Norfolk Southern Automated Spikedriver with Sound Clip

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

National Public Radio aired a piece on August 7th about an automated spikedriver the Norfolk Southern uses that drives spikes into rail to hold the rail in place. It is one of their SoundClips: Audio Experiences stories.

This is the link to the site:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5624470

Enjoy,

Ryan

2

I heard this story on WBFO here. I have heard the rails “singing” like that about two miles from the actual work (derailment) site. Unless you know what the source was it could have an unlimited number of explinations, all a lot of[censored].

3

Quick, somebody inform NPR that the spike maul has been invented![(-D]

(or they don’t know the difference between a spike and an anchor…must have gotten a journalism degree with 50 cents and two boxtops at FM’s school)

4

It must be a powerful machine: “It drives spikes into ribbon rail…”

MC has already commented on the “sledgehammer” reference.

And now, I can’t get that darned song out of my head.

5

I knew “John Henry” was a “steel driving man” but I thought it was drill bits he pounded, not rail spikes. Am I mixed up on this bit of history or is Mr. Cheney?

Northtowne

6

As I recall, John Henry goes up against a steam drill and loses. I seem to recall a claymation cartoon back in the fifties set to the tune. I also recall the Smothers Brothers send-up of the song in the sixties.

7

Back when I was a kid in the late sixties and the northeast corridor still had wooden ties. I saw for the first time a work train in Elizabeth NJ doing much the same thing. It was the first time I saw ribbon rail also. They were in the midst of a conversion. What I do recall most of all was a machine in the train where crews would feed 3 or 4 foot long oak plug sticks into a vertical hopper and the machine would drive the plugs into existing holes where spikes had been previously to re-use existing ties. The raw sticks were scalloped at spike shank length. I spent a lot of time standing track side watching work progress while my parents were a few blocks away fixing up my late grandfathers estate for resale. Sure was a lot more exciting then watching house paint dry.

Please ignore my ignorance of procedures, equipment or machinery as I have never worked on a railroad but am a casual fan.

Thanks

Al Smith

(first post)