"Track Alignment (or geometric ?) Car

[DaveBr]

What is the purpose of this car? I saw one yesterday ,It looks real nice,up
in Oregon near Eugene,It looks like they have computers on this type of car.
DaveBr. Might have a different name.

[georgel]

I'm an ameture at typing and computers but I don't see a car!

[CShaveRR]

The car is a track geometry car--makes track measurement to check gauge, cross level, and other such things, uses computers to record data while the car is moving at about track speed, and maybe GPS to plot the location of defects for future correction.

I hope Mudchicken will weigh in on this thread with more details.

[mudchicken]

We never heard whose car this was, but I'm guessing one of UP's Plasser units?

Geometry cars (FRA, Amtrak and the Class 1's all have them) are high dollar measurement tools with multiple computers, accelerometers, gyroscopic measuring frames and lasers on board. GPS is on the cars as an afterthought. These cars test main track and passing sidings to assure compliance with FRA 49CFR213 track safety measurement spec.s.....When they are in the neighborhood, the roadmaster and his track forces are busy trying to keep any exception found by the cars from becoming a slow order. The car can tell, to within a few feet of where the defect is and can squirt out colored grease or talc powder so that the track gangs can locate a problem and fix it. They locate problems like dips, warps, x-level (crosslevel), gage, unbalance and so on and tell in the printout what priority the defect is. A priority one being a fix-it or slow-order it issue while priority two's and three's are about to become an emerging problem and need attention. Additionally some cars employ lite-slice laser technologies to look at rail corrugation and rail wear.

The cars are ballasted extra heavy to look at rail conditions under load. The railroad will determine by tonnage, passenger trains, train frequency and other priorities how many times a year the car runs over the track segment. The days of using manual "feelers" on the car are over and they now use some of the most advanced remote sensing technology on the market. They also look for trends in defects found to help maintenance planners figure out where to do future surfacing and track related work.

These cars are NOT rail detectors and are different than Amtrak's ride quality cars (aka the "empty beer can on the dashboard ride quality test")....

Shortlines cannot afford this technology and generally wait until the FRA T-10, T-1000 cars make their annual trips accross their railroad.

[DaveBr]

Thanks for that information on that car. DaveBr.

[videomaker]

May we the the picture plezzzzzzzz ? Danny

[DaveBr]

Another question.Why wasn't the cabooses converted to this type of car? Was it doing the change over ? Isn't there about 200 Cabooses sitting down near Santa Monice
somewhere? Dave Br,

[mudchicken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by DaveBr

Another question.Why wasn't the cabooses converted to this type of car? Was it doing the change over ? Isn't there about 200 Cabooses sitting down near Santa Monice
somewhere? Dave Br,

Inadequate size (for size of contingent on board) + improper strength for the contents + inadequate wheelbase + inability to ballast the car to the desired weight. Many feel the Plasser cars are too short and too light for the intended purpose as it is.