keep forgetting to ask this question - Saw a pickem up truck with the regular tires and the rail wheels that run up and down the tracks? Like…a track checker…
Now…
Ready?
How do they get those wheels mounted on the rails so the pickem up can go down the rails?
Don’t they ruin their tires in doing it however they do it?
Hmmm!
Probably should post this under Sunday Funnies, because clearly I am missing something obvious!
Mook
You know that is a good Question, But here is a fatc for you. The wheels are insulated so they won’t set off Railroad lights or Signals.
Can’t complete the track current, and that means less screw ups.
They usually use a grade crossing to mount and dismount. Trackage that’s been paved over (like in an intermodal terminal) will also work.
Sis, they put those trucks on the