Pounding Away at Tamping Projects

With demand for traffic volumes still near record highs and expected to climb again, maintenance-of-way (MOW) systems for tamping ballast tightly around the tie crib are being developed to operate more rapidly and more efficiently, thus reducing the number and duration of MOW operations. To increase tamping productivity, managers are experimenting with finding the right combination of number of workers with new tamping equipment and techniques. A technique known as skip tamping uses four super gangs, with a foreman, nine machine operators and two trackmen, with two lead tampers, one backup tamper behind one lead machine and two backups behind the other lead machine, as well as ballast regulator, track broom and track stabilizer behind the tampers. Additional techniques using skip tamping are described, along with different manufacturers’ equipment that can be used in tamping gangs. Mainly Class I tamping techniques are described.