3D Track Assessment Method

A method of detecting rail base weld features along the rails of a railway track bed using a system for assessing a railway track bed, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. inputting elevation data, rail head edge feature coordinates, and rail base edge feature coordinates to a processor wherein significant elevations due to the rail heads for each rail have been removed from the elevation data;
• b. defining rail base surface zones based on the rail head edge feature coordinates and the rail base edge feature coordinates;
• c. defining a rail base 2D sliding neighborhood window;
• d. moving the neighborhood window along the rail base surface zones using the processor;
• and
• e. identifying weld targets for each rail base surface zone using the processor.
• f.

A method of detecting railroad tie distress using a system for assessing a railway track bed, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. inputting elevation data detected tie bounding box data, and approximate tie surface plane data to a processor wherein significant elevations due to the rail heads for each rail have been removed from the elevation data;
• b. comparing ties in the elevation data with a tie surface plane model by calculating the difference between the tie surface elevation data and the tie surface plane model using the processor;
• and
• c. identifying tie surface regions with elevations less than a tie surface plane minus a crack depth threshold as tie crack targets using the processor.

A method of calculating ballast shoulder volume along a railway track bed using a system for assessing a railway track bed, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. inputting elevation data, longitudinal and transverse elevation map sample resolution data, rail base edge feature coordinates, detected tie bounding box data, and a distance reporting interval to a processor wherein significant elevations due to the rail heads for each rail have been removed from the elevation data;
• b. defining a volume analysis reporting interval;
• c. establishing a start point for analysis;
• d. establishing an endpoint for analysis based on the start point;
• e. extracting elevation measurements in an elevation map subsection based on a reporting interval between a start point and an endpoint;
• f. defining a reference plane approximation based on elevation data within the elevation map subsection corresponding to locations within tie bounding boxes which are least square fitted to define the reference plane approximation;
• g. defining (A) field regions or gage regions or (B) field regions and gage regions using rail base edge feature coordinates;
• h. calculating ballast elevations in (A) the field regions or the gage regions or (B) the field regions and the gage regions;
• i. calculating the elevation differences between the (1) reference plane approximation and (2) (A) the field regions or the gage regions or (B) the field regions and the gage regions;
• j. defining a 2D cell area based on a longitudinal sample spacing multiplied by a transverse sample spacing;
• and
• k. calculating the volume in (A) the field regions or the gage regions or (B) the field regions and the gage regions using the calculated elevation difference in step i. and the 2D cell area defined in step j.

A method of determining rail seat abrasion along a railway track bed using a system for assessing a railway track bed, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. inputting elevation data, rail base edge feature coordinates, detected tie bounding box data, fastener type and location data, and rail type data to a processor wherein significant elevations due to the rail heads for each rail have been removed from the elevation data;
• b. identifying a plurality of fasteners in a tie bounding box using the processor;
• c. extracting tie top, rail base, and insulator measurement points for each fastener in the tie bounding box using the processor;
• d. calculating the difference between a rail base elevation and a tie top elevation and adjusting for a rail base thickness to provide a rail seat abrasion measurement using the processor;
• and
• e. flagging the appropriate rail within the tie bounding box if a rail seat abrasion measurement is less than a defined threshold using the processor.

A method of determining insulator thickness along a railway track bed using a system for assessing a railway track bed, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. inputting elevation data, rail base edge feature coordinates, detected tie bounding box data, fastener type and location data, and rail type data to a processor wherein significant elevations due to the rail heads for each rail have been removed from the elevation data;
• b. identifying a plurality of fasteners in a tie bounding box using the processor;
• c. extracting tie top, rail base, and insulator measurement points for each fastener in the tie bounding box using the processor;
• d. calculating the difference in elevation between the top of an insulator and the top of the tie to provide an insulator thickness measurement using the processor;
• and
• e. flagging the appropriate rail within the tie bounding box if an insulator thickness measurement is less than a defined threshold using the processor.