross­
ings—Modular Tieless Crossing Sys-
tem for freight. This design is suited for
use in extreme loading, high average
daily traffic and curved-track situa-
tions. The modular system is de­signed
to eliminate the installation and main-
tenance costs associated with ties,
ballast and rail fasteners. Phone: 503-
285-8391.
Premier Concrete Railroad Cross­
ings—Modular Tieless Crossing System
for transit. This design is specifically
designed for light rail transit use. With
the use of a continuous rail boot, the
Premier LRT Modular System provides
complete rail isolation for track elec-
trification. The Premier Continuous
Rail Boot provides a quiet, shunt-free
crossing surface. Premier Modular is
designed to eliminate the installation
and maintenance costs associated with
ties, ballast, and rail fasteners. This
three-piece system consists of a base
unit, and two center panels. The base
unit sits on a highway-style road base
and evenly distributes the load over a
large footprint. Rail sits in the base unit
and is locked in place with two remov-
able center panels. The base units and
center panels are cast to match the
rail profile, and act as a continuous
rail support. An optional rubber insert
is easily installed to reduce the flange-
way opening to meet ADA requirements.
Modules are available for 100-lb to
140-lb rail, in lengths of 4 ft and 8 ft.
Tapered modules are available in 4-ft
lengths and can be used in curved track
up to 30 degrees. Modules are manu-
factured with a non-conductive, salt
(chloride)-resistant concrete mix. All
Premier modules come standard with a
non-skid diamond plate surface. Phone:
503-285-8391.
R­ ail-Way, Inc.—Supplies full-depth-
rubber grade-crossing systems in stan­
d­­­­ard 36-in. modules for both tangent
and curved track up to 22 degrees.
The Rail-Way system is designed for
fast, economical installation or removal
for track maintenance. The patented
hinge kerf in the gauge pad allows
quick placement without special tools
or equipment. A four-man crew with
a backhoe can install as much as 30
track-feet per hour under normal condi-
tions. The system is available in stock
for rail sizes from 90 lbs to 140 lbs, and
tie lengths of 8 ft, 6 ins. and 9 ft, wood
or concrete. Phone: 563-852-7794.
Rail-Way, Inc.—Manufactures a
concrete grade-crossing system with

pre-attached flangeway filler that
facilitates ease of installation and
removal for track maintenance. The
shunt-resistant steel frame sur-
rounding the concrete panel is pow-
der coated to give maximum protec-
tion from the elements. The panels
feature 7,000 psi and are available
for rail sizes from 115 lbs. to 140
lbs. Engineered in accord­ance with
AASHTO HS20-44 loading specifica-
tions. Each panel has a non-skid sur-
face and protection from freeze/thaw
cycles. Phone: 563-852-7794.
StarTrack Railroad Crossings—The
StarTrack II modular precast-concrete
platform grade-crossing system uses
no ties and is set on a prepared sub-
grade to form a self-supporting slab
system free of vertical or lateral move-
ment. Rail lays on UHMW polyethylene
strips, which cushion impact loadings
and protect the underlying concrete
surface from abrasion. This new design
incorporates one-piece construc-
tion with Pandrol fasteners for ease
of installation and easy access to rail
without disturbing the crossing. Each
panel is cast of 6,000-psi concrete and
is 14 ins. thick by 8 ft wide by 5 ft
(or 7 ft, 6 ins. and 17 ft, 6 ins.) along
the track. StarTrack panels are precast
at regional Oldcastle plants to facili-
tate delivery, quality and professional
supervision. Phone: 888-965-3227.
StarTrack Railroad Crossings—The
StarTrack II-HD design is a one-piece
module with Pandrol clips. Heavy-truck
or industrial loads are accommodated
by larger and thicker modules, with
additional reinforcing. The size of these
modules is 16 ins. thick by 11 ft wide
by 5 ft along the track. Special design
mixes are available for deicer-corrosion
and freeze-thaw problem areas. Phone:
888-965-3227.
StarTrack Railroad Crossings—Star-
Track II-TS is an all-new Transit Light
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
Rail Support System designed for tran­
sit, trolley, light rail and slow-speed,
low-tonnage freight. It fea­tures an open
rail groove to ac­com­­modate the rail and
its rubber support system. It is avail-
able in all existing StarTrack versions
and offers im­proved economy, adapt-
ability, electrical insulation, rail isola-
tion and vibration and noise dampen-
ing. Phone: 888-965-3227.
Steel Crossings, Inc.—SCI manufac-
tures heavy-duty, diamond-plate, cus-
tom-designed steel railroad crossings
for heavy crossing areas. Steel crossings
are easily installed, easy to maintain,
and ideal for severe weather conditions,
with no tearing, chipping, splintering or
cracking. Phone: 412-820-7030.
Stella-Jones Corp.—Durable oak tim-
bers are used to manufacture the solid
Full Panel crossing. The field panels
are 20 inches wide, consisting of two
10 inch timbers with a notch on the
top side of the field panels to prevent
false flange damage to the panels. The
(2) gauge panels are 25 ½” wide and
the panel consists of three 8 ½” wide
timbers. Both field and gauge panels
are doweled together and can be pre-
bored with countersunk holes for drive
spikes or lag screws. Gauge panels can
be shipped with pre-attached timber
flangeway filler blocks. The end panels
can be beveled to help prevent dam-
age. Panels can be made to accom-
modate almost any tie plate and hard-
ware. Timber & Asphalt Type crossings
are also available - The Single Gauge/
Single Field or Single Gauge/Double
Field Type. Phone: 800-272-8437.
TRANSPO ® INDUSTRIES, Inc.—
Bodan ® grade crossing system,
designed for heavy-traffic, supports
HS 25 traffic loads. Modular panels
remove and reinstall easily for routine
track maintenance. The skid and wear
resistant surface is impervious to die-
Equipment & Materials Guide
sel fuel, salt and moisture. Optional
safety features include surface mount-
ed LED warning lights and color pave-
ments. Phone: 800-321-7870.
TRANSPO® INDUSTRIES, Inc.—STEP-
SAFE® ADA tiles have been used for
ramps, crosswalks, and train station
platforms since 1993. We proudly
introduce STEP-SAFE® surface
applied mats. No bolts are required
making installation fast and easy.
STEP-SAFE® has a proven record
of strong resistance to the effects of
wear, weather and other environmen-
tal conditions. Phone: 800-321-7870.
TRANSPO ®  INDUSTRIES, Inc.—
Color-Safe™ can be used to demar-
cate and increase visibility of Grade
Crossings. Color-Safe is the long
lasting solution to color pavement
marking increasing safety for pedes-
trians and bicyclists. Color-Safe’s
durable high definition color is UV
and wear resistant and glass beads
can be added to further increase ret-
ro-reflectivity. Phone: 800-321-7870.
Communications
and signaling
equipment and
warning devices
ALSTOM—The Microchron Vital
Timer eliminates the need to stock
separate timers with different volt-
ages and time ranges. It features
a wide voltage and selectable time
range. Input operating range is +8V
d.c. to +35V d.c. Vital Time delays
one second to 19 minutes, 59 sec-
onds may be configured in one-sec-
ond increments. Time-delay accu-
racy is +0.1% of the thumbwheel
setting. Vitality is ensured through
the use of Safety Assurance Logic
Software. Phone: 800-717-4477.
ALSTOM—New and improved AURO-
RA™ LED Signal offering. ALSTOM is
continuously improving its offering to
meet our customers’ changing needs
and to take advantage of evolving
technologies, as they become avail-
able. ALSTOM has recently introduced
two 12-in. and one 8-in. AURORA ret-
rofit kits for the highway crossing sig-
nals: the AURORA 300 and the AURORA
160. The new AURORA 300 signal (300
LEDs) provides superior light output.
With 1,600 candela on axis, it is the
brightest LED signal in the market
today. The new AURORA 160 signal
(160 LEDs) offers not only improved
brightness but is also the most-cost-
effective signal. Both signals feature
regulated light output and come in
completely sealed enclosures. Phone:
800-717-4477.
ALSTOM—ALSTOM’s new AURORA
Gate Arm Light also benefits from
the new LEDs and is three times
brighter than the previous genera-
tion. With its 36 ultra bright LEDs
per unit, it is actu­ally the brightest
LED gate-arm light with the widest
viewing angle (30-degree) available
in the market to­day. It exceeds the
AREMA-recommended 70-degree
beam spread and is com­p­a­t­­i ble
with all suppliers’ highway cross-
ing products. Tested over 200,000
op­er­ations, it has not had one single
LED fail­­ure. The new AURORA Gate
Arm Light is also available as a
kit, which contains every­thing for a
quick and easy one-man, one-tool,
10-mi­n ute installation. Plus, its
unique de­sign utilizing plug-in quick
connectors and coil cord allows for
an easy position­ing of the lights on
June 2013 31
Communications and signaling equipment and warning devices
the gate arm. Just plug and connect.
Phone: 800-717-4477.
American Concrete Products—
Since 1952, American Concrete
Products has been manufactur-
ing precast signal foundations. Its
signal foundations are manufac-
tured in accordance with AREMA
design standards. With its sizeable
inventory, the company offers 15 of
the most common signal founda-
tions, in addition to several unique
ones with custom bolt patterns.
Whether its signal, wayside, flash-
ing or cantilever foundations, the
experienced sales and engineering
team can help determine the best
products to meet its clients’ project
needs. Phone: 402-331-5775.
Ansaldo STS—Ansaldo STS offers a
full line of aluminum cantilevers in
lengths from 20 to 40 ft. These can-
tilevers, designed to meet or exceed
all AAR and other industry specifica-
tions, are maintenance-friendly and
offer ease of installation. Both mast
designs will mount on a four-bolt
foundation. Phone: 412-688-2400.
32 Railway Track & Structures
Ansaldo STS—The HC-20 LED light
is a 12-in. highway-crossing signal
that features a light emitting di­ode
module en­closed in a cast alumi-
num, water-tight case e­q uipp­e d
with side-view ports. De­signed to
main­tain sufficient light out­p ut
even if discrete LED fail­ure should
occur, the LED module is brighter
than con­­v en­t ional incandescent
lamps and consumes a­p­prox­imately
30% less power. The HC-120 LED
signal light meets AAR and AASHTO
stand­­ards and ha­s an estimated
operating life of 100,000 hours. The
HC-120LED can replace exist­­­i ng
light units that have 30-degree/15-
de­gree, 20-de­gr­e­e­/ ­32-degree and
70-degree/0-de­g ree spread and
de­flec­tion patterns. Phone: 412-
688-2400.
Ansaldo STS—The Model 95 Gate
Mechanism, meets or exceeds all
AAR and other industry specifica-
tions, features an integral cast-
aluminum housing and cover and
is driven by a permanent magnet
gear motor. It has a stall torque of
2,000 ft-lbs. Other features of the
June 2013 www.rtands.com
Model 95 include heavy-duty coil
springs for vertical and horizon-
tal damp­eners; a new solid-state
motor controller includes diag-
nostic LEDs and test functions for
confirming operation; capability of
indefinite motor stall; and higher-
strength gears and a maintenance
switch that enables the mechanism
gate arm support assembly to be
rotatated to the down position via
electrical power. The Model 95 gate
mecha­n ism
­­ can be fitted with a
pedestrian gate arm and features a
new solid-state module that drives
the gate arm during the first 45
degrees of descent. The Model 95
mechanism is suitable for en­trance
gates and exit gates in a quad-
gate system. Phone: 412-688-2400.
Ansaldo STS—The PN-150EVT timer
is a micro­pro­­c­­­­essor-bas­ed vital time
element re­lay that is a di­rect plug-in
re­place­ment for the PT-55 me­chan­
ical timer. The PN-150EVT is suit­able
wherever a vi­tal delay pick-up relay
is needed and it can be used for time
locking, loss of shunt pro­tection and
delayed clear­ing of sig­nals. A printed
circuit board that in­cludes the micro-
processor and asso­ciated circuitry is
mounted with­in a plug-in-style relay
enclosure. A four-character LED dis-
play on the face of the timer indicates
op­erational status. The timing interval
of the PN-150EVT timer can be set any-
where between 0 and 3,599 sec­onds (0
minutes to 59 minutes, 59 seconds).
When used with the specially-de­signed
adapter base, the PN-150EVT can be
plugged directly into an existing PT-55
base with no wiring changes. Phone:
412-688-2400.

