RAILWAY AGE, OCTOBER 2024 ISSUE: There’s more than one way to secure rail to crossties, from traditional spikes to a wide variety of clips, to suit any application.
Gauge-holding capability, resiliency, noise reduction, ease of installation and maintenance, low life-cycle cost, safety: Railroads rely on fasteners with these qualities from such suppliers as J.Lanfranco, Progress Rail, and Lewis Bolt & Nut Company to perform reliably and safely under heavy traffic ranging from heavy-haul freight to high-speed passenger rail to transit. Railway Age contacted fastening system suppliers to find out about their latest technologies, which are evaluated at facilities like MxV Rail. Following is a roundup of offerings from those which responded to our inquiries.
MxV Rail
The fastener test zones at MxV Rail’s new Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST®) Loop include various designs and configurations of tie plates, fasteners, spikes, and anchors, according to Principal Investigator Yin Gao. To evaluate performance in a challenging environment, Gao says the fastener test zones have been installed on a six-degree curve with a five-inch superelevation and experience tonnage accumulation from a train of loaded 315,000-pound GRL cars operating at 40 mph. The test zones see more than 140 MGT from the 18,000-ton train annually.
Elastic fasteners are often used on track located on grades with a high degree of curvature since they provide greater resistance to rail rollover and gauge widening, Gao says. Curve blocks also provide rail rollover resistance while allowing rail more freedom to expand and contract longitudinally.
According to Gao, newly designed anchors and screw spikes are being tested to evaluate their service life and performance in comparison to traditional components. “The railroad industry will benefit from improved understanding of the longevity and potential failure modes of these fasteners,” Gao adds.
J.Lanfranco
J.Lanfranco locknuts are used extensively in rail applications throughout the world. According to the company, current field reports from many track installations show clear and measurable results, including vastly improved performance and durability, less maintenance and fewer service interruptions.
J.Lanfranco’s THU/THS lines of locknut are an all-metal, dual-slotted locking nut designed to be installed with standard bolts and tools.
Nuts thread on by hand to 90% of the total height for easy staging and then can be run down using impact guns. The nuts can be backed off to aid in adjustment and alignment, and re-torqued
without issue.
The company’s locknuts, which are stocked throughout the U.S. and Canada in all standard sizes and dimensions, are approved for use on jointed rail, specialty trackwork, structures and rolling stock.
Progress Rail
Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, supplies a full line of fastening systems for heavy haul and transit railways, offering one of the “broadest fastening product portfolios in the world,” the company tells Railway Age. By delivering innovative options, such as the e-clip, the resilient Loadmaster DF for timber ties, and the ADFF55 high attenuation direct fixation fastener, Progress Rail says it supports its customers’ efforts to “improve efficiency, service quality, and cost control.”
For example, the DF Block System “dramatically improves” the quality of direct fixation fastener installations for both standard and high attenuation units, according to Progress Rail. The product eliminates the risk of irregular support surface conditions, honeycombs in the concrete, and improper elevation setting of concrete
embedded insert.
On the Los Angeles Westside Purple Line Section 1, Progress Rail’s DF Block system has reduced installation time with less material handling and fewer personnel required for the same work, according to the company. The DF Block System, Progress Rail adds, “improves life expectancy of DF units, reduces maintenance, and provides a significant initial installation savings as compared to the 30-plus-year-old top-down construction technique.”
With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located strategically around the globe, Progress Rail says it produces fastener and trackwork solutions to the highest standards. From rail anchors and all styles of clips to DF and ballast mats, to turnouts, lift frogs and crossovers for transit, commuter and HAL applications, the company provides a full range of fastening and special trackwork solutions. Whether at-grade, elevated structures, or tunnels, Progress Rail is “here to keep our customers rolling,” the company said.
Lewis Bolt & Nut Company
Lewis Bolt & Nut Company’s most recent product launch is the Viper-1® drive-on anchor, says Senior Assistant Vice President of Sales George Apostolou, who adds that the Viper-1® “exceeds American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Chapter 5, Section 7.1.4 requirements and has a minimum holding power of 9,000 pounds vs. 6,000 pounds (AREMA 7.1.4, Part B).”
In addition, the Viper-1® “has a much higher re-application rate than any current anchors on the market,” Apostolou says. “The anchor can be removed and reapplied multiple times because of improved stiffness in the design of the anchor jaw.” Another key benefit is “the larger bearing surface against the tie. The Viper-1® boasts 75% more bearing surface than standard drive-on anchors. This results in increased tie life preventing movement and damage to the tie surface. In addition, Viper-1® offers an increased life cycle that is designed to last the life of the rail.”
“Market conditions in 2024 were relatively flat possibly due to macroeconomics and uncertainty in an election year. We did not really see the CRISI grant projects we expected,” notes Apostolou, adding that the company’s overall business outlook for 2025 “is positive as we continue to roll out the Viper-1® and remain the largest domestic manufacturer of fasteners.”
