Ballast

Better Track Geometry Through Better Ballast Maintenance

by Jeff Tuzik Maintenance is a balancing act. Time is limited, budgets are limited, resources are limited. These limited resources and the pressure to make the most out of tight maintenance windows often drives an ethos that places a premium on the speed and performance of maintenance actions, personnel, and …

Smart Rocks, Smart Tamper: Investigating the Mechanics of Ballast Tamping

by Jeff Tuzik There are many forces that work to deteriorate track geometry over time. These forces don’t begin and end at the wheel/rail interface, they are transmitted to the vehicles and their components, and into the track structure and its components. On ballasted track, ballast absorbs these forces; and …