Astro-Tek Associates—Adjunct or
primary controls for public and pri-
vate grade-level crossing-warning
systems where loss of shunt is a
problem. The warning systems use
test-proven logic control and low-
power buried magnetometer sen-
sors that provide constant warning
time and data activation logging as
options. Phone: 203-755-2323.
Astro-Tek Associates—The Four
Quadrant Exit Gate Control Sys-
tem con­sists of an array of special
magnetic detection sensors stra-
tegically placed within an island
crossing that are hard-wired to
a central controller lo­cated adja-
cent to the track. Upon re­ceipt of
a signal from the standard track
circuit that a train is approaching
the crossing, the sensor array is
in­terrogated to determine if a vehi-
cle presence is detected within the
island. In addition to the detection
and control system, a data-gather-
ing and data-retrieval system has
been de­veloped to provide real-time
information on each train’s pas-
sage. Such data provide a valuable
tool to evaluate performance and
reliability analysis for the design
of operating algorithms embedded
within the system controller. Phone:
203-755-2323.
CTC, Inc.—U-1400 vital inductive
loop processor detects equipment
for yard switching and interlocking
applications; detects vehicles for four
quad-gate crossing systems; provides
enhanced shunting for rusty rail|salted
crossings. Digital technology combines
standard vital monitoring techniques
with self-checking for consistent, reli-
able detection. Technical: 12 V inputs
isolated from detector; 9.5 – 18 VDC.
Phone: 817-886-8230.
CTC, Inc.— The Interconnected
Grade Crossing Operations Recorder
(IGOR™) is the only grade-crossing
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
recorder|analyzer that incorporates
video recording of train and vehicle
movements at interconnected cross-
ings. Captures user-defined states of
traffic signal and crossing warning
systems. Features solid-state video,
up to eight HD cameras, configu-
rable parameters, notifications and
alarms. AREMA- and FRA-compliant.
Phone: 817-886-8207.
Energy Abosorption Systems A Trin-
ity Industries, Inc. Company—Stop-
Gate™ vehicle arresting safety barrier
gate helps prevent vehicles from enter-
ing a railroad crossing. The StopGate
technology ultimately changes the
function of typical railroad crossing
arms from one of “warning” to positive
crashworthy protection. Consists of a
housing that contains components for
raising and lowering gate arms, which
are made up of three 19-mm-diame-
ter energy absorbing steel cables set
inside two 90-mm-diameter aluminum
tubes. The tubes are connected by a
series of rectangular aluminum con-
nectors welded vertically between the
upper and lower tubes. The gate arm is
deployed using a vertical pivot action­–
similar to a crossing warning gate–
and utilizes a positive locking device
at each end of the arm to secure the
gate across the roadway. The locking
gate at the far end of the gate arm is
located in the highway medium, which
helps prevent traffic from going around
the gate, while the gate arm itself pre-
vents the vehicle from going through it.
Maximum gate width is 55 feet (16.7
m), and it is accepted by FHWA as a
NCHRP 350 TL-2 attenuator that can
stop a 2,000 kg (4,400 lb.) pickup truck
traveling at 70 km/h (44 mph). Phone:
312-467-6750.
ESCO Equipment Service Co.—Asso-
ciated Signal Co.– The Ultra Lite gate
arm light assembly is engineered to
be the most-durable gate light avail-
able. Molded from impact-resistant
polycarbonate material, the one-piece
device is design­ed to prevent breakage
Equipment & Materials Guide
be­tween the lamp and junction box.
Several mounting options are avail-
able. Phone: 847-758-9860.
ESCO Equipment Service Co.—ESCO
Safety Strobe Kit features Lightman®
Xenon Strobes, the brighest portable
lights available today. Various lens
colors are available. The Lightman
can be attached to equip­ment, traffic
cones, worn on reflective vest belts and
clothing, anyplace where high visibility
is critical. Weight 3.5 ounces. Phone:
847-758-9860.
Exide Technologies—The Absolyte IIP
Single Cell Module battery is designed
for ease of handling in railway signal
applications. The Absolyte IIP repre-
sents the third generation of the Abso-
lyte product line with field-proven expe-
rience since 1983. The proprietary MFX
alloy offers superior cycling and long-
file capabilities. The rugged Absolyte
IIP battery is able to recover from deep
discharges, and can accept a high rate
recharge. It is freeze tolerant. Phone:
630-862-2200.
Genesis Technologies Inc.—Remanu-
facturing grade-crossing equipment.
We understand signal systems opera-
tion and how they function in the field.
We understand the critical nature of
railroad signal equipment and pay
attention in every aspect of our work.
We ensure our products and services
meet or exceed the quality required by
our customers. Phone: 918-307-0098.
Genesis Technologies, Inc.—T-Boss
7400 ACDC Track Driver (pronounced
tee-boss) provides 10 percent more
output power than conventional ACDC
track drivers and with the XP option,
25 percent more output. T-Boss7400
features: 12V DC input; four isolated
AC outputs; LED status indicators for
battery input and four AC track circuit
outputs; efficient and cool operation;
plug-in I/O connector. Three-year lim-
ited warranty. Phone: 918-307-0098
Genesis Technologies, Inc.—T-Rx
7100 Rail Shunt Augmenter System
(pronounced tee-rex) helps provide
reliable shunting for railroad signal
systems. Features: 7.1 VDC output
to track; 120 VAC or 12 VDC; system
diagnostics; circuit breakers; isolated
inputs and outputs; system check out-
put; automatic switchover to DC; surge
protection; plug-in style connectors;
wall or rack mount; three-year limited
warranty. Phone: 918-307-0098.
GE Transportation Rail—The SCX-1
(Solid State Crossing Controller) is a
fully-programmable, microprocessor-
bas­ed, AC/DC track circuit system
de­sign­ed for railroad-crossing con-
trol. The system provides reliable
shunting in rusty rail conditions. It
requires minimal wiring to implement
and a stand­ard crossing applica-
tion program (STDXING) is included.
Phone: 800-825-7090.
GE Transportation Rail—The HXP-3
(Highway Crossing Processor) series
of constant warning time crossing-
control units is designed to provide
consistent detection times with varying
train speeds. Fashioned to interface
ad­vanced mi­cro­processor technol-
ogy with long-term reliability, ease of
maintenance and design flexibility.
June 2013 33
Communications and signaling equipment and warning devices
It is available in two mo­dels: HXP-3
provides stand-alone operations for
single- or double-track applications;
HXP-3R2 provides built-in redundancy
for single- or double-track applications.
Phone: 800-825-7090.
GE Transportation Rail—HXP/PMD-3
(Highway Crossing Processor/ Phase
Motion Detector) is an entry-level pre-
dictor with enhanced software allow-
ing the user to switch to the predictor
func­tion simply by selecting the con-
stant-warning option on the menu. The
unit is available in three models. HXP/
PMD-3D offers stand-alone operation
for double-track applications. HXP-
PMD-3R2 provides built-in redundancy
for single-track applications. HXP/PMD
-3R2 provides built-in redundancy for
single- or double-track applications.
Phone: 800-825-7090.
GE Transportation Rail—The Elec-
troLogIXS XP4 supports a wide range
of highway- rail grade-crossing appli­
cations, incorporating constant warn­
ing time and motion detection control,
crossing island train detection, vital
input monitoring, vital relay drive out-
put control and ground fault detec-
tion. Vital serial communication ports
enable the ElectroLogIXS XP4 to com-
municate with ElectroLogISX, EC5 or
VHLC systems. It can be expanded to
add radio signaling capabilities or to
operate remotely through a vital serial
data port. Phone: 800-825-7090.
GE Transportation Rail—The GE four
quadrant gate control system can
operate exit gates in timed, dynamic
34 Railway Track & Structures
or fallback modes of operation. GE has
developed a standard configuration
using a combination of ElectroLogIXS
modules, along with a master program
that enables users to select the operat-
ing characteristics particular to their
application. Phone: 800-825-7090.
GE Transportation Rail—The GE one-
track, redundant motion detector uti-
lizes ElectroLogIXS modules to provide
redundant train detection along with
vital I/O. An internal gate and lamp
control module can also be installed
to handle most typical installations,
reducing the need for external equip-
ment. Phone: 800-825-7090.
General Signals, Inc.—Signal lenses,
roundels and reflectors. The product
line also includes highway crossing
bells, gate arms, gate lights, end-of-
train lights, and patented gate-keeper
apparatus designed to prevent destruc-
tion of gate arms when gate crashers
violate a downed crossing gate. Phone:
812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—The aluminum/
polyglas composite gate arm has an
18-ft aluminum base and a second
section comprised of pultruded poly-
glas, a composite material utilizing
fiberglass reinforced by thermoset poly-
ester composites. Unidirectional fiber-
glass oriented longitudinally provides
rigidity and an ultraviolet radiation
stabilizer is added to polyester resin to
improve weatherability. Polyglas shapes
have resist­ance to chemical and other
corrosive environments. They are non-
magnetic and non-conducting; their
strength-to-weight ratio is superior to
steel and aluminum and they are per-
fectly elastic and will not take a set if
bent. Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Crossbucks
are available in fiberglass and dou-
June 2013 www.rtands.com
ble-ribbed aluminum. These include
one- and two-sided engineering and
high-intensity grade models in both
materials. Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Gate Keeper
is a patented mechanical apparatus
which can be attached to any stand­
ard gate mechanism, mast-mounted
or pedestal-mounted. It allows for
vehicles attempting to pass through
a lowered gate arm to do so without
dam­age to the gate itself. Any stand­­ard
fiberglass/aluminum break-away gate
arm used in conjunction with the Gate
Keeper will, upon contact with a vehi-
cle, swing in a concentric motion and
allow the vehicle to pass, without any
damage to the gate. The gate arm will
then return to its original position and
lock into place. A roller-bearing arm
has recently been added to the de­sign,
which allows it to operate with a gate
arm of up to 40 ft in length. There is a
shear pin option for high-wind areas.
Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—The Survivor
gate arm has an 18-ft base section that
is manufactured from an 8-ft alumi-
num sleeve in conjunction with a 14-ft
extruded Rovel plastic section that has
a triangle cross section. Rovel weather­
able polymer is an engineering thermo-
plastic that combines weatherability,
heat distortion and impact strength. If
needed, a second section, up to 12 ft in
length, made of pultruded fiberglass, is
available. Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Plug-In Gate
Light Kit is constructed of Xenoy, with
plug-in connections to the side of the
Junction Box that eliminate time-con-
suming hand wiring. The lights can
be mounted to the arm with standard
mounting hardware or by utilizing the
adhesive vinyl tape on the back of each
Junction Box and Pig Tail cables allow
for usage on gates anywhere be­tween
12 and 42 ft. Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Gate Lights
and Junction Box are available in metal
and LEXAN™. Lights are available fully
assembled with signal lamp installed.
Polypropylene plastic junction box
features hinge lid with snap closure.
Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Complete line
of both 8- and 12-in. highway-crossing
roundels. All standard lenses for ped­
es­tal, cantilever and back lights are
available for immediate shipment.
Parabolic reflectors in glass, plastic
and metal are available in both 8-
and 12-in. sizes. The company stocks
replacement reflectors for all crossing
lights and signals and has a complete
line of signal lenses. Inner and outer
doublets are made of LEXAN™, glass
and plexiglass. All standard sizes are
available, including dwarf, inverted
color lights and sema­phore lenses.
Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Search-light
lenses in LEXAN™, glass and plexi-
glass. Both flat and convex outer
lenses are available to fit most manu-
facturers’ light units. General Signals’
inventory also includes plano magnify-
ing compound lenses, plus 1-in. coni-
cals and flat colored roundels. Phone:
812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Replacement
lenses for most makes and models of
switch lamps still in use throughout
the country. Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—LEXAN™ lens
protectors. All standard sizes are avail-
able. Phone: 812-474-4256.
General Signals, Inc.—Electronic
Crossing Bell is a totally-electronic
device. The tone of the bell has been
permanently recorded onto a micro-
chip and is then played back through
an outdoor speaker. Therefore, the
warning sound duplicates that of a
traditional bell. No special wiring is
required; the unit is connected to the
same wire leads that would be used for
a mechanical bell. The electronic circuit
draws less than 0.15 amps, which is
approximately 10% of the current draw
of a typical mechanical bell. The bell is
said to meet all app­li­­cable AAR recom-
mendations and per­tinent specifica-
tions. Phone: 812-474-4256.
KYOCERA SOLAR, Inc.—Solar electric
power systems for railroad installa-
tions. Complete power system for way-
side signaling, including intermedi-
ate signals, 2-volt track circuits and
control points. Solar power systems
can also be used for hot box detectors
and communication sites. Systems are
provided complete with all the neces-
sary components and documentation.
Phone: 262-279-5322.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Safetran pro-
vides a complete, pre-wired crossing

