5

Part 4

Track Construction

— 2015 —
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section/Article Description Page

4.1 Specifications for Track Construction (2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4-1

4.1.1 Scope (2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4-1
4.1.2 Appendix I – Where Track is Constructed with Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) (2014) 5-4-5
4.1.3 Appendix II – Minimum Specifications for Jointed Industrial Track Construction (2014) . . . . . . . . 5-4-5

4.2 Proper Usage of the Various Types of Frogs (2012) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4-6

SECTION 4.1 SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRACK CONSTRUCTION1 (2015)

4.1.1 SCOPE (2015)

a. The work covered by these specifications will include the laying and ballasting of the tracks mentioned, on previously
prepared subgrade, ready for the operation of trains.

b. Where continuous welded rail is laid the requirements of these specifications are modified by Article 4.1.2.

c. Track construction will typically be performed in two distinct manners:

• Work may be performed by the owner hiring a contractor.

• Work may be performed by railway track forces.

If the latter manner is used, replace subsequent references to contractor with railway track forces.

d. No work shall be performed including the procurement of materials without prior written approval of the serving
railway for the following items if applicable:

• Operating (switching) plans

• Track construction plans

1
References, Vol. 24, 1923, pp. 457, 1166; Vol. 41, 1940, pp. 554, 867; Vol. 53, 1952, pp. 768, 1123; Vol. 54, 1953, pp. 972, 1398; Vol. 63, 1962, pp. 488,
753; Vol. 67, 1966, pp. 406, 731; Vol. 68, 1967, p. 399; Vol. 82, 1981, p. 204; Vol. 85, 1984, p. 23. Reapproved with additions 1984.

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• Material specifications

• Construction specifications

• Schedules

• Scope of work by contractor, serving railroad and others

• Permits

e. Track materials:

• Track materials shall meet the required specifications of the approved construction documents. All material shall be
handled and stored in a manner as to not damage said material and to protect it from loss.

• All material shall be subject to approval of the railway or owner.

f. The contractor should provide all tools and equipment needed in connection with this work.

g. The quality and type of work to be done shall be in compliance with the project specifications and documents at all
times by the contractor and will be subject to inspection by the railway, owner or their designated representatives.

h. The contractor shall supply the necessary qualified supervision and labor to prosecute the work properly and in such
numbers as may be required by the railway’s chief engineer or authorized representative, and at the request of the chief
engineer or his representative will remove any contract employee not satisfactory to the railway company. All contract
employees shall have the required training and certifications required to perform the work per the project documents or
as required by the railway and/or governing authority.

i. No track shall be laid and no track materials shall be placed on the roadbed until the subgrade is constructed to design
elevations and approved by the railway. Contractor shall confirm with the railway or owner that the required testing
and approvals are in compliance.

j. As required by the construction documents, the contractor shall build the track to design alignment and top of rail
profile. The construction documents shall determine who is responsible for construction layout survey.

k. Ties shall be placed and spaced in accordance with project specifications. They shall be laid at right angles to the rail
with the ends lined uniformly as may be specified.

l. Timber ties:

(1) The construction documents or railway company will determine size of tie, quality and type of timber to be used.
Timber ties should meet minimum requirements in AREMA Chapter 30.

(2) Ties shall be placed in the track with the wide surface nearest the heart down and square to the line of the rail.

(3) Tie plates, the size and type to be determined by the construction documents will be used under running rails on all
tracks.

(4) Tie plates should be free of dirt and foreign material when installed.

(5) Care must be exercised to see that canted tie plates are applied so as to cant the rail inward.

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(6) Tie plates must be placed square with the rail and centered on the tie. Particular care must be given to see that the
tie plate shoulders are never under the base of the rail and that the tie plates are well seated on the ties and the rail
properly seated on the tie plate.

(7) Ties shall be spiked with two rail-holding spikes on each rail and with additional rail-holding and plate-holding
spikes if specified by the construction documents. Other railway approved fastening devices may be used.

(8) All spikes shall be started and driven vertically and square with the rail and so driven as to allow 1/8 inch to 3/16
inch space between the underside of the head of the spike and the top of the base of the rail. In no case shall the
spikes be overdriven, or straightened while being driven.

(9) Spiking pattern shall be per construction documents and remain consistent throughout project. Reference AREMA
spike pattern.

(10) Switch ties will be placed in turnouts and crossovers as shown on AREMA Trackwork Plans unless otherwise
specified by construction documents.

m. Alternative ties:

(1) The construction documents or the railway company will determine the size and quality of alternative ties.

