Cool video showing how rail tracks are set down.

[RandomThoughts]

Ever seen a train lay its own track?
http://www.wimp.com/traintrack/

[BlueCollar]

1. That was cool...

But I saw several safety issues that might concern me if I were the safety officer for that company...

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. that was cool but lookout

hands and fingers :o

[elleng]

3. VERY cool! THANKS!

[frogmarch]

4. Mr. froggy used to do that.

He narrated the video for me. We both enjoyed watching it. Thanks!

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Fascinating! I wish they had put in some text to say what was happening.

Some things pretty obvious, but others not so much.

Can't wait for the day when they can do that it 60 mph!

"Need 120 miles of rail from here to there? We can load up the train in four hours, and have it done in two more after that!"

You can drive the train wherever you want, because you're laying the rail before ye.

:rofl:

[Ptah]

6. Thanks for that link, I am fascinated by large mechanical contraptions.

Here is one showing large scale harvesting with a large variety
of mechanical contrivances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anqGtsl29R0


enjoy

[pgodbold]

7. WOW. I mean really WOW! that was way cool. TY! nt

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. It is cool, but it isn't actually laying its own track.

What that machine is doing is replacing ties, not laying new track.

A portion of the video shows the machine picking up the old ties and placing new ones down and then the track is positioned back on the new ties. They show the workers inserting and then clamping the clips (the device that is replacing spikes), the ballast being dumped and spread and toward the end it shows a shaker that settles the ballast.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. A little searching and I found the actual machine; Plasser RU 800S

Plasser American RU 800S Combination machine for track renewal and ballast bed cleaning

http://www.plasseramerican.com/en/p_renewal/ru800s.htm

Full length drawing of the entire unit;

&RU%20800%20S

[david13]

10. Yes, I've seen that machine in action before. dc