RIP_track
RIP track
Parking track for minor train repairs
A RIP track, short for repair in place track,[1][2] (also known as a "cripple track" in slang terms) is a designated track, or tracks, in a rail yard or a siding along a section of a main rail line where locomotives and/or railroad cars can be placed for minor repairs.[3] A RIP track allows for minor repairs to be done without removing the units from service and sometimes allows for these repairs to be done without removing a freight load from the car.[4] In some yards, a RIP track may be used for staging locomotives or damaged cars for major repairs and some rail yards may have more than one RIP track to serve both functions.