On July 15-16, 2019, the RailTEC Infrastructure Group and Norfolk Southern (NS) Research & Tests worked together at Horseshoe Curve in Blair County, Pennsylvania to install track measurement sites. Horseshoe Curve is a three-track railroad curve on NS’s Pittsburgh Line and was selected because of sharp curvature (9°), steep grade (1.8%) and a history of broken spikes. The sites will provide rail force and tie plate displacement data for RailTEC’s FRA funded broken spike research project. Instrumentation was installed on track 1, to capture trains descending the grade with air brakes applied, and on track 3, to capture trains ascending with locomotives at maximum tractive effort. Data will be collected on track 3 until August 5th, when the instrumentation will be removed in advance of a programmed gaging job. Data will be collected on track 1 through the Fall of 2019.
