Engineering and economic factors affecting the cost of railroad ballast

Ballast aggregates represent a major yearly investment for most railroad companies. Changing technologies and fluctuating amounts of rail traffic are increasing the need to use only high-quality ballast materials. Ballast and track maintenance costs may decrease or stabilize in response to improvements in the methods of mining, processing, storing and loading of ballast materials; the emplacement of a comprehensive quality control program that includes a representative number of laboratory tests to monitor ballast quality and eliminate low-quality materials; and the identification of economic haul limits for each quarry ballast.;This study uses these parameters to examine ballast aggregates from sixteen quarries that are existing or are potential supply sources for rail lines of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company. It outlines specific methods a large modern railroad may use to reduce operating costs through improved ballast purchasing decisions and revised track maintenance procedures.