(2) Care shall be taken in the transportation, handling, placing, and tamping of ties to avoid damage. Any ties which
have been so damaged, in the judgment of the project inspector, as to be unserviceable shall be removed and
replaced.
1
(3) The bottom of the rail, the tie pad and tie plate (if used), and the bearing surface of the tie shall be cleaned before
rail is laid if necessary.

(4) All rail fastening systems shall be installed per manufacturer’s specifications.

(5) Use of concrete or steel ties under bolted joints should be avoided. 3
n. Where relay rail is used, care shall be exercised in matching adjacent rails to prevent lipped or uneven joints, and any
mismatched rail ends shall be welded or ground per approved AREMA guidelines.

o. When laying jointed rail, approved expansion shims shall be used to provide the proper opening between rails, and a
rail thermometer shall be used to determine the thickness of shims in accordance with the recommendations in Part 5,
Track Maintenance – Section 5.3, Temperature Expansion for Laying Rails (1967). 4
p. Necessary gaging shall be done at the time rail is laid and, unless otherwise provided, the gage shall be 4’-8-1/2” +-
1/8” between points 5/8 inch below the top of rail on the gauge face.

q. No holes are to be burned in rail under any circumstances. When drilling is necessary all chips and burrs shall be
removed before applying joint bars.

r. All joints shall be fully bolted with spring washers using bars designed for the rail section and properly seated.

s. All bolts shall be tightened to prescribed torque before track is turned over to operation. Bolts shall be tightened in the
proper sequence to properly seat joints, beginning at the center of the joint and working both ways to the ends of the
joint.

t. Insulated joints shall be installed, as required, in accordance with the construction documents.

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u. Joints in opposite rails on tangents shall be staggered not less than 12 feet apart, joints on curves in opposite rails shall
not be staggered less than 8 feet and not more than 12 feet apart except as closer joints may be required at insulated
joints or turnouts. In laying rail on curves, care shall be taken to put in short rails at proper intervals in the low rail and
in the low rail side on tangents adjacent to the curve to maintain the proper stagger throughout the curve.

v. Rail joints should not be placed in road crossings or within the limits of switch points or guard rails.

w. In yard tracks or sidings so designated by the railway, track may be prefabricated in panels and laid with the joints
opposite.

x. Rail anchors shall be applied in accordance with Part 5, Track Maintenance – Section 5.4, Rail Anchor Patterns
Number of Rail Anchors to Resist Rail Creepage (1987), unless otherwise specified by the railway. Rail anchors
pattern shall be spaced approximately uniformly along the rail length. To avoid tie skewing, the anchors must be
applied against the same tie on opposite rails. Rail anchors when applied must have full bearing against a sound tie.

y. On curves, the outer rail shall be given superelevation in accordance with Part 3, Curves – Section 3.3, Elevations and
Speeds for Curves (2011), unless otherwise specified by the railway.

z. Switches:

(1) Turnouts, special track work and components must be installed in accordance with the proper AREMA trackwork
plans and/or construction documents unless otherwise specified by the railway/owner.

(2) Switch stands shall be left in proper adjustment and secured per railway requirements.

aa. Proper drainage of the roadbed is necessary before track can be established or maintained. It is of the first importance
that drainage be given careful detailed consideration in the design phase of the project and during all phases of track
construction. Culverts and other water diversion components should be examined frequently and cleared of obstacles
that could interfere with the free flow of water.

ab. Ballast as required shall be supplied in accordance with Article 4.1.1e.

ac. Ballast shall be unloaded by the contractor in accordance with railway requirements. The unloaded material shall be
leveled. Care shall be taken not to destroy or disturb the grade stakes.

ad. When the track is raised, both rails shall be raised at one time, as uniformly as possible and properly correcting
alignment irregularities. All ties that are pulled loose shall be replaced to proper position and shall have a bearing
against the rail and be properly secured to the rail. Tamping shall not be permitted at the center of the tie (unless steel
ties are used) but this center shall be filled lightly. Mechanical tamping with on track equipment is recommended as it
tamps both ends of the tie as well as on either side of the rail providing optimal compaction under rail seats.

ae. When the track has been raised to within 1 or 2 inches of the final grade and properly compacted by traffic, a finishing
lift shall be made by raising the track to the height provided by the grade stakes, making necessary allowance for
settlement. The track shall be placed in good alignment before the finishing lift is made. Stakes shall be set for the
alignment before the finishing lift is made and the final alignment shall conform to the stakes.

af. The contractor shall trim the ballast to conform to the standard ballast section, and the railway for this purpose shall
supply its standard ballast cross section plans. The portion of the subgrade outside the ballast line shall be left with a
full, even surface and the shoulder of the subgrade properly dressed to the standard roadbed section. The contractor
shall dispose of any surplus ballast after trimming the ballast section as directed by the representative of the
railway/owner.

ag. Traffic should not be permitted upon the newly constructed track section until the track has been accepted by the
railway or upon receipt of a written order from an appropriate representative of the railway.

