Recently while driving between Pendleton and LaGrande, Oregon, maintenance work was being done on the UP. Every ten to fifteen feet there were white plastic bags being distributed and used for the maintenance process. What did these plastic bags contain?
Litter pick up?—we had something along that line occuring not too long ago on the CN main here—[:-^]
It’s a pilot program UP is starting. Instead of using creosote-soaked ties to hold the track in place, they are going to try to use white plastic bags every 15 feet. Some new manager thought it’d be cheaper and easier. We’ll see.
Or, in light of recent events elsewhere, they’re there to collect the ballast that washes away from under the track during flash-flood situations. With any luck, they can save time and the expense of strings of ballast hoppers. [;)]
Seriously, I suspect that they contain some component such as rail anchors. Pretty tough plastic, I suspect!
[(-D][(-D][(-D]
Body bags dropped out of the special white boxcars…
(Pandrol clips in fiber reinforced bags)
Good thing they weren’t seen on an NS line about - oh, say, 5 to 10 years ago . . . [:-,]
Those had to be autographed and turned in.
If the crews along that line had been out swilling beer and eating White Castle “sliders” or Taco Bell the night before, those white bags would show up a lot more often then every 15 feet! [xx(]
Extra shackles…[:-^]
Well, since we seem to be on a humorous response kick:
Hung there to see how long it would take for a railfan to see them and post a question on the Trains Magazine forum asking for what purpose those white plastic bags are hung every 15 feet along the line.
‘Hung’ [Q]
You’re welcome![:-^]