Had not seen a 977 ever get light on the sprockets, this made a believer of the weight of Locomotives.
The 4 in 1 bucket didn't help but it seems there should be a better choice of machine for doing that than a 977.
have to use what ya got
This looks to be a place that specializes in railroad jobs. Seems like a carry deck or similar compact crane would be a better tool for the job than a track loader. https://www.manitowoccranes.com/en/cranes/grove/grove-products/carrydeck
Wonder what the chain looks like after lifting all that weight on the cutting edge?
Here's your pick & carry crane ......... https://www.terex.com/cranes/en-au/product/pick-and-carry-cranes/at-15-3
And I looks like they just stuck in a dummy axle just to be able to get engine back to shop for repairs, not changine traction motor like title says!
Those guys do derailment services where ever the train goes off the track and they appear to be good at it. I'm sure the equipment is well chosing ford handling their job requirements especially in the middle of nowhere.
Pretty cool jacks too
R.J. Corman has a yard near us and you see those 977’s and old side booms coming and going all the time. Kinda neat to see a yard full of all modern equipment except for the heavy iron which is all pre 1980.
The side boom 8s appeared to be Pre 80s, like maybe early 70s models. I wonder how they get away with the home made operator cages on those, not ROPS, and NOT a full cab cage but are still cages.
Grandfather laws. That's probably why they are still around.
Absolutely. I believe 583 Hs and Ks came from the factory with no ROPS. That's a different situation than removing ROPS from a machine that was equipped with one from the manufacturer.
RJ Corman is about the second largest derailment contractor in America. Only Hulcher Services is larger, with more old sidebooms and 977's. One of my best friends is the retired VP of equipment at Hulcher. He told me a number of stories about why the older sidebooms and track loaders are some of the best machines out there for derailment work. Corman pretty much copied Hulcher in the area of equipment.
See Corman's equipment coming thru here quite often, UP runs two tracks, N&S has a line North of here and BNSF lines NE and South of here.
I know you have to get a job done in the field with what you have to work with …….....but I know several safety supervisors here that would have NEVER allowed that track loader to be used for that operation. Even those side booms would be iffy to them.
Seems rail work gets away with a lot more than we ever could.
Almost all derailment work is an emergency. The equipment is kept in top condition, a condition that most contractors can only dream about. These older machines are set up for safety, and often have very low hours compared to machines used in construction or mining. While this is dangerous work, it has very rare for a serious injury or even a death to occur during rerailing operations.
Well, I would like to see what equipment they would use in place of a sideboom. I have never worked on a train derailment, but sidebooms make sense. It's like a pipeline, narrow right-of-way, and heavy loads that must be picked and carried.
Side booms on the engine or cars I can see, would not want to try to boom up that old drive motor and move it off.
Removing dead traction motors is a normal daily occurrence for these companies. I am sure that 977 and those guys have done that exact same job many times in the past. Not saying it is 100% right but maybe the procedure is grandfathered like the Cats with no ROPS.
You are correct. Something like this repair, is almost a daily happening for Corman and Hulcher. They can both do it quickly and efficiently.
I've always thought Utilco's converted Deere 450 excavators were cool.
You guys do realize this is a repair on a line of road to get the locomotive to the shop for a new traction motor replacement. Not standard operating procedure by the rail carrier. So why would they purchase a crane? The cost vs return dosent seem very good. Besides if needed, these outfits usually have 80klb excavators they seem to drag around if needed.
We are all aware, just enjoy making light of what they were doing and the dance that 977 was taking.
I realize what it is and if this company specializes in it they probably do it a lot so why not have a better machine for doing it. Just from a safety standpoint using a 977 is a lot more dangerous.
I can only guess, but maybe because they might need to track it a mile or two along some RR access road because the locomotive did not have the common courtesy to break down next to the pavement? Who knows.
How many people on here have talked about changing a slewing bearing using on the subject machine by itself? The track loader might have been a little light in the back, but I nothing that indicated that it was unsafe to use for the purpose in the video. No one was under the load, the load wasn't picked high enough to totally upset the loader on its nose, and I couldn't see if the chains are set on a tooth or a ring inside the bucket. I've lifted PC650 and PC1000 on chains and who knows how many counterweights.
Cranes have safety features for lifting, track loaders don't.
Track loader has some very obvious safety features. The hydraulic relief, the tip of the machine and the guy in the seat.
I wasn't even thinking about a crane being the alternative, I was thinking excavator. Some of the places they go, a crane would not even begin to make it in, much less have room to set up and work. Plus the track loader can fix the road if it is washed out, and make itself a spot to work from.
These companies don’t mess around. I’m sure if it made sense to have a crane they would. In the meantime the 77 handled it fine, I’m sure it was light in the rear, I’m also sure the front sinking in the ballast made it look worse then it was.
Just like the old crawler cranes. You knew it was getting close to the limit when your sphincter started to pucker. Didn't make it unsafe IMHO.
Here is a good video of what the sidebooms can do in railroad work. (I hope)
Quite the dance to turn!!