Do Hi-Rail trucks have a high speed reverse in their transmisson since half of their trip would be backwards? Or do they plan trips so that majority of travel is forward?
thank you John1732
They’re just standard vehicles like you and I drive. The high-rail truck can dismount the track, turn around and face the opposite direction.
The high-speed reverse option would be helpful to make it back to a turnout with a loco chasing you down! [:O]
Welcome to the forums, John [#welcome]
If that happens, somebody’s getting an unplanned vacation…
Could a 1+ Ton rated, diesel powered, 4x4 Hi-Rail pickup if equipped with air somehow and a coupler somehow move a freight car (gondola/flat) or two?
If a person can move a car by hand…
A toyota could probably move it, just not very fast (or with fast acceleration). A clutch would sure be toast after starting a car going a few times.
I would say a 1 ton with a big block could move it quite easily, especially one with 4WD. Between the transfer case and the gearbox you can get a very low gear ratio.
Its been done before. The limiting factor is the weight & adhesion over the rubber tired powered axle.
Why do want special gearing for a righ rail that is never supposed to exceed 30-35 MPH, has a hard time stopping and has to slow down for switches and road crossings???
Dan, Now that I think about it, I once saw a guy at a lumber mill spot a car by chaining it to a ATV.
Dirty feathers, Why are they hard to stop? Is it because of adheasion or something else (like usualy the front brakes do most of the work and they are up in the air)
The reason I asked that question was I was talking to a CN MOW guy near the siding by my house the other day. He was irritated that the local spotted a flat and a gon with some rail parts (tie plates, spikes, rail joiners, etc) too close to the end of the siding near the switch leaving the nose of his truck too close to the main if a train were to come along. He said something about getting the “…4x4 with a coupler/airhose rigged on the back…” and slowly shoving the cars back. That would be interesting to see!
Chad: except when the tires are new, the area on the contact patch is worn soooo smooth that it is two worn-smooth surfaces with not enough weight. The co-efficient of friction tire on road is much better than tire on polished steel rail. Add moisture and/or anything else on the tire and you are really frogged. Add the fact that of the two axles on a truck, only one is doing 75% of the work and…(get the picture?)
Look at the wear on a high-rail tire the next time one goes by, especially the back tires. Also, a high rail cannot normally use the mechanical advantage of shifting the car weight over the driving wheels like a car mover or trackmobile. Were you around in the 90’s when the Cargill Elevator at the bottom of the hill had the screw-up that dragged a tractor over half a mile with tragic results?
Dan: I pulled cars around all the time with a 4WD truck and a cable (and never hurt the truck). If you are smart about it, two guys (one in the truck and one on a brakewheel) and a truck can do plenty. Otherwise, there are plenty of anctedotes about what happened to Joe-Bob and BillyBob’s tractor at the local elevator when they screwed-up after bleeding off the air.
Thanks MC
Yes, thanks. To both of you.
Something like this:
Although, the Brandt truck is a little bigger then your average 4WD or other Hi-Rail.
Nick
Why are they called Hi-rail (High-rail) vehicles??? whats Hi (High) ??? the rail or the vehicle or both???
Hi is short for Highway. The full term is Highway Rail vehicle, as they are able to run on both rails and roads.
Nick
The Lake Superior Railroad Museum, in Duluth, Minnesota has a 1950’s Olds or Buick(?) station wagon Hi-rail vehicle.( Help me out Max!) It conjures up images of the Beach Boys verses the railfans![:P]
Ill have to get a picture tomorow. It was donated by the Erie Mining Co. ad is a station wagon type thing we parked in the museum. No ditchlights, but has a front bright headlight besides the car lights.
Tearing down catenary with hi-rail vehicles …
The issue here is not moving a car -loaded or empty- it is the ability to stop the moving car.
One person can start and move a car, loaded or empty, with a wheel lever[a specially made bar with a device on the end to apply prerssure to the car wheel while levering against the track], or pinch bar. Once rolling, the problem is overcoming the mass and velocity of the moving car, in order to stop it. Trackmobiles and other pourpose-built rail car movers solve part of this problem with an hydraulic device to transfer the weight of the car to the automotive component to assist in stopping the move. too much speed can create a whole set of other issues while stopping.
Most track mobiles also have an air line that you connect to the cars glad hands to set the air to be able to stop them. Just depends on how much money you are willing to spend and how many heart attacks it takes until you get something with air to stop the cars before they go over the derail.