warning and control system, packed
in a portable workshop and storage
shelter. Everything needed is loaded
into a shipping container and deliv-
ered directly to the crossing site. Items
are packed in the order that they will
be needed, eliminating unpacking and
repacking. The container is weather-
proof and can be locked to reduce theft
and vandalism. Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Walkout cantile-
vers are available in single- and dual-
mast styles to support arms ranging
from 12 to 40 ft. These all-aluminum
assemblies are easy to install and
are available with a complete line of
flashing light units, crossing signs and
bells. An optional arm allows a gate
mechan­ism to be mounted on the can-
tilever. Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—The S-60
En­trance and Exit Gates from Safetran
are designed for full integration into
crossing-control systems, including
remote monitoring, testing and report-
ing at the field and central office lev-
els. Gate MTTR (mean time to restore)
is minimized through LED diagnostics,
plug-in PCBs and use of an electric
brake. The “Maintenance Switch”
function will raise the heaviest coun-
terweight stack, allowing the longest
gate arms to be repaired or replaced.
Entrance and Exit gates share 90% of
components to simplify maintenance
and reduce spare-part inventories.
Safetran Model S-20 and S-40 gates
can be upgraded to full S-60 capabili-
ties. Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Complete Flash­
ing Light Signal assemblies are avail-
able with either incandescent or LED
light heads. Assemblies can in­clude
ex­trud­ed aluminum crossbucks, track
signs, mast, base, pinnacle, bell,
either type flashing light unit, cross­
arms, backgrounds and visors. Specify
front, back, left-, right-hand indication.
Sidelights in LED heads are ill­uminat­
ed direct from the main light source.
Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Three mi­cro­
processor-controlled, solid-state cross­
ing controllers are offered. All are avail­­
able in 20-amp and 40-amp versions
and have programmable flash rate,
gate delay and Loss-Of-Shunt Tim-
ers. Lamp output is regulated which
eliminates seasonal voltage adjust-
ments. The SSCCIII PLUS model adds
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
sel­ect­able input logic programs that
eliminate relays in most applica-
tions, such as second-train-coming,
directional sticks and traffic signal
preemption. The SSCCIV model adds
vital communica­tions for applications
such as four-quadrant crossing gates.
Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—The Safetran
Event Analyzer Recorder II, SEARII, is
a flexible, cost-effective sys­tem for
mon­itoring and reporting e­quipment
op­eration at grade crossing, interlock-
ing and wayside signal in­stallations.
The base unit, with 100,000 event stor­
age, can monitor most signal in­stal­la­
tions. Both I/O and event storage cap­
acity can be ex­pand­ed to monitor the
most-complex in­stallations. All event
stor­age has bat­tery back up. SEAR II
has built-in, auto­mated testing func-
tions and in­di­cators and re­mote com­
m­un­ i­cations and reporting links. The
so­phi­sticated programming is capable
of de­scribing alarm conditions, test
modes, communications op­tions and
con­trol func­­tions independent of the
actual unit wiring. The su­pp­ orting
Wayside Alarms Management Sys­tems
(WAMS) office applications pro­vide the
user in­ter­face for alarm ac­knowledge­
ment, in­iti­ating control func­tions and a
Web in­ter­face to field lo­cations. Phone:
502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Safetran’s S3/
Link and new High-Speed-Link Spread
Spectrum Radios are designed to pro-
vide communications over distances
up to 10 miles for signaling and gen-
eral-purpose data transmission. They
provide a method of sending crossing
re­cord­er data from crossings to central
lo­cations. When used in combination
with HD/Link, vital circuit informa-
tion such as DAX circuits can be sent
between crossings. No FCC license is
required for either system and units
can be arranged to form point-to-
point or point-to-multi-point networks.
Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—GCP 4000, the
first fully-integrated crossing control
system, integrates five separate cross­
ing control functions into one com­pact
unit that delivers the most efficient
and cost-effective train detection/
crossing control system available. The
system controls all warning, moni-
toring and reporting functions at a
cross­ing and allows remote set-up,
trouble-shooting, testing and report-
Equipment & Materials Guide
ing of crossing operation via multiple
communications options. Ownership
costs are significantly reduced through
elimination of all mechanical relays
in a crossing, reduction of crossing
installation and set-up costs—labor
and ma­terial—and reduced space
requirements. The automated in­spec­­­­
tion, mon­­itoring, testing and remote
reporting capabilities significantly
improve crossing maintenance effi-
ciency. Overall, the system has the
potential to re­duce crossing downtime,
rail and highway traffic delays and
total crossing owner­ship costs. Phone:
502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Safetran’s
standard, solid state, electronic bell is
available in loud or soft tone versions
for use at conventional crossings. The
new E-Bell ™ electronic bell contains
a circuit that monitors bell perfor-
mance, allowing the E-Bell to be used
in crossings equipped with the most
ad­vanced moni­tor­ing/testing/re­port­ing
systems. Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Safetran sup-
plies “Railroad Crossing,” “Railway
Crossing,” “Stop on Red Signal,” and
“Number of Tracks” signs for all types
of signal applications. They are low-
cost, long-lasting, lightweight, easy-
to-erect and maintain and corrosion-
resistant. The reflecting material,
attached permanently to the sign face,
has wide-angle reflecting qualities to
make the signs visible day or night.
Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—The FLX-4000
LED-type flashing light head is a one-
piece replacement for incandescent
flashing light assemblies. The side-
light is directly illuminated by the main
light source. The LEDs provide uniform
light output down to four volts. Chro-
maticity (color) is nearly identical to
incandescent flashing light and beam
intensity is superior. Beam alignment
is not required. Incandescent flashing
lights are available in 8-3/8-in. and
12-in. diameters with a variety of lens
options. Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Safetran’s
Gate Arm Helper Model 076575-X is
an application device that allows one
person to apply break-away types of
gate arms in the field. It consists of
an ad­justable tripod stand to support
the arm while the base end is lifted
into place and clamped to a conversion
bracket at right angles to the roadway.
The user then returns to the stand,
lifts and rotates it to operational posi-
tion. The shear pins are reapplied, the
clamp removed and the job is com-
plete. Phone: 502-618-8800.
Invensys Rail Corp.—Model 2000
Motion Sensor is available in a non-re­
dun­d­ant system and redundant config­
u­r­­ations. The non-redundant system
is designed for two-track installations
and provides independent program-
ming of transmit frequencies for Track
1 and Track 2. The redundant system is
de­sign­ed for use in single-track instal-
lations. The transmit frequencies for
both sys­tems are field-programmable.
Both Model 2000 Mo­tion Sensors are
equipped with Safe­tran’s poor-shunt-
ing detection software. Phone: 502-
618-8800.
Leach International Corp. —Offers
hermetically-sealed electrical switch-
ing components for harsh environ-
ments. Products include solid-state
power controllers, keyboards and
custom-engineered relay-rail control
systems, positive train separation,
communications-based control sys-
tems. Phone: (33) 3 87 97 98 97.
National Railway Supply, Inc.—
National Railway Supply’s introduc-
tion of the ELC Battery Charger line
provides the latest in technology for
battery charging with the most-wanted
features at an economical price. These
chargers are temperature compensat-
ed, have excellent SCR regulation and
low output ripple. Models available:
12/20S, 12/20D, 12/40S, 12/40D and
12/60D. Phone: 912-920-4575.
National Railway Supply, Inc.—
National Railway Supply, along with
EnerSys Inc., the world’s largest
manufacturer of lead-acid batteries,
examined the re­quire­ments of the
railroad signal and com­munications
departments and de­vel­oped a smart
battery solution. Thus the introduc-
tion of the Ironcald Type ELM or Exide
Low Maintenance Railroad Sig­n al
Battery (flooded/wet/vented, de­sign­
ed to tolerate the harsh railroad
en­vi­ronment and provide longevity
that can exceed conventional main-
tenance-free VRLA batteries when
used in similar sig­nal applications
with a more-econo­mi­cal price tag).
Amp hour sizes range from 80AH to
710AH. Phone: 912-920-4575.
June 2013 35
Communications and signaling equipment and warning devices
National Railway Supply, Inc.—Dis-
tributor for EnerSys Inc., to the rail
in­dustry. EnerSys Inc., (formerly Yua-
sa-Exide) is one of the largest bat­tery
man­­ufacturers in the world, especially
after completing its recent acquisitions
of Hawker, Varta, Chloride, & Power­
Safe batteries. National Railway Sup­
ply, Inc., and EnerSys Inc., are now able
to offer one of the largest and most-
com­plete line of batteries for every
app­li­cation. Phone: 912-920-4575.
Progress Rail Services Corp.—
Progress Rail Services Signal Divi-
sion is a leader in signal engineer-
ing and design, rail crossing design
and installation, highway and way-
side structure manufacturing, train
inspection and information systems
and crossing event recorders. The
Signal Division also provides field
management and construction ser-
vices for large, on-going projects.
We offer a turnkey approach, from
survey to design and installation.
Progress Rail manufactures struc-
tures for automatic grade crossing
warning systems, wayside signaling
systems and other unique systems.
We also provide a variety of prod-
ucts and services for grade cross-
ing and CTC applications. Our wire
shops excel in wiring and testing
signal houses to fit your design or
ours. We also manufacture custom
Local Control Panels (LCP) designed
to site specific locations. Progress
Rail’s Train Inspection and Informa-
tion Systems includes bearing and
wheel scanners, Dragging Equip-
ment Detectors (DED) and High/Wide
Load Detectors. We offer both rail
mounted and In-Tie designs of scan-
ners and DED. For highway cross-
ings, our Crossguard stand-alone
system monitors crossings to detect
obstacles and help avoid derail-
ments. Event Recorders monitor the
performance of the crossing compo-
nents to ensure proper operation and
can alert a central office or main-
tainer when there is an issue at the
crossing. For further information,
visit www.Progressrail.com > Signal
Products and Services, or call 800-
741-7112.
Quest Corporation—Patented Appol-
lolite Locomotive Warning Light and
Control Systems allow ditch lights to be
used in manual or automatic, normal
illumination or timed pulsing modes at
railroad crossings and rights-of-way,
36 Railway Track & Structures
providing the highest level of operating
safety. The Appollolite is field-proven
with 12,000+ units in service and
meets OEM electrical equipment and
FRA requirements. Quest’s warning-
light control products are used in both
locomotive and transit car service.
Phone: 440-230-9400.
QWICK KURB®, INC.—Qualifies for
Quiet Zone use as a median sepa-
rator. Consists of 3.5-in. to 4-in.-
high raised separator, rebound-
able vertical panels with over 225
sq. ins. of reflective sheeting and
reflective arcs delineating raised
profile at night. Discourages driver
cross-arm violations. FHWA accept-
ed. Backed by five-year limited
Road Hazard Warranty. Phone: 813-
645-5972.
Railroad Controls Limited—RCL is a
full-service supplier of design, instal-
lation, and maintenance services for
all facets of railroad wayside and
highway-rail grade-crossing warning
signaling. The company specializes
in designing interconnect circuits for
highway-rail grade-crossing warning
systems and highway traffic signals.
Phone: 817-820-6300.
Railroad Controls Limited—RCL
is an authorized dealer of Motorola
two-way radio products and provides
repair services for both radios and
end-of-train devices. In addition to
wayside signal systems, RCL provides
PC-based central office CTC, track
warrant and communication dispatch
systems. Phone: 817-820-6300.
Railroad Controls Limited—RCL
is the manufacturer and exclusive
supplier of the AHS* Automated Horn
System* and EMGS*+ Exit Gate Man-
agement System. AHS* reduces the
area affected by train horn noise by
97% along rail corridors while pro­
viding a safer crossing for motor-
ists and pedestrians. EGMS*+ is a
four-quadrant gate controller com-
plete with an internal self checking
vehicle detection system. Phone: 817-
820-6300.
* Patented + Patent Pending
June 2013 www.rtands.com
Railroad Signal International—
Supplier of highway grade-crossing
warning systems and train-control
signals. Manufacturer of complete
signal system material packages,
including signal houses and walk-
out cantilevers. Dis­­tributor of signal
components, e­quip­­ment and hard-
ware. Custom de­sign, installation
and maintenance ser­­vices provided.
Phone: 800-543-2842.
Railway Equipment Co.—EZ Gate®
Crossing Gate Arm systems with LED
Gate Lamps and optional integrated
Light-Out Detection system feature
patented quick-connect lamps and
modular gate arms to fit any crossing
and provide safer installation for the
maintainers with no drilling. Sawing, or
splicing required to install, adjust the
arm length, attach the lamps. Alumi-
num, fiberglass and combination gate
arms available. Phone 763-972-2200.
Railway Equipment Co.— The Cragg
Railcharger® ATC and ETC Battery
Charger Lines feature built-in tempera-
ture compensation and the ETC line
has an integrated voltage monitor with
relay output and adds a volt meter.
Both lines may be used as power sup-
plies, as filtering is integral. Models
from 5-60 amps and from 1-42.8 volts
selectable by number of cells and bat-
tery chemistry (NiCad or Lead Acid) are
available. Phone 763-972-2200.
Railway Equipment Co.—The Cragg
Railcharger® SM ETC150 Battery
Char­ger features built-in temp­era­ture
compensation, an integrated voltage
monitor with relay output, volt meter
and integral filtering. This model has
an output of 5-10 amps, 110/124/
132/135/141- volts DC selectable
by number of cells (Lead Acid) and
include adjustable float voltage. Built
on the same legendary ETC platform,
these switch machine chargers are
built to last. Phone 763-972-2200.
Railway Equipment Co.—The new
Gate Monitor System completes the EZ
Gate® Crossing Gate Arm system by
providing gate position detection while
in the upright or horizontal position.
A tip sensor connects directly to our
quick-connect gate lamp with no addi-
tional wiring to the gate lamp. The
Gate Monitor mounts inside industry
standard gate mechanisms and pro-
vides contact closures for Gate Up,
Gate Down, Lamps Okay. Senses
upright position at all times, even
when gate lamps are inactive. Phone
763-972-2200.
Railway Equipment Co.—These wind
brackets are designed to keep gate
arms from being buffeted by high
winds and from coming in contact
with other structures while in the ver-
tical position. Constructed of galva-
nized steel, the wind bracket arms
are fully adjustable. The wind bracket
can be ordered for either a 5-in. or
5.5-in. outside-diameter (O.D.) mast.
Phone 763-972-2200.
Railway Equipment Co.—RECo-
NET® Remote Condition Monitoring
System allows secure Internet Web

