Train lays its own track

1. #1heavylift2010-07-23 14:19

   impressive.... gotta love the tools that people invent

2. #2Dusty Roads2010-07-23 15:03

   Now thats pretty amazing!!!

3. #3245dlc2010-07-23 15:52

   I've seen that machine that undercuts the track and screens the ballast on a CN line before, but I've never seen any machines in North America that lay the ties rails and grades the ballast at the same time. I love the use of that wheel excavator that was pretty neat.

4. #495zIV2010-07-23 16:50

   There where 6 different major units shown there and a couple of minor ones. That first one isn't actually doing any rail changing, it's just picking up old ties and replacing them with the new ones. The second one is the guys putting the Pucks and Clips into place, the little machine after is squeezing the clips into place. The undercutter pulls the old ballast, screens it, adds what's needed to fill the cribs then continues along. after that is a HUGE ballast regulator moving the ballast back up where it's needed/usable. Then comes a C.A.T, or Continuous Action Tamper, it takes care of surface and alignment then squeezes the ballast back under the ties. Then to add what's needed again a ballast train. What they don't show is a stabilizer and another regulator to do the final settling and finish work.

5. #5jughead2010-07-26 13:04

   can i assume that this is replacing rails and ties not a new road bed? there are already rails there?

6. #695zIV2010-07-26 16:43

   It's not changing the rails, all it's doing is spreading them so it can pick the ties out of the center and change them.