2008 Recipient:

This project involves the reconstruction of the Harmon Shops and Yard Complex, which opened in 1913 and serves as the railroad’s primary rolling stock maintenance and overhaul facility. In order to meet the demands of a growing fleet of rolling stock that is also more technologically advanced and complex, Metro-North Railroad (MNR) determined that a complete reconstruction of the facility would be required to meet the railroad’s needs for the 21st century.

As part of the overall program, the existing Wheel Truing Facility (WTF) was expanded and updated with a more modern and efficient installation. Wheel truing (restoring the roundness of a wheel) is a critical function in rail car maintenance. During routine service, as train cars accelerate and brake, wheels develop “flat spots” over time. Flat spots are an impediment to efficient operations, causing a disturbing noise and a bumpy ride that can be felt by customers. The solution was a tandem wheel lathe, which represents a tremendous leap in technology and efficiency for MNR. Procured by MNR through a separate contract, the lathe uses a computer controlled cutting tool, which shaves metal more precisely, yielding a much smoother finished edge. As a result, the life expectancy of a wheel can be increased. More importantly, a tandem lathe can handle more wheels simultaneously, which dramatically increases MNR’s truing capacity, allowing the agency to keep more trains in service. While a traditional wheel mill can handle six wheel sets in one eight-hour shift, the tandem lathe can handle 16 wheel sets in the same amount of time.

A critical challenge that was addressed during the project was the need for the design-build joint venture to coordinate the design of the facility with the design, fabrication, and installation of the tandem wheel lathe. In addition, because the new facility was constructed adjacent to the existing wheel truing facility and existing active yard tracks, close coordination with MNR personnel was necessary in order to avoid disruptions to ongoing yard operations. MNR is highly satisfied with the project results, which have already yielded tremendous benefits in terms of improved efficiency and savings in cost and time. The tandem wheel lathe is the first of its kind on a rail property in North America, and as such, MNR has been hosting visitors from other rail transit agencies who are very interested in witnessing this groundbreaking facility in action.

Past Recipients: