Railroad Maintenance

Replacing railroad track ties

English 202C Section 033

Ronak Patel
10/19/2010
Audience and Scope

The purpose of this article is to inform college engineering students about the process of
replacing railroad track ties. The college students will be interested in an internship or a full time
position within a railroad agency. Therefore, these students are likely to know how trains operate
and some basic railroad terminology. However, they probably do not know about the different
railroad maintenance processes. This information will help the reader become more
knowledgeable about a subject that is related to their career. Thus, the students will be able to
better transition and succeed at work.

Important Definitions

Ballast: Gravel and rocks that make up the railroad bed

Ballast Distribution System: Track vehicle that distributes ballast along the track to create an
even and level track bed
Rail Vac: Track vehicle that is used to vacuum ballast from the track
Slack: Track segments that are not fully secured
Spikes: Metal nails that are used to secure the rails to the ties
Spike Puller: Tool that is used to remove spikes
Tie: Wooden beams that sit underneath the railroad rails
Tie Crane: Track vehicle that is used to lift, remove, and insert ties

Introduction

Many companies provide commuters with train

service from one location to another. For example,
Amtrak (Figure 1) offers people train service all
around the country. To ensure safe and reliable travel,
these companies need to maintain the railroad tracks.
A key task in maintaining the tracks is ensuring that
track ties are secure and in good condition. If the
track ties are not secure or are in poor condition,
slack develops and causes the train to move violently
and potentially derail. Hence, it is critical that
Figure 1. Amtrak train
companies replace track ties when needed. Replacing
track ties is a three phase process that uses both track equipment and manual labor to replace ties.
Process of Replacing Ties

Replacing track ties is an essential track maintenance process. Track ties are replaced whenever
the ties begin to rot, wear, or break down. During tie replacement, the track is taken offline so
that work can be done. When a track is taken offline it changes the train schedule, so work is
normally done early in the morning or late at night on the weekends. It is important to replace
ties efficiently to reduce the impact on commuters. Replacing track ties occurs in three major
phases.

Phase I: Removing Ties

Track ties are removed in two steps. The two steps for removing ties are removing the spikes and
pulling the tie out.

Removing Spikes:
Before ties can be pulled out, they need to
be separated from the rails. Rails are secured
to track ties with spikes. Spikes are removed
by track workers. Track workers use a spike
puller (Figure 2A) to pull most of the spike
out. Once the spike is loose, the track
workers use a crowbar to pry the remainder
of the spike out (Figure 2B).
Figure 2A. Spike Puller Figure 2B. Crowbar

Pulling the Tie Out:

Workers prepare to pull the tie out by
moving ballast away from one end of the
tie. The ballast is moved to prepare for the
Tie Crane. The Tie Crane uses a hydraulic
arm on its side to grab onto one end of the
tie. After it has a secure grip, the arm
extends out, which pulls the tie out (Figure
3). All of the old ties that are removed are
put into a pile together to be discarded.
Figure 3. Tie Crane sliding tie out
Phase II: Inserting Ties

Track ties are inserted in two steps. The two steps for inserting ties are picking up ballast to
make room for the tie and sliding the tie in.

Picking up Ballast:
When a track tie is removed, there is a hole
where the old tie was. However, the hole
does not stay open for a long time. All of the
track work causes the ballast to fill the hole
up. Track worker reopen the hole using a
Rail Vac to make room for the new tie. A
Rail Vac picks up the ballast using a vacuum
attached to a boom (Figure 4). The ballast is
stored in the tank attached to the Rail Vac.
The stored ballast is transferred from the
Rail Vac to the Ballast Distribution System
to be used later.
Figure 4. Rail Vac

Inserting the Tie:

After a hole is cleared, the Tie Crane is used
to insert a new tie. The Tie Crane grabs a tie
from the side. Then, the Tie Crane positions
its arm to align the tie with the hole where
the old tie was. It then uses its hydraulic arm
to slide the tie into the hole (Figure 5). After
the tie is all the way in, track workers secure
the rails to the ties with spikes.

Figure 5. Tie Crane inserting tie

Phase III: Distributing Ballast

Ballast is distributed in one step. The one step for distributing ballast is using a Ballast
Distribution System.

Ballast distribution:
The final phase in the process is to create a
level bed of ballast along the track and its
sides. The ballast is spread using a Ballast Flaps
Distribution System. The vehicle has a tank
of ballast that can drop ballast where there is
not enough ballast. If there is too much
ballast the vehicle uses wings and flaps to
direct the ballast as desired (Figure 6). The Wings
track workers run the Ballast Distribution
System one additional time to make sure the
ballast is level. After there is an even track
Figure 6. Ballast Distribution System
bed, the track can be put back online.

Conclusion

Track ties are replaced over a three phase process. The first phase is removing the old tie. The
old tie is removed by removing the spikes and sliding the tie out with a Tie Crane. The second
phase is inserting a new tie. The new tie is inserted by picking up extra ballast and sliding the
new tie in with a Tie Crane. The last phase of the process is distributing ballast. Ballast is
distributed along the track to create a level track bed. It is important to complete these three
phases efficiently because train schedules are impacted during track work, which impacts many
train riders. Overall, replacing railroad track ties keeps the track in good condition and ensures
that commuters have a safe ride.
Works Cited

Title Page Figure: http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/54

Definitions: http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Figure 1: http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2010/06/amtrak-failed-us.html

Figure 2A: http://www.westernsafety.com/stanleyrailproducts/stanleyrail.html

Figure 2B: http://www.wrm.org/projects/trackCrew/8.16.07/8.16.html

Figure 4: http://www.wrm.org/projects/trackCrew/12.08.07/index.html

Figure 5: http://www.epptrack.com/versatile.html

Figure 6: http://www.plasser.com.au/en/p_ballast_regulation/bds100.htm