A work train or departmental train (engineering train in the UK) is one or more rail cars intended for internal non-revenue use by the railroad's operator. Work trains serve functions such as
track maintenance,
maintenance of way
Maintenance of way (commonly abbreviated to MOW) refers to the maintenance, construction, and improvement of rail infrastructure, including tracks, ballast, grade, and lineside infrastructure such as signals and signs.
Track
The most fundamen ...
, revenue collection, system cleanup and waste removal, heavy duty hauling, and crew member transport.
Types of work trains
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Locomotives and
cab unit
In North American railroad terminology, a cab unit is a railroad " locomotive" with its own cab and controls.
"Carbody unit" is a related term, which may be either a cabless booster unit controlled from a linked cab unit, or a cab unit that con ...
s
* Track maintenance equipment (
track geometry cars,
ballast regulators,
ballast tamper
Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship ...
cars,
ballast cleaners,
stoneblowers,
rail grinders,
Sperry rail cars, ballast loaders/removers,
hopper car
A hopper car (US) or hopper wagon ( UIC) is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, and track ballast. Two main types of hopper car exist: covered hopper cars, which are equipped with ...
s, continuous welded rail handlers, weld cars,
track renewal train)
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Flood cleanup cars (reach cars, pump cars, hose cars)
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Snow removal cars
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Rail inspection cars
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Refuse motor cars
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De-icer cars
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Rail adhesion cars
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Crane cars
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Dump cars
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Flatbed cars
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Signal supply cars
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Tanker cars
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Vacuum cars
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Revenue collection cars
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Rider cars
* Sweeper Cleaner
* Rail bridge inspection
* Weed spray rail
* Bush cutter rail
* Excavator rail
Gallery
WMATA PM35 at Eisenhower Avenue.jpg, A Washington Metro work car in Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
providing support for a track maintenance operation
Ballast Tamper.JPG, Ballast tamping machine as used in railroad track maintenance in Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
RD417 work 34 plat jeh.JPG, A New York City Subway work train
Work_train_macarthur_station.jpg, work train at the construction of a freight line in Sydney, Australia
East Side Access GCT cavern with work train.jpg, work train in East Side Access cavern under construction in New York City
See also
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List of railway vehicles
This is a list of all types of vehicle that can be used on a railway, either specifically for running on the rails, or for maintenance or up-keep of a railway.
General classes of railway vehicle
* Freight car (US)
* Goods wagon ( UIC)
* High s ...
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Non-revenue cars
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Plasser & Theurer
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Rail inspection
Rail inspection is the practice of examining rail tracks for flaws that could lead to catastrophic failures. According to the United States Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis, track defects are the second leading cause of ...
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Track renewal train
Maintenance of way equipment
Railcars
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