H/T to Terry in Florida who sent this to me! :0)
You are going to love this. Things have come a long way from Gandy Dancers.
Subject: EVER SEE A TRAIN LAY NEW TRACK OVER THE REMOVED EXISTING TRACK?
Anyone who likes big machinery should watch this. They did this thru Pinellas Park last year. I watched it but never imagined someone would video it. What an amazing bit of engineering! They pick up the rail with the equipment sitting on it... The mechanized vibrating ballast forks that push the stone under the ties with computer accuracy. WOW!!
EVER SEE A TRAIN LAY NEW TRACK OVER THE REMOVED EXISTING TRACK?
This is what is happening from Chicago to St. Louis for the high speed rail.
People were stopping along the highway taking pictures.
For those who live in the Springfield area and have seen all the machines running up and down the tracks, here is a link to a video that shows you how the concrete ties and rail are put in place.
The road bed was raised 13 inches to accommodate the new high speed rail line between St. Louis, MO, and Chicago, IL.
There are only two of these track laying machines in the world, one here and one in Europe.
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This is the way it used to be done:
I knew you would enjoy watching! :o)
Thanks for posting this! Really amazing. I want to go to wherever that thing is laying rail and spend a day or so watching!! (Earplugs a must.)
ReplyDeleteI think the cross-ties are pre-stressed concrete, not wood. Most ties in the U.S. are wood, including new ones being laid, but the Europeans, I believe, have it right.
Just can't imagine the engineering that went into that machine! Those ties sure do look like they are made of cement - wouldn't be surprised at all if they were made right on the machine - everything else is on board! Glad there of videos of the gandy dancers - it would be a shame not to have been able to see and hear them.
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