A Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway work gang is repairing sections of track on the railroad’s line from Everett to Vancouver, B.C.
The 31-member crew was in Everett last week on its way to doing routine maintenance on sections of track in Skagit County, said Adam Miller, an assistant road master for the crew.
“We’re making sure the two tracks don’t move too far apart,” Miller said.
A railroad’s two tracks must stay 56 1/2inches apart, but over time the trains that roll down tracks begin to separate the rails, particularly on curves.
“It’s usually about a half-inch when repairs are needed, Miller said.
He said the crew must also make sure that both tracks are consistently level with each other.
The crew uses an assembly line of about a dozen machines to first remove the spikes holding one rail down, push the rail back in place and nail it down again.
The crew pours a chemical compound into the spike hole so that “when we respike it, it’s got something to hold it,” he said.
The crew has to watch out for oncoming trains on the adjacent track, but can move fairly quickly when the tracks are open.
“We usually can do about 1,000 feet of track per hour,” Miller said.
The sections of track that need work are identified by a measuring machine that inspects every section of track at least twice a year, Miller said.
The rail gang lives in places ranging from Spokane to Longview to Klamath Falls, Ore., Miller said. He said they work eight-hour shifts and stay in local hotels while they’re on the road.
The crew works on Burlington Northern tracks from Chemult, Ore., to Vancouver, and east to Whitefish, Mont.
Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