access to remotely monitor Cragg
Railchargers®, EZ Gate Arms and
Lamps, Gate Monitoring Systems,
Switch Machines, and Battery sys-
tems, as well as Remote Video Moni-
toring of grade-crossing sites with
minimal data bandwidth require-
ments. Analog inputs allow the user
to monitor incoming voltages, incom-
ing currents, battery voltages, battery
currents, battery temperatures, with
notifications. Phone 763-972-2200.
S&C Distribution Co.—The Model 500
Jumper Keeper System. Maintainers
won’t leave signal jumpers if they are
using the in-vehicle Jumper Keeper
System. The Rack Unit stores the
jumpers and the Dash Unit provides
the 80-dbA audible and red-light
alarms when a jumper is missing (left
at the crossing). System accommo-
dates up to 30 jumpers. Phone: 708-
444-4908.
Safe-Crossings—Safe-Crossings
telescoping rail crossing gate pro-
vides full roadway closure up to 50
ft. The vertical height of the gate is
only 20 ft long, making it ideal with
overhead obstacles and high-wind
situations. The gate mounts directly to
the existing break-away mechanism
and can be fully in­stalled in less than
two hours. Other app­lications include
four-quad closures and whistle-ban
areas. Phone: 610-432-4612.
United Rentals Highway Technolo-
gies – Signs and barricades for grade-
crossing reconstructions. From sign
fabrication to railroad crossing clo-
sures, United Rentals offers a compre-
hensive line of traffic control products
and services for railroad customers. All
signs and barricades are NCHRP-350
accepted and meet state specifications.
Traffic control consulting services are
also available. Phone: 630-932-4600.
velcorp/gems®—GEMS introduces
the “GOLD” series lamps, warranted
for five years of continuous opera-
tion. Every lamp is tested for filament
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
position and quality control. These
lamps are in addition to the 12,000+-
hour RS (rough service) series lamps
for signaling and safety applications.
In conjunction, GEMS has introduced
GEMS sockets featuring a 10-year
warranty. Phone: 904-230-2840.
velcorp/gems®—Long-life, high-
reliability railroad lamps for grade-
crossing and gate-arm lights. A volt-
age rating of 8.8 volts satisfies FRA
85% lighting requirements. Lamp life
is up to 7,000 hours. A 12-watt lamp
that is as bright as an 18-watt lamp
is available. Every lamp is inspected
for filament position and tested to
ensure quality control. Phone: 904-
230-2840.
velcorp/gems®—LED power-off
indicator for use with the company’s
Power Off Indicator housings is pow-
ered by the battery bus in the railroad
bungalow and monitors the VAC input
to the bungalow. Phone: 904-230-2840.
Vossloh/Global Rail Systems—The
ATC series of crossing/warning train
detection allows the application in
difficult crossing scenarios. Its
design allows for dependable detec-
tion in rusty rail applications, poor
track conditions and does not require
insulated joints. Directional and stick
logic make this the choice for reliable
crossing applications. Phone: 817-
291-3478.
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc.—The
12-in., flashing-light, Model 985-
201 high­way-crossing signals have a
deep-dish design, external peep sight,
new roundel, aluminum-coated-plas-
tic reflector, and new lamp bracket.
The 985-201 light uses a combination
of aluminum-coated-plastic reflector
and a newly-designed 30-degree x
Equipment & Materials Guide
15-degree roundel to achieve unsur­
pas­s­ed light output with a stand­ard
25-watt lamp. Even when the reflector
becomes scr­at­ched and dirty, it can
out-perform most available crossing
signal lights. The new lamp bracket,
with set screw ad­justment, permits
easy fo­cusing of the bulb. Complete
as­sem­blies can be ordered with all-
alu­m­­i­num mast, cross­buck, track
sign, “stop-on-red sig­nal” sign, base,
pinnacle, bell, flash­ing lights (now
available with LEDs), backgrounds
and light hoods. Both one- and two-
way in­dication light assemblies are
available, in 8-3⁄8-in.- and 12-in.-
diameter sizes. Other a­r­r­a­n­g­e­­­ments
can be fur­nished to meet particular
requirements. Side lights are provided
as well. Phone: 773-254-9600.
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc.—A
complete selection of grade-crossing
signs includes an extruded aluminum
crossbuck, a track number identifica-
tion sign and a “stop-on-red signal”
sign. All are aluminum for easy main-
tenance. Phone: 773-254-9600.
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc.—High-
way-crossing bell Model 0333 fea-
tures an adjustable ringing rate, a
condenser, improved intensity and a
special locking feature that allows the
bell cover to be secured with a stand­
ard AAR hex-nut wrench and a pad-
lock. Both loud- and soft-tone ham-
mers are available. All bell models
are made with a cast-aluminum cover
for easy access and all are adaptable
to any signal, or can be mounted on
the mast or wall. Also available is
Model 0333-2, which operates on low-
voltage a.c. or d.c. and Model 0666,
operating on 120 volt a.c. Phone: 773-
254-9600.
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc.—Model
3597 Gate Mechanism is an inno-
vation in crossing gate mechan­ism
technology, which features a new
motor and electronic gate moni-
tor along with other improvements.
The Model 3597 is protected from
damage when a gate is knocked off,
obstructed while powering up, pump-
ing, or power to the mechan­ism is
lost. Phone: 773-254-9600.
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc.—
Electronic highway crossing bell
features volume and impulse rate
adjustability. The Model 0777-CFR
incorporates a solid-state design
with no moving parts. All-aluminum
construction provides lightweight,
maintenance-free operation. The
bell operating circuit board fea-
tures EP-ROM Memory, volume and
impulse-per-minute rate adjust­able
on circuit board, readily-accessible,
separate compartment for operat-
ing circuit board, two-post terminal
strip in base and can mount to 5- or
4-in. mast. Phone: 773-254-9600.
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc.—The
“Gate Gard” adapter permits the gate
arm to pivot with the impact of a motor
vehicle and safely return to its nor-
mal horizontal pos­i­tion, even with 40-ft
arms. The latch design of the “Gate
Gard” reduces the violent rebound that
some ordinary spring-loaded ad­apters
can generate. Phone: 773-254-9600.
Fillers and
fasteners
Crown Steel Rail Co.—The Flange-
master is designed to provide a pro­
p­­er flangeway and ensure a smooth
crossing. It is a­dap­­t­­able to pav­ed
and in­dus­trial areas where tracks
are in­stalled. A rigid steel guard bar
pro­­vides a smooth surface be­tween
tracks, so that rubber-tired or steel-
wheel­ed vehicles can cross without
jolting or un­ne­cessary bump­­ing. It is
suitable for use with concrete, as­phalt
or plank cross­­ings. The system is
simple in design, easy to install and
reduces job and maintenance costs.
Installation requires only blocks and
steel guard bar. Phone: 248-593-7100.
FAB-RA-CAST®—FAB-RA-FILL­ER™
bonds completely to the rail steel
and to the panel regardless of its
composition and retains its elastic-
ity permanently. Be­cause it is mixed
on-site and poured in place, the
material can be molded to provide a
totally-flat running surface be­tween
the app­roach panel and rail head.
FAB-RA-FILLER is a non-conductor,
making it safe for use in signal ter-
ritory to help isolate the rails. Phone:
248-354-7185.
GKI Cutting Tools—Distributor of
carbide bits for rail drilling tools.
Repair of bit holders at a savings of
June 2013 37
Fillers and fasteners
50% or more over cost of new hold-
ers. Phone: 815-459-2330.
HiRAIL Corp.—Rubber rail seal is
designed to protect the rail and to pro-
vide a pre-formed flangeway through­
out the crossing surface. Fitting snugly
against the rail on both gauge and field
sides, it provides a buffer between the
asphalt and the rail. Its rubber composi-
tion can flex with heavy rail traffic. The
rubber flexes with changing tempera-
tures and re­pels road chemicals. Phone:
800-274-7245.
International Track Systems,
Inc.—ITS, Inc., Rubber Rail Seals are
de­signed for easy installation and lon­
gevity. Our 70 Duro EPDM Rubber Rail
Seals reduce harmful impact and vi­bra­
tion at the grade crossing and im­prove
the overall quality of the cross­ing. Our
FastCam Clamps are easy to in­stall and
tighten in seconds. Rail Seals available
in all sizes.Phone: 724-658-5970.
International Track Systems, Inc.—
The Flangeway Filler Strip by ITS, Inc.,
eliminates the flangeway gap so indus-
trial trucks can cross smoothly. The
Flangeway Filler Strip also eliminates
the safety hazard that a flangeway
creates by preventing shoes, bike tires
and debris from getting into the gap.
The Flangeway Filler Strip compresses
under the wheels of the rail ve­hicle and
rebounds when it passes. Many shapes
and sizes available. Custom orders
accepted. Phone: 724-658-5970.
38 Railway Track & Structures
Lewis Bolt & Nut Co.—Sealtite Dome
Head Drive Spikes have a thin dome-
shaped head that eliminates counter-
boring, thus preventing excessive tim-
ber decay and rust, and reduces main-
tenance. Low profile adds to worker
safety. The large-diameter head seals
moisture away from spike shank and
prevents rust, and the extra-large bear­
ing surface holds tight. In­stalled with
a pneu­matic air tool or with a maul,
the spikes are used to fasten high­way-
crossing planks. Phone: 800-328-3480.
Lewis Bolt & Nut Co.—Specially-
coated, 5/8-in.- and 3⁄4-in.-diameter,
Recessed-Head Timber Screws for
crossing planks a­llow quick installa-
tion with standard tools. Pre-boring
is recommended, but is not neces-
sary, and the screws are available
in various lengths with either round
or square heads. Forg­ed one-piece
washer­­head eliminates the need for
separate washer and seals out mois-
ture to prevent rust and wood de­cay.
Phone: 800-328-3480.
Lewis Bolt & Nut Co.—Washerhead
timber drive spikes are single-forged,
which eliminates both the need for
a separate washer and the corro-
sion that occurs between washer and
head. The spikes can be driven with a
maul or pneumatic spike driver, and
can be removed with hand or power
tools. The threads have excellent hold-
ing power, and the spikes are eas-
ily and quickly installed and removed.
They are used in highway-crossing
planks and other timber structures.
Phone: 800-328-3480.
Magnum Manufacturing Corp.—
Rubber flange filler is a durable rub-
June 2013 www.rtands.com
ber placed in the flange to prevent dirt
and debris from filling the crossing.
The filler completely surrounds the
flange with a thick rubber section and
prevents rocks and other obstacles
from being press­ed into the flange
area un­der train traffic. Fillers can
be used on wood or concrete ties and
on all rail sizes from 90 lbs to 136
lbs. These reusable flange fillers are
de­sign­­ed for easy in­stalla­tion. Phone:
801-785-9700.
OMNI Products, Inc.—OMNI Virgin
Rubber RailGuard™ (VRA) is made
from 100% virgin rubber. RailGuard
is used with asphalt or pour-in-place
concrete. VRA protects the track struc-
ture by absorbing traffic impact loads,
and provides a positive flangeway,
which controls surface water runoff
and prevents break­up of the as­phalt or
concrete at the rail in­ter­face. RailGuard
can be produced for 90-lb to 141-lb rail
sizes. Rail­Guard can be in­stalled on
either timber or concrete ties. Phone:
815-344-3100.*
Performance Poly­­mers Inc.—PPI
Railseal profiles have been designed
to provide a smooth tran­si­tion be­tween
road surface and the rail-track struc-
ture. The rubber in­serts are engineered
to dampen vehicle loading and absorb
energy at the rail interface. The pro­files
are manufactured from specially-for-
mulated rubber com­pounds designed
specifically to pro­vide outstand­ing per-
formance and durability in the railroad
crossing environment. Prod­ucts are
a­vail­able in all rail sizes and fasten-
ing configurations or can be custom
designed for specific requirements.
Phone: 888-222-5968.
Polycorp Ltd. —ISO 9001 Registered,
Epflex® Railseal Interface and Eplock
II have revolutionized the asphalt
crossing. Our patented Eplock II clips
mean fast, safe, long-lasting cross-
ings with increased structural integ-
rity. Our broad product line allows for
custom solutions for embedded rail
problems. Extruded from virgin materi-
als, Epflex Railseal Interface is avail-
able in all sizes and unconditionally
guaranteed. Phone: 800-265-2710.
Rails Company—Grade-crossing rail
anchors protect rails at grade cross-
ings, industrial sidings and other areas
requiring moderate longitudinal rail
restraint. They minimize spike pull, tie
wear and unstable subgrade, which
can result from vertical motion caused
by train and highway traffic. A Rails
Compression Rail Anchor acts as a
spring, absorbing the vertical move-
ment of the rails; two torque timber
screws provide secure hold-down. The
fasteners fit all rail sizes and install
quickly with no pre-drilling required.
Phone: 973-763-4320.
Ready Road Repair—This prod-
uct is a ready-to-use asphalt pav-
ing/ patching material that is a
durable, permanent and all-season
asphalt that will perform equally
well under wet or dry conditions.
Following application, the cross-
ing can be opened to traffic imme-
diately. Available in 3-1⁄2-gallon
pails and 55-gallon drums. Phone:
954-321-9661.
RFR Industries, Inc.—Complete
grade-crossing packages utilizing the
RFR Flange Insert System or the RFR
Rail Seal System. The RFR Flange Insert
Sys­tem, featuring the POP-DOWN™

gauge insert, is used with full-depth
con­crete panels or timber planks and
is de­signed for new installations and
ret­ro­fitting existing open flangeways.
The RFR Flange Insert System fits
90-lb to 136-lb RE rail sections, and
flangeway openings of 2-1/2 ins., 2-3/4
ins., and 3 ins. The Rail Seal System
is used with poured-in-place as­phalt
or concrete, and fits 90/100-lb, 115-lb
and 133/ 136-lb RE rail sections. RFR
Flange­way/Rail Seal­ants are anchor-
adaptable, accommodate concrete- or
timber-tie rail fasteners, require no
special tools or equipment for instal-
lation, and no specific tie spacing for
support and are connected at each
joint to ensure a con­sist­ent and pre-
cise seal between the rail and crossing
panels. The RFR Flange Insert System
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
and Rail Seal System can be produced
in custom lengths up to a maximum of
40 ft, will accommodate any degree of
track curvature and are maintenance-
free and re­us­able. RFR Industries also
designs and supplies flangeway-rail
sealant for un­iq­ ue rail profile configu-
rations and grade-crossing system
applications and now carries ballast
regulator broom elements. Phone: 972-
875-1406.
Housings,
foundations
Fabricated Metals LLC—Instrument
houses and cases in steel, stainless
steel, aluminum, galvanized steel, Cor­
ten can be custom designed/ man­u­
fac­tured to meet customers’ needs for
grade-crossing products. Stan­dard/
op­tional items include air con­ditioners,
Equipment & Materials Guide
vent fans, foundations, lighting, elec-
trical outlets, racks, insulation. Track
signs, flashing lights, miscellaneous
signal grade-crossing products avail-
able. Phone: 502-363-2625.
Invensys Rail Corp.—A full line of
instrument cases and houses are
available to meet your needs for
grade-crossing controls or any other
purpose. Standard and optional
items include surge panels, power
wiring, ground-fault outlets, vent
fans, lighting and convenience out-
lets, relay racks, insulation, founda-
tions. Phone: 502-618-8800
Precision Quincy Corp.—Manu-
facturing lightweight concrete,
stainless steel, galvanealed steel
or aluminum equipment shelters
constructed for rail applications.
Standard sizes: 4’ x 4’ through 12’
x 50’. Modular designs available:
up to 24’ x 50’. Options include:
turnkey electrical, bullet-resistance,
integrated foundation piers, powder
coat paint and various aesthetic
exteriors. Phone: 815-338-2675.
PTMW, Inc.—From parts to total
product manufacturing. A leading
manufacturer of steel and alumi-
num signal/communication houses,
cases and foundations custom
designed to customer specifica-
tions. Powder coating and wiring
capabilities available. WBE Certi-
fied. Phone: 785-232-7792.
June 2013 39
Equipment & Materials Guide

Did we miss you?

