Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
I stopped in Porter, IN, after railfanning the Chicago area for a day. Upon departing Porter, I noticed that the ballast on the Amtrak line to Kalamazoo has a very distinct sandy color to it, compared to the grey granite typical of the region. To me, the Amtrak ballast looked like quartzite, but I am no geologist. Does anybody know where Amtrak, and for that matter, any of the other railroads, get their ballast? I already searched it on google, and I couldn't find much
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PerRock
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Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
well....generally gravel (which is what ballast is) is made by crushing bigger rocks. Which generally are dug (or cut) up out of the ground in large quarries. So to sum up; it comes from the ground.
peter
peter
Given the choice; I fly Amtrak.
American Trainz Group
American Trainz Group
Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
Uh...thanksPerRock wrote:well....generally gravel (which is what ballast is) is made by crushing bigger rocks. Which generally are dug (or cut) up out of the ground in large quarries. So to sum up; it comes from the ground.
peter
This question was more about from WHERE in the ground it comes from. Not as in depth, but as in location
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Todd Cline
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Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
If my memory is correct, and I can recall as far back as 1975 or so, the MC line from Kzoo to Porter has always had that "tan" color ballast. At one time the entire MC mainline all the way to Detroit had that ballast. I'm not sure of where the ballast came from, obviously not from the limestone quarries in Indiana. Given the yellow tint, I'd guess somewhere outside the great lakes limestone belt. Perhaps somewhere along the east coast. New York State? That might explain the simlilarities between the NYC era ballast and the Amtrak era ballast. ( Conrail ballast was dark/medium gray).
Another possibility is that Amtrak didn't replace the ballast, but rather had it "cleaned" by a contractor such as PANDROL or SRS. ( GTW lines in Michigan had similar ballast in the 1970's). It all boils down to the cheapest supplier at the time, some secondary lines used cinders for ballast which was the cheapest of all in the age of steam.
Free for the taking at the nearest roundhouse...
Todd
Another possibility is that Amtrak didn't replace the ballast, but rather had it "cleaned" by a contractor such as PANDROL or SRS. ( GTW lines in Michigan had similar ballast in the 1970's). It all boils down to the cheapest supplier at the time, some secondary lines used cinders for ballast which was the cheapest of all in the age of steam.
Free for the taking at the nearest roundhouse...
Todd
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PAT.C
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Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
well....generally gravel (which is what ballast is)----RAILROAD BALLAST IS ROCKS--NOT GRAVEL.!!!
SEARCH "RAILROAD TRACK BALLAST" FOR MORE INFO.
Track ballast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers (UK) or railroad ties (US) are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties.[1] It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track structure.[1] This also serves to hold the track in place as the trains roll by. It is typically made of crushed stone, although ballast has sometimes consisted of other, less suitable materials. The term "ballast" comes from a nautical term for the stones used to stabilize a ship.[1]
Contents
Material properties
A good ballast should be strong, hard-wearing, stable, drainable, easy to clean, workable, resistant to deformation, easily available, and reasonably cheap to purchase.[2] Early railway engineers did not understand the importance of quality track ballast; they would use cheap and easily-available materials such as ashes, chalk, clay,[3] earth, and even cinders from locomotive fireboxes.[4] It was soon clear that good-quality ballast made of rock was necessary if there was to be a good foundation and adequate drainage.[3]
Good quality track ballast is made of crushed natural rock with particles between 28mm and 50mm in diameter;[5] a high proportion of particles finer than this will reduce its drainage properties, and a high proportion of larger particles result in the load on the ties being distributed improperly.[5] Angular stones are preferable to naturally rounded ones, as these interlock with each other, inhibiting track movement.[5][1] Soft materials such as limestone are not particularly suitable, as they tend to degrade under load when wet, causing deterioration of the line; granite, although expensive, is one of the best materials in this regard.[5]
In the early days of railroads in the United States, much material for ballast came from rock found in the local area. In the Midwest, for example, much use was made of quartzite, while states in the southeast, such as Florida, made use of limestone. One specific type of quartzite used in the Midwest earned the name "Pink Lady" due to its color;[6] in other areas, the ballast can be a mix of light and dark colors called "Salt and Pepper".
