Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!CC.Clive@R20.UTEXAS.EDU
From: CC.Clive@R20.UTEXAS.EDU (Clive Dawson)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: Track repairs
Message-ID: <1596@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 19-Sep-85 02:38:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.1596
Posted: Thu Sep 19 02:38:56 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Sep-85 10:08:50 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Lines: 32

By coincidence, I too have been watching track repairs over the last
few days on a stretch of the Missouri-Pacific line which parallels
the MoPac (what else?!) freeway through Austin.  In this case, however,
they are replacing old ties, not rails.  

The machines are magnificent.  A small unit which pulls out the spikes
leads the parade.  This is followed by a giant crab-like monster
which firmly plants four feet on the ballast, then uses hydraulic claws
to grab both rails.  More hydraulics are used to literally lift itself
(plus the rails) up a few inches.  Then another giant claw attached to
the side comes into action, grabbing the tie and sliding it out sideways.

At this point the details get sketchy--I can safely observe only 
so much driving at 55 MPH.  I'm not sure whether the same machine
installs the new tie, or whether this is left to a similar machine
which comes along behind.  (It may be that both units are each doing
the full operation.)  Finally, another machine comes along to
reattach the rails, make sure of the spacing, etc.

It's fun to measure their progress each day.  On my return trip
the new ties which littered the slopes beside the track are
replaced by old, rotting pieces of lumber.  Some of them are
in amazingly bad shape for what I would think is an area of
relatively benign climate (i.e. not that much rain, snow very rare).
I too have a question for the experts, which I suspect is related
to this very point:  In general, how does the life of a rail compare to the
life of a tie?

Cheers,

Clive
-------


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com