Recurring track defect locations, Cypress Subdivision MP 118.0–142.0, 2024–2026

1,118 defects recorded on weekly and annual walking track inspections were grouped by track and milepost. 31 locations had defects on at least three separate inspections. They account for 42.5% of all defects but add up to only 1,262 feet of track.

Defect export Nov 2, 2026, 1,118 rowsCypress Subdivision MP 118.0–142.0, 26.5 track miles incl. sidingsFRA Class 3 main track, inspected weekly, Jan 2024–Oct 2026Satilla Valley Railroad; track contractor Brightwater Track Services, LLCPrepared Nov 6, 2026

Summary

Concentration · 31 locations

42.5% of all defects are at 31 locations totaling 1,262 feet of track

With a 30 ft grouping distance and defects on at least three separate inspections, 31 locations recur. They have 475 of 1,118 defects but cover 0.9% of the track. The count stays at 31 for every distance from 30 to 40 ft.

Action: add the 31 locations to the 2027 maintenance program as separate items and find the cause before more spot repairs are scheduled.

Transitions · crossings, bridges, culverts

14 of the 31 locations are within 80 ft of a grade crossing, a bridge or a culvert

Six are at grade crossings, four at bridge ends and four at culverts. Together they have 227 defects, 20% of the total. 196 of them are track surface, ballast, crosstie or drainage defects; the rest are crossing surfaces and fasteners.

Action: review the 14 transitions together, including drainage and ballast condition, rather than one location at a time.

Most defects · Cypress Junction, Main

The insulated joint at MP 129.335 had defects on 11 separate inspections

34 defects within 37 ft: joint bar movement, battered rail ends, pumping and unsupported ties and surface deviations, including four FRA defects, the latest a track surface defect on Mar 10, 2026. A repair was recorded after 10 of the 11 inspections, but new defects were found a median of 62 days after the last repair. Source: defect export and inspection records.

To confirm: whether to replace the joint with a bonded insulated joint and whether the ballast needs undercutting should be decided by the roadmaster or a qualified engineer after a field check, together with the signal maintainer, since the joint insulates a signal track circuit.

Locations with defects on repeated inspections

Set how close defects on the same track must be to count as one location, and on how many separate inspections the location must have had defects. Click a location on the track view or in the list to see its defects by inspection, with the source record.

Defects on at least this many inspections
0Recurring locations
0Share of defects
0Track length at locations
0All locations, any group
Defect Location, defects on 3–5 inspections Location, defects on 6 or more Grade crossing Bridge Culvert

Each tick is one defect. Circle size shows the number of defects at the location. Sidings and the spur are drawn below the main track at the stations. Pick a shorter section to separate locations that sit close together.

Recurring locations

    Selected location

    Share of defects by location

    Number of locations by grouping distance

    Recurring locations at each distance, with the chosen minimum number of inspections. Click a bar to pick that distance.

    Sources and method

    Sources

    • SVRR_Cypress_Sub_Defects_2024-01-01_to_2026-10-31.xlsxDefects from the track inspection records: defect ID, inspection date and type, track, milepost, defect code, FRA or railroad standard, remedial action and date1,118 rows, 21 columns
    • SVRR_Cypress_Sub_Inspection_Records_2024-2026.pdfTrack inspection records kept under 49 CFR 213.241: weekly hi-rail inspections and the annual walking inspection151 inspections, defects on 146
    • SVRR_Cypress_Sub_Track_Chart_MP118-142.pdfStations, sidings, turnouts, insulated joints, grade crossings, bridges and culverts by milepost11 sheets
    • SVRR_Track_Defect_Codes_Rev4.pdfRailroad defect codes with the 49 CFR Part 213 section for each, and codes for items covered only by railroad standards14 codes
    • 49 CFR Part 213, Track Safety StandardsTrack classes, defect limits, visual inspection frequency (213.233) and inspection records (213.241). FRACurrent eCFR

    Method

    1. The export was read row by row. Mileposts were converted to feet and checked against the track limits in the track chart. All 1,118 rows could be placed on a track.
    2. Defects were sorted by milepost on each track. A new location starts when the gap to the previous defect on the same track is larger than the grouping distance, so a location can be longer than that distance.
    3. For each location, the number of separate inspections with a new defect was counted. Locations that reach the chosen minimum count as recurring.
    4. The distance from the ends of each location to grade crossings, bridges and culverts on the track chart was measured. Within 80 ft counts as at the structure.
    5. Time to recurrence: when every defect recorded at the location on one inspection has a repair date, the days from the last repair to the next defect found there are counted. The median is shown.
    6. The share curve sorts all locations, including those with a single defect, by number of defects and adds up their share.

    Assumptions and limitations

    • Grouping relies on the mileposts recorded in the inspection app, to 0.001 mile (about 5 ft). Within the clear locations, defects are mostly within 15 ft of each other. Below 30 ft, some drawn-out locations such as curves and soft spots split into several. The track inspector or roadmaster should field-verify the location and length of the 31 locations before work is planned.
    • Defects on different tracks are never grouped, even at the same milepost. Main track is treated as one continuous track through the stations.
    • An open defect is not recorded again on later weekly inspections. An inspection counts only when a new defect was recorded.
    • The three-inspection and 80 ft thresholds are choices made for this review. Part 213 sets defect limits and inspection frequency; it does not define recurring defect locations.
    • FRA defect or railroad-standard condition is as recorded by the inspector. Crossing surfaces, weld batter and rail surface condition are railroad-standard items, not Part 213 defects. A qualified engineer should review the classification at the 31 locations.
    • The grouping shows where defects recur, not why. Causes such as drainage, subgrade or joint design have not been assessed.
    • Signal and crossing warning system inspections and tests (49 CFR Parts 236 and 234) and geometry car data are not in the export.
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