[edit] ConstructionThe thickness of a layer of track ballast depends on the size and spacing of the ties, the amount of traffic expected on the line, and various other factors.[1] Track ballast should never be laid down less than 150 mm (6 inches) thick;[5] high-speed railway lines may require ballast up to half a metre (20 inches) thick.[7] An insufficient depth of ballast overloads the underlying soil; in the worst cases, this can cause the track to sink.[8] If the ballast is less than 300 mm (12 inches) thick, this can lead to vibrations, which can damage nearby structures (though increasing the depth beyond this has no measurable effect).[9]
Track ballast typically sits on a layer of sub-ballast; the latter is typically made of small crushed stones. It gives a solid support for the top ballast, and seals out water from the underlying ground.[1] Sometimes, an elastic mat is placed under the ballast layer as well; this can allow for significant reductions in vibration.[9]
It is essential for ballast to be piled as high as the ties, and for a substantial "shoulder" to be placed at their ends;[5] the latter being especially important, since this ballast shoulder is, for the most part, the only thing restraining lateral movement of the track.[10] The ballast shoulder should be at least 150 mm (6 inches) wide under any circumstances, and may be as large as 450 mm (18 inches).[11]
[edit] Maintenance
If ballast is badly fouled, the clogging will reduce its ability to drain properly; this, in turn, causes more debris to be sucked up from the sub-ballast, causing more fouling.[12][7] Therefore, keeping the ballast clean is essential.
It is not always necessary to replace the ballast if it is fouled, nor must all the ballast be removed if it is to be cleaned. Removing and cleaning the ballast from the shoulder is often sufficient, if shoulder ballast is removed to the correct depth.[13][14] While this job was historically done by manual labour,[14] this process is now, like many other railway maintenance tasks, a mechanised one,[15] with a chain of specially-designed railroad cars handling the task. One wagon cuts the ballast and passes it via a conveyor belt to a cleaning machine, then the cleaning wagon washes the ballast, and deposits the dirt and ballast into other wagons for disposal and re-use, respectively.[13] Such machines can clean up to two kilometres of ballast in an hour.[16]
Cleaning, however, can only be done a certain number of times before the ballast is damaged to the point that it cannot be re-used; furthermore, track ballast that is completely fouled can not be corrected by shoulder cleaning.[17] In such cases, it is necessary to replace the ballast altogether. One method of "replacing" ballast, if necessity demands, is to simply dump fresh ballast on the track, jack the whole track on top of it, and then tamp it down;[14] alternatively, the ballast underneath the track can be removed with an undercutter, which does not require removing or lifting the track.[17]
Regular inspection of the ballast shoulder is important;[5] as noted earlier, the lateral stability of the track depends upon the shoulder. The shoulder acquires some amount of stability over time, being compacted by traffic; maintenance tasks such as replacing ties, tamping, and ballast cleaning can upset this stability. After performing these tasks, it is necessary for either trains to run at reduced speed on the repaired routes, or to employ machinery to compact the shoulder again.[18][19]
If the trackbed becomes uneven, it is necessary to pack ballast underneath sunk ties to level the track out again. This is, in the mechanized age, usually done by a ballast tamping machine. A more recent, and probably better,[7] technique is to lift the rails and ties, and to force stones, smaller than the track ballast particles and all of the same size, into the void. This has the advantage of not disturbing the well-compacted ballast on the trackbed, as tamping is likely to do.[20] This technique is called pneumatic ballast injection (PBI; or, less formally, "stoneblowing"[21]). However, this technique is not as effective with fresh ballast, as the smaller stones tend to move down between the larger pieces of ballast.[16]
[edit]
THERE IS A LARGE QUARRY NEAR MADISON,WI. THAT SUPPLIES BALLAST. I BELIEVE THE -PINK LADY- COMES FROM THERE.
THE NS GETS LOTS OF THEIR BALLAST FROM A QUARRY JUST W. OF ASHEVILLE,NC.
SEARCH "RAILROAD TRACK BALLAST" FOR MORE INFO.
