MECHANIZED TRACK INSPECTION: WHERE IT IS TODAY, WHERE IS IT HEADING?

Technology is available for mechanizing track inspection, but traditional methods are waging a stubborn battle against the new techniques which have been accepted in varying degrees on some roads but rejected on others. However, a significant point is the fact that no railroad after having acquired a track recorder, ever abandoned the idea later. The C&O/B&O, the Southern, the Canadian National, the Chicago and North Western, the Louisville and Nashville have track inspection cars which are described in this article. At least two track-measuring cars of European origin are now commercially available, the Matisa (Tamper) Trackfax car and the latest, the Plasser EM-50 Track Recording Car which has been in operaton on the Union Pacific. The technology of track-measurement and data processing has been brought to a high level of sophistication in the track-recording cars developed for the Department of Transportation. Known as "Rail Research Track and Vehicle Response Measuring Cars", these are self-propelled cars designed for operation in electrified territory, but operated also on portions of a number of roads and in more or less regular use for track-measurement in the Northeast Corridor.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1763403
• Corporate Authors:

  Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

  P.O. Box 350
  Bristol, CT  United States  06010
• Publication Date: 1973-3

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: 4 p.
• Serial:
  • Railway Track and Structures
  • Volume: 69
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
  • ISSN: 0033-9016

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Inspection; Maintenance of way; Railroad cars; Railroad tracks; Vehicle tests
• Identifier Terms: Canadian National; Canadian National Railways; Chessie System; Chicago and North Western Transportation Company; Louisville & Nashville Railroad; Southern Railway
• Old TRIS Terms: Fra test cars; Track inspection; Track maintenance equipment
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00044439
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Railway Track and Structures
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 15 1976 12:00AM