At center, Mike Crawford, chief track inspector at

At center, Mike Crawford, chief track inspector at the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center, explains different turnout components to a group of students during a field trip. A turnout is a section of track designed to divert trains from one track to another; also known as a railroad switch. The asset visibility transportation division of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Operations Directorate recently funded and organized a Certified Railroad Inspector training course at Beale Air Force Base, California.