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Railroad Ties2013.Qxd E12 SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013 RAILROAD TIES 2013 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH INSIDE THE ENGINE Traction motors and wheels fter the electricity is generated, it is fed into traction Amotors, which op- erate each set of wheels. These traction motors are built around an axle that connects the wheel set, capped off with bearings, which is what can be seen from the outside. Each set of wheels has its own motor. On typical locomotives, there are six traction engines and six sets of tires. Up front, in the cab, the engineer has two choices, forwards or backwards. “[The motors] are just like a drill motor,” Mike on steel tracks],” Mark the main braking system Cook said. “They go for- Davis said. “In your car, of the locomotive ward and backwards, just you have resistance from The traction motors also like an electric drill.” the rubber on your tire and give locomotives the ability The motors also have the the asphalt on the ground. to have a dynamic braking ability to produce energy if Here it’s the thickness of a system, which acts similar- a train is going downhill, dime, so it’s a very low re- ly to a “Jake brake” on a which also helps with sistance.” semi. As the wheels rotate, speed control and braking, Braking systems have the traction motors use the Andrew Bottrell / Cook said. varied over the years, and friction to create energy, The North Platte Telegraph Sand is used for traction several different breaking which can help control the The view of a locomotive wheel from the outside. The in the wheels in order to systems are still in use by speed of the locomotive, as bearing and wheel are connected by an axle to the wheel on get the train started. Union Pacific. well as help brake the loco- the opposite side of the locomotive. Built around that axle is “You don’t have any re- One of those is the pneu- motive in downhill situa- a traction motor which propels the locomotive. sistance [with steel wheels matic braking, which is tions. load for that day. Trains holding at a during a specified time Humped point on line for release period. Count of cars that are to move into a terminal. Speaking the language sorted in a hump yard. Trains slotted ENGINEERING Trimmed Number of trains a TERMS selves as “Deadheads,” a Count of sorted cars terminal can process in Curfew Get some insight into the tribute to the band “The built into outbound a given period of time, Grateful Dead.” In rail- trains. usually every 24 hours. A time period sched- complex world of rail lingo road-ese, “deadhead” is Trains blocked on line uled in advance when no trains operate, al- Telegraph staff reports the transportation of a TRAIN TERMS Trains stopped be- crew to or from a train. tween primary termi- lowing maintenance Trains held out employees to work on Like any industry, the “Coupled and uncou- The number of trains nals and switched to railroad has its own lan- track or signals. pled” means something held on line (out) due to further define the car guage that may seem in- entirely different to a blocks an to facilitate Windows comprehensible to out- lack of room in the des- Same as curfew, but marriage counselor tination yard. When a handling at the destina- siders. than it does to a rail- tion terminal. also can mean holding To a teenager, a cur- yard’s receiving tracks trains for things other roader. are occupied, the termi- Trains tied down few dictates when time Naturally many of the Trains holding on than Maintenance of they must be home. On nal “holds trains out.” terms related to the rail line for relief crews, Way curfews, such as the railroad, a curfew is Trains holding operating passenger industry describe what Maintenance of Way a time scheduled when A count of trains be- trains. can or needs to be done curfew, slot/spacing no trains operate, giving ing held either for con- Pull apart with trains. Trains may into terminal. Power maintenance crews a gestion or for a Mainte- When two sections of chance to work on be blocked on line, laid nance of Way curfew. usually is still on the trains. rail separate (pull tracks or signals. down or tied down. Trains holding also can apart) at a point where Classic rock fans They can also be walk- refer to the HDC Trains Trains laid down Trains with no ar- they are joined. Rail might identify them- ing or yarded. Held Report, used to shrinks in extremely track trains that are not rival plan for a termi- nal. The crews have cold weather. When the run on schedule due to shrinkage pressure gets RAIL YARD hind on its outbound cars in proper sequence a critical resource, such been likely removed and power has likely