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Not the best pictures, I'll try to take some more the next time I am high-railing with my buddy. This is out in the Mohave Desert about 50 miles from Ludlow CA, pretty sure it's a Dash-9
Rabid Anti-Dentite! fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Mar 7, 2011 |
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Mar 7, 2011 00:23
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 14:12 |
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another pic
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Mar 7, 2011 00:24
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wolrah posted:There are very few industry-specific vehicles I want to operate more than high-railers. Over the years I've seen two or three pop up on the used market. If a private citizen was to get their hands on one, anyone know if there's any way one could legally get on the rails? Obviously if you know where a stretch of abandoned or lightly used rail is you could probably get away with a short run, but the risks of not getting away with it are pretty severe and being able to make a longer run knowing it's all clear would be a lot of fun. It would be almost impossible to do that without working for the railroad. The amount of people he had to call and get the track shut down was incredible. They had to cut out a section and replace it with new rail due to shrinkage. Pretty cool to watch. That was an F250 that was only a few years old with other 150,000 miles on it. When that train passed, we had to stop or risk being blown off the track. Other than that, you lock the steering wheel and set the cruise at 45 and sit back and relax. Pretty cool feeling, like Marty in back to the future haha.
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Mar 8, 2011 02:22
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I have a question for our fellow Railroad Goons. I applied for a job for BNSF track laborer in California, I have never done a job that is pure physical labor, as I have worked in retail my whole career. I am 20 years old and am in pretty good shape and have begun working out again. What I've heard is that it is basically like the military, with possible 30 hours straight in the heat, but get paid extremely well. The temps out here in the summer are easily 120+ in the day. Typical week is 20% overtime on a good week with no real problems. I've heard you basically sell your soul to them, but can make great money. My question to the all knowledgeable goons is this: What am I getting into? Will I have a personal life. I have two years of college completed, is that goal shot with the RR and what is the day to day life like at work. My girlfriend and I just bought our first home, and our payment is 600 a month, which is easily doable on my current salary, but the allure of big money is tempting. I would try to take a leave of absence from my current role just incase. I have never had another job other than my one retail career, is this a good move? Thanks for the help and sorry if I am "derailing" the thread. Rabid Anti-Dentite! fucked around with this message at 19:09 on May 5, 2011 |
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May 5, 2011 17:11
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So the starting pay is 21.33 an hour. Everything I have read says run away from this type of work. I have an brief understanding of what the work would be, replacing sections of rail, replacing ties, and the general maintenance. And I have briefly seen them in action. Talking to some people, the typical thing they say is that the work is done at a slower pace, and if you come into the gang and bust rear end, you'll basically be an out cast. Some other things I've heard is that if you work 8 hours, then get called in say 4 hours later, that work is all over time pay, on the premise that they have to give you 8 hours between shifts. My biggest worry is that if I go in and hate it, then I threw away my otherwise great job and would go back to the minimum wage would suck. And the job department is Engineering.
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May 5, 2011 23:19
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Here is a word to advice for any one looking at the Railroad. Thank you for that advice, now would you recommend going into this industry. Are you glad you did or would you rather work in an office or similar environment?
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May 6, 2011 01:15
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Well I like making Jokes and I enjoy building things and having something to show for my efforts. I make 15 an hournnow after five years on the job, and I started at minimum wage. At twenty years old, will I be one of the youngest guys in your opinion or will it be all twenty and thirty year olds due to the physical work involved. I really appreciate all your input, it is helping me greatly.
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May 6, 2011 02:05
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I am an hourly manager at a large retailer. My plan is to take a leave of absence from there and give the track job a few months and see how it goes. I know it will have its good and bad days, but I feel that overall it will be a great job. I am just worried about if I hate it and my current job is no longer available, there isn't much around when I live that pays that well. Unless I go work in a Casino.
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May 6, 2011 03:15
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Some track maintenance photos, cause hey the trains have to run on something! Cutting out the existing rail on a bridge to place onto a panel with new ties and plates, at 3 in the morning... Rabid Anti-Dentite! fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Sep 6, 2011 |
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Sep 6, 2011 20:12
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how do I put more than one picture in a post, why is everything so difficult!
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Sep 6, 2011 20:13
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dropping in a newly made bridge panel (160 feet long)
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Sep 6, 2011 20:14
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A ballast regulator off to the right, passed by a west bound on main 1
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Sep 6, 2011 20:15
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Adding ballast and tamping the newly laid panels
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Sep 6, 2011 20:18
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open24hours posted:Something I've always wondered about train tracks: How do you ensure that they are level or on an even grade when installing them? Is the earth under the ballast dug out level, or are the ties set in the ballast at a certain level? What equipment is used? A laser level? The ballast is just rock that is piled on top of the ground, when the railroads where first built, soil tests where done to ensure ground conditions could support the weight. As far as level goes, there are a few different ways to ensure that everything is within tolerance. A "G" car, or geometry car is one of the most common, basically a vehicle that drives along the rail and uses GPS and other computers to make sure the tracks are level, curves have a high and a low rail, with the low rail generally being the inside track. A machine that looks like a backhoe will ride along the tracks and will grab low ties with forks and scoop rock under that tie until it is level, that machine, called a ballast regulator, or tamper, pulls a cart that will show what is level and what isn't. You can also tamp by hand, but that sucks. On the picture that shows the rail removed and the ground dug out, the rail is simply placed on top of that, bolted to the existing rail, then the front loaders will drop ballast in the dug out area, then a tamper will follow behind and level everything out. It is pretty cool to watch. Let me know if there are any pictures you want, and ask any questions you have, if I don't know, I will find out.
