Infrastructure
Bridges, yards, sidings, grade crossings, and the fixed plant the railroad runs on.
- Grade Crossing
A grade crossing is an at-grade intersection where a railroad track crosses a public road or private driveway, regulated by the FRA and protected by active or passive warning devices.
- Hot Box Detector (HBD)
A Hot Box Detector is a trackside infrared sensor that measures the temperature of journal bearings on passing cars and alerts the crew to overheated conditions that indicate imminent bearing failure.
- Rail Yard
A rail yard is a facility where railcars are sorted, classified, stored, and assembled into outbound trains for revenue service.
- Railroad Bridge
A railroad bridge is a structure carrying rail track over a gap — waterway, roadway, or terrain — and is subject to FRA inspection and load-rating requirements.
- Siding
A siding is a section of track connected to the main line at both ends by switches, used for train meets, car storage, and industry switching.
- Wayside Detector
A wayside detector is a fixed trackside device that automatically inspects passing trains for mechanical defects — overheated bearings, wheel impact loads, shifted loads, and other conditions — and broadcasts alerts to the train crew.