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ah. The contractor shall install and secure promptly all stock guards, crossing planks and similar facilities adjacent to or
forming a part of the track.

ai. After completing the work the contractor shall remove all temporary structures and waste from the railway property
and/or public or privately owned property.

4.1.2 APPENDIX I – WHERE TRACK IS CONSTRUCTED WITH CONTINUOUS WELDED

RAIL (CWR) (2014)

a. No track shall be laid, and no track materials shall be placed on the roadbed, until the subgrade has been finished and
the sub-ballast placed and compacted, and the design track alignment and controls have been established.

b. The railway company shall provide the contractor a copy of their Procedures for the Installation, Adjustment,
Maintenance and Inspection of CWR. The contractor will comply with all requirements of this document, including
required record keeping, annual training requirements of employees in CWR procedures and the railway company
specific procedures and requirements.

c. It is the railway company’s responsibility to establish the desired rail laying temperature. Contractor shall ensure that
the CWR is laid at or above this desired temperature, or contractor will make the required adjustment in accordance
with the railway company’s written procedures. All necessary information related to laying CWR shall be recorded as
required by the railway company’s procedures.

d. When laying CWR in new track construction, the rail ends should be laid without expansion gap, and Paragraph 4.1.1o
will not apply. 1
e. Paragraph 4.1.1u will not apply when using CWR.

f. A string of CWR should not end on the deck of an open-deck bridge nor may it be less than a minimum distance
specified by the railroad from the face of the backwall on the at-grade side.

4.1.3 APPENDIX II – MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS FOR JOINTED INDUSTRIAL TRACK 3

CONSTRUCTION (2014)

a. Industrial track will be considered as track servicing industry, with speed limit of 10 mph.

b. Tie Requirements – use treated mixed 6 inch wood ties, or equal, no less than 8-0 long, and spaced at maximum of 24
inch centers. 4
c. Rail – new or AREMA Class 2 relay rail or better (see Table 4-3-17 Rail Grading Classification by Wear). No rail less
than 112RE, with properly drilled holes, should be used

d. Tie Plates – new or relay tie plates must be used on all ties. All plates must have same cant and be properly sized ot
match the base of rail being used.

e. Spikes – 5/86 new or used track spikes should be used. Two rail holding spikes will be installed per tie plate. One
additional spike should be considered for use on curves of 5 degrees or more.

f. 1/2" superelevation shall be used in curves, unless specified differently by railway/owner.

g. Maximum curvature of 10 degrees should be used. If sharper curvature is required, approval of servicing railroad may
be necessary.

h. Maximum recommended grade is 2% and 0.4% at locations on track where cars are spotted. If steeper grade is
required, approval of servicing railroad may be necessary.

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i. Turnouts – use #8 or greater. If smaller turnout is required, approval of servicing railroad may be necessary.

(1) Box anchor every other switch tie.

(2) Switch point guard on turnout side switch point with heavy traffic is recommended.

(3) Refer to AREMA Portfolio of Trackwork Plans for construction details.

(4) One additional spike per tie plate should be used on curve closure rails in turnout.

j. Rail Anchors – use 16 anchors per 39 feet of track; four nonconsecutive ties box-anchored per rail. Anchors shall be
new or reconditioned and designed for the base of rail being installed.

k. Rail Joints – for the rail section being installed, use matching joint bars fully bolted with lock washers. Maintain
minimum 12 foot joint stagger where possible. Expansion shim of hardwood or fiber should be used to control
expansion per Table 5-5-4.

l. Ballast – use AREMA #5 gradation with Los Angeles Abrasion Test of not greater than 35%, per ASTM C-535. Ballast
depth should be a minimum of 6 inches from bottom of tie. Ballast section must remain level with top of tie between
adjacent tracks to provide level walking area.

m. Gaging shall be done at the time rail is laid and, unless otherwise provided, gage shall be 4-8-1/2 plus or minus 1/8"
between points 5/8 inch below the top of rail on the gage face of the rails.

n. Crossings – Crossings should be constructed in accordance with customer and railroad requirements and
specifications. Depending on vehicular traffic and volume, an economical crossing surface can be selected along with
the required type of warning devices (signs/signals/gates). Rail joints should not be located within the crossing limits.

o. Appliances such as derails, wheel stops, bumping posts, and signage will be installed as required.

SECTION 4.2 PROPER USAGE OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FROGS (2012)

Refer to Section 300 of the AREMA Portfolio of Trackwork Plans for standard plans for frog usage recommendations.

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