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Sep 7, 2011 22:07
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Where are you guys based out of? Looks like out west, Arizonaish? Anyways, MofW guys are awesome. I have made friends with quite a few of the guys in my terminal. A couple cases of beer goes a long way to fix a run through switch..... I am in the California division, I have been traveling all over lately, Barstow, Redlands, Pico Rivera, Bakersfield, Needles. Kind of taking the tour of California right now lol. Where are you stationed, the TY@E guys I have meant are real cool. We were joking around today about getting some favors in return for fixing bent switch points and what not.
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Sep 7, 2011 22:10
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An incident with a production gang...two fatalities.
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Feb 10, 2012 01:12
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One of the cool things I've seen working on a tie gang, these guys are nuts. Its interesting to watch them get up on the cars and move around, but it sure beats unloading all those ties with a grapple truck!
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Feb 10, 2012 01:18
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Last one for today, hy-railing through the southwest, sure is nice out there.
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Feb 10, 2012 01:21
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McDeth posted:Holy poo poo. I'm assuming the two fatalities were the engineer and fireman? Conductor and Engineer, The train hit the rider cars which were stopped at 45 mph. I never heard the full story so the only thing I can assume is a switch was either not lined or switched from power to hand and never thrown back.
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Feb 11, 2012 16:59
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B4Ctom1 posted:There is one other big fan. The mother of all fans. It is the dynamic braking grid fan. It is basically a 300-400 horsepower electric motor connected to what is basically the compressor fan from a jet engine. When modulating the dynamic brake effort it sounds like someone modulating the throttle on a jet engine. I understand the restricted speeds, as with TERMSD, and stopping in half the range of vision, I've put a few slow orders out there and ran trains through my B's at restricted speeds. I just never heard the whole story, we don't hear much about the transportation side of things.
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Feb 12, 2012 01:00
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Canna Happy posted:Furloughed again. Almost six years and I can't hold a job. Oh well, I'm a big fan of the time off. Hope it lasts for another year. Toot toot. Because men and equipment on the other track, run them through at 40mph on tangent and 25 on curve. Its in the MWOR. Men have to be off equipment and off the track to run at max, and that kills production when your clearing 30 trains a day.
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Feb 13, 2012 02:01
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Canna Happy posted:Ah yeah, I thought you were talking about 6.27 If it was up to me I would run you guys at max. Makes it easier for the DS and the crews. Then gets you outta the limits faster.
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Feb 13, 2012 14:16
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spipedong posted:Where's this at? I just bid a position down in Flagstaff. This was close to that. PM me if you can. Sounds like your in mechcanical?
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Feb 13, 2012 17:59
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Cocoa Crispies posted:Why change when what exists works? The annual costs of and losses from pneumatic brakes aren't as expensive as moving to something that may be better in the long run but hasn't been designed, built, and tested for a century. As far as the MoW side is concerned, it is the same thing, the new technology seems to work well on paper, but fails terribly out in the field. We had tried to use new insulator plates under i-bonds, thinking they would be great. Turns out they were big wastes of money and we are back to using old technology. The railroad in general really follows "if it ain't broke don't fix it." I am waiting to see how PTC works...
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Sep 8, 2012 00:30
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took this the other day, westbound at sunset.
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Feb 26, 2013 04:18
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SouthLAnd posted:1080p or whatever would be swell. That's a nice picture. who ever would like it, please email me at dan.kleman AT gmail.com I'm not sure how to put it on here in full size. If there are any specific things you would like to have a picture of, paint schemes extra let me know and I will keep a look out.
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Feb 27, 2013 14:50
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Tex Avery posted:Wait a moment, I remember you. You're that track worker for BNSF that I chatted with in my A/T thread months back. Are you still working with the two dudes that I used to work with at GCR? That's me! And no I am not working with them anymore, last I talked to them they had headed back up north to Williams. So you might see them around up there. I have been thinking about heading back up to Williams once it warms up a bit and work there for the summer. Get away from the Southern California heat!
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Feb 28, 2013 03:47
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http://i.imgur.com/1ppicpB.jpg I think that should work
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Feb 28, 2013 03:59
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A few BNSF shots from the other day.   
