Canadian Railroads > Picking up CWR track...

Hello...

Today we found a crew busy picking up CWR in the Kamloops area. The rail was changed out a few weeks ago.

1. CP5875 is the power assigned to the work train. The engine will help positioning the pick-up unit as close to the end of the rail as possible.

2. About half the train is in view here. The rail will be pushed through the cars on specific storage racks by the unit at the locomotive end of the train.

3. CP9632 west (100 series stack train) passes the CWR train just out of Kamloops city centre. 

This is an interesting process to watch. The rail, when on the cars, will be a maximum lenght of about 1500'.

Thanks for looking.

611

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Fascinating, love the first shot.

Michael

You would wonder how they coax that CWR to bend around the corner
when they pick it up   (2nd picture).  

If I had realized this was going on,  I would have gone down to have a look.
Too late now.
             Sid.

Hi,
1. As the rail is picked up, then with 4 large rollers is pushed through the machine, the leading end is fed into the correct location (slot) on the first car.
2. With an adapter the leading end the rail keeps hitting the next slot, and may need assistance by two crew members in guiding the rail to the next position. 
3. When the cars are in a straight line, the rail moves slowly throught the storage sections.

Hope this helps, an interesting process to watch.

611

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I guess its  much more complicated than transporting new CWR to a location.

I rememer when CONRAIL replaced all the rail joints from Ithaca to the former Milliken Station
in 1985 I think and they had rail trains that had the new ribbon rail laid on what looked like long A frame steel storage racks
that are used in welding shops on the open ended gondola cars from what I remember and they simply pulled the CWR off
the racks I think by reversing the unit train using the lead locomotive as the anchor.

I am not sure as I was not there to watch the process. but I think they pulled one side off for the entire distance
from Ithaca to the power plant and then backed up to the power plant siding and began the process again pulling
off the welded rail on the other side. 


 

While CP was picking up CWR north on the CN at Clemina (Albreda Subdivision) they were laying down CWR. Kylie took these photos the same day as Train611 took his. The rail is "threaded" through a threader car and is chained to the already laid rail through a bolt hole on the new section. The train is then moved slowly forward and the new rail is dragged off. First photo show Herzog rail train car, we knew about the self unloading Herzog ballast cars but never realized they had rail trains. Kylie was hoping for a CN rail train with the converted flat cars in orange. 

Second photo shows the "Anchor Car" where the rail is locked in place. 

Third is the Herzog end car, the end door lowers and has rollers on the top to guide the rail.

The train was powered with a singe SD60F.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/15 21:29 by eminence_grise.

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These two photos show the CN "Threader" cars where the rail is threaded onto the ground from the train.

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