Monitoring Maine's
Main Streets
WATERVILLE, ME -- Just across town, a routine inspection by Guilford Rail's Track Inspection Hi-Rail Car showed that Waterville's Main Street crossing was due for track improvements.
With road and rail traffic being shut down for only one day, Guilford's track crews removed the crossing's rubber plates and installed approximately 215 feet of welded rail, along with new ties.
The SYS-300 Ultrasonic Inspection System Test Car is equipped with an advanced Solid State Ultrasonic System using a minimum of twenty four channels of information (12 per rail). The vehicle sends an ultrasonic pulse through the rail, which hits any gaps and responds with a signal up to a status monitor
"You know that by finding these flaws and reading them properly you are keeping the lines as safe as possible." said Louis Macisaac, Guilford Rail Testing Supervisor
Testing of the approximately 1500 miles of track owned by Guilford Rail is done year-round.