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Mar 9, 2013 19:25
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Strawberry posted:Anyone? I "may or may not" work for that same railroad in that same state, in that same department. I worked in retail before, and I had no idea what to expect. Let me tell you how my day went today. Went to work at 7 am, bullshitted in the office until about 830 about bars and stuff. Got gas, got to the job site about 11:00, called the dispatcher for track and time, waited on a train he said was the one, then waited on another, then another. By then it was 1230, got my 3 hours of track and time. Hit anchors for about 30 mins, watched the welders work for an hour. Then we started going back to the yard, got a call to fix some gravel so the train crews wont twist their little ankles walking to the vans ;-) did that then went home. Total work time = 2 hours maybe. A lot of days are like this. We are at the mercy of the trains. Other days are long, I've worked 30+ hours before. It's a demanding job, but honestly I would say it it more mentally demanding than physically. Your head ALWAYS has to be in the game. One mistake will KILL you. Say you request Main track 2, but set on Main 1 because you've had a long day, its dark and your new to the territory. Theres a good chance you could get hit by a train. At the very least you are going home, getting drug tested then going to an investigation. PM me, I want to find out where you hired on at, maybe you'll work near me and we can talk in person. It's always fun to meet new people. And it's been said a lot. but I will say it again. If you can't take jokes, don't even bother coming to work. I get my rear end handed to me EVERYDAY, it's a condition of employment out here. Be safe, work smarter not harder, follow the rules and you will be fine.
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Mar 16, 2013 01:27
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Strawberry, just sent you an email!
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Mar 16, 2013 03:46
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Hey now! We prefer the fines....... Haha as long as I get paid, I'll put down a red carpet for you guys!
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Mar 16, 2013 05:27
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Veins McGee posted:I start as an ops supervisor in an intermodal terminal on Monday. I'm pretty excited but I would have preferred to do transportation. If you're not a piece of poo poo retard, is it possible to switch departments after some time on the job? At my work, as long as your record is clean (no ops failures etc) you can craft transfer after a year. They only applies to the hourly employees though. I would think that as an exempt, you would just apply for a job. If you get any kind of moving package, you may have to wait 18 months before applying for another job.
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Mar 16, 2013 23:37
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Strawberry posted:I just wasn't expecting it to be part of a union agreement. That ballast out on the road is gnarly, especially in those steep spots we can only get to via hy-rail. Yup they prefer the 3/4" gravel. I have had to fix many SIRP's due to 1" or larger gravel around switches. Read our union agreement. Lots of fun little clauses in there. TY&E guys, I've heard you get a small bonus if you have to walk a certain distance. Any truth to this?
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Apr 13, 2013 00:42
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Strawberry posted:This means I have to put on my hard hat every time I get out to take a piss. You putting these things in the MoW production gang vans? I'm sure they'd love to hear our banter. They are only triggered by an "event" a sudden stop, rapid acceleration, big bump, etc. So unless unzipping your pants causes a massive amount of air to rock your vehicle, you'll be fine. I've sat through hours of meetings about these drive cams. Make sure you and everyone in your vehicle is wearing their seat belts. That is now a critical decision failure. You can hit a button to manually record, causing the last 8 secs to be downloaded as well as everything after that. A third party will review every "incident" then forward the rule violating videos to the DE who then makes a decision. I have heard a lot of good things from people in the field about the cameras. I would be a lot more worried about a system audit team busting you rather than the cameras. And every vehicle will get them. Los Angeles and the bigger cities have them, ours have been ordered.
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May 10, 2013 01:29
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spipedong posted:Well, big orange is installing drivecam units on every hyrail, to be extended to signal, telecom, and all other company vehicles as soon as they can get the money. You can also thank the Track Supervisors that have hy-railed and had an accident that has also uncovered several rules violations.
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May 10, 2013 01:31
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Strawberry posted:I heard a good story today about how the camera saved a guy's rear end. His HLCS (Hy-rail limits compliance system, for those unfamiliar) went off, alerting the DS that he was out of his limits. He wasn't, and to prove it he turned the camera on and moved it to show that he was stopped well short of the insulated joints, with the signals in the distance. I think they are a good idea. I personally think the people that object them are the people that will more than likely get busted doing something they shouldn't.
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May 14, 2013 02:11
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ExplodingSims posted:Those are really cool and I want one now. A bit of everything, cross level, warp, dips, alignment, possibly compressed rail causing sun kinks. FRA would define that as excepted track, which is no trains over 10mph, no passenger trains, no more than five hazardous cars per train, not located near adjacent tracks, etc. Basically the only thing that is a requirement for conditions on that track is that gauge does not exceed more than 4 feet 10.25 inches vs 4 feet 9.5 inches on class five. Supposedly, the new owners, Pioneer Railcars have plans to repair it and extend it. Good luck with that, since most of it built on swamp lands.
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May 25, 2013 00:26
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InterceptorV8 posted:
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May 25, 2013 15:52
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Another view, I believe they run about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile long. Sorry, preview showed the pictures the right way.
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May 25, 2013 15:55
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