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Koppers signs three-year contract with Norfolk Southern for rail joint assemblies
Son of gun…a nagging question that nobody answered and I wasn’t curious enough to research may just have been answered.
The work train rebuilding the Capitol Corrider had a carload of pre-assembled insulated rail joints which were about 15 feet long, would require two $400 Boutet (sp?) welds to insert into the welded rail, and were called Alleghenys…
Over the couple of months running that train, I asked a few times why the name and no one knew, but today a clue!
One question that was answered: a crane operater riding thru Jack London Square on our GP40–2, lite eng but 135 tons with a just filled fuel tank…any way, he asked what the 0-60 mph time was? No way did I know, but armed with an inquiring mind and some new and up-graded 60 mph track at East Oakland, I stopped us, left the independent brake fully applied, opened the throttle to Run 8, the max, and when the power exceeded the brake released the brake.
37 seconds.
No threat to the NHRA.
FWIW, Koppers HQ building in downtown Pittsburgh is an architectural classic.
@ Francis X Carlin: I like your GP40-2 experiment. Could this lead to a whole new engine handling procedure? Could be a time saver on commuter runs, freight yard and siding departures, etc. Seriously, thanks for the data. 37 seconds, huh? Not bad.
Actually just thermite welds, the Boutet? was just the name of the manufacturer, a French Co. We used to call them Booty welds!
Allegheny joints were involved in a couple collisions when they were first being installed 40 years ago. If you improperly place them over a tie plate which bridges the bases of the rails in the joint it can cause false signal indications. That makes them into a non-insulated joint.
is this the same koppers that use to be or still is on the wheeling and lake erie rr. i think they use to ship ore, or coal, at one time.