Rail roads and their tracks.

ArlyA · Jun 5, 2024

Neat video of the P-811 Track Laying System lifting the new track, push the aggregate aside, remove the old wooden ties and place new concrete ties and clip the rail in place all at once with this amazing machinery. Anyone know where this is taking place?

kenmbz · Jun 5, 2024

The person hosting this video is in Western PA, but I can't see anything in the video that would say where this is. I don't remember seeing one of these when they redid the Amtrak tracks through Princeton Junction. They had 3 or 4 machines to do that change out.
then they came back to replace all the cement ties that broke in the first year...........

Runner · Jun 5, 2024

I have always been into MOW equipment, ballast regulators, Jordan spreaders, etc. Couple of pics from local area.

KCS Ballast Regulator Grandview MO 10-14-90.jpg

Kershaw and Jackson MOW 85th & Prospect 9-5-89.JPG

UP Track Gang 132&HolmesKCMO 9-20-92(1).jpg

Maybe they have the concrete tie technology figured out now (fibermesh, proper reinforcing, etc.) but when they first came out with the idea in the 70's I remember them having problems with the ties cracking and coming apart.

Around my home, the previous owner installed used RR ties at various locations for landscaping, etc., and the ones he used were some kind of recycled tie. Apparently they tried running old ties through a big chipper, then gluing the chips back together around a stick of wood to make a new tie, similar to making OSB. This must not have been successful, because I have never seen them in use, and the ones around here have mostly disintegrated.

MossRoad · Jun 5, 2024

ArlyA said:
Neat video of the P-811 Track Laying System lifting the new track, push the aggregate aside, remove the old wooden ties and place new concrete ties and clip the rail in place all at once with this amazing machinery. Anyone know where this is taking place?

Didn't is say Middletown in the link?