Western Railroad Discussion > Oddity

Here is an odd one. Saw this on the SP (UP) line just to the west of Yuma, AZ a year or so ago. It looks like a 1:1 kitbash.

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A closer look at the cab.

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I can't read the flat car number but if it is MP838216 I got it while loading ties near Baker, OR a couple of years ago.

The other side has four hoses (2 per axle) going from under the cab to the outer side of the truck sideframe. Looks like it is some kind of hydraulic to the front truck of the flat car. It was moving maybe half the length of the flat car when I watched it. No idea what "track speed" is.

jb

Those of us who've been on here for some years should recognize that as one of the units in the photos that used to cycle through on the old index page of TO. That pic was more of a roster shot of the unit somewhere in LA IIRC.

DaveE

Now that you mention it, I do remember that image. However, this was a legalimate "catch". And my girlfriend at the time was not assumed when I had to drive her car through several hundred yards of fine dirt/dust to be able to get close enough for those shots. We immediately headed for the nearest carwash as soon as I was done. <grin>

Charles

I saw one like it near roseville two years ago picking up old ties piled up so high I was sure it was going to fall over when it started to rock they stoped and removed some ties from the top just in time I think.

Is there any way of getting that index page shot again? There was an earlier version of this "tie picker upper" and I think that was the one that used to be shown here once in a while. It was a truck that had the rubber tires replaced with steel railroad wheels and the thing that picked up the ties was mounted right behind the cab. Not a crawler like this one.

I've seen both in operation and this one seems much more efficient.

Both certainly are odd-balls.

jb

That contraption was in Salinas CA, a year or so ago. Talked to the guy operating it and he was real proud of what they had created.

Here's the truck on steel wheels version resting on the Santa Cruz Branch last Spring.

http://www.ebold.com/~sunnycove/Trains/tietruckCapitola.jpg

Yeeeaaahh Good Buddy we got the hammer down and what's your handle? Interesting "rig" to say the least. I guess if GE and EMD units can pull roadrailers, then Frieghtliners can pull tie gathering flat cars. Thanks for sharing.

Phil

brianbergtold Wrote:
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> Here's the truck on steel wheels version resting
> on the Santa Cruz Branch last Spring.

Wow, Brian, that's a third version. It looks like maybe somebody put some thought into how everything should go together with this one. The first one I saw (and the one shown on TO) was really cobbled together. It was a cab/over and it looked like it was sitting at an angle. And the cherry picker was permanently fixed.

jb

Like DelMonteX said: I had this 'unusual' car in my train almost 2 years ago. At West Colton, on a MWCRV. It was placed ahead of the DPU rear helper. It showed to be going to Salinas, CA. I took exception to it's placement next to the power, due to the fact that it had a 'shiftable' load on it, the crane. So, I offered to set it out. Besides, it really should just go up the coast on a MWCOA, more direct. Well, after the 'parade' of officals that HAD to come check it out (because I was lying, and just trying to cause trouble) I finally convinced them it could not go where it was placed. And, get this: they all thought it was OK to go "because it has a bulkhead". WRONG! I had to explain to these (my) bosses that the car needed a bulkhead on BOTH ends to have it against the units. Of course, had the car been turned end for end, it would have been safe to go. They finally told me to set it out as it was "on the wrong train". (I thought I heard that somewhere before....??) Oh, well, just another day at the zoo! BTW, it showed to have no speed restrictions.

Just a little info. on this "oddity".

Larry

P.S. BTW: I also got screwed out of the "yard-day" pay I was entitled to get for setting out a "non-bad-ordered" car. The company showed it as a bad-order, which I don't get extra pay to set out. I explained that it was not B/O, just placed on the wrong train... the 'nice' UP beat me out of the claim. As the claim was appealed, the board went with the companies side, saying it had a B/O bulkhead on one end! It of course, was not there, because it was modified that way, open on one end! I lost. Just another example of the "honest UP". Honest! (Does anyone want to work for this outfit?)