Railroad Design & Engineering information

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Anyone know where I can find railroad design and engineering information online? Track info, even projects like heightening the Gallitzin Tunnels?

2

(1) AREMA (but you had best be a member/ password restrictions)

(2) RT&S/ Railway Track & Structures

(3) Progressive Railroading

(4) Railway Age

(5) Trains

3

‘’+1’’ to what mudchicken said above.

The AREMA information can be pretty technically ‘deep’ and expensive - it may be more than you really want. See - http://www.arema.org/

An interesting and free substitute or ‘surrogate’ may be the industrial track specifications that the principal railroads issue for the guidance of their customers and consultants. They are necessarily general - but therefore have to cover an awful lot of subjects as a result. Further - at what I surmise is your level of understanding - they can be a pretty good intro without getting too involved in any one topic. Here’s the link to the Norfolk Southern’s Track Design Information information webpage, and a copy of the Table of Contents there - from that, you can see how wide-ranging these specs and standard drawings are:

http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Customers/Industrial%20Development/track_design_information.htm

  1. Preface, Table of Contents and Introduction
4

For an interesting contrast / ‘another way’ to do these, see BNSF’s DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR INDUSTRIAL TRACK PROJECTS - dated October 2007 (55 pages, 4.35 MB in size) at -

http://www.bnsf.com/tools/fieldengineering/pdf/IndyTrkStds_1007a.pdf

In particular, note:

  • the ‘‘Standards for Unit Train/Loop Facilities’’ on pages 6 -13;

  • Turnout Plan and Geometry and switch details on pages A-7 [(34 of 55

5

Two other books that I saw references to, on the Amazon.com pages:

  • Railway Management And Engineering (2006), by V. A. Profillidis -

http://www.amazon.com/Railway-Management-Engineering-V-Profillidis/dp/0754648540/ref=pd_cp_b_1

He’s from Greece, and this book looks to be mainly European standards and practice, so of only limited value for U.S. applications.

  • Practical Railway Engineering (2005), by Clifford F. Bonnett -
6

From about in the middle of this page - Guide to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Collection, at - http://www.lib.iup.edu/depts/speccol/ead/mg75.html

Box

Folder

Allegheny and Spruce Creek Double-Track Tunnel Clearance Improvement, Gallitzen and Spruce Creek, PA Consolidated Rail Corp. Harrisburg Division - Conrail Bid Drawings Shannon and Wilson Inc.

Box

Folder

New Portage Tunnel Clearance Project
  • Paul North.