Large Scale Central

Hand laid track

Track and Trestles
#1

After spending the day working with the EBTF/FEBT track gang I can definitely say hand laying scale track is a whole lot less work than doing it in 1:1.

Today we completed 120 feet of track in about 5 hours. I mostly operated a “Nipper” which is a spoon like steel bar used to lift rail or ties. The ties need to be lifted tight to the rail before spikes are driven. Spikes are started with a sledgehammer then driven home with a pneumatic hammer while the tie is being “nipped”.

We will get an earlier start tomorrow and hope to get twice as much done on straight and level ground.

I will say that 1:1 joint bars are a bunch easier to install than Aristo’s screw on joiners. A battery operated impact wrench makes fast work of the bolts.

We did our best impersonating DOT workers for a few hours while an excavator dug out a driveway crossing…

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Joining the first stick of rail…

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A specialized gas powered drill opens new holes for the joint bars…

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Progress at days end…

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6 Likes
#2

I still think they need a real crossing/warning on 994 as much as they plan on running the new extension.
Guys like Marconi (fake name to protect the innocent) like to drive like they are going to fires through there.

Just saying
:rooster:

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#3

I slow down to smell the roses, since I can’t hear the whistle.

#4

That’s a big-a$$ driveway, I hope it’s not to some military installation. Or an Amazon warehouse, that would be worse.

Very serious work though. Especially in this heat. So the team handles horsing the rail into place, cutting / drilling / joining, and shoving tie plates in?

I hope not spiking! That’s a spiker car in the distance, right?

Nice work, Jon!

#5

Ties are placed using the railroads crane truck. then ties are marked for tie plates while others set plates and spikes on each tie. The RR them moves a rail stick with the crane. Spikes are started by hand and driven home with a pneumatic hammer. Once one rail is set, the second is placed, gauged and spiked.

@Rooster No plan for anything other than the oval signs and pavement markings. The crossing is good for 60Mph with just a bit of spring unloading. Crews are concerned as well. It will probably be Stop and Protect for quite some time.

The car in the distance is a tool car.

I’m heading out now for day two!

#6

Local High School 20 chars long.

#7

Oh! Will crossing lights / crossbucks be installed? Maybe a gate?
Must have good doner support, which is awesome.

#8

Cliff,

Never mind …

#9

No plans for lights or gates at any crossing. Pendot is not requiring it.

Today we pushed another 300 feet South almost reaching the second driveway. For the first time since the 1960’s rail equipment crossed the High School driveway.

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And on the way home I noticed smoke rising from the roundhose. Hoping to hear the whistle soon!

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2 Likes
#10

So is this track replacing old track? Or was the track removed and the ROW is being restored?

#11

The railroad was never abandoned and all the original track was still there. The ties turned to dust decades ago but rail was still visible in this lawn. The original rail gets disassembled and put aside while the roadbed is graded. Then new “re-lay” ties are placed and rail is spiked to them.

2 Likes
#12

White smoke from the roundhouse means they have selected a new locomotive.

2 Likes
#13

This morning the full time track crew ran a ballast train out to the high school and dropped stone on the recently completed track. It will be followed later today with their tamper to do a final level and set.

The ballast train in action…

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@Rooster and @Cliff_Jennings Just before the ballast train arrived, crossing signs were hung on the 994 crossing. I guess Penndot insisted on cross bucks rather than the non-standard oval signs…

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1 Like
#14

image
I don,t recall seeing you in any of the action pics… :thinking:

#15

Haha. Only one with a working boiler is #16.

#16

Craig, the Friends of the EBT publish a Newsletter every month, and I don’t believe you have to join to download it. It is full of photos of the track relaying.
https://febt.org/newsletter/

One of these days Jon will appear in one of the pics . . .

1 Like
#17

Ya’ see, even with the yield sign it’s still not enough! The 4x4 post has not even had time to weather and there is already something laying dead behind it!

#18

Nothing gets away from Pennsyltucky road side droppings

#19

Not sure why, but I haven’t either.

#20

Don’t forget you can always do a selfie. There’s a guy I know that has a stepbrother that is second cousins with a guy that he knows who takes a lot of them.