Re: WHAT IS A FAILED TIE THAT FRA REGULATES- NOT N

Ed,
PRSL was describing minimum allowable tie conditions. Any smart operator with a sense or responsiblity would not want to maintain daily operations on track meeting minimum standards for tie conditions, surface and cross-level defects, joint/bolt conditions, especially if hauling passengers. I'm only guessing, but I would imagine that a line like the Loop gets inspected at least twice a week during the busiest times of the season and more frequently than that when there are certain spots to keep an eye on to see how much the rail/plates are pushing out in those curves under load.
Good preventative maintenance is worth its weight in gold. In the track business, the slogan "Pay me now or pay me later" is something I'd like to mention to more than a few customers who tell me I'm out of my mind to think they should spend a given amount of money. You know the types who manage all of their operations by the "Oh, we'll just fix it when it breaks" mentality. But, I just bite my tongue and wait to see them be forced to spend the equivalent of 3 or 4 years worth of PM dollars on cleaning up their latest derailment, then totally rebuild the entire track structure because the derailment not only wiped out the bad and marginal ties but also the decent ones too.
Oh, well. I think you get the point. I'll get off my soap box for now.
Rob Gardner