Track ballast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers (UK) or railroad ties (US) are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties.[1] It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track structure.[1] This also serves to hold the track in place as the trains roll by. It is typically made of crushed stone, although ballast has sometimes consisted of other, less suitable materials. The term "ballast" comes from a nautical term for the stones used to stabilize a ship.[1]
Contents
Material properties
A good ballast should be strong, hard-wearing, stable, drainable, easy to clean, workable, resistant to deformation, easily available, and reasonably cheap to purchase.[2] Early railway engineers did not understand the importance of quality track ballast; they would use cheap and easily-available materials such as ashes, chalk, clay,[3] earth, and even cinders from locomotive fireboxes.[4] It was soon clear that good-quality ballast made of rock was necessary if there was to be a good foundation and adequate drainage.[3]
Good quality track ballast is made of crushed natural rock with particles between 28mm and 50mm in diameter;[5] a high proportion of particles finer than this will reduce its drainage properties, and a high proportion of larger particles result in the load on the ties being distributed improperly.[5] Angular stones are preferable to naturally rounded ones, as these interlock with each other, inhibiting track movement.[5][1] Soft materials such as limestone are not particularly suitable, as they tend to degrade under load when wet, causing deterioration of the line; granite, although expensive, is one of the best materials in this regard.[5]
In the early days of railroads in the United States, much material for ballast came from rock found in the local area. In the Midwest, for example, much use was made of quartzite, while states in the southeast, such as Florida, made use of limestone. One specific type of quartzite used in the Midwest earned the name "Pink Lady" due to its color;[6] in other areas, the ballast can be a mix of light and dark colors called "Salt and Pepper".
[edit] ConstructionThe thickness of a layer of track ballast depends on the size and spacing of the ties, the amount of traffic expected on the line, and various other factors.[1] Track ballast should never be laid down less than 150 mm (6 inches) thick;[5] high-speed railway lines may require ballast up to half a metre (20 inches) thick.[7] An insufficient depth of ballast overloads the underlying soil; in the worst cases, this can cause the track to sink.[8] If the ballast is less than 300 mm (12 inches) thick, this can lead to vibrations, which can damage nearby structures (though increasing the depth beyond this has no measurable effect).[9]
Track ballast typically sits on a layer of sub-ballast; the latter is typically made of small crushed stones. It gives a solid support for the top ballast, and seals out water from the underlying ground.[1] Sometimes, an elastic mat is placed under the ballast layer as well; this can allow for significant reductions in vibration.[9]
It is essential for ballast to be piled as high as the ties, and for a substantial "shoulder" to be placed at their ends;[5] the latter being especially important, since this ballast shoulder is, for the most part, the only thing restraining lateral movement of the track.[10] The ballast shoulder should be at least 150 mm (6 inches) wide under any circumstances, and may be as large as 450 mm (18 inches).[11]
[edit] Maintenance
If ballast is badly fouled, the clogging will reduce its ability to drain properly; this, in turn, causes more debris to be sucked up from the sub-ballast, causing more fouling.[12][7] Therefore, keeping the ballast clean is essential.
It is not always necessary to replace the ballast if it is fouled, nor must all the ballast be removed if it is to be cleaned. Removing and cleaning the ballast from the shoulder is often sufficient, if shoulder ballast is removed to the correct depth.[13][14] While this job was historically done by manual labour,[14] this process is now, like many other railway maintenance tasks, a mechanised one,[15] with a chain of specially-designed railroad cars handling the task. One wagon cuts the ballast and passes it via a conveyor belt to a cleaning machine, then the cleaning wagon washes the ballast, and deposits the dirt and ballast into other wagons for disposal and re-use, respectively.[13] Such machines can clean up to two kilometres of ballast in an hour.[16]
Cleaning, however, can only be done a certain number of times before the ballast is damaged to the point that it cannot be re-used; furthermore, track ballast that is completely fouled can not be corrected by shoulder cleaning.[17] In such cases, it is necessary to replace the ballast altogether. One method of "replacing" ballast, if necessity demands, is to simply dump fresh ballast on the track, jack the whole track on top of it, and then tamp it down;[14] alternatively, the ballast underneath the track can be removed with an undercutter, which does not require removing or lifting the track.[17]
Regular inspection of the ballast shoulder is important;[5] as noted earlier, the lateral stability of the track depends upon the shoulder. The shoulder acquires some amount of stability over time, being compacted by traffic; maintenance tasks such as replacing ties, tamping, and ballast cleaning can upset this stability. After performing these tasks, it is necessary for either trains to run at reduced speed on the repaired routes, or to employ machinery to compact the shoulder again.[18][19]
If the trackbed becomes uneven, it is necessary to pack ballast underneath sunk ties to level the track out again. This is, in the mechanized age, usually done by a ballast tamping machine. A more recent, and probably better,[7] technique is to lift the rails and ties, and to force stones, smaller than the track ballast particles and all of the same size, into the void. This has the advantage of not disturbing the well-compacted ballast on the trackbed, as tamping is likely to do.[20] This technique is called pneumatic ballast injection (PBI; or, less formally, "stoneblowing"[21]). However, this technique is not as effective with fresh ballast, as the smaller stones tend to move down between the larger pieces of ballast.[16]
[edit]
THERE IS A LARGE QUARRY NEAR MADISON,WI. THAT SUPPLIES BALLAST. I BELIEVE THE -PINK LADY- COMES FROM THERE.
THE NS GETS LOTS OF THEIR BALLAST FROM A QUARRY JUST W. OF ASHEVILLE,NC.
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Buster Manning
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Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
There is even some of the pink ballast out there on the Amtrak line....
NS also gets some of their ballast from a quarry just south of Findley, Ohio along the line to Lima.
NS also gets some of their ballast from a quarry just south of Findley, Ohio along the line to Lima.
Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
That is CNW's old quarry at Rock Springs, WI near Reedsburg. It is now WSOR. The ballast has a reddish/pink tint to it. UP still uses the ballast from the Rock Springs quarry for the area, generally still on the ex-CNW lines.PAT.C wrote: THERE IS A LARGE QUARRY NEAR MADISON,WI. THAT SUPPLIES BALLAST. I BELIEVE THE -PINK LADY- COMES FROM THERE.
Not that this has anything to do with the AMTK MI line, but just vouching that you can sometimes tell where the ballast came from by the color/tint...
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MSchwiebert
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Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
CSX has been getting granite ballast from the Lake Superior region via the Toledo Docks for years. It's more durable than the sedimentary based rock native to Ohio. I'm not sure if NS still gets ballast out of Findlay or not.
Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
Limestone makes VERY poor ballast. What is a principle component in cement? Limestone. When limestone ballast 'breaks down' the dust mixes with dirt, grime, mud, etc and results in a version of cement forming which is VERY poor for drainage. Much of the former Monon is laid with limestone ballast, and it is VERY poor rock. Only made sense for the Monon to use limestone, it was their lifeblood.
Granite is the preferred ballast source for mainlines, but its big $$$. One of the 'hardest' of rocks out there, it doesn't break down or apart very easily, and can stand up to the rigors of mainline service.
The CNW "Pink Lady" shows up elsewhere, to whomever purchases a train load of the stuff. Parts of the B&O across Indiana had "Pink Lady" on it when it was redouble tracked. I'm sure its been covered up by subsequent work in the 10 years since the rebuilding.
Practice Safe CSX
Granite is the preferred ballast source for mainlines, but its big $$$. One of the 'hardest' of rocks out there, it doesn't break down or apart very easily, and can stand up to the rigors of mainline service.
The CNW "Pink Lady" shows up elsewhere, to whomever purchases a train load of the stuff. Parts of the B&O across Indiana had "Pink Lady" on it when it was redouble tracked. I'm sure its been covered up by subsequent work in the 10 years since the rebuilding.
Practice Safe CSX
Re: Amtrak Ballast in Michigan
I read somewhere that the only reason that the cnw kept part of that line open was to retain service to that quarry. This was due to the fact that pink lady quartzite is harder than other ballast availible, so if it is combined with other ballast, than it will grind the other ballast into dust. That is likely the reason that up still uses it on ex cnw lines, and why Amtrak can use it for it's Michigan line,which, judging by it's sandy color (one of sand's major constituents is quartz) is quartzite.Mr. Tops wrote:That is CNW's old quarry at Rock Springs, WI near Reedsburg. It is now WSOR. The ballast has a reddish/pink tint to it. UP still uses the ballast from the Rock Springs quarry for the area, generally still on the ex-CNW lines.PAT.C wrote: THERE IS A LARGE QUARRY NEAR MADISON,WI. THAT SUPPLIES BALLAST. I BELIEVE THE -PINK LADY- COMES FROM THERE.
Not that this has anything to do with the AMTK MI line, but just vouching that you can sometimes tell where the ballast came from by the color/tint...