CSX RAIL Inspection car

[boatsmate]

Hi All,

At 1230 today I Caught the CSX Rail Inspection car ar CP 4 on the BA line. this is the car that looks like a sperry car, which at first glance I thought it was. I was unable to get any other info as I was caught by surprise when I came around the corner on the pike and ther it was, and I was traveling at speed in traffic on the pike.


Capt Bill

[roadster]

The car is designated GRMS 1 and has been terrorizing the Albany Division for the past 2 weeks. The car has unique features which allow it to test rail loads by putting stress on the rails by several hydrolic wheel sets underneath which simulate a loaded train. This is all done at 30 mph.

[CSX Conductor]

Maybe now they'll re-do the Framingham & Fitchburg Secondaries to get them back to 25mph as opposed to the "Temporary" 10 MPH restrictions that have been in place for well over a year and a half now.

[roadster]

Wishful thinking, We've been hoping the same for the St.lawrence Sub. over here, but no improvements as yet just maintainance enough to keep pace with the restrictions, (sometimes that is) cuurently 38, mostly 25's and 8 10's.

[Steve B]

Perhaps a silly question from non-railroader me, but I was wondering, does the car have to test at 30 MPH? Basically, if it's testing rail with a 10 MPH limit, does it test at 30 or 10? Do speed limits apply to all the service vehicles and rail test cars too, or just trains?

Thanks.

Stephen B
Walpole, MA

[CSX Conductor]

Yes, they are supposed to adhere to both temporary & permanent speed restrictions, in addition to timetable speed. Also, just FYI, most track cars / equipment are restricted to 30MPH.

Did you catch the GRMS @ Walpole today on the Framingham Secondary?

[130MM]

Perhaps a silly question from non-railroader me, but I was wondering, does the car have to test at 30 MPH? Basically, if it's testing rail with a 10 MPH limit, does it test at 30 or 10? Do speed limits apply to all the service vehicles and rail test cars too, or just trains?

Thanks.

Stephen B
Walpole, MA

First of all this car does not test the rails. That is the pervue (sp?) of the Sperry Car or truck. Sperry tests at up to 13 MPH, depending on rail surface condition.

The GRMS tests track geometry (gage, alignment, curvature, crosslevel, profile, warp, etc.). I'm not sure about CSX's GRMS, but on Amtrak's 10002 and the FRA's T-17 the testing must be over 12 - 14 MPH to measure alignment and profile. The other parameters still work at slow speed. The 10002 can test at speeds up to 125 MPH, and the new 10003 can test up to 150 MPH.

DAW

[clearblock]

First of all this car does not test the rails. That is the pervue (sp?) of the Sperry Car or truck. Sperry tests at up to 13 MPH, depending on rail surface condition.

The GRMS tests track geometry (gage, alignment, curvature, crosslevel, profile, warp, etc.).

DAW

GRMS is actually a third type of test, separate from Sperry type rail testing and track geometry. The FRA Rules define GRMS (Gage Restraint Measuring System) testing as a system to measure track gage changes under specific load conditions. The main objective is to determine the condition of ties and rail fasteners to maintain rail gage under load.

[130MM]

First of all this car does not test the rails. That is the pervue (sp?) of the Sperry Car or truck. Sperry tests at up to 13 MPH, depending on rail surface condition.

The GRMS tests track geometry (gage, alignment, curvature, crosslevel, profile, warp, etc.).

DAW

GRMS is actually a third type of test, separate from Sperry type rail testing and track geometry. The FRA Rules define GRMS (Gage Restraint Measuring System) testing as a system to measure track gage changes under specific load conditions. The main objective is to determine the condition of ties and rail fasteners to maintain rail gage under load.

While I have never been on CSX's GRMS, I have been on Amtrak's version (called the "TSAV" - Track Stability Assessment Vehicle). It measures all the usual track geometry parameters, and was equipped with a GRMS. I believe that is the case with CSX's.

I went back and reread the FRA rule for gage restraint testing. While it is very specific that gage restraint testing can replace inspection of ties and fastening systems, it doesn't really relieve the railroads from doing anything they're doing now. They still have to inspect the track as usual for everything else. The restraint data can be used for tie replacement planning more than anything else.

DAW

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

i caught the geometry car yesterday, 7/18 on the Amtrak mainline at 11:36 in the morning, they followed B735 engines lite from the Middleboro Secondary in Attleboro. B735 went down the mainline to Readville due to the Framingham Sec. being out of service, and then the car, called GRMS 2 by the Amtrak Mainline Dispatcher went by me at MP 202.4

[CSX Conductor]

Supposedly they found a few spots of wide guage that was 2" or more out of line....not surprised though.

[130MM]

Supposedly they found a few spots of wide guage that was 2" or more out of line....not surprised though.

Hey, CSX: if the gage was 2" out of line you would have been bouncing down the ties already!! If the track was 2" out of alignment that's not so bad. For 10 mph track the FRA allows line spots up to 5". So if they found a 2" line spot in 10 mph track, it would be a "ho-hum".

DAW

[clearblock]

They may very well have found some GRMS "2 inch wide" gage defects.

GRMS provides "PLG24" (Projected Loaded Gage) measurements which could be 58 1/2 inch or greater. This is the estimated gage under 24,000 lb lateral and 33,000 lb vertical load based on extrapolation of the GRMS load test. FRA says loaded or unloaded track gage during the test greater than 58" or PLG greater than 59" is a 10MPH defect on any track and a loaded gage greater than 57 3/4" or PLG greater than 58" is a Class 3 speed restriction if found on Class 4 or 5 track. In either case, speed restriction is in effect until MofW inspects and tests the gage at the defect and repairs it in compliance with normal gage limit for the class of track.

It sounds like the GRMS is doing what it is supposed to do in finding wide gage under load that you would not see in a normal routine hi-rail or walking visual inspection.

I have never seen GRMS in operation. Interesting to know what CSX and Amtrak are doing in combing it with track geometry measurements.