RTA On The RTT - Railway Tie Association

“RTA On The RTT”2003 Field Trip Attendees Visit TTCI, Pike’s Peak And All Points BetweenRTA’s annual field trip is designed to be an educational adventure for all RTA members. This year’s trip startedwith a full tour of The Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., where RTA and AAR have cooperatedfor years to test ties for heavy axle loads and passenger rail applications.RTA wishes to express sincere appreciation to all who made this trip so great—Ed Groves, Ralph Jimenez and all the people at TTCI; Carle McEvoyand staff at Rocky Mountain Steel; Craig Fetty at Meridian Rail; Ed Gallagher and Mark Paris of BNSF; and Jim Burkert and the Koppers Inc. personnelin Denver. Our hats are off to you for such a wonderful experience.DAY 1After the group enjoys a presentation on all thetesting programs at TTCI from Semih Kalayand Ed Groves……we board the bus for an inspection of theentire facility. Our host, TTCI’s Ed Groves, actsas guide.From vehicle crash evaluation testing to trainingfor emergencies……such as derailments, TTCI does much morethan test ties (see www.ttci.aar.com for moreinformation).8The first stop on track is the Railroad Test Track(RTT), where wood ties have been in track formore than 25 years.Twenty-five-year-old softwood ties and oakties in the RTT track since 1997 were allperforming as expected without unusualmaintenance requirements.CROSSTIES • JULY/AUGUST 2003

At the next stop, theHeavy Axle Load testsite, various ties havebeen tested for years.These dowel-laminatedties have beenconsistent performerssince their installationin track in the early1990s.Seaman Timber Company’s Robby Johnson, Billy Davis ofCoastal Timber and Koppers’ Paul Ladd exchange ideasabout the RTT.Other laminated products also have performedwell. Glu-lam……and Parallel Strand Lumber (Parallam) tiescontinue to impress researchers.Seaman Timber7 1/4 x 4 3/4BwPU May/June 03 p. 12CROSSTIES • JULY/AUGUST 2003 9

DAY 2Day two starts with an early morning tourof the Koppers Inc. plant in Denver.Manager Jim Burkert starts the tour witha safety briefing and an overview of theplant.The Denver plant is being expanded. Typicalproduction was only 300,000 ties per year onaverage, but the new capacity will allowKoppers to produce 900,000 ties. And, they100 percent end plate at this facility.Modernization will include the installation of anew sorting and stacking operation……and reorganization of the yard.As Burkert explains this, he also pointsout that in Denver stacking for air-dryingis done with minimal spacing becauseof the arid climate.Koppers also produces poles. The plant’s focusat the time of the visit was on treating 110-footDoug Fir distribution poles.Ashcroft Treating PlantThe treating operations arealso expected to be upgradedas the production capacityis expanded.12• Bridge Timbers, Cross Planks,Cross Ties, Pilings, Switch Ties• Coastal & Interior Douglas Fir,Lodgepole & Ponderosa Pine,Hemlock & Mixed Hardwoods• Full Custom Fabrication ServicesA Wood TreatingDivision of:Ph. (250) 453-2221 / Fax (250) 453-9330Email: blacktie@riverside.bc.caDick Bowlby and HarryBressler inspect incominghardwood ties destinedfor the Union Pacific.The next part of thetrip was arranged byBNSF’s Ed Gallager. Aquick visit to a tierehabilitation operationin Big Lift…CROSSTIES • JULY/AUGUST 2003

…was followed by a trip on Denver’slight rail system down…Afterwards, everyone posed for a photograph in theupstairs parlor. Our host, BNSF’s Mark Paris, is partiallyvisible in the center wearing a cap. Thanks for thelunch, Mark!On The Lighter Side…to Denver’s very first restaurant, TheBuckhorn Exchange, where BNSF graciouslytreated the entire group to a terrificlunch.For some attendees, a trip on thePike’s Peak Cog Railway rounded outthis year’s field trip. The spectacularviews at the 14,110-foot summit wereenjoyed by all.RTA Field Trip ParticipantsScott Holness of Ashcroft Treating; HarryBressler, Dick Bowlby, Floyd Bowlby andAlan Miller of Burke-Parsons-Bowlby; KlintTuft of Canada Crossties; Glenn Whithamof Canadian Pacific; Bill Moss and DanMoss of ChemStar; Jan and Billy Davis ofCoastal Timbers; Jack Rahmes of CSXTransportation; Jeff Broadfoot of Kerr-McGee Chemical; Gary Ambrose, BillCameron, Paul Ladd, Phil McDonald, EltonMcGough and Tim Ries of Koppers Inc.;Eric Eversgerd and Wayne Flohr of MiTekIndustries Inc.; Bill Rousis of NorfolkSouthern; Sam and Debbie Corallo and Jimand Susan Gauntt of the Railway TieAssociation; Steve Ault and Mike Nobbe ofRailWorks Wood Products; BernieGierschke of Robbins Engineering; RobbyJohnson of Seaman Timber Co.; Jimmyand Brenda Watt of The CrosstieConnection; Tony Helms, Kenny Renfroeand Harry Scott of Thompson Industries;Paul Merrick of Trus Joist; and Steve andJan Hanson of Webster Industries.Brewer, Inc.2 3/8 x 4 3/4BWMay/june 03 p.04Field trips in recent years havehad their share of unexpectedadventure. In Missouri, a coupleof years ago, a bus breakdownwas chronicled. This year, rightin the middle of the TTCI tour,fittingly, in the training areadesigned for emergencyresponse, our bus hit a bit ofsoft sand. Even pushing didn’thelp. But the engineers at TTCIcalled in reinforcements andgot us out of the sticky situation.Our thanks also to ourunnamed rescuers.CROSSTIES • JULY/AUGUST 2003 13