PART V INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF P WAY

PART V - INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF P. WAY 2. MAINTENANCE OF TRACK (53 Periods) 2. 10 Picking Up Slacks (2 Periods)

Picking Up Slacks: (1)Slacks usually occur on stretches of yielding formation, on high banks and cuttings, on approaches of bridges, LC approaches, SEJs, P&C zones, Glued Joints, on badly aligned curves, axle counter locations and other electrical and S&T installations where ballast is poor in quality or quantity or where drainage is defective. (2)Need for attention to slacks is determined by inspections and results of track recording car and OMS/Oscillograph car.

Picking Up Slacks: 3) The locations needing urgent maintenance as detected by TRC/OMS shall be targeted first for restoring normal condition quickly and thereafter the locations identified for Need Based Maintenance as determined by Track recording Car or other inspections shall be attended. 4) For spot attention/slack picking, multi- purpose Tampers and Off-track hand held tampers/ any other approved equipment shall be used as a regular measure. 5) For Off-track tampers, the working instructions, issued by Railway Board/RDSO should be followed. As an interim measure, where Off-track tampers are not available, packing may be done with the help of Crowbar/Beater, duly taking care that concrete sleepers are not damaged.

• The quantum of work turned out by a gang during the day will depend on the extent of slacks. In all cases, sighting is done, the defects assessed and marks made with chalk on sleepers to be attended. • The marked sleepers should then be dealt with as in through packing as given in Para 607 of IRPWM, care being taken to see that the packing of adjacent sleepers does not get disturbed.

• In case a large percentage of sleepers needs attention in a rail length, the entire rail length should be attended to. The marking of defects shall be as indicated below:

(6) In the case of a low joint, the fishplates should be slightly loosened and the joint tapped, so that the rail ends are, rendered free and are capable of being lifted. (7) After the joint is thoroughly packed the fishplates should be tightened again. When joints are picked up, at least three sleepers on either side of the joints should be packed. (8) If the length of track marked for need based maintenance is more in a Kilometer then this should be attended by on track Machine