Passenger Trains > First Tracks Laid at Orlando Airport for Brightline

... and it looks like an utterly ridiculous type of direct fixation fastener.  I wonder how long these will last before cracking.

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county/first-tracks-virgin-trains-usa-installed-oia/6HU3VRNZTVF3TA5OVBTQEHV7IY/

Never seen a setup like that before. The track looks like it is floating above the concrete by quite a ways, wonder if there will be something to fill in the gap later.

Posted from iPhone

No big deal. The rails, with fasteners attached, are set to grade and line and held in place with leveling beams. Concrete will be poured to create a slab that supports the rails. That just hasn't happened yet in the video.

atsf121 Wrote:
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> Never seen a setup like that before. The track
> looks like it is floating above the concrete by
> quite a ways, wonder if there will be something to
> fill in the gap later.

They haven't poured the concrete yet. But the plates have no elastic portion and hold the rail with a crane rail clip.

Great news....

abyler Wrote:
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> They haven't poured the concrete yet. But the
> plates have no elastic portion and hold the rail
> with a crane rail clip.

I agree that these sure don’t look like regular direct fixed fasteners. These might be temporary. After the final concrete is poured and cured, they would come back and insert the final fasteners. Not saying it’s the best way but I know some transit agencies (which Brightline isn’t) have concerns about that final pour and getting minimal voids under the fastener plates.

Posted from iPhone

abyler Wrote:
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> ... and it looks like an utterly ridiculous type
> of direct fixation fastener.  I wonder how long
> these will last before cracking.
>
> https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county/firs
> t-tracks-virgin-trains-usa-installed-oia/6HU3VRNZT
> VF3TA5OVBTQEHV7IY/

It's not like they're going to handle a 12000 ton train or anything.
Passenger trains, especially commuter trains, are pretty light.

PHall Wrote:
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> It's not like they're going to handle a 12000 ton
> train or anything.
> Passenger trains, especially commuter trains, are
> pretty light.

Except the axle load of the engines, which are what cracked the DF plinths on the Metro North Park Ave. viaduct.