From The Facebook Page Abandoned Rails
I’ve seen some posts on here about how some people get very upset about rails to trails programs or tracks being abandoned, I am one of those people too I love to see an active line. But being a MOW worker on a 25 mile short line between Lagrande Oregon and Elgin, a lot of people don’t understand how truly difficult it is to keep track up to spec. Most of the work we do is done how it was 100 years ago, spike pullers, tie tongs, spike mauls, and shovels combined with hard labor. We find a defect, pull the spikes, jack the rail, pull the plates, dig the shoulder, pull the tie, drop the jack, clear the tie hole, reinstall the tie, tamper the tie to the proper height, jacking the rail again, putting the plates in, drop the rail, measure the gauge, and adjust if necessary, hammer 4 spikes in, rebuild the shoulder and spread the ballast again. FOR ONE TIE
😂 it’s pretty difficult, and
as you can imagine how many ties are in a mile stretch. It’s hard work just to
keep the rail up to spec, then the locomotives and rolling stock.
I’ve seen some posts on here about how some people get very upset about rails to trails programs or tracks being abandoned, I am one of those people too I love to see an active line. But being a MOW worker on a 25 mile short line between Lagrande Oregon and Elgin, a lot of people don’t understand how truly difficult it is to keep track up to spec. Most of the work we do is done how it was 100 years ago, spike pullers, tie tongs, spike mauls, and shovels combined with hard labor. We find a defect, pull the spikes, jack the rail, pull the plates, dig the shoulder, pull the tie, drop the jack, clear the tie hole, reinstall the tie, tamper the tie to the proper height, jacking the rail again, putting the plates in, drop the rail, measure the gauge, and adjust if necessary, hammer 4 spikes in, rebuild the shoulder and spread the ballast again. FOR ONE TIE
😂 it’s pretty difficult, and
as you can imagine how many ties are in a mile stretch. It’s hard work just to
keep the rail up to spec, then the locomotives and rolling stock.
The above from Andrew Beeman - Facebook page Abandoned Rails
A rail Jack
a rail jack
rail tongs
spike hammer
spike puller
spike puller next to rail jack
spike puller
Rail Tie Tongs
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