Western Railroad Discussion > More Tukwila track #3

Back working at the Tukwila, Washington platform yesterday 6/29 and as
I arrived at work this is what I saw. I call it finishing touches on the new
track. #3  I have no idea what this piece of machinery this is but it made a
sound like it was grinding or filing maybe the rail ?

All the passenger trains were still running on Track #1. However about 4pm
BNSF ran a south bound freight down track #3 with Dash9 44CW # 5030
leading and traveling at restricted speed. Sorry, no photo since I can't have
my camera while working.
BTW BNSF 5030 has a nice sounding Nathan P-3 Airchime !!!

I have a couple more
Thanks for looking

Jay
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/16 08:52 by lamta_jay.

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Last shot of that piece of machinery, what ever it is.
This taken from the other end of the machine.

Thanks for looking


Jay

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They are destressing the rail. The hyrail is a thermite welding truck. The two track machines are for unbolting the rail from the ties. The rails will be bolted back down after the destress is done.

Great work, now all we need is Sound Transit/AMTRAK to put up a train arrival display so riders will know what track to use.
 

Lairport Wrote:
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> Great work, now all we need is Sound
> Transit/AMTRAK to put up a train arrival display
> so riders will know what track to use.
>
That's often a problem for everybody.  I was once waiting for a Capitol Corridor train at Fremont, CA.  It's 2 tracks there and there's a good concrete platform there along one track with almost nothing along the other track so I thought the concrete platform was a safe bet.  As the train approached, he's on the other track.  So I scurried down to the road crossing (the only place to cross) and went across right behind him and the scurried up to the open door saying: "I thought you were going to be on the other track!"  The lady said: "We never know what track we're going to be on, so we're always on the lookout for the other platform."

I personally would like to know what platform they will use also. But like most railfans
​I CAN read the signals. Most of the time that does work ! Most Passengers who have
​a smart phone will get a text telling the passenger ticketed when the train will arrive
and sometimes what track to be standing on.

​I try to help all that I can with what information I am given. I work for the Sounder group
not Amtrak.


Jay

If you dont know why that Main 3 is higher than the other 2 tracks, it's because no one thought to messure the step height of the 2 newest Talgo sets before the new East platform was built. So when the steps came out they hit the new platform... That is why Main 3 is 12" higher.... At first the problem was solved by the pavement extention of the platform.... When that went away up went the track bed.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/16 15:34 by decoqueen.

MP555 Wrote:
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> They are destressing the rail. The hyrail is a
> thermite welding truck. The two track machines
> are for unbolting the rail from the ties. The
> rails will be bolted back down after the destress
> is done.

really now ??? ... do you live in EUROPE ??? ...you might want to take a look second gander at those fasteners ... they're Pandrol fast clips that slide into bolters on the concrete ties and onto the base of the rail under tension ...t those machines are.declipping and clipping machines ... 

DISCLAIMER: are comments are made tongue-in-cheek not to be taken personally ... SIIIGGGHHH !!! ... the disclaimer is needed because some like this guy "hide behind the screem Mr Not So Know-It-All" jgil here (who sent me the PM below) think i'm a know nothing blowhard idiot who tries to discredit others ... his first mistake was thinking i cared what he thought ... 

jgilmore Wrote:
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> Good for you, but you're still as big an idiot
> today as you were yesterday on this particular
> situation. Only you still try to act like an
> expert. I laugh harder now. No amount of hot air
> about what you know will convince me otherwise,
> but you're welcome to try. You have your ideas
> about what happened (all guesses) and try to
> discredit others, but hate when it's done to you.
> Typical TO blowhard out to show the world how
> great you are, and falling on your face when you
> do...
>
> Peace out

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> really now ??? ... do you live in EUROPE ???

I live in the USA.

> ...you might want to take a look second gander at
> those fasteners ... they're Pandrol fast clips

Negative. Those are Vossloh fasteners.

http://www.vossloh-north-america.com/en/home/vossloh_fastening_systems/vossloh_fastening_systems.html

MP555 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Out_Of_Service Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > really now ??? ... do you live in EUROPE ???
>
> I live in the USA.
>
> > ...you might want to take a look second gander
> at
> > those fasteners ... they're Pandrol fast clips
>
> Negative. Those are Vossloh fasteners.
>
> http://www.vossloh-north-america.com/en/home/vossl
> oh_fastening_systems/vossloh_fastening_systems.htm
> l

hey thx for the correcrtion ... the 500 pixelation didn't show the bolts ...  seeeeee i am a know nothing blowhard idiot after all ... were those machines modified for the bolts or are manufactured specifically forthose fasteners ??? ..and do those fasteners need special fitted concrete ties ??? ... the image on their websidte shows a diiferent contoured concrete tie than conrete ties with fast clip bolsters  ... 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/16 17:06 by Out_Of_Service.

This has been the BNSF standard concrete tie for over ten years. The screws go down into a threaded sleeve that is integral to the tie. These machines are new enough that they were purpose-built for these fasteners. I believe the bolt heads are the same dimensions as the traditional "Pandrol" screw spikes.

MP555 Wrote:
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> This has been the BNSF standard concrete tie for
> over ten years. The screws go down into a
> threaded sleeve that is integral to the tie.
> These machines are new enough that they were
> purpose-built for these fasteners. I believe the
> bolt heads are the same dimensions as the
> traditional "Pandrol" screw spikes.

in the thread of the missing crewmembers someone posted a memo from BNSF with the names of the 3 crewmembers killed and missing ... i went looking to see if find photos of the crewmembers ... that search took me to the BNSF site and i found this ...

"Implementation of the Vossloh Concrete Tie BNSF is privileged to have as part of our team one of the rail industry’s leading experts on concrete ties: John Bosshart, director, Track Standards and Procedures. Over the past decade, Bosshart has been diligently searching and testing alternatives to find a reliable and top-quality fastening system for concrete ties. He never gave up, and his innovative thinking, commitment and hard work led to the recommendation that BNSF adopt the Vossloh concrete tie fastening system as the standard moving forward. The Vossloh concrete tie fastening system provides a more secure and stable rail seat, and significantly reduces the potential development of rail seat deterioration or abrasion. Additionally, the stability of this solution extends the life of tie and rail components and reduces maintenance costs. Even better, the Vossloh concrete tie fastening system will improve the quality and reliability of the track structure. Best Way Terminal Team Eighteen employees from Operations, Finance and Technology"

i guess i should've searched for this before putting my foot in mouth ...