Caltrain’s Been Workin’ on the Railroad

Maintaining the railroad is an important and continual part of Caltrain’s commitment to safety. Routine maintenance is done nearly everyday on the Caltrain line. Although much of this maintenance is mandated by the Federal Railroad Administration and California Public Utilities Commission, Caltrain’s safety standards far exceed minimum requirements.

Performing the necessary maintenance on the 144-year old rail line allows Caltrain to serve its 10 million annual riders.

Maintenance work using on-track machinery can only be done when there are no trains on the tracks. Although maintenance work is usually done from 7 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., there are times when work will continue around-the-clock. When this happens north- and southbound trains may operate on one track instead of two, going around or “single tracking” around the work site.

This work often uses heavy equipment that may produce noise that can be heard by neighbors in the area. On-track maintenance machines must run at full throttle in order to work properly. Tampers have vibrating motors that generate noise. Ballast regulators use a large, rotating broom to sweep up the ballast, which produces both noise and dust. Large lights also are used.

Caltrain uses three crews to perform weekly maintenance at night – the tie gang, the surfacing gang and the welding gang. Each crew has between two and seven people.

Type of work


Cross Tie Replacement
A wooden railroad tie, which weighs 200 pounds and is nine feet long, typically lasts 40 to 70 years. Caltrain “spot” replaces ties on the tracks every week, replacing approximately 10 to 20 percent of the ties in a given section of track. Although Caltrain uses concrete ties on all new construction, there are still many wooden ties on the rail line.

Caltrain uses several different on-track, self-propelled machines to replace cross ties.


They include a spike puller,


a tie extractor,


a tie inserter


and tie handler.


A tamper may be needed to smooth the ballast (gravel) after the work is done.

Resurfacing
Over time, the weight of the train passing over the tracks compresses the ballast under the tracks and between the ties, and the tracks can become uneven.

Resurfacing corrects the alignment of the rails to make them smooth, minimizing the jerks and bumps experienced by passengers and reducing the mechanical strain on the rails.

In the past, this work was done by hand. Teams of workers called “gandy dancers” used levers to force the rails back into place and correct the gradual shifting caused by the force of passing trains.

Today, Caltrain crews use modern machines to compact the ballast and straighten the track. Caltrain usually uses a five-man crew to operate a tamper and a regulator.

The tamper is self-propelled. During the operation, the tamper lifts the track, vibrating heads penetrate and compact the ballast and the track is straightened and placed back down on the ballast.

After the tamper has finished, additional ballast is distributed on the tracks. A regulator with a large rotating broom sweeps up the loose ballast. Wings on the side of the machine smooth the sides of the ballast.

Welding
Rail joints cause the clickety clack sound familiar to train riders. Eliminating rail joints makes the train quieter for passengers and for neighbors living near the tracks. Welded rail also is stronger and therefore safer than jointed rail.

Thanks to extensive track rehabilitation work completed in recent years, the Caltrain tracks have very few joints and the railroad is working to eliminate the remaining rail joints. In addition, rail joints may need to be repaired. Crews are able to weld about two joints in one night.

The welding crew uses air compressors, gas-powered generators, small power tools, electric-arc welders and propane heaters, which can make “howling” noises. Neighbors also may hear a grinder, which is used to prepare the rail surface before it is welded and to smooth the completed welds.

Other Maintenance
In addition to weekly maintenance, Caltrain also does other work to maintain the rail line.

Track Inspection
Three times a week, crews use a “hyrail” vehicle to perform a visual inspection of the tracks. This is a specially equipped pick-up truck that can be used either on roads or rails, changing from rubber tires to steel wheels according to the need.

Twice a year Caltrain uses a track geometry car to measure deviations in the tracks. This on-track vehicle uses a sophisticated computer system to measure and record the alignment of the track.

Three times a year Caltrain uses a “detector” car to find flaws in the rails. This on-track car uses ultrasonic equipment to detect minute flaws in the rails that are not visible to the naked eye. These flaws may the result of manufacturing defects or simply develop over time. If a critical flaw is found, it must be repaired immediately.

Switch Maintenance
Switches “switch” a train from one track to another. Each switch is checked during regular weekly inspections. In addition, every switch is examined once a month by an inspector on foot.

Crossing Gates
All crossing gates are tested once a month. The gates must be activated to conduct this test and they may remain down longer than normal.

Weed Abatement
Once a year, Caltrain uses an on-track truck to spray weed killer along the right of way. Weed abatement is necessary to prevent brush fires on and around the train tracks.