A Longview of Shortline Bridge Maintenance

When operations on the Milwaukee Road ended, the state of Wisconsin partnered with several counties to preserve freight rail, ultimately entering into a lease and operations agreement with Wisconsin & Southern Railroad LLC's (WSOR). Traffic volume was low, and the Milwaukee Road had kept its bridges in good condition, so WSOR was able to handle each day’s capacity. However, WSOR made investments in track improvement that resulted in a large growth in business. With heavier loads and aging structures along the system, WSOR was faced with developing a long-term structures maintenance program to extend service life and prioritize replacement needs at the same time. The railroad developed a plan to anticipate and eliminate future problems with some of the structures on heavy haul corridors. A year-over-year program was begun to identify and prioritize the worst bridge structures that require complete replacement, as well those structures whose useful life could be economically extended with heavy to moderate repairs. Structures that qualify for repair are prioritized to keep capacity but operate it over a slower speed to get that structure to the end of its life. In this way, focus can be placed on those structures that must be replaced.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.rtands.com/index.php/track-structure/bridge-retaining-walls/a-longview-of-shortline-bridge-maintenance.html
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1763403
• Authors:
  • Wanek-Libman, Mischa
• Publication Date: 2013-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 36-38
• Serial:
  • Railway Track and Structures
  • Volume: 109
  • Issue Number: 10
  • Publisher: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
  • ISSN: 0033-9016

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle loads; Maintenance of way; Railroad bridges; Railroad tracks; Service life; Traffic volume
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aging infrastructure; Replacement (Bridges)
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Railroads; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01499820
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 22 2013 9:19AM