Eastern Railroad Discussion > The worst looking track with concrete ties I've ever seen

Looking for a photo I came across the images that I don't think I've posted before. They are about 10 years old. The location is Clopton Yard on CSX, this is a branch that used to be the original ACL main into Richmond, VA from the south. It has been cut back to the area around this yard, and it is used to serve the remaining industries nearby. I've haven't seen the area in 10 years but looking at satellite photos it seems like there is still business there. I think the local is Y122 that serves the branch. In these photos a consist was left in the yard over the weekend.

Two of the yard tracks had concrete ties installed in a manner I've never seen since; with light rail and some kind of European looking fasteners that aren't tie plates or pandrol clips. I'm assuming this was a test. I really wonder if it looks any better today, as the whole branch didn't look much better.

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Last two.

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While the track surface condition doesn't look like high speed track, all the ties themselves look like they are intact and the fasteners are holding.

Unlike some other concrete tie tracks I've seen.

Brian

Former 300 class Erie Bay Window caboose.
 

The track just needs to be tamped and surfaced. The ties were probably installed, but never surfaced. A common practice back then.

Interesting to see concrete ties under jointed rails!

I'm used to seeing CWR on concrete ties!

Mike

The clopton line actually has to jobs working it, or did. Once crew comes out of Acca and works the south end for their tour of duty and stages at a particular place where the next crew works north end and returns to Acca with whatever they have and the first crew gathered up. I don't know how many sites are actually worked, but I know there's plenty more oppurtunity on that line than is pursued. 

The story in the attached file, published today (December 12, 2018) by The Washington Post, describes defective concrete ties recently installed as part of the construction of a new railway line near Washington, DC. The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/new-problems-for-the-silver-line-phase-2-officials-say-rail-ties-are-flawed/2018/12/11/6517bb24-fca3-11e8-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html 

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
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> The clopton line actually has to jobs working it,
> or did. Once crew comes out of Acca and works the
> south end for their tour of duty and stages at a
> particular place where the next crew works north
> end and returns to Acca with whatever they have
> and the first crew gathered up. I don't know how
> many sites are actually worked, but I know there's
> plenty more oppurtunity on that line than is
> pursued. 

Thanks, that is interesting to hear, I didn't realize that back when I was taking pictures of it. I tried to get photos of every local in the Richmond area back in 2009 because I was wondering how soon certain business would dry up or be chased away. On that rickety rail I wouldn't have guessed things would be about the same. One thing I know I am glad I captured is the very odd branch to Lehigh Cement on the James River that had an old telltale and went past new condos in a way that was jarring. Last time I was in Richmond that was gone.

The ACL experimented extensively with early concrete ties though apparently not in main track.  A number of sidings on the A Line between Jacksonville and Sanford had (some may still have) concrete ties with fasteners as shown in the initial post.  Some of these sidings were subsequently lengthened with the new section on conventional wood ties.

Gordon

ACL with concrete ties?  So some of those ties might be 50+ years old?

march_hare Wrote:
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> ACL with concrete ties?  So some of those ties
> might be 50+ years old?

I rode the Amtrak Floridian to Miami in June, 1975.  Remember many miles
of concrete ties between Sebring and W. Palm Beach. I believe that is the former Seabord Air LIne . 
The track looked perfect and our milepost times suggested we were doing 90 mph.

Those were the first concrete ties I can recall ever seeing.

i was leaning towards climate change  LOL  Dennis

The boxcar traffic seen here goes mostly to boxplants at or near the yard - "rollstock" paper rolls - and also "OCC" or Old Corrugated Cardboard (Scrap paper) for recycling.  The cement cars go to a Lone Star Cem. company site, and are interchanged to CSX from NS at south Richmond.