Shop Space

Gerald W. Kopiasz · **Posted:** Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:12 pm

This talk of museum space for stationary engines got me thinking about shop space for rolling stock. What are the recommended clearances in terms of ceiling height and space around the car? Also, pits are nice, but considering the liability and hassle, are they worth it? Same goes for overhead cranes. I heard its better to just go with a forklift or something comparable.Thanks!Gerald

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Sat Sep 17, 2005 1:44 am

The 1970 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice has a whole section (#22) on "Car and Locomotive Maintenance Facilities."Under "Heavy Car Repairs" is the following information:

Quote:

The American Railway Engineering Association has set some shop design requirements. The distance from the center line of the outside repair track to any projection on the outside wall should not be less than 11 ft. the distance from center line to center line of repair tracks should be 18 ft. to 22 ft. The distance from center line to center line of car repair tracks with a row of columns between should not be less than 22 ft. and minimum distance from top of rail to bottom of traveling crane bridge should be 23 ft. where it is not necessary to lift cars over each other.

Eleven feet from the c/l to the wall results in about six feet between the carside and the wall -- or about an arm's span -- as a minimum. If you are having to maneuver jacks, material, welding carts, etc. that is a minimum space that you will want to have.I would recommend a service pit. It can make working on the underbody equipment of a car, or a locomotive easier than working on top of ties or dirt. With a service pit I would recommend a continuous concrete jacking pad on the outside of the pit. For length I have two suggestions: 1) longer than the longest piece of equipment you might want to put on it, or 2) at least the distance from the end of a locomovtive to the inner axle of the truck at that end. I would also recommend having work space (track) that has only a flat slab and not pit.A number of railroad coach yards in the streamline era (like UP's East Yard in Los Angeles) had all tracks at grade except for one though track onwhich the daily train was actually serviced. That track was set up on something like 12x12 timbers running under the rails. This allowed additional space for workers to get down under the cars for quick maintenance.