As part of ongoing Federal Railroad Administration-funded research examining the behavior of fine-filled ballast when exposed to moisture, Transportation Technology Center, Inc., used the Rainy Section at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing to study the effectiveness of spot tamping in fine-filled ballast. The team conducted this project between 2017 and 2019 as part of a collaborative effort between FRA and the Association of American Railroads. The testing conducted in the Rainy Section showed that increasing the lifts or carrying out an overlift can lengthen the maintenance cycle in fine-filled ballast. The team was also able to take a deeper look into the ballast consolidation phase and compare ballast settlement trends with increases in lateral tie strength from tonnage under speed restrictions.