If you have products that should be included in next year’s Grade-crossing
Equipment & Materials Guide, let us know.

Provide a brief description of about 50 words, giving the important specifications, data
and performance characteristics of each item you submit. Provide one selected image,
either in digital or in hard copy, of one of the items. More than one may be submitted, but
RT&S typically limits the number of photos
appearing to one per manufacturer per category.

RT&S 2014 Grade-crossing

Equipment & Materials Guide
20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910, Chicago, IL 60603
Voice: 312-683-0130 • E-mail: jnunez@sbpub.com

40 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

Flangeway-filler material data
HiRAIL OMNI Performance Polycorp Rail-Way RFR RFR RFR TRANSPO®
Century RS Rail-Guard VRA Polymers Inc. Epflex Railseal Inc. Flange-Insert Rail-Seal System X-Trac System INDUSTRIES
BODAN Level
RAILSEAL System Crossing System

Virgin Virgin Molded, Extruded, Extruded, Extruded, Extruded, Extruded, Extruded, Molded,
Type of material material
material virgin rubber virgin rubber virgin rubber virgin rubber virgin material virgin material virgin material virgin material
to 20’ Optimal=8’
Lengths 8’/9’/10’ Std. 90” & 96” to 16’
Range=5-16’
to 15’ to 40’ to 40’ Cut to length Cut to length
up to 40’
Poured-in- Poured-in- Asphalt, Poured-in- Poured-in- Concrete pan- Poured-in-
place place concrete
Types of crossing place place poured con- concrete or els or place asphalt Precast con- Precast polymer
or asphalt,
surfaces to be used Concrete concrete or con­crete, or crete, concrete asphalt, concrete timber planks or concrete crete panels concrete panels
with panels asphalt asphalt panels, timber concrete
panels timber,
panels, timber
panels panels panels

Sections No Yes Yes Yes Yes (Clipped) Yes Yes Yes No No

connected

Tie spacing All All 18” or 24” All All All All All All All

Special tools No No No No No No No No No No
required

Retrofit to
Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
existing crossings

Reusable
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Fasteners required No No (optional) No No (optional) No (are available) No (optional) No No No No

Usable with rail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
anchors

Adaptability to
various rail Al­­­l All All All All Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
fasteners

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 41

Grade-crossing surface data
The information on pages 42-45 provides dimensional and structural data on highway grade-crossing surface materials, along with flangeway-filler material, available nationally.
The data given are intended to help railway and highway engineers in their selection of appropriate materials for specific projects.

American American Century Century HiRAIL Koppers KSA LT Resources Omega Omega OMNI OMNI
Concrete Concrete Group Inc. Group Inc. Full-Depth Standard Full-Depth Endurance® Lag-Down Non-Lag Improved Steel
Shuntless Shuntless Concrete Concrete Rubber Timber Reinforced XL Concrete Reinforced
Lag/ PFW - Lag/ Lag Type Lagless Concrete Composite (Concrete-
Lagless Lagless Crossing Rubber)

Length of ties/type 8’6” w 8’6” w 8’-6”/W 9’-0”/W 8’-6”/W/C 8’0”/W 8’-6”/W/C 8’-6”/W/CP 9’-0”/W 9’-0”/W/C 9’-0”/W/C or 8’-6”/W
W=wood, 9’0” w/c 9’0” w/c 9’-0”/W 10’-0”/W 9’-0”/W/C 8’6”/W 10’-0”/W 9’-0”/W/CP 10’-0”/W 10’-0”/W/C 10’-0”/W/C 9’-0”/W
C=concrete 10’0” w/c 10’0” w/c 10’-0”/W 10’-0”/C 10’-0”/W/C 9’0”/W 10’-0”/C 10’-0”W/CP 8’-3”/C
CP=composite
18” or 19-1/2” 18” or 19-1/2”
Tie spacing 19-1/2” 19-1/2” 18” or 19-1/2” 18” or 20” 18” 19-1/2” 19-1/2” or 24” 19-1/2” 19-3/16” or 20” 18” or 24” 18”
or custom or custom 20” 24” or 20” W or 24” C/W
24” C

Maximum length As As 18” As 18” 16” As As 16” 16”

of tie plates Any Any required required required required required

As A/S As 5/8”x
Size of fasteners 5/8” x12” H5 5/8” x12” H5 3/4”x12” N/A N/R specified specified 3/4”x12” N/A 3/4”x12” 10-1/2”

Type of fasteners T/optional T/optional TW N/A N/R D, L,T T LW T N/A T TW

Fasteners Yes Yes Yes N/A N/R Optional Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes
furnished

Additional washers N/R N/R No N/A N/R N/A No N/R No N/A No No

necessary

Additional washers N/R N/R N/A N/A N/R N/A No N/R N/A N/A No No
furnished

# fasteners per 6 6 4 N/A N/R 8 4 6 10 N/A 4 18

tie - maximum

# fasteners per 4 4 2 N/A N/R 8 2 4 6 N/A 2 9

tie - average

Crossing pads No No Yes N/A N/R As Yes As N/A N/A Yes Yes
predrilled specified specified

Spike holes Yes Yes Yes N/A N/R As Yes As Yes N/A Yes Yes
countersunk specified specified

Spike hole plugs No No No N/A N/R N/R No As No N/A No Yes

furnished required

8’-0”
Length of 8’ 1 1/2” w 8’ 1 1/2” w 8’ 1 1/2” 9’ 36” 8’-0” 8’-1 1/2” 8’ 1 1/2” or 4’-12’ 6’/8’/8’1- 8’ or 9’ 36”
gauge panels 10’ w/c 10’ w/c 9’ 10’ 12’-0” custom 1/2”/9’/10’/
custom custom 10’ 10’-0” 12’

8’ 1 1/2” w 8’ 1 1/2” w 8’ 1 1/2” 9’ 8’-0” 6’/8’/8’1-

Length of 10’ w/c 10’ w/c 9’ 10’ 36” 8’-0” 8’-1 1/2” 8’ 1 1/2” or 4’-12’ 1/2”/9’/10’/ 8’ or 9’ 36”
field panels custom custom 10’ 10’-0” custom 12’

Gauge pads - 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 or 1 1 Conc. 1 1

# of pieces custom Rubber 2

42 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

 N/R = Not Required D = Washer head drive spikes + = At additional cost T = Timber screws
N/A = Not Applicable L = Lag screws LW = Lag screws with attached washer TW = Timber screws with attached washers
1 = The degree of curve allowable is proportionable to the length of the crossing.

If a supplier of a nationally-available crossing surface wishes to update or correct any of the data for future revisions or include a product that has been omitted, send the rel-
evant information to: RT&S Grade Crossing Data Sheet, 20 S. Clark Street, Ste. 1910, Chicago, IL 60603. (The material included is modeled on the format originally developed
by Cliff Shoemaker, formerly Union Pacific’s director of industry and public projects, for UP’s Grade Crossing Surface Data Sheet.)

OMNI OMNI OMNI Polycorp Ltd. Polycorp Ltd. Premier Premier Rail-Way Inc. Rail-Way Stella-Jones StarTrack II StarTrack II Steel TRANSPO®
Embedded Tracast Full-Depth Concrete LRT Freight Full-Depth Inc. Corp. Precast Precast Crossing INDUSTRIES
Heavy-Duty Concrete- Rubber Modular Modular Rubber Concrete Full-Panel Concrete-HD Concrete Inc. BODAN Level
Virgin Rubber System System Timber Crossing
Rubber System

8’-6”/W or 9’-0”/W/C N/R 8’-6”/W/C 9’0”/W/C N/R N/R 8’-6”/W/C 9’0”/W/C 8’-6”/W N/R N/R 8’-6”/W 8’-6”
9’-0”/W or 10’-0”/W/C 9’-0”/W/C 10’ 0”/W/C 9’-0”/W/C 10’ 0”/W/C 9’-0”/W N/R N/R 9’-0”/W 9’-0”
10’-0”/w 10’/W 10’0”

18” or 18” 18”

18” 19-3/16” or N/A 18” or 19 1/2” N/A N/A 18” or 19 1/2” 19-1/2” N/A N/A 19-1/2” Any
19-1/2” or
20” or 24”C

16” 16” N/A 16” As N/A N/A 16” As As N/A N/A 16” Any
specified specified specified

3/4”x 3/4”x 3/4” 3/4”x12” 3/4”x12” 3/4” 3/4” 3/4”x12” 3/4”x12” As N/A N/A 3/4”x12” N/R
7-1/2” 12” specified

T T Bolts T T Bolts Bolts T T D,L,T Pandrol Pandrol T N/R

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Optional Yes Yes Yes N/R

No No N/A N/R No No No N/R No As N/R N/R No N/R

specified

No No N/A N/R No Y-Lock Y-Lock N/R No As N/R N/R No N/R

specified

14 6 N/A 8 6 N/A N/A 8 6 8 N/A N/A 8 N/R

6 3 N/A 6 3 N/A N/A 6 3 8 N/A N/A 8 N/R

Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A N/A N/A No

Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes N/A N/A Yes Yes As N/A N/A Yes N/A
specified

Yes No N/A Yes No N/A N/A Yes No No N/A N/A N/R N/A

36” 8’ or 8’1- 6’ Conc. 36” 8’-1 1/2” 4’ or 8’ 4’ or 8’ 36” 8’-1 1/2” 8’-1-1/2” 60” 60”/90”/210” 72-1/2” 24”
1/2” 6’ Rubber or 9’0” or 9’0”
or 9’ or 10’

36” 8’ or 8’1- N/A 36” 8’-1 1/2” 4’ or 8’ 4’ or 8’ 36” 8’-1 1/2” 8’-1-1/2” 60” 60”/90”/210” 72-1/2” 24” or 48”
1/2” or 9’0” or 9’0”
or 9’ or 10’

Conc. 1
1 1 Rubber 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 4 1

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 43

Grade-crossing surface data
American American Century Century HiRAIL Koppers KSA LT Resources Omega Omega OMNI OMNI
Concrete Concrete Group Inc. Group Inc. Full-Depth Standard Full-Depth Endur- Lag-Down Non-Lag Improved Steel
Shuntless Shuntless Concrete Concrete Rubber Timber Reinforced ance® XL Concrete Reinforced
Lag/ PFW Lag/ Lag Type Lagless Concrete Composite (Concrete-
Lagless Lagless Crossing Rubber)

Depth of material Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full 3”

Steel reinforced Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes
Grade 72 Grade 72

Tongue & groove design No No No No Yes No No No No No No No

Rubber 185#
Weight of 12’ Conc.
gauge panels 8’ 1 1/2” 8’ 1 1/2” 3300# 3300# 575# 570# 3300# 525- 3400- 3400- 4500# 320#
3300# 3300# 5000# 635# 5100# 5100# 4’Conc.3400#

Rubber 185#
Weight of field panels 8’ 1 1/2” 8’ 1 1/2” 1300# 1750# 230# 462# 1750# 350- 1800- 1800- 12’Conc. 8’6” 130#
1730# 1730# 2500# 425# 2700# 2700# 2400# 9’ 160#
9’Conc. 1800#

As
Shims furnished N/A N/A N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R required N/R N/R N/R Yes

plastic/
Shim material N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R composite N/A N/A N/A Wood

Shim fasteners - As
furnished N/R N/R N/R N/A N/A N/A N/A required N/A N/A N/A Yes

As Specified
Bearing pads As As As As No N/A Yes No As Wood Tie, Yes Yes No
recommended specified specified specified specified Specified Concrete Tie

Bearing pads
furnished Optional Optional Yes Yes No No Yes No As If Yes + N/A
Specified specified

Header board
required No No No No No N/A No No No No No No

Type of header
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A No N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
material

Header material
furnished N/A N/A N/A N/A No N/R No No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Maximum
curve allowable Any Any 20 + 20 + 20 6 6 10 630 630 16 25

Can materials be
ordered, cut or Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes N/A No No
modified for use in
switches?