too severe, rail will pull TERMS train building. for outbound depar- as power, crew or track apart at its weakest Trim lead ture. congestion. been removed. Trains spacing point, usually at a joint. Behind “x” trims Track used to move Enroutes Trains drug out Time spacing in Cross-overs Trims are sorted cars from the bowl Count of trains des- Trains moved from which a terminal/sub- Track that joins two tracks of cars in a (sorting tracks) to the tined to a particular origin yard to a siding division can handle main tracks. When a hump yard pulled out of departure yard, where yard or terminal that between terminals to trains, such as one coal train moves from one the sorting tracks and sorted cars are coupled need to be switched. make room in the yard train every 30 minutes, main track to another it coupled to make up out- into an outbound train. “Strong enroutes” indi- to continue to build one manifest every “crosses over.” bound trains. A yard Building trains cates a forecast for trains. hour. Diamond “behind on trims” is be- Assembling sorted heavy switching work- Trains staging Trains yarded Track intersection Number of trains a where one track can be Thank you for your busiiness! terming has yarded in a used at a time. Your Security is our Priority! 24-hour period. Angle bars Trains walking Short pieces of steel When a track defect, used to join track sec- such a broken rail, has tions to other sections been determined by the or track structures. An Engineering Depart- angle bar is placed on ment to be passable at each side of the sec- “walking speed.” tions being joined. Two Trains flagging holes are drilled into When a train crew each end of the angle 318 East Front 308-534-2660 has authority granted bar and also through North Platte, NE www.alslockandsafe.com by a dispatcher to track sections. Four “flag” past a signal that bolts with locking is in stop indication washers are fastened due to a defect/event. through the holes to Trains processed join the sections. Angle Number of trains op- bars also are used to erated through a de- fined area or terminal Please see SPEAK, Page E13 RAILROAD TIES 2013 It’sTHE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH all about the railsSUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013 E13 failures, we invent Union Pacific Railroad’s processes or take processes from other tracks are more high-tech areas,” Mark Davis di- rector of corporate re- lations and media for than they might appear UPRR, said. BY ANDREW BOTTRELL of two horses — that’s The familiar triangle [email protected] standard track gauge,” shape of a train track Peterson said. you see today in Ne- In Nebraska, Soil composition braska, with the bed, Wyoming, Kansas and was a very important the rock, followed by Colorado, the Bailey component to early the ties and the rail, Yard rail service unit rail construction, but takes it shape for maintains more than today, Peterson said drainage and stability 1,800 miles of rail. they completely build purposes, Peterson “We test it ultrasoni- a new base when in- said. cally on this corridor stalling new track. “It’s load bearing twice a month,” Gary “We [dig] down far and you always want Peterson, manager of enough that we don’t track to drain,” Peter- track projects for have to deal with it,” son said. Union Pacific Railroad he said. “But when Ironically, on one of at Bailey Yard, said. they built the UPRR’s other main Today, tracks are 56.5 transcontinental, it lines in Texas, they gauge, almost univer- was different.” have the opposite prob- sally. That width, In the early days of lem. Because the soil measured in inches the railroad, the ties is made up of clay, the from the inside of one were laid on flat land cracks, and the rail to the inside of the ground, and the rail rock base can become Andrew Bottrell / The North Platte Telegraph opposite rail, might was laid on top of that. unstable. To combat date back centuries Railroad tracks have three basic components, the base, made up of granite rock; the Over the years, UPRR, that, tracks are built to ago when Romans be- ties, which can be either wood, concrete or steel; and the rails, made of steel manufac- and other railroads, sustain what little gan to use tracks and tured in Japan. have refined the moisture the environ- handcarts to transport process. ment provides. area for the rail base is Ties range in length Peterson said that goods, Peterson said. “As we learn what The rock used in the granite, which comes from eight feet to 25 wood ties have about a “It’s from the width causes derailments or Bailey Yard service from several places, in- feet, based on the type 25-year life span.
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