RT&S Winter Preparedness Virtual Conference
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
Switch heaters keep Metra rolling in winter weather.
Metra
ATLANTA – Attendees of yesterday's RT&S Winter Preparedness Virtual Conference were treated to significant insights into managing winter weather on the railroad.
The speakers at the conference were Jared Rishel, Assistant Vice President Engineering, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc., Norm Hooper, Principal, Hooper Engineering, and Dwayne Gibson, Assistant Vice President, Maintenance of Way & Structures, Norfolk Southern.
Thermon sponsored the event, and Greg Harris, Business Development Manager, reviewed the various products his company offers to help fight snow and winter challenges.
The speakers discussed the importance of preparing for winter as early as feasible by ensuring all snowfighting equipment has been serviced and inspected, applying proper lubricant to the moving parts of turnouts and crossovers to prevent them from becoming frozen, cutting back excess vegetation to lesson the likelihood of trees falling on the right of way if there’s a bad ice storm, and several other suggestions.
While railroads emphasize safety throughout the year, focus on safety is particularly important during the winter due to the more hazardous conditions track workers face. Ice, snow, high winds and other winter hazards must be dealt with on top of the normal safety precautions such as not stepping on rail, keeping your eyes peeled for train movement, and watching out for the safety of your colleagues.
If you missed yesterday’s seminar, or would simply like to watch it again, just click here to be taken to the registration page for the event. If you’ve already registered, the system should ask you this, and if you have, simply choose “yes.” If you haven’t yet registered yet, you’ll need to go through the quick process to do so.