End plates available Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes N/R Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

End plates furnished Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional N/A Yes Optional Optional Optional Yes + Yes+

Gauge flangeway type/ Rubber/

Flangeway opening Rubber Rubber Attached Attached Rubber/ Timber/ Rubber Composite 2 1/2”ADA 2 1/2”ADA Rubber/ Rubber/
Rubber Rubber 2-1/2” or 3” 2-1/2” 3” 3” 3” main line 3” main line 2-3/4” 2-3/4”

Insulation/Rail
Isolation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

44 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

 OMNI OMNI OMNI Polycorp Ltd. Polycorp Ltd. Premier Premier Rail-Way Inc. Rail-Way Stella-Jones StarTrack II StarTrack II Steel TRANSPO®
Heavy-Duty Embedded Tracast Full-Depth Concrete LRT Freight Full-Depth Inc. Corp. Precast Precast Crossings INDUSTRIES
Virgin Concrete Rubber Modular Modular Rubber Concrete Full-Depth Concrete-HD Concrete Inc. BODAN
Rubber Rubber System System Timber Level Crossing
System

Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full (16”) Full (14”) Full 4”

No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No No No No No No No No No No No No

9’ - 3550# 6’Conc. 7000# 4’-1500# 4’-1500# 5’-6370#

555# 12’ - 4730# 6’Rubber 570# 3500# 8’-3000# 8’-3000# 570# 3500# 700# 10,400# 7’-6”-9555# 475# 500#
Modular 150# 17’-6”-22000#

244# 9’ - 1870# N/A 225# 1400# 4’-3500# 4’-3500# 225# 1400# 500# With gauge With gauge 400# 500#
12’ - 2490# 8’-7000# 8’-7000# (one piece) (one piece)

N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/R N/A

N/A N/R N/R N/R N/R N/A N/A N/R N/R N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/R N/R N/A N/A N/R N/R N/A N/A N/A No N/A

No Yes N/R No As Yes Yes No As No Yes Yes No N/A

specified specified

N/A Yes + N/A No Optional Yes Yes No Optional No Yes Yes No N/A

No No No No No N/R N/R No No N/A No No No No

N/A
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

No
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A No No N/A N/A

Any
16 25 16 221 Any Any Any 221 Any 30 30 Any Any

Yes
No Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

N/R
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

N/A
Yes+ Yes+ Yes Yes+ Yes+ Yes+ Yes+ Yes+ Yes+ Yes Yes Yes Yes

As
Rubber/ Rubber/ Rubber/ Rubber/ Rubber/ Conc/ Rubber/ Conc/ Rubber/ Rubber/ Rubber/ specified Concrete Concrete As Rubber
2-3/4” 3” 2-3/4” 2-1/2” 2-3/4” 2-1/2” 2-1/2” 2-1/2” 2-3/4” specified

No
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes As As No Yes
specified specified

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 45

 analyzing
rail grinding
patterns
Rail grinding management
is an important part of a railroad’s
maintenance practices, with
an end goal of giving rail the
longest life-cycle possible.

by Dr. Allan M. Zarembski, PE, FASME,

honorary member of AREMA, research professor
and director of the Railroad Engineering Program,
University of Delaware and Shaodan Zhi, PhD
student, Beijing Jiaotong University

A
s railroads continue to improve their rail grinding
practices and take advantage of new technologies
in rail profile inspection and grinding train control
systems, as well as improved understanding of the wheel/
rail interface relationship, it becomes increasingly important
for grinding control systems to be able to effectively analyze
the performance of different grinding patterns in a real
world operating setting. This has led to different efforts
to model the rail grinding process, both individually, as
a function of a single grinding motor on the head of the
rail, and in the more complex configuration of multiple
grinding motors in a range of patterns. Thus, for a 96
stone grinding train with 48 motors per rail, it is necessary
to analyze the full sequence of 48 motors as each motor
individually and sequentially removes metal from the rail
head. Furthermore, this analysis must be sensitive to
key factors, such as grinding speed and the key pattern
parameters of motor angles, sequence and power. The
ability to effectively perform this type analysis allows for
better management of the grinding process and improved
planning of grinding activities. 1, 2
Two approaches are generally available for the analysis of
the metal removal on the rail head.
The first approach makes use of a “closed form”
mathematical representation of the rail head, where the
shape of the rail head is defined according to the design radii
Figure 1: (per AREMA standard rail profile design drawings).
Coordinate system The second approach makes use of a digitized rail profile,
for rail grinding. such as taken from a modern rail profile measurement system.
In both cases, it is necessary to first define the three

46 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

rail grinding patterns

Measurement Curvature Rail Side Rail Weight Area Removed Max Depth A/Stone Q in3/min Figure 2, Bottom Left: Rail cross-
(in^2) (in) (in2) section with grinding stone.
1 2.00 Low 140 0.031 0.029 0.000646 5.456 Figure 3, Top: Cutting length for
2 1.00 High 136 0.032 0.031 0.000667 5.632 grinding stones versus different
3 1.00 Low 136 0.016 0.017 0.000333 2.816
angles. Figure 4: Cutting length and
removal area versus different angles.
4 1.00 Low 140 0.031 0.029 0.000646 5.456
Table 1: Harsco Rail Metal Removal
5 2.45 Low 136 0.034 0.034 0.000604 5.104 values; pattern 1 at eight mph.

dimensional coordinate system of the grinding wheel
moving along the axis of the rail head, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2 shows the rail cross-section (as defined by the
three radii per AREMA drawings) with a grinding stone
located at the motor position angle.
Assuming that the rail profile can be accurately
characterized by a continuous mathematical function (an
assumption that becomes more questionable as the rail
wears and assumes a non-uniform profile), then the effect of
a single grinding stone can be calculated as a function of the
grinding angle, as shown in Figure 3.
As it has been well documented,2 the actual length of
the cut (the facet width) varies directly with the angle
of the grinding motors. Using a defined metal removal
volume per unit of time (such as can be obtained from
a laboratory grinding motor test measuring total metal
removal per unit time), it is possible to calculate the
associated cross sectional area of metal removal as a
function of the forward speed of the grinding train. This,
in turn, allows for the calculation of the depth of cut as a
function of the contact length (facet width) and speed
of the train. Figure 4 shows the relationship between the
grinding angle and contact lengths (facet width). Note,
as expected, the contact length decrease as the motor
angle increases. However, as the contact length decreases,
there is a corresponding increase in the cutting depth
to maintain a constant area of metal removal (for a fixed
grinding speed).
However, as already noted, the ability to define a worn
rail profile as a continuous function is difficult. A more
practical approach is to use the x-y coordinate profile array
developed directly from a modern rail profile measurement
system, 1,2 such as shown in Figure 5 for a pre-grind and
post grind rail profile.
Using these digitized profiles, it is then possible to
analyze the metal removal by an individual grinding wheel
using a three step iterative process as follows:
•Find the peak point first (find the furthest point to this
orientation line based on the motor angle).
•Cutting step by step into the rail head with set grinding

48 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

rail grinding patterns

Figure 5, Top Left: Pre and post grind measured rail profiles.
Figure 6a, Top Right: Grinding sequence step 1.
Figure 6b, Middle Right: Grinding sequence step 2.
Figure 6c, Bottom Right: Grinding sequnce step 3.
Figure 7 a and b: Effect of grinding motor pattern

capability (e.g. selected area increment).

•Based on the first cut result, adjust the contact position
of the grinding stone and begin the second iteration.
Thus the grinding process can be considered to be a
series of individual cutting lines, moving into the rail head
and removing the rail head area located above the cutting
line. Intersecting points can be found as the cutting line
“cuts” through the rail profile. The total removed area
can then be calculated by accumulating all the area above
the cutting line. When this area equals the metal removal
area calculated for the defined grinder speed, then then
calculation is complete for this grinding stone.
Note, again, the shape of the removed area will vary as
a function of the shape of the rail profile, the motor angle
(position of the grinding stone on the rail profile), the power
setting of the motor and as well as the cutting ability of the
grinding stone (volume of area removed per unit time).

50 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

rail grinding patterns

Once the removal area reaches the defined area removal Figure 7, Top: Effect of grinding
value level for this stone, the penetration analysis ends and motor pattern sequence.
the new “post-grind” profile is generated. Figure 8, Middle: Overlay and
This is the case for one grinding motor (one stone). The pre- and post-grind measured and
next motor in the pattern sequence then starts to cut on the calculated profiles (11.1).
“ground” profile (as opposed to the original rail profile). The Figure 9: Points lost in post-profile.
effect of this sequence is shown in Figure 7.
Thus, using a sequence of profile calculation of individual
grinding stones, a full pattern grinding program can be
implemented. Using the sequence of motor angles and
power settings, based on the defined grinding pattern, those
stones grind the rail profile one by one. The profile ground
by the previous stone would be the new profile to be ground
for the next one, as shown in Figure 7. This indicates that
the grinding pattern effectiveness is not only determined
by the cutting capabilities of individual stones, but also
significantly impacted by their cutting sequences defined by
the grinding pattern.
Using this approach, the effect of a full 48 motor grinding
sequence was analyzed using field data obtained by a Harsco
high-production 96 motor rail grinder on a Class 1 railroad.
Specific pre- and post-rail profile data was available for a range
of patterns, speeds and rail conditions, as shown in Figure 5.
Given the high level of accuracy of the profile
measurement system used, it was possible to calculate the
change in the rail cross-section area due to the rail grinding
by directly subtracting the post-grind profile from the pre-
grind profile. These values are presented in Table 1, as Area
Removed, together with the corresponding per-motor area
(A/stone) and the corresponding metal removal volume (Q in
cubic inches per minute), which is calculated using the speed
of the grinding train (eight mph in the case of Table 1).
As can be seen in this data sample, the calculated value
for Q is consistent.
Using these Q values in the grinding model, based on
the defined grinding pattern (Pattern 1), good agreement is
achieved between the measured post-grind profile (blue) and
the calculated post-grind profile (red) as shown in Figure 8.
It should be noted that errors associated with data
collection in some of the profiles resulted in zones of missing
data, such as seen in Figure 9.
By developing more sophisticated analysis and evaluation
tools that allow for more accurate modeling of the grinding
process, railroads can continue to improve their rail grinding
practices and take further advantage of new technologies in
rail profile inspection and grinding train control systems and
better manage both the grinding process itself and the
planning of grinding activities.

References
1. Zarembski, A.M., “Management of Total Rail Grinding
Maintenance Process,” Railway Track & Structures,
June 2011.

2. Zarembski, A.M., The Art and Science of Rail Grinding,

Simmons-Boardman Books, Inc., Omaha, Neb.,
August 2005.

52 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

building the energy

boom
by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

Flexible infrastructure
plans and strategic
upgrades have allowed
the Canadian railroads
to take full advantage
of the surge in energy-
related traffic.

This page, a section of track

along CN’s Barron Subdivision
at Weyerhaeuser, Wis., after
extensive track rehabilitation work.
Opposite page, the same section
of track prior to rehab efforts.
Both photos courtesy of CN.

W
hile all North American railroads have benefited
from the current increase in energy business, the
Canadian railroads are particularly well positioned
along various North American energy plays. The network
breadth of Canadian National Railway Company (CN)
and Canadian Pacific (CP), coupled with both railroads’
ability to adapt their track renewal and upgrade plans to
accommodate growing traffic patterns, will allow both
carriers to tap into emerging markets.
CN
Meeting current traffic volume and future growth are two
factors CN uses to address the maintenance needs of its rail
infrastructure. The railroad includes strategic upgrades and
renewals to address emerging business needs as part of its
infrastructure plan.
“Take frac sand as an example,” said Mark Hallman,
director–communications and public affairs. “CN has
developed a highly-efficient supply chain connecting frac
sand producers on its network in Wisconsin with fast-
growing oil and gas shale basins in Canada and the U.S.
Frac sand is used by the oil and gas industries in the
hydraulic fracturing process to hold shale fractures open and
let natural gas and oil flow.
“To expand its frac sand business, CN is upgrading two
branch lines in Wisconsin that tap high-quality frac sand.
The first is the Barron Subdivision, which was transformed
from an out-of-service 80-pound rail line to a fully upgraded
25 mph, 286,000-pound car capacity line in 2013. The
US$35-million project covered 40 miles of track between
Ladysmith and Barron, Wis. This year, CN will finish off the
project with a new US$3 million wye at Ladysmith where
the branch meets CN’s mainline,” said Hallman.
CN’s second project is a US$33-million upgrade of the
Whitehall Subdivision, from Wisconsin Rapids to Blair, Wis.
The improvements performed along the subdivision will
allow CN to handle 286,000-pound loads along 74 miles by
the end of 2014.
The railroad incorporates the ability to react quickly
to address emerging markets and needs into its long-
term infrastructure plan. According to Hallman, the
infrastructure renewal and line capacity upgrades required
for the efficient transportation of crude oil by rail are being
incorporated with other initiatives, such as the railroad’s
ongoing coal route capacity enhancement program.
This year, the railroad has several track projects planned
to bolster branch lines, which have seen an increase in
traffic and improve the movement of Western Canada

