DETAILED INSPECTION OF U.S. ARMY RAILROAD TRACKAGE AND APPLICATION TO CIVILIAN SHORT-LINE RAILROADS

The U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory has developed a railroad track maintenance management decision support system called RAILER. The detailed track inspection procedures are designed to implement the recently issued Army Track Standards in a manner consistent with the larger goals of RAILER, thus promoting both track safety and track maintenance management. The inspection procedures are divided into six track component areas, and field inspection forms have been developed that guide the inspector through the inspection of each component area. The inspection procedures include measures for dealing with track components that are hidden, such as by vegetation or road crossings. In addition to the Army Track Standards, the inspection procedures can also support other track standards such as those propagated by the FRA or designed by a private operator. This property serves to facilitate a transfer to the civilian sector. The inspection procedures also take advantage of the RAILER computer software to ease the overall burden of the inspector.