The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Satisfying my inner railway geek
If you don't like railways and trains, skip this post. For the rest of us, here's a mammoth rail-laying machine that stirs my inner geek.
I've never seen one that large before. Does anyone know where this beast operates?
The company appears to be based in Austria. Here's a longer video of one of their machines working in Sweden, this is a different machine based on the number but still impressive.
Union Pacific is going that concrete way too. No more "toxic" creosote issues and crumblin ties. Plus they are recycling concrete to make the ties- and repeating that recycle when necessary. That is IL-IA reach. New lil plant outside Clinton IA to make new ties and misc 'blocks' for hwy crossings etc.
Would expect all the lines to do same as it happens. ~jeryk
A similar but smaller machine was used in AU to re-lay the Adelaide - Alice-Springs railway before the Alice - Darwin link was completed. There were some videos of that kicking around a long (internet) time ago...
The company appears to be based in Austria. Here's a longer video of one of their machines working in Sweden, this is a different machine based on the number but still impressive.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwiNaHmOscU
John Henry and his sledgehammer wouldn't stand a chance against this machine!
ReplyDeleteWOW, I think that might be in Russia, from the RU link... Maybe...
ReplyDeleteThis video has one operating in Heilbronn, Germany
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/I-e9AmkbLZg
I always hear this music in my head when I see things like that...
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/qaC0vNLdLvY?t=1m14s
Thanks Looney Tunes!!
Most impressive.
ReplyDeleteBeing a dyed-in-the-wool Rocky Mountain narrow gauge fan, I've never seen anything like this.
Ribbon rail and concrete ties... about two feet every five seconds, ballasted to boot!
Quite the rig. makes you wonder where they got the money to build such a rig.
ReplyDeleteDoes any railway in the US use concrete ties? In my part of the country (upper Midwest)I've only seen wood ties.
ReplyDeleteCheck out O. Winston Link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/webhp?nord=1#nord=1&q=o+winston+link+photographs
Mainly N&W Steam Locomotives.
You're welcome
Salt Lake City uses concrete ties for their high-speed (70-80mph) commuter train.
ReplyDeleteUnion Pacific is going that concrete way too. No more "toxic" creosote issues and crumblin ties. Plus they are recycling concrete to make the ties- and repeating that recycle when necessary. That is IL-IA reach. New lil plant outside Clinton IA to make new ties and misc 'blocks' for hwy crossings etc.
ReplyDeleteWould expect all the lines to do same as it happens.
~jeryk
A similar but smaller machine was used in AU to re-lay the Adelaide - Alice-Springs railway before the Alice - Darwin link was completed. There were some videos of that kicking around a long (internet) time ago...
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be from Austria. A company called Plasser & Theurer, that specializes in building track maintenance machines from what I can gather.
ReplyDelete