Track Functional group update - President's Column: Arema News

Railway Track and Structures, Jan, 2003 by Richard Keller

Throughout the year, I will have each of the functional group vice presidents give an overview of what is happening in their groups and this month I have asked Ron Poulsen, vice president of the Track Functional Group to tell us what is happening in his area.

"The AREMA Track Functional group is looking forward to a busy and productive coming year, with the plan of moving railroad engineering technology forward for the industry.

"Committee 1-Roadway & Ballast will have a very productive year. New Manual material will be submitted for publication, including Recommended Practice for Hot Mix Asphalt Underlayment, a complete revision and expansion of Part Three-Natural Waterways, a complete revision and expansion of Part 7-Roadway Signs and Recommended Practice for Geosynthetics. Committee 1 members will conduct two seminars: Railroad Surveying Techniques and Streambed Hazard Recognition and is developing a Roadcrossing Seminar that will be a cooperative effort of the track and signal functional groups. The next full committee meeting will be in Baton Rouge, February 10-12.

"Committee 4-Rail has completed its assignment on Manual Part 4, Chapter 2, Section 1 through 4 that covers scope and manufacture, workmanship, rail surface conditioning, chemical composition and mechanical properties of rail and specifications for steel rails. These changes include quality assurance of thermite welding and new physical properties of 141 AB Rail.

"Committee 4 has the following work completed and is in the letter ballot stage:

1. Bending properties for joint bars

2. Recommended calibration rails for rail flaw detector systems

3. Include 136 JK rail section in Manual

4. Change 141 AB rail designation to 141 RE

5. Operator qualifications and procedures for rail flaw detection

6. Recommended practice for rail grinding

7. Secondhand rail for welding

"New assignments for Committee 4 are the development specifications for handling and shipping rail, revise a minimum hardness specification for standard rail, revise track bolt specification and develop rail defect descriptions. They are also planning to hold a New Rail Steel Technologies Seminar in mid-2003.

"Its next meeting is to be in conjunction with the REMSA Show in Dallas in May 2003.

"When you purchase next year's Manual, you will see the revision work of Committee 5-Track, Revision of Track Hand Tools. The Track Committee should be commended for the great effort the project took and the great benefits the railroad industry will reap from its work. Tolerances were developed and approved by Committee 5 for switch rods, switch plates and switch clips. These changes will be included in the Trackwork Portfolio.

"The Trackwork Portfolio drawings continue to be transferred into an electronic format. This conversion project should be complete in two years. In an effort to make the various railway software design packages compatible with the AREMA definition, the committee has begun work on the spiral curve definitions. A letter ballot was approved by the committee to define the nomenclature for improved geometry turnouts.

"Committee 5 will begin working with the Passenger and Transit group to add about 25 transit and light-rail track work plans to the Trackwork Portfolio. Committee 5 is also working to develop a new specification for a medium carbon track spike.

"Committee 5 is holding its Spring meetings in Dallas with the REMSA Show.

"Committee 27-M/W Work Equipment had two very productive meetings in 2002. Its Spring 2002 meeting was held in conjunction with Conexpo in Las Vegas, Nev. Conexpo is the largest construction equipment expo in the world, Conexpo also included the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Fluid Power Association. Many of the committee members attended those seminars at the expo.

"Committee 27 formed a new Subcommittee 3, Hy-rail, which will be headed by new Subcommittee Chairman Bob Stevens of CSX. The committee has representatives from the major hy-rail manufacturers and railroad vehicle personnel. Also, Subcommittee 2, under the leadership of Joe Vanderbosch, completed work on a standard maintenance bulletin that is recommended to be utilized by all equipment manufacturers. This is similar to the FAA bulletin, which notifies and informs users of changes and modification requirements. Committee 27 will also have ballots out in 2003 to cover changes to the Manual covering reliability guidelines for M/W roadway machinery and standard maintenance bulletin for M/W Roadway machinery.

"Committee 30-Ties has initiated some recent revisions to its chapter, which traditionally has dealt with the two major tie types, concrete and wood. The entire section of the manual dealing with concrete ties has been streamlined. It now deals concisely with the facts. Cross-references and standard references direct the user to additional sources of information. The section on wood ties has also been reviewed with direct references made to the American Wood Preservers' Association specifications rather than quoting from this reference. The glossary for this chapter was also updated.