More SWITCHES / DIAMONDS / RETARDERS / TURNOUTS Information:

Equipment Used:

• Excavator
• Sideboom
• Wheel Loader
• Hi-Rail Vacuum Truck
• Air Spade®

Industries Hulcher Serves:

• Railroads
• Passenger Railroads
• Coal Mining
• Steel Industry
• Frac Sand
• General Industry
• Trucking / Intermodal
• Grain
• Ethanol

IN THIS SECTION:
Track Maintenance / Maintenance of Way Engineering Services

• TRACK MAINTENANCE / MOW / ENGINEERING SERVICES OVERVIEW:
• Switches, Diamonds, Retarders and Turnouts
• Track Panel Installation
• Hi-Rail Vacuum Truck Services
• Air Excavation - Air Spade® / Hi-Rail Vacuum Truck
• Undercutting - Off-Track Undercutters
• Vibratory Hammer Pile Driving
• Ballast Leveling - Dozer Rake
• Grade Stabilization / Erosion Control
• Railroad Backhoe Services
• Flood Control / Ditch & Culvert Work
• Railroad Bridge Driftwood Removal
• Railroad Bridge Maintenance
• Railroad Crossing Construction

Switches, Diamonds, Retarders and Turnouts

Hulcher Services Inc. has over 40 years of experience with assisting railroads with a variety of engineering and rail-maintenance upgrades, including switch changes and the installation of diamonds, retarders and turnouts..

With a nationwide fleet of sidebooms, excavators, wheel loaders and other heavy equipment, we are equipped to perform a wide selection of major engineering support and infrastructure projects that include:

• Switch changes
• Diamonds removal and installation
• Turnouts removal and installation
• Retarder removal and installation
• Track line over projects
  
  

Switch Winterizing

Winter is coming and your track cleaners are hard at work. Unfortunately, track cleaners aren’t effective for switches. This can be a serious problem - when clogged switches are covered in ice they may fail to align properly. Even worse, without the necessary cleaning these critical spots may represent a slipping hazard for your employees, particularly during inclement weather.

To make your switches safe and ready for winter, you need the power of Hulcher's air excavation service, featuring the Air Spade® and vacuum truck combination.

The Air Spade® / vacuum truck combo winterizes switches more effectively than any other method. The Air Spade® uses high-pressure air to loosen even the most stubborn leaves, sticks, grease, spill residue and other debris from your switch points. Once the debris is loosened from the track, our hi-rail vacuum truck picks it up quickly, leaving the switch clean and ready for the coming weather.

Hulcher’s air excavation service is perfect for winterizing all the switches in your yard or for hitting the tough spots that need attention the most. Our professionals can perform this service on their own or in tandem with your roadway crews to
winterize your busy rail yard quickly, with minimal impact to your operations.

Now is the time to make sure your switches are ready for winter. Let Hulcher’s air excavation service clean your switches before the first snowstorm hits!

Visit our Air Excavation page for more information on the Air Spade / hi-rail vacuum truck combo.

Call Hulcher today at 800-637-5471 to learn more about our switch changes, diamonds / retarders / turnouts installation service and switch winterizing or to schedule us for your next project.

featured SWITCH / DIAMOND / RETARDER / TURNOUT Projects

Case Study - #15 Switch Change A #15 switch at the rail yard had been damaged. Since this switch was located at a rail yard it was close to several other tracks that were busy with traffic. The railroad needed an experienced crew to get the switch changed out quickly and safely. Fortunately, they had a maintenance-of-way contract with Hulcher Services and brought in a Hulcher crew to get the work done.

Case Study - #20 Switch Change The railroad needed to change a #20 switch as part of their routine track maintenance program. The switch was on a double main, so the project had to be completed within very tight track windows.

Photos of Switch / Diamond / Retarder / Turnout Projects