PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD CLEARANCE CAR

The Pennsylvania Railroad has introduced a specially designed car for the measurement of track clearnace. It is usually made up into a short train consisting of a locomotive, the clearance car, and a crew coach. The car has now been in service for three years. Aluminum rods, 3 ft. long, and steel tipped, project from the sides and roof of the car in the form of an arch. As the train moves slowly towards a structure to be measured the rods are brushed backwards by contact to conform to the contours of the structure. The rods, 126 in number, are each capable of giving readings to 1/8 in. Graphs show the profile and clearance of the structure measured. The clearance car can cover an average of 100 miles of track each day. The time taken for measurement is about five minutes for a bridge and 30 minutes for a tunnel a mile long.

• Corporate Authors:

  Temple Press Limited

  161-166 Fleet Street
  Longon EC4,   England 
• Publication Date: 1954-4-2

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 386
• Serial:
  • RAILWAY GAZETTE
  • Volume: 100

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Car clearances (Railroads); Inspection; Inspection cars; Maintenance of way; Obstructions (Navigation); Railroad tracks; Technology; Tunnels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Obstructions
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Clearances; Track maintenance equipment; Tunnel profiles
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00039933
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM