MEASURING FROM THE HEAD END: Norfolk Southern is testing autonomous track geometry equipment mounted on locomotives

摘要

For at least the past six years, railroads have been working on methods for measuring track geometry through equipment to supplement the traditional geometry car and hi-rail vehicles that have been used for many years. The traditional geometry "car," of course, is usually a short train. A locomotive pulls the geometry car itself, which obtains all of the track measurement data, which is then transmitted to a second car in the train where it is viewed and analyzed by track inspection personnel. The second car, usually a modified business car with large windows at the rear, also provides the opportunity for visual inspection. Most Class 1 railroads have one or two geometry trains that perform inspections of heavily used mainlines three to four times per year.