Union Pacific Rebuilds 100th Tamper Machine
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Union Pacific mechanics standing in front of the 100th rebuilt tamper machine at the Equipment Shop in Denver.
Courtesy of Union Pacific
DENVER - Union Pacific's Equipment Shop has rebuilt its 100th tamper machine.
Union Pacific says its fleet maintains “more than 18,000 miles of track and [compacts] 4 million tons of crushed rock, known as. ballast, each year.” The Class I marked the milestone, stating it reflects its team’s dedication and commitment to safety and extending the life of its equipment.
The work comes as part of Union Pacific’s automatic tamper switch rebuild program, which started in 2015. UP states during that first year, its shop rebuilt two tampers. In 2017, it rebuilt 12 tampers. This pace has been “consistently maintained,” according to the story. As of reporting, the shop is rebuilding its second CAT tamper. Next year, it will start working on ballast regulators.
Senior Manager – Maintenance of Way Shop, Engineering Casey Prewitt said, “Our front-line team’s craftsmanship and dedication to quality drive our success. . . They’ve streamlined everything from training to parts storage, helping maximize the value of every resource.”
Prewitt continued, stating he is “proud of the team. . . Safety is our foundation – we have a culture of doing things the right way the first time. That goes for workmanship, too. The data shows the equipment we rebuild is equal to or better than new machines.”
Vice President, Engineering Russ Rohlfs said, “No project is too big for this team. . . And most importantly, they have done it safely.”