54 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

crude oil destined for Canadian and
U.S. markets.
“Some historically lower-volume
branch lines are now seeing volume
increases related to crude oil. This
is evident in the Bakken reg ion
i n s o u t h e r n S a s k at c h e wa n a n d
southwestern Manitoba, with several
lines being candidates for upgrading
to 286,000-pound loading ,” said
Hallman. “This would involve new
ties, rail and surfacing renewal of the
existing line, some bridge work, as
well as additional infrastructure. CN
has already invested in new terminal
trackage for some crude transload
operations run by third parties, as
well as in track for sidings and
support facilities.”
Hallman also says the railroad is
planning to increase capacity on its
busy Wainwright, Watrous and Rivers
S u b d i v i s i o n s m a i n l i n e b e t we e n
Edmonton, Alta., and Winnipeg ,
Man., to accommodate rising
overall volumes of traffic, including
merchandise, bulk, intermodal and
crude oil traffic associated shipments.
Yard track extensions in Symington
Yard (Winnipeg), Chappell Junction
(Saskatoon, Sask.) and Wainwright,
Alta., extended sidings on the main
corridor and discrete sections of
mainline double track are included
in the CA$70-million (US$67.42-
million) project.
Additionally, CN plans CA$30-
million (US$29.03-million) in
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures
improvements to its Prairie North
Line, which runs parallel north of
the railroad’s main corridor between
Edmonton and Winnipeg, principally
between Saskatoon and Edmonton.
The improved line will ser ve as a
“relief valve” for the main corridor,
providing flexibility and resilience
to the network. Work will involve
increases in basic capital spending for
new ties and rail, surfacing, as well
as new sidings to handle increased
traffic volumes.
“CN continuously monitors its
infrastructure capacity across every
major part of the network and will
continue to make strategic investments
to meet capacity demands now and in
the future,” said Hallman.
CP
Energy-related traffic has shown
progressive growth at Canadian Pacific
with the railroad moving 500 carloads
in 2009, 2,800 in 2010, 13,000 in
2011, 53,500 carloads in 2012 and
2013 on pace to move 70,000 carloads.
Most of the growth has been from the
Bakken region and Western Canada
and CP expects the growth in moving
oil by rail to continue.
“CP continues to work with the
energy industry to develop further
shipping opportunities as CP has the
sufficient capacity and expertise to keep
up with any expanding oil production.
Our railroad has taken steps to
maintain the track infrastructure
June 2013 55
building the energy boom
to ensure we remain in position to
respond to the shipping requirements
of customers,” said Andy Cummings,
advisor, media relations at CP.
In 2011 and 2012, CP invested
CA$100 million (US$96.79
million) over and above its regular
maintenance programs in its Bakken
region network to upgrade track and
rail infrastructure. This investment
included upgrading rail, re-surfacing
track, installing more than 17,000
ties, upgrading switches, upgrading
road crossings, as well as other area
improvement projects.
“Moving forward in 2013, we
have announced a capital investment
program of about CA$1.2 billion
(US$1.16 billion), including up to
CA$100 million (US$ 96.79 million)
for 2014 targeted programs that
have been advanced to this year. The
investments mean CP’s continued
enhancement of our North American
network to meet growth in oil by rail
and other lines of business, including
56 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
grain and potash,” said Cummings.
CP is upgrading the signaling
system along its Midwest corridor
between Moose Jaw, SK and Chicago
and is also expediting two key projects
including work on its North Main Line,
between Winnipeg and Edmonton and
its U.S. Midwest Main Line. According
to Cummings, the accelerated projects
are focused on productivity, safety and
efficiency and involve mostly track
infrastructure work, including new
ballast, ties and rail.
“Rail offers unique advantages
of moving oil anywhere in Nor th
America. The optionality that rail
provides to quickly access a broad
range of markets, at reasonable terms,
is a good complement to traditional
pipeline offerings,” said Cummings.
“With our network, which is the only
North American railroad with rail-
direct service to energy formations
like the Bakken, the Alberta Industrial
Heartland and the Marcellus
Shale, CP is a flexible option for
transpor ting crude oil and other
energy-related products to anywhere
in North America.”
Cummings also points out the
railroad is developing a strong network
to handle sand, pipe and construction
materials, which are necessary inputs
for oil and gas shale production and
will position CP to be a key supplier of
sand to the growing energy markets.
“ C P ’s p r o v e n a p p r o a c h t o
development in energy markets is to
partner with key players in the oil and
gas industr y to jointly invest in
efficient growth,” said Cummings.
“Our railway is optimistic about the
future, given the fundamentals and
levels of customer and industr y
investment. Our railway’s strategy has
been to develop multiple origins and
destination points, so shippers and
receivers have options. With this
approach, CP is in a position to
respond to the shipping requirements
of producers and refiners to move
product across North America.”
AREMA NEWS
Professional Message from the President
Development
Upcoming
seminars

introduction to
practical railway
Networking and spousal
engineering
June 17-19, 2013
Calgary, AB, Canada
programs
Please visit www.arema.org
for more information and to
register online.
By Jim Carter
Private Rail
technology tour This is a busy time of year for AREMA. Several committees have had
September 4-14, 2013 meetings recently, as has the board of directors. These meetings and
A unique tour with stops in Italy, Austria, the work that is accomplished through them is the way that AREMA
Czech Republic and Germany.
Please visit www.arema.org for accomplishes its mission of the development of both technical and
more information and to register practical knowledge and recommended practices pertaining to the
online today. Space is limited to
the first 25 registrants. design, construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure. If
you think you can contribute, then please visit www.arema.org and
Seven AREMA Seminars will be held
in conjunction with the AREMA 2013 Jim Carter
complete a committee membership application. I can assure you that
Annual Conference and Railway
Interchange 2013 in Indianapolis, IN, AREMA President
you will not regret it. There is no better way to network with your
September 29-October 2, 2013: 2012-2013
peers from other organizations.
AREMA staff members, Senior Vice President Joe Smak, group
introduction to vice presidents and directors and committee chairs have been hard at
practical railway work making arrangements and reviewing the selected presentations
engineering for this year’s conference at Railway Interchange in Indianapolis, Ind.
September 27-29, 2013 I would like to thank all of them for their efforts, particularly Mandie
Ennis. If you have ever been involved as a presenter or a reviewer,
FRA 214: Roadway
and I have done both, you know why I singled her out. I am assured
worker on-track
that there will be some great presentations. If you haven’t made
safety
September 28, 2013 arrangements to attend, please do so soon.
If you are planning to come to Railway Interchange and haven’t
Rail bulk terminal considered bringing your spouse or significant other and register them
design for the spouses program, I would ask you to please consider doing
September 28, 2013 so, particularly you young folks. There are some great things planned
for that program as well, and like networking in committees, this is a
Environmental great opportunity for your spouse to both have some fun and network
permitting issues with other railroad spouses, who deal with many of the same issues.
in railroad We all know that railroad people and issues go hand-in-hand – just
construction kidding (well maybe). My wife, Lynn, looks forward to meeting as
projects many spouses as possible.
September 29, 2013 I hope that all of you student members/advisors are having a
intermodal wonderful summer, whether you are in school or working somewhere.
terminal I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in Indianapolis.
engineering Finally, without naming any names, I would like to thank several of
October 2-3, 2013 you who have been gracious enough to tell me that you actually read
and enjoy my columns this year. Even if you were just being kind, I
FRA 213: Track really appreciate the encouragement.
Safety Standards Again, AREMA is your organization. If you have ideas about how
October 2-4, 2013 we can make it better for you, whether you are a grizzled veteran like
me, a young professional or one of our new student members, e-mail
track alignment me at james.carterjr@nscorp.com. I would like to hear any ideas that
design you have.
October 2-4, 2013 Be careful and have fun out there.

58 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

 2013 Upcoming Committee Meetings
June 14-15 Committee 24 - Education & Training Calgary, AB, Canada
June 18-19 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Construction Newark, NJ
June 19-20 Committee 9 - Seismic Design for Railway Structures Seattle, WA
August 7-8 Committee 7 - Timber Structures Denver, CO
Sept. 12-13 Committee 8 - Concrete Structures & Foundations Kansas City, MO
Committee meetings that will be held at the AREMA 2013
Annual Conference in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2013
Sept. 28 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 28 Team 40 - Engineering Safety Steering Team Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 28-29 Committee 5 - Track Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 28-29 Committee 24 - Education & Training Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 6 - Buildings & Support Facilities Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 10 - Structures, Maintenance & Foundations Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 12 - Rail Transit Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 14 - Yards & Terminals Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 16 - Economics of Railway Engineering
and Operations Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 29 Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization Indianapolis, IN

Negotiated airline discount information for AREMA Committee Meetings can be found online at
http://www.arema.org/meetings/airlines.aspx.

FYI… Every other month, AREMA will feature

one of our 15 student chapters. The
month of June will feature the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign AREMA
AREMA has moved t o a n e w o ff i c e Student Chapter.
location. Please update your records
with our new mailing address:
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 130, Lanham,
MD 20706. Our phone and fax numbers
remain the same: Phone: 301.459.3200 Fax:
301.459.8077.
B o o k y o u r 2 0 1 4 AREMA e x h i b i t
booth NOW for the AREMA 2014 Annual
Conference & Exposition in Chicago, IL,
September 28 - October 1, 2014. Exhibit
booth sales are now being accepted.
Receive a 10% discount off your booth When was this AREMA Student campus about the importance of up-close tour of CSX’s Bedford
Chapter established? tamping in the railway industry, Park Intermodal Terminal by
purchase between now and October 11, as well as the history of the Terminal Manager Matt Hiller.
2013. For more information and to book Fall 2008 tampers produced at Nordco. Finally, on April 27, ten of our
your exhibit space, please contact Christy How many members does this On February 26, our student members traveled to Monticello,
Thomas at cthomas@arema.org. student chapter currently have? chapter hosted an excel workshop IL., where they spent a day with
demonstrating many facets of Tim Crouch and the volunteers at
Register now for the AREMA 2013 Annual About 50 active, 400 on our e-mailing Microsoft Excel. The turnout for Monticello Railway Museum to
Conference being held as part of Railway list. the event included more than remove a turnout originally installed
Interchange 2013, September 29 - October 2, 60 students from majors across for an industry siding that is no
Who is your chapter president? t h e e n g i n e e r i n g c o m m u n i t y. longer in use.
2013 in Indianapolis, IN. All AREMA badges On March 8 and 9, the University of
will be honored for full access into the Scott Schmidt Do you have any upcoming events?
Illinois hosted its annual Engineering
exhibition halls during operating hours. To Has this student chapter had any Open House, where our AREMA Our preliminary plans for next
register online, please visit www.arema.org. recent exciting events occur that student chapter set up an interactive school year include: traveling
you would like to share with the exhibit, including a live dispatching to Railway Interchange 2013
Interested in sponsorship for the AREMA readers of RT&S? display by Canadian National, a in Indianapolis, hosting a CPR/
2013 Annual Conference being held as part bridge engineering display from First Aid/AED certification class,
On February 1, a group of 15 Norfolk Southern, a locomotive
of Railway Interchange 2013? Please visit the members from our chapter took a simulator using Run 8 Train Simulator traveling to CSX’s Northwest
NEW AREMA sponsorship website at www. field trip to the Chicago Transit and current research project Ohio Intermodal Terminal with
arema.org/sponsorship or contact Lisa Hall Authority car shops in Skokie, IL demonstrations from the university’s another student chapter, teaching
where we were led on a tour by R a i l T E C r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m . classes on the Railroading Merit
at lhall@arema.org for more information. Badge to local Boy Scout troops,
Skokie Shop Manager Tom Dietrich. On April 20, our members traveled
AREMA’s Official Facebook Page In the afternoon, we were taken to Chicago with the Railway returning to Monticello Rail
out to the stub track behind the Construction Design class (CEE Museum where members will
Become a fan of the official AREMA learn to survey, as well as get
Facebook Page and stay up-to-date on the facility and were taught the basics 411) to receive a tour from Resident
of driving a newly-built CTA car. Engineer Marc Beisler of the hands-on experience, hosting a
most recent AREMA information. On February 21, Dick Rambo from P1 CREATE Project, Englewood Microstation V8i Workshop and
Nordco gave a presentation on Flyover. We were also given an inviting guest speakers to present
The Official AREMA LinkedIn Group at our general meetings.
Join the official AREMA LinkedIn Group
by visiting www.linkedin.com and searching
groups for “American Railway Engineering
and Maintenance-of-Way Association.”
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association
Put your career on the right track
with AREMA’s Railway Careers Network. *NEW ADDRESS* 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 130, Lanham, MD 20706
Services are free and include confidential Phone: +1.301.459.3200 / Fax: +1.301.459.8077
resume posting, job search and e-mail www.arema.org
notification when jobs match your criteria.

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 59

AREMA NEWS
Getting to know Sid Bakker
Each month, AREMA features one of our committee
chairmen. We are pleased to announce that the June featured
chairman is Sid Bakker, chair of Committee 39 - Positive
Train Control.
AREMA: Why did you decide to choose a career in
railway engineering?
BAKKER: After engineering careers at Northern Telecom
and the Electronics & Space Division of Emerson Electric,
I was drawn to Transportation Products Sales Co. (TPSC)
This smaller company had an open position for an
application engineer for technical support and business
development throughout the North American rail industry.
The agility of a smaller company to develop solutions
matched my pace and my desire to make an impact. I was
also intrigued by the rail industry’s progressive movement
to utilize newer technologies. Everything lined up.
AREMA: How did you get started?
BAKKER: Soon after my 1989 move from Minneapolis,
Minn., to St. Louis, Mo., I met a beautiful girl named
Ta m my w h o h a p p e n e d t o wo r k f o r T P S C . O u r Sid bakker
relationship went from friends to dating to marriage Chair, Committee 39 - Positive Train Control
in 1992. As a spouse of someone in the rail industry, I President, ARMS, Inc.
quickly witnessed the close knit community and close
relationships. When the application engineer position
opened up, Tammy and I joked about working together spends his time on motorcycles, fishing and pickup baseball
at a small company and the associated challenges. After games in the neighborhood. Amelia is 11 years old and will
three months of consideration, we only found reasons for start middle school this year. She has been in competitive
me to join TPSC. We have proven it was the right decision cheerleading for six years. She is in level 3 and close to
for 19 years and are still going strong. having all of her level 4 skills. She plays piano and has
AREMA: How did you get involved in AREMA and a beautiful singing voice. She also has her dad wrapped
your committee? around her finger.
BAKKER: Ever since my first year at TPSC, the AAR/ As a family, we love to donate time and money for
AREMA manuals have been a “go to” reference for charities at church, school, the women’s shelter, Cancer
my work. My work related to many manual parts from Society, American Heart Association and others.
Committee 38, so I joined and participated in the Energy AREMA: If you could share one interesting fact about
and Communications subcommittees. When Committee yourself with the readers of RT&S, what would it be?
39 – Positive Train Control was formed, I was appointed BAKKER: Music has always been part of my life and has led
chairman of Subcommittee 4 – Communications. In 2012, me to various bands and music groups that have toured the
I was elected chairman of Committee 39. I enjoy the Midwest, California, Europe and Australia.
collaboration of industry experts to develop new manual AREMA:What is your biggest achievement?
parts for this unprecedented industry PTC deployment. BAKKER: Professionally, I was named president of TPSC
AREMA: Outside of your job and the hard work you put in 2007. Personally, I am most proud of balancing work
into AREMA, what are your hobbies? and family. This is an ongoing challenge with the amount
BAKKER: I enjoy playing golf, playing guitar, coaching of business travel, but we make it count when our family
baseball and I am an avid fan of my children’s sporting events. is together.
AREMA: Tell us about your family. AREMA: What advice would you give to someone who is
BAKKER: I have been happily married to Tammy for 21 trying to pursue a career in the railway industry?
years. She is the executive vice president of TPSC. She is an BAKKER: Observe and learn. Use your eyes and ears to
amazing business professional and Supermom of two active learn from railway experts. Understand the history and the
children. She enjoys cooking, running and gatherings with evolution of technology and practices. Be patient for new
friends and family. Sean is 14 years old and will start high technology to be adopted, as it must be proven over time.
school this year. He is built for speed and excels at baseball This gained knowledge should be combined with your talent
and track. He plays the drum set, loves the outdoors and and skills for a rewarding career.

