Working rail roads and their tracks.

[Hay Dude]

Bruce, of course you are right, but its tough to come up with anything else that abandons more steel, construction, tunnels, bridges, land clearing, engineering costs, rail engines & cars and equipment than railroads?

Seems like they abandon 10X more than anything else.

 

[MossRoad]

RRs had a monopoly on shipping for quite a long time. They charged exorbitant shipping rates because they could. No other game in town. And they did not cooperate with each other, leading to multiple lines between the same cities owned by the different railroads. This lead to redundant routes, bridges, right of ways, associated infrastructure, etc..

Trucking and the interstate highway system put an end to their monopoly by competing with faster service and lower prices. That lead to the mergers and reduction in redundant routes. Hence, the abandoned bridges, right of ways, etc.

 

[MossRoad]

Anyhow, we could get into some pretty redundant discussions on this subject, as we've all talked about it before.

 

[Hay Dude]

There's a small yard on the SW corner of our town. Occasionally, they bring in this train of living quarters that I assume are for people that are working on the RR tracks in the area.

Kind of interesting. I caught it on google earth.


View attachment 776907

On the bottom side of that yard, there used to be two sidings where I'd load vehicles from AM General onto rail cars for transport. 5 ton Army trucks that got brought in and refurbished for a government program that was quite successful and saved the taxpayer a bunch. They basically got new trucks for 2/3 the price of new. We also loaded new HUMVEEs and small Postal Service vans.

They all went on flat cars. We'd order in about 20 cars. They'd drop them off. Then we had to lock the brakes on the last one at the ramp, then use pry bars to move them closer together so that we could lift and install steel plates by hand between the cars and pin them down on one car. Then lock the bakes on that car, and move on to the next. Those plates aren't light! But I could do it by myself back then. Sometimes I'd do the entire train while the others went and picked up a load of vehicles. I won't lie. In summer, it sucked!!

Then we'd drive them on and chain them down. The government guys would show up, take inventory, check the chains and binders and safety wires, and magically the train would be gone and a new batch of empty cars would appear.

Other days we'd drive them to other towns and different railroads.

Just another part-time job I had in my youth.

I think you told that story before

 

[MossRoad]

I think you told that story before

Did I ever tell you about the living quarters they bring it to the little yard SW of out town?

 

[Hay Dude]

Did I ever tell you about the living quarters they bring it to the little yard SW of out town?

I think so. But you definitely told us about the loading of the AM General trucks you did for summer job.

 

[MossRoad]

I think so. But you definitely told us about the loading of the AM General trucks you did for summer job.

I was joking...


After 20+ years, we tend to repeat ourselves.

 

[Hay Dude]

Did I ever tell you about the living quarters they bring it to the little yard SW of out town?

No,,,,, do tell!

 

[cqaigy2]

Recently taken near Colton, South Dakota, BNSF railroad.

I took off from work a bit early on Tuesday (OK, a lot early

) to go check out a snow plow being run from Sioux Falls to Madison (?), SD. I carefully drove up a still somewhat snow packed I-29 and then cut west to intercept it. I found the plow getting ready to hit the heaviest stretch immediately north of Colton. I parked my Forester and found a spot to catch the action. The plow backed by three engines began to move and then rammed into the start of the nearly mile long drift. It didn't get very far! Suddenly, the plow was off the rail and at a 45 degree angle on its side. I drove down, got out, and took a look. It was pretty obvious the plow was done for the day.

It looked like a Hulcher moment there. I talked briefly with some of crew. Fortunately no one was hurt but somebody did spill their coffee.
Heavy equipment showed up the next day and began digging everything out. Not only was the plow dug out and lifted back on the tracks using a sideboom dozer, but the entire mile long drift was dug out with a combination of excavators, bulldozer, and tractor mounted snowblower. This took three days plus and I can only guess how many tens of thousands of dollars. The drifts were not only deep (over 10 ft.) but the 50 mph winds had packed them like concrete. I was able to walk on them as if on a sidewalk.
The plow sat forlorn for several days, looking a little battered. A pair of bright orange BNSF engines showed up this afternoon and pulled it back to the shop, its tail tucked between its legs. Looking at where the heavy equipment was still attacking the drift on the north end, I have no idea why someone thought a V plow was going to get through any of that.

They just didn't have enough speed Man those are amazing pictures!

 

[cqaigy2]

I was joking...


After 20+ years, we tend to repeat ourselves.

First time for me to "hear" it though, at least i think so.