jacking up and lining track; in replacing ballast, rails, and ties; and in carrying out general track maintenance
duties.
In addition to the track maintenance platoons, two other platoons are responsible for certain phases of
track maintenance. They are the bridges and structures maintenance platoon and the communications and railway
signal maintenance platoon; they are organized similar to the track maintenance platoons.
(1) Under the supervision of a lieutenant, the bridges and structures maintenance platoon is
responsible for maintaining buildings, bridges, culverts, fueling and watering facilities, and tunnels. Each of the
two maintenance sections in the platoon is supervised by its own construction foreman who directs the assigned
carpenters, structural steelworkers, construction workers, riggers, welders, and compressor operators.
(2) The communications and railway signal maintenance platoon is responsible for installing,
operating, and maintaining radio, telephone, and teletype equipment. It also repairs and maintains the signal
devices, lines, and interlocking plants within the railway division.
5.17.
TRACK CHARTS
Track charts are condensed graphic presentations of information that maintenance-of-way men need. The
charts provide ready information on track layout, types of rail, ballast, grades, and structures. They should be
distributed to all maintenance-of-way officers down to the level of section foremen. Different railroads may use
slightly different forms of track charts, but essentially all provide the same information. The charts shown in
annexes B and C are typical. Annex B is the cover sheet of the track chart which gives the limits of the chart, the
scale of the diagram, the date issued, and the name of the office preparing the chart. The map, not always
included, shows the entire division, station names, and other railroads that connect with or cross the division.
Annex C, a representative portion of a track chart, pictures a 10-kilometer segment of section 2. The
main body is divided by vertical lines; the space between each two lines represents 1 kilometer on the ground.
The number appearing at the top of each line is the same as that on the kilometer post at the corresponding
physical location. The section number is shown at both of its boundaries; the name of the section foreman is
given between the section boundaries.
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