Working on the RR

ezdays

ezdays

Out AZ way
Feb 3, 2003
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Arizona
bigbluetrains.com
I shot these yesterday on US 60 NW on the way home. The BNSF line parallels the highway for about 50 miles, from about downtown Phoenix all the way into Wickenburg.

My question is, can anyone identify these pieces of equipment, what do they do and how do they work? All three were in a few yards of each other.
 

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Doesn't anyone know what these things are? This is not a quiz, I don't have a clue myself either,:rolleyes: that's why I asked. I'm guessing they're doing some track maintanence, but I'm still curious what this stuff is and how it works. :confused:
 
I think the third photo is almost like one of these continuously working tamping, lifting and aligning/straightening machines, but maybe a different brand: http://www.southernrailwayuk.com/yellow1.html

And here's more big yellow track maintenace machinery: http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/pix/at/work/tamper/pix.html

And this is cute: http://www.ehattons.com/stock.asp?SID=10185

Neat photos ezdays. It would be fun to watch them working. They recently repaved the street in front of my apartment with huge automatic repaving machines and I was entertained.

shaywen
 
I just got back from another trip and saw the second one at work all alone. Under the cowl on the front is a big brush like they have on street sweepers and it was going down the track sweeping away the loose balast off the tracks and ties.:cool: :cool:

I'm estimating that the first one was at least 60 feet or more. The third one had to be 80 ot 90 foot long. It looks like these guys could set up housekeeping in the back of the third one.

Looks like we maybe ID'd all of them. I'll check out the links though.

Thanks,
 
ezdays, I am pretty clueless on these but I think that the second one has to do with pushing balast. That is just my thought. The HVRR has something a little similar to it and the wings that are on the sides that are by the cab unfold and form the sides of the plow that is on the front and pushes balast and debree out of the way. The gaps on the skirts and front plow allow the plow to get in between the rails. Like I said, that is my guess and I don't know how far off I am. Let us know when you find out exactly.

Freelancer
 
Freelancer,

Yeah, maybe it has a dual function, but as I said, the second day I drove by, I saw the little guy (little in comparison to the other bohemeths):eek:, and it was brushing up loose balast. From the opinions and links in this thread, and the little bit I saw (most of the workers were just kinda hanging around, planning what to do I guess), the top one seems to be a balast spreader and the big one at the bottom has to be the multi-tasker of all multi-taskers. I did see one guy reaching into one of those scoops in the top one and was taking out a shovel full of gravel. Perhaps the first scoop drops the balast and the second one levels it out :confused: :confused:

The only one I know for sure now is the second one, but I think we're getting closer to what the other two do. Now if those "workers" were doing more than just standing around I might have seem those two actually doing something.:D :D

I liked that link to the model.:cool: I'd buy one in a flash if it came in N scale. :thumb: :thumb:
 
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