The track crew came through my area replacing the old bolted-together rail with continuous welded. I took some pictures:
The rest of the pictures are here
Join some of the most experienced and recognized building professionals for two days of presentations, panel discussions, networking, and more.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
see any words stamped on the old rail? often you can find the name/loc of the mill that produced as well as the year produced.
Yeah, there were stampings, but I didn't try to make sense of them.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
usually pretty plain to see on th eold track.
yes, wieght's by the yard.
Conrail/Amtrak have some cool machines!
Thanks for sharing
See seeyou's post -- the equipment belongs to R. J. Corman Railroad Construction.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Edited 6/27/2009 9:39 pm by DanH
Cool project - thanks for sharing.
That company is based here - actually a bedroom community about 10 mins away. Rick Corman is the ultimate rags to riches story.
http://www.rjcorman.com/
http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Cool. What Railroad is that on? I used to do thermite welding in track. Always a good time in the summer. Especially if you blew one.
Crip walking across the net.
Many years ago, in Calhoun, GA, I worked for a guy that had a rail siding AND a metal cutting bandsaw. The railroad left a couple of gondola cars with short pieces of track parked on our siding for a few days. I cobbed a couple of pieces and took them to the shop.I cut 4 pieces of track, about 3 1/2 inches, and made the damndest bookends you ever saw ! Painted them flat black and glued felt on the bottom.Suckers never have blown away. That's where I learned there are two standard profiles for rr track, 90# and 110#. Guy told me that was the by-the-foot weight. From my bookends, I think that's true.Funny, the first 1/8th inch or so through the top surface was the hardest - sort of annealed, I guess. After that, it cut pretty quick.Greg
The top surface of the rail gets work-hardened by the train wheels. The rail as a whole is remarkably malleable -- it looks like a wet noodle laying alongside the track.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
I believe the weight is by the yard. I'm going to go out and measure it when I get a chance, to look up the size. I'm guessing it's somewhere in the 130-150 range.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Especially if you blew one.
Blew what? A seal? I thought that was ice cream. http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
A weld. The Thermite gets as hot as the surface of the sun.
No kissing nothing for days after blowing one of those.
Crip walking across the net.
This is the DM&E line through SE Minnesota. As I understand it, they're owned by Canadian Pacific.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Cool I've heard of it never worked on it. That contractor they had there. RJ Corman is out of Nicholasville Ky. just down the road from Seeyou. Big freaking outfit.
Crip walking across the net.
They still apparently use thermite to weld the sensor wires to the rails, but I'm pretty sure the welding of those rails was done electrically -- I didn't see any sort of a thermite crock or anyone loading the machine, and the generator in the truck really groaned while the welding was going on.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Yea they will always bond the signal wires probably. Thermite is mainly used for spot welding.
They use the Butt welders when they want production. I was looking at youtube videos to post here as an example but they were all too long and boring for a Saturday night. LOL
Crip walking across the net.
By "spot welding" I meant electrical resistance welding where the heat is generated in the contact area between the two workpieces.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Yep. I know what you meant.
Crip walking across the net.
This doesn't have anything to do with tracks, but anyway....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjLgzgflCk8
Sweet. That stuff is pretty wicked.
Crip walking across the net.
Have been doing some research about railroads lately. Some facts:
-- 25 lbs. of creosote go into each wood tie. Ties are spaced approximately 21" apart, or about 3000 per mile
-- A standard wood tie is 8'-6" long, 7" deep, 9" across, and weighs 200 lbs. (ties in Europe and Asia tend to be concrete)
-- The rail design (an upside-down T-shape) was invented in 1830, and is still used today
-- Typical rail weighs 112-145 lbs/yard and is 6"-8" high
-- Rail life can exceed 60 years and the roll date is noted on the length
-- 'Ribbon rail' or 'welded rail' is usually in 1500' lengths, but can go as much as a half mile in complete sections. It's hauled out on permanently-coupled cars specifically designed for rail installation
-- Between 0 and 100 degrees temperature, a 1500' section of rail can expand or contract 11" in length (so rail is typically laid on hot days, with the welds expected to hold lengths together on cold days)
Many fascinating and disturbing facts about railroads out there that many people never hear about. A development with one foot firmly in the modern era, and another planted as solidly in the past.
A development with one foot firmly in the modern era, and another planted as solidly in the past.
Romance and technology. What else do you want?http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
High speed.
I was on the Empire Builder from Minot,ND to Wash state this past April. So sad that we can't have the Euro and Japanese style in our w i d e o p e n spaces.
Maybe someday...
It was a nice ride and all......but don't fill your cups or glasses too full on the way to the fest....you'll spill the good stuff. There are some mighty bad stretches out there. 'course a lot of that probably had to do with frost heaves in the upper plains and Montana.....but still and all....it freezes in Europe, as well.
Nothing against the train service....it was excellent. Great staff and the food was surprisingly good. As good or better than I've had in first class air service.
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Maybe you can answer a question that Art hasn't gotten to yet. What was the longest stop on the trip?
Crip walking across the net.
Most stops are just like flag stops, a courtesy to the town, if you will. These were for parcels and local passengers doing a quick on/off.
We had a fuel stop somewhere in eastern Montana IIRC (Sidney?), that was about 15-20 minutes.
In Spokane, wee hours, the train splits, with the tail end routing to Portland, Or. with a new engine. That took maybe 20 minutes if you wanted to get up. The fuel stops and the train split were in the freight yards and I don't think anywhere you could get out to a store or anything like that. All others are very brief, maybe 5-10 minutes, enough to light up, if you're a smoker.
