MECHANICSBURG, PA |Modjeski and Masters served as the design engineer of record for Union Pacific Railroad’s West Colton Transfer Table Replacement in Colton, Calif.
Modjeski and Masters (M&M) designed a replacement table to alleviate concerns of skewing and jamming against the pit wall and to extend the transfer table’s service life. The former transfer table was equipped with eight motors that were operated by a single control drive. M&M’s skilled team of mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers designed a new table to meet operational needs and American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association bridge specifications.
“With significant expertise in moveable bridge design, our team relied on knowledge from other heavy movable structures to design a replacement transfer table that allows for better skew control,” said Kevin Johns, Vice President and Director of the Movable Bridge Business Unit at Modjeski and Masters. “Construction staging was carefully coordinated to allow the maintenance yard to remain operational while the new table was being installed. This resulted in a successful table replacement with minimal disruption to operations.”
The redesigned transfer table features two independent drive systems similar to the system in a tower drive vertical lift bridge. The new setup allows for the speed of each drive assembly to be adjusted based on position feedback, mitigating table skew. M&M’s team of engineers designed the table for 75 years of service life, making it robust and easily maintained.
In addition, the new table was made environmentally friendly by incorporating a catch basin to collect fluids from the locomotives that could then be collected for proper disposal. The entire table was built offsite and then transported to the West Colton Yard, allowing the maintenance yard to remain operational while the new table was installed.
Modjeski and Masters began work on the project in 2018. Construction was completed at the end of 2021.
For more information on Modjeski and Masters, visit http://modjeski.com.