Answer the questions. 1. What do you know about modern permanent way technology?

1. What do you know about modern permanent way technology?

2. What machines are used on railways?

3. What technologies are used on railways in your city?

Modern Permanent Way Technology

High technology for the railway of the future is the key to success in track laying and maintenance work. Track construction techniques have changed enormously thanks to the use of the latest equipment and methods. Modern high speed lines and railways demand a high standard of reliability. Constant innovation and quality standards are essential.

Only perfect tracks allow the railway to achieve the high speed and greater transport capacity. The lines for the speed records were always prepared using track maintenance machines. Today, in 99 countries of the world over 11500 track maintenance machines are an essential part of modern maintenance of way.

On a considerable part of our country winter lasts from 4 to 5 months, with severe frosts and snowfalls. This, however, does not disturb the regularity of traffic on railways. There is a large fleet of snow-ploughs and snow-clearing machines to keep snow off the track.

Nowadays high capacity machines are needed for high capacity lines. Thus, track-laying cranes can lift and traverse up long 36 m track panels, switch points and bridge elements 100 t in weight. In its turn cantilever cranes lift the old track and lower the new sections into position. As for the road-rail crane it is used for local and municipal transport operations, professional fire brigades, railroad construction companies. It is the ideal machine for performing even the most difficult lifting and recovery operations.

The majority of rail systems rely on new technology. Well-designed and developed pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical and electro-mechanical braking systems are used. There are brake products, couplers, wheelsets and electronic control systems for the railway industry. Such machines as tracklaying machines, tamping machines, ballast cleaning machines are widely used on railways.

In operation the track-laying machine picks up a length of new track from a loaded wagon, then moves forward and places it on the road. Tamping machine is used to consolidate the ballast under the sleepers. Ballast cleaning machine incorporates a continuous chain excavator which passes under the track and up to a vibrating screen. The vibrating screen separates dirt from ballast.

Today special self-propelled rail welding machines are used for welding the joints of heavy rails lying directly on the track over which the machine moves, or laid along the track, inside or outside, at a distance of up 60 mm from the track. Popular hopper batchers are intended to carry and level off ballast during renewal.

New products are developed and manufactured to the high standards. A wide range of rubber-based products was designed to reduce all types of vibration and noise associated with railway track. This results in improved ride comfort, less noise pollution and a decrease in vibration. Systems have been developed to meet the most diverse technical requirements and have been successfully used in permanent way applications. As a result it is becoming very popular throughout the world because it is extremely effective and extremely easy to maintain.

Therefore the wide use of new equipment and efficient technique facilitates continuous improvement in maintenance and overall efficiency of railways.