Track maintenance

Track is a fundamental component of the railroad. The track structure and its function are simple, but they require careful maintenance. Monitoring the condition of the track and all its components is an essential part of effective railway maintenance. Track that isn’t properly maintained gradually deteriorates to the point that trains have to operate extremely slowly to avoid derailment. This operation is made by track facilities specialists.

Track maintenance was traditionally made by hand, requiring gangs of trackmen. The first 100 years of their existence railroads depended almost entirely on the hard manual labour of personnel to keep the tracks, roadbed, and right-of-way (ROW) in operating condition for the trains and the goods they were moving. Tracks and rails were inspected by track walkers, who regularly patrolled a section of line on foot, looking for defects. Unfortunately, not all defects are visible to the naked eye. Typically special track machines are used to maintain tracks and for maintenance inspection. Every stage of inspecting, maintaining, and repairing track and its components can be done by modern machinery. Modern machinery enables a small group of workers, called maintenance crew, to maintain a relatively long section of railroad track. Machines are able to do all the necessary track maintenance tasks: removing and inserting ties, tamping the ballast, cleaning the ballast, excavation and replacement of worn ballast, spiking rail, tightening bolts, and aligning the track.

The mechanization of track maintenance has undergone technological changes. Precision of operation, especially in maintenance of true track alignment, has achieved much from the application of electronics to the machines' measuring and control devices. In Europe in particular, highly sophisticated maintenance equipment has come into use.

Ex. 21. Search the text for the English equivalents of the following Russian words and phrases:

основная составляющая; тщательное техническое содержание и ремонт; поддерживаемый должным образом в рабочем состоянии; постепенно; почти полностью; тяжелый ручной труд работников; рабочее состояние; пешком; к сожалению; видный невооружённым глазом; претерпеть технологические изменения; применение электроники; сложное оборудование внедрено.

Ex. 22. Read the sentences and choose the correct alternative.

1. The track structure requires careful [welding, wear, maintenance]. 2. An essential part of effective railway maintenance is [monitoring, alignment, spiking] the condition of the track and all its components. 3. Track that isn’t properly maintained gradually [strengthens, deteriorates, removes]. 4. Tracks were inspected [by train, by air, on foot]. 5. All track defects are not [essential, visible, capable] to the naked eye. 6. [Machinery, Tamping, Electronics] are used to maintain tracks. 7. Track walkers regularly patrolled a section on line looking for [rails, sleepers, defects]. 8. Modern machinery enables to maintain a long [joint, section, point] of railroad track. 9. Railroad maintenance has been an important part of [tamping, patrolling, railroading]. 10. [Trackman, Maintenance crew, Welding gang] maintains a relatively long section of railroad track.

Ex. 23. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Путевое хозяйство включает в себя железнодорожный путь, станционные здания и машинное оборудование, обеспечивающее текущее содержание и ремонт пути.

2. Ремонт пути – это путевые работы по обновлению верхнего строения пути с полной или частичной заменой его элементов, очисткой балласта и выправкой пути.

3. Главным условием для обеспечения безопасности транспортировок подвижного состава в содержании железнодорожного пути является плановый, периодический, квалифицированный осмотр.

4. Cтроительство железнодорожных путей выполняется с применением современных материалов, машин и механизмов, с высоким качеством и в кратчайшие сроки.

5. Мы обеспечиваем сборку и хранение компонентов верхнего строения пути, а также инструмент и оборудование, необходимые для проведения строительных и ремонтных работ.

6. Железнодорожные пути нуждаются в тщательном техническом содержании и ремонте, чтобы обеспечить регулярное высокоскоростное движение поездов.

Text B. You are free to choose between Original and Adаpted texts. Scan the chosen text and write down all the unknown words. If you fail to guess their meaning, consult a dictionary.

Original Text