Railroad Repair

Railroads have been the bedrock of American enterprise for over a century, transporting people and goods quickly and efficiently from one corner of the country to another. Trains are still heavily relied upon for the delivery of bulk cargo, such as coal, ore, petroleum, aggregate, grain, and more. However, the safety of this means of transportation relies heavily upon keeping the rails in excellent repair.

Alliance Steel has been keeping the country’s rail systems going for over 25 years, and is a trusted name in railroad repair. If you’re concerned with proven excellence and experience in protecting the people and goods that frequent the rails, give Alliance Steel a call at (715) 392-2433.

Defect Detection

A major railroad disaster in 1911 highlighted the need for more advanced railroad inspection than is possible with the naked eye. This accident, which killed 29 and injured 60, was caused by a transverse fissure – or a crack inside the rail – that was not visually apparent, but which created a weakness that caused the entire train to derail. Today, defect detection remains a high priority and we use the latest ultrasonic testing to detect both visible and invisible defects and stresses, such as cracks, fissures, corrosion, seams, tongue lipping, head checking, and more.

Particularly in the north, where snow and ice puts extensive stress on railway tracks and ties, it’s vital to have a company you can trust perform a thorough detection for current and potential track issues.

Ballast Replacement

Ballast not only supports the railroad tracks and ties, but provides the essential drainage necessary to keep the the tracks from corroding and the mound from eroding. In time, however, the ballast rock becomes too broken to do its job. That’s why our teams at Alliance use equipment such as undercutters to extract the broken ballast while leaving as much of the good rock as possible. We then replace it with high-quality aggregate that will support the track’s continued safety and use.

Tie Replacement

Railroad ties support the rails and although they are traditionally made from wood, newer tracks may also be use concrete or steel ties. Even though the materials have evolved, all ties are subject to failure and must be replaced when their structural integrity starts to wane. Alliance Steel analyzes ever tie in our defect detection process and uses tie extractors/inserters to replace worn ties and maintain railroad integrity.

Rail Grinding

Until recent decades, the only remedy for worn rails was replacement, which was costly and difficult. However, now, thanks to rail grinding, track life can be extended by re-profiling the top of worn rails to remove distortions and wear.

Rail Replacement

The most important part of any railway is its rails. As railways discovered in 1911, even invisible defects can cause massive catastrophes by causing the train to derail. Each and every rail in the track must be completely sound and at Alliance, we’re dedicated to making sure this is so. We use ultrasonic technology to analyze each rail for soundness, then replace worn rails before they become a hazard. In over 25 years, no train has ever had an accident due to tracks we’ve serviced and we’re ready to provide the same level of protection for you.

Call Alliance Steel for Railroad Repair

Keeping your railway in good repair is vital to the health and safety of everyone involved. This is sometimes hard to do, but Alliance’s teams are second to none and have all the knowledge and resources you need to keep your railway in excellent repair. Call us today at (715) 392-2433.