As you get into Glacier the train slows due to the many sharp curves and steeper grades. A good thing, too, as the scenery is spectacular. In April we still had a bit of snow and ice to contend with and shorter daylight.
This time of year the daylight will be reasonable for viewing until at least 9-930PM and visible light in the sky to near 10PM.......now, at this latitude you can almost add 45 minutes.
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Just what I was looking for thanks.
Crip walking across the net.
Hey another question about the Empire Builder. Do they have cocoa butter available on board? Like in the lavatories.
Crip walking across the net.
Not that I can recall. I didn't ask. The cans are compact, like on an aircraft. Showers aren't bad for size. Take yer flip-flops. Grab a handle though, and get there early. People seems to be pigs when they don't have to clean up after themselves.
As I mentioned before, the crews were real nice, hard working folks.
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
So they do have showers for passengers that only have seats like me and Seymore? I'm gonna start calling him that because that's what comes up in spell checker everytime I run Seeyou through.
Crip walking across the net.
We (grandson & I) had a roomette and showers were on the lower deck. No one was around when I used them and I don't think anyone would even challenge you if you were to wander in and shower. Just my opinion, though.
The only time anyone on board was asked for room/ticket location was for the dining car. Open coach you pay by the meal. Roomettes, the meals are included and they ask which room to charge it against.
The whole idea of the train ride is to be able to walk around and enjoy. Lounge, Observation, Dining, open coach, etc. You do migrate around a bit. The dining, observation, lounge/snack cars are in the middle and people are going and coming all the time.
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
I might give it a try. After we get into the Montana territory. If I get booted off there I can hook up with a relative in about any town. Of course that is if they let me get dressed again before they kick me off.
Crip walking across the net.
just look out for the Montaaaaana sheep.....................;) those buffalo can be a bit horny, too.
you could always call Splintie, she takes in strays, I think
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Yea. She's freaking de worm me and neuter me. No thanks.
Crip walking across the net.
Check this out. These guys are always fun to watch work. The video shows a more updated safety orientated version then when I was around them in the late eighties early nineties. They still have to have a lot of nerve and skill.
http://www.herzogcompanies.com/railroad_services_cartopper_material_handler.php
Crip walking across the net.
A little scary sitting there suspended in the air while the engineer backs the train under you.On the track job I saw the crew used an assortment of hi-rail or rail-mounted cranes and crane trucks.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
When I was around them their operators were all real mellow down to business guys in their late 40's to mid 50's. I don't think they got excited about anything. That's the ideal guy for the job. They used to pull themselves up on the gondola. Like I said they show a much safer operation in the video. That rolling along and unloading and loading material is what would get me. Too hard to keep up with object along the track. I'd scoop a motorcycle up at a road crossing. LOL
Crip walking across the net.
RJ Corman is also one of the premier derailment contractors in the US. When their is s big one somewhere they roll a fleet of equipment. Pretty impressive sight. Reminds you if John Waynes Crew in The Hell Fighters.
Crip walking across the net.
All this railroad talk brings back alot of memories! Most involve sore arms and back.Windmilling a spike mall, was the thing I never got used to. I can ring that bell with a wooden mallet every time.I remember the creosote oozing out of the fresh ties. The fumes burning the eyes and flesh of anyone not used to it.All tools require two hands to use, and they will blister your skin on those hot sunny days.Dumping ballast for miles and miles, constantly in a cloud of rock dust.
Snot turns to mud!I'm hurting just thinking about it!
It is a shame that all the people who really know how to run this country, and run it right, are busy, cutting hair, driving taxi's and trucks! I believe George Burns said something to that effect.
Yep! The good old days.
Crip walking across the net.
The job might not have been all that bad if we didn't drink till four in the morning and go to work at five. LOL
Crip walking across the net.
The job might not have been all that bad if we didn't drink till four in the morning and go to work at five. LOL
Man! You said it there! many wasyed brain cells!!!!!
It is a shame that all the people who really know how to run this country, and run it right, are busy, cutting hair, driving taxi's and trucks! I believe George Burns said something to that effect.
Windmilling a spike mall, was the thing I never got used to.
I could spike all day. The only problem I had if I hadn't done it in awhile is my hands swelling up. Once you get momentum and a little rhythm you can go all day. Just roll them wrists.
One of the workouts I do involves hitting an old tire with a sledge hammer. You do sets of like 50 on your right and 50 on your left. Boxers have been doing it for years. I had to unlearn how to swing a sledge to get anything out of it. At first it was like. "Man I can be world champ and never break a sweat." But getting something out of it prevailed over the easy route.
Crip walking across the net.
Waxing romantic, are we?
....and everyone thinks you just ride along and wave to the cows...........
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
I suppose I am, I used to get to ride that train alot when I was a kid!
They treated you better on the Empire Builder, than on any plane I've ever been on, or hotel either.
I gotta stop or I'll be getting tears in my beer.
The sceanery is some of the best.
The Cascade tunnel was always cool too.
Opps, now I got salty beer...
It is a shame that all the people who really know how to run this country, and run it right, are busy, cutting hair, driving taxi's and trucks! I believe George Burns said something to that effect.
Yeah, there was a derailment on the edge of town about 18 months ago -- wish I had been able to get some pictures. About 6 hours afterwards the trucks (BIG ones, and lots of them) started arriving, and it was amazing how fast they went to it. This on a relatively minor line.Don't know who the contractors were in that case.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Wrecking is how Corman got started, IIRC. I've seen them roll out of here. You're right - it's a pretty impressive sight.http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Yeah in the early days that's the way I was introduced to them. I noticed more because they were from Kentucky like me.
Crip walking across the net.