COURTESY HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION / 2021
Work has been done to fix the problem of the half-inch gap on Honolulu Rail tracks.
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Repairs are complete to resolve two problems of mismatched wheels and track along the city’s rail project.
The first problem of track crossings that were too wide at five so-called frogs was solved by filling a half-inch gap with specialized manganese welding work done by Morrison Metalweld Process Corporation, according to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
The second problem of too tight track leading into the frogs was fixed by unbolting the track and shifting it to where the track was too narrow by 1/16th of an inch.
The repairs began on Feb. 28 and were completed on April 8.
“Thanks to the exemption for specialty railroad track welding granted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, HART was able to bring in a mainland welding company with experience welding manganese for railroads when no local welders could perform the task, which resulted in high-quality work executed in a timely manner, ” Matt Scanlon, HART’s director of construction, said in a statement. “It really took a team effort, a lot of people with specialized skill sets working together to collaborate on an overall solution for the project. Everyone was on board with the solution and the corrective action.”
Now that the work is complete, testing will begin and HART must have 90 days of problem-free trials before turning the East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium segment to the city Department of Transportation Services for consumer service.
“The high level of cooperation to solve these track issues and complete these modifications has allowed HART, together with its partners, to confidently move closer to our overall goal of initiating Trial Running and eventually handing the first segment of the system over to the City,” Lori Kahikina, HART’s executive director and CEO, said in a statement.