60 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

AREMA Publications
2013 AREMA
Reflections on a Half Century 2013 Communications Educational
of Railway Engineering and & Signals Manual of Foundation
Some Related Subjects© Recommended Practices© Scholarship
Railway Memoirs by William G. Byers, PE The Communications & Signals Manual
is a manual of
Winners
2013 Manual for Railway recommended Announcement
Engineering© practices written
by AREMA
NOW AVAILABLE
technical
There have been committees in AREMA would like to
numerous updates
to more than 5,000
the interest of congratulate the 2013
establishing
pages of the Manual uniformity, promoting safety
scholarship winners.
for Railway Engineering. The chapters are or efficiency and economy. The
grouped into four general categories, each Communications & Signals Manual of AREMA has awarded
in a separate volume: • Track • Structures
• Infrastructure & Passenger • Systems
Recommended Practices is an annual 37 scholarships
publication released every October.
Management. The Manual is an annual *NEW* Downloadable Sections Avilable Online.
totaling $63,000.
publication, released every April. It is
available in four-volume loose-leaf format, Practical Guide Please see page 62
CD-ROM, revision set (loose-leaf only)
and individual chapters (hard copy and to Railway for a full listing of
downloadable formats). Engineering© scholarship winners,
*NEW* Downloadable Chapters Now Avilable Online.
This guide provides the school they attend
a comprehensive and the scholarship
AREMA Bridge overview and they received.
understanding
Inspection of the railway
Handbook© system. Whether A special thank you
The AREMA you are new to the rail industry or to Charley Chambers
Bridge Inspection a long-time contributor wanting to and the Scholarship
Handbook provides learn more, this bound book and
a comprehensive CD-ROM offer in-depth coverage of Review Committee
source of information railway fundamentals and serve as an for all of their hard
and criteria for bridge excellent reference. (Also available in work and dedication
inspections for a CD-ROM version only.)
engineers engaged in the assessment of reviewing the
railway bridges. This handbook is published outstanding AREMA
as a guide to establishing policies and 2012 Educational Foundation
practices relative to bridge inspection. It
covers such topics as confined spaces, site
Portfolio of Scholarship
conditions, loads & forces, nomenclature, Trackwork applications.
bridge decks, timber, concrete & steel Plans©
bridges, movable bridges, tunnel and
culvert inspections, and emergency & post- The Portfolio If you are interested
earthquake inspections. Also included are
many color photographed examples in
of Trackwork in making a tax-
Plans consists
several chapters, as well as a glossary in of plans and specifications that relate deductible donation
the back of the book. to the design, details, materials and to the AREMA
To order any of the AREMA publications,
workmanship for switches, frogs, Educational
turnouts and crossovers, crossings, rails
please visit www.arema.org or contact and other special trackwork. This is a
Foundation, please visit
Beth Caruso at +1.301.459.3200, ext. 701, or companion volume to the Manual for www.aremafoundation.org.
bcaruso@arema.org. Railway Engineering.

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 61

62 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 63
 PRODUCTS

Articulating cranes
Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc., introduced its 40 tm and 50
tm models to its lineup of truck-mounted articulating
cranes. The company says the cranes have excellent lift-
to-weight ratios, long-reach capabilities and minimized
space requirements. The 40/275 crane provides
a maximum lifting capacity of 19,026 pounds, while
the 50/345 model delivers a maximum lifting capacity
of 22,840 pounds. The 40/275 and 50/345 models can
be equipped with up to eight hydraulic extensions for
maximum horizontal reaches of 69 feet 11 inches and 70
feet three inches. The 40/275 and 50/345 models feature
ultra-high tensile and the mounting space required has
been reduced to three feet nine inches and three feet
11 inches. The 40/275 and 50/345 models feature “over-
bending,” making the working area between the main
boom and the outer boom no less than 195 degrees.
Additional features include functions and feedback of
loader operation conditions; continuous rotation and
internal hose routing system. Phone: 1-800-247-5958.

Drilling support trailer

Fecon offers its GL14 Support Trailer, a self-contained
grouting and/or mud drilling support system for drilling
applications. Hydraulic lift assist ramps allow access to
the 200-gallon water supply tank for back flushing and
cleaning and the support trailer also has lockable storage
for tools and drill rods. The trailer has a six feet by 14 feet
flatbed, four-wheel brakes and can be towed by truck or
by the Fecon GL300 Drill Rig. Phone: 800-528-3113.

64 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com

Ad Index
Company Phone # Fax# e-mail address Page #

American Concrete Products Co., Inc. 402-339-3670 bhutchinson@enterprise-properties.com 23

AREMA Marketing Department 301-459-3200 301-459-8077 marketing@arema.org Cover 3
Brandt Road Rail Corporation 306-791-7533 306-525-1077 nmarcotte@brandt.com 11
Century Group Inc. 800-527-5232 ext.118 800-887-2153 railroad@centurygrp.com 25
CTC, Inc. 817-886-8243 817.886.8225 ljacobson@ctcinc.com 32
Danella Rental Systems, Inc. 610-828-6200 610-828-2260 pbarents@danella.com 10
Dixie PreCast 770-94401930 770-944-9136 fbrown142@aol.com 25
Harsco Rail 803-822-7551 803-822-7521 mteeter@harsco.com 49
Herzog Services, Inc. 816-233-9002 816-233-7757 rebersold@herzogservices.com 55
HiRail Corporation 800-274-7245 319-455-2914 info@hirail.com 24
Irwin Transportation Products 724-864-8900 724-864-0803 bspringer @Irwincar.com 26
Koppers Inc. 412-227-2739 412-227-2841 ambrosegf@koppers.com 22
KSA 740-776-3238 ext.12 740-776-6553 CraigWS@koppers.com 21
L.B. Foster Co. - Friction Management 412-928-3506 412-928-3512 glippard@lbfosterco.com 5
Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. 763-478-6014 763-478-2221 sales@loram.com Cover 2
North American Rail Products Inc. 604-946-7272 888-692-1150 cerhart@narailproducts.com 10
Neel Company, The 703-913-7858 703-913-7859 btemple@neelco.com 56
Nordco Inc. 414-766-2180 414-766-2379 info@nordco.com 8
Oldcastle/Startrack 888-965-3227 303-794-4297 jim.baker@oldcastle.com 3
Omega Industries, Inc. 360-694-3221 360-694-3882 omegaxings@aol.com 20
OMNI Products, Inc. 815-344-3100 815-344-5086 bcigrang@omnirail.com 39
Plasser American Corp. 757-543-3526 757-494-7186 plasseramerican@plausa.com 51
PortaCo, Inc. 218-236-0223 218-233-5281 info@portaco.com 7
Progress Rail Services Corp. 800-476-8769 256-593-1249 info@progressrail.com 19
Rail Construction Equipment Co. 866-472-4570 630-355-7173 dennishanke@rcequip.com 9
RAILCET 866-724-5238 217-522-6588 grif1020@yahoo.com 6
RailWorks Corporation 866-905-7245 952-469-1926 jrhansen@railworks.com Cover 4
Railway Educational Bureau, The 402-346-4300 402-346-1783 bbrundige@sb-reb.com 64, 66
SnakeTray® 631-674-0004 631-674-0010 molly@snaketray.com 11
Speno International SA 00-41-229-064-600 00-41-229-064-601 Jose.velasco@speno.ch 47
Transpo® Industries, Inc. 914-636-1000 914-636-1282 info@transpo.com 23
Unitrac Railroad Materials, Inc. 412-298-0915 865-693-9162 ppietrandrea@unitracrail.com 41
Vossloh 00-49-239-252-273 00-49-239-252-274 claudia.brandt@vc.vossloh.com 53

Reader Referral Service

This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact
with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue.
The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and RT&S assumes no responsibility for the correctness.

Advertising Sales
general sales OFFICE AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, Africa, Britain, Eastern Europe, Far East, Japan
Jonathan Chalon MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Katsuhiro Ishii
Publisher (212) 620-7224 WY, Canada -­AB, BC, MB, SK Switzerland, Middle East, South America, Ace Media Service, Inc.
55 Broad St., 26th Fl. Fax: (212) 620-7224 Heather Disabato (312) 683-5026 Rail Tenders, all others. 12-6 4-Chome, +81-3-5691-3335
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CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, hdisabato@sbpub.com Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185
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mconnolly@sbpub.com Steven Barnes Dr. Fabio Potesta
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Emily Guill (312) 683-5021 Syresham Gardens Fax: +44-1444-458185 Corso Buenos Aires 8 +39-10-570-4948
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Ste. 1910 United Kingdom 16129 Genoa, Italy
Chicago, IL 60603 sb@railjournal.co.uk info@mediapointsrl.it
eguill@sbpub.com

www.rtands.com Railway Track & Structures June 2013 65

 CALENDAR
JUNE
17-21. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards.
Region Transportation Management Center. Nashville,
Tenn. Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax:
865-974-3889. Website: http://ctr.utk.edu/ttap/training/
railinspect.php.

JULY
7-13. Rail and Intermodal Summer Youth Program.
Michigan Technological University. Houghton, Mich.
Contact: Pam Hannon. Phone: 906-487-3065. E-mail:
prhannon@mtu.edu. Website: http://www.rail.mtu.edu/
summer_youth2013.html.

30-Aug. 1. Railway Tie Association Tie Grading Seminar.

Courtyard by Marriott-Bossier City/Louisiana Boardwalk.
Shreveport, La. Phone: 770-460-5553. Fax: 770-460-5573.
E-mail: ties@rta.org. Website: www.rta.org.

SEPTEMBER
8-10. ASLRRA Eastern Region Meeting. Norfolk
Waterside Marriott. Norfolk, Va. Phone: 202-628-4500.
Website: www.aslrra.org.

29-Oct. 2. Railway Interchange 2013. Indianapolis, Ind.

Phone: 301-459-3200. Fax: 301-459-8077. Website: www.
railwayinterchange.org.

29-Oct. 2. APTA Annual Meeting. Hilton Chicago.

Chicago, Ill. Contact: Yvette Conley. Phone: 202-496-4868.
E-mail: yconley@apta.com. Website: www.apta.com.

OCTOBER
6-11. International Railway Safety Conference (IRSC
2013). Vancouver, BC, Canada. E-mail: irsc2013@nrc-cnrc.
gc.ca. Website: www.irsc2013.org.

9-11. 95th Annual Railway Tie Association Symposium

and Technical Conference. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe.
Incline Village, Nev. Phone: 770-460-5553. Fax: 770-460-
5573. Website: www.rta.org.

13-15. ASLRRA Southern Region Meeting. Omni

Charlotte Hotel. Charlotte, N.C. Phone: 202-628-4500.
Website: www.aslrra.org.

15-16. Railway Age Passenger Trains on Freight

Railroads. Washington Marriott. Washington, D.C.
Contact: Jane Poterala. Phone: 212-620-7209. E-mail:
jpoterala@sbpub.com. Website: www.railwayage.com.

NOVEMBER
4-8. Railroad Track Inspection & Safety Standards.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Chattanooga, Tenn.
Contact: Diana Webb. Phone: 865-974-5255. Fax: 865-974-
3889. Website: http://ctr.utk.edu/ttap/training/railinspect.php.

5-6. Railroad Environmental Conference. University of

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Urbana, Ill. Phone: 217-
244-4999. Fax: 212-333-1924. Website: http://ict.uiuc.edu/
railroad/RREC/overview.php.

10-12. ASLRRA Central Pacific Region Meeting.

Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa. Newport Beach,
Calif. Phone: 202-628-4500. Website: www.aslrra.org.
66 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com
 Professional Directory

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• Project Manager
Estimator
Please send inquiries and resumes to:
bsheehy@railnj.com
Estimator
bsheehy@railnj.com
bsheely@railnj.com • Estimator

Trac-Work, Inc. is currently seeking a Superintendent in

Shreveport, LA. Must have experience railroad track con-
struction. We offer a competitive benefits package. Please
forward resume to eallen@trac-work.com or fax resume
to 972-875-1298. www.trac-work.com EOE
Premiere Railroad Contractor in the Northeast is currently looking for
Qualified, Enthusiastic and Hard Working individuals for the following
Premiere
positions:Railroad Contractor in the Northeast is currently looking for
www.rtands.com
Qualified, Enthusiastic and Hard Working individuals for the following
Project Engineer
Railway Track & Structures June 2013 67
positions: Project
ProjectEngineer
Manager
Please send inquiries and resumes to:
Project Manager
Estimator
Please send inquiries and resumes to:
bsheehy@railnj.com
Estimator
 NEW & USED EQUIPMENT

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RT&S2013revAd.indd 1RT&S Classified Section 2/12/13 2:57 PM

Jeanine Acquart 212-620-7211

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68 Railway Track & Structures June 2013 www.rtands.com