Print this page Railroad Track Standards Design
Vincent D. Reynolds, MBA, P.E.
Course Outline
The railroad system is used throughout the country as a means of transportation for people and goods. Railroads transcend several states and or jurisdictions, and in order to keep the system working seamlessly a universal standard has been developed to be used by all jurisdictions.
This course will provide information regarding Railroad Track Standards. The course materials are based solely on the report “Railroad Track Standards Design” as found on the website of the Army Corps of Engineering.This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.
Learning
Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student would have learned the following:
- The different types of railroad tracks and their purpose;
- When to remove a track from service;
- When to restrict a track to a certain speed;
- The difference in Category A and Category B tracks;
- The frequency that tracks should be inspected;
- The use of vegetation on slopes;
- The frequency when drains should be cleaned;
- The standards for treating ties;
- How to determine if a tie is defective;
- The operating procedures for treating defective ties;
- When additional spikes are needed along curves;
- When rails should be removed;
- How railroad tracks are to be drained;
- When switch points should be restored;
- The use of rail braces; and
- The standard flangeway width.
Intended Audience and Benefit
This course is intended for anyone with an interest in Railroad engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, or anyone wanting to know more information regarding Railroad Track Standards Design.
Course Introduction
The railroad system is used throughout the country as a means of transportation for people and goods. Railroads transcend several states and in order to keep the system working seamlessly a universal standard has been developed to be used by all jurisdictions.
This course will define the minimum required levels form railroad tracks. Several maintenance and inspections processes will be discussed in length in order to maintain a safe and effective railroad system.
Course Content
This 4 hour course will examine the use of Railroad Track Standards. It will provide useful information to determine when railroad tracks require maintenance or even temporary periods of no service. The course materials are based solely on the engineer manual “Railroad Track Standards Design” as found on the website of the Army Corps of engineers. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.
Railroad Track Standards Design (PDF version, 1.8 MB, 2008)
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
The information presented in this course could be used to enhance the student’s knowledge of Railroad Track Standards Design. Using this knowledge could enable to reader to inspect railroad tracks to ensure their functionality.
As always good judgment and good engineering judgment is always paramount in any situation. Utilizing good judgment and the knowledge gained in this course can provide much more safer and efficient Railroad Track Standards.
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:
http://www.arema.com/eseries/scriptcontent/index.cfm
http://www.usace.army.mil/
http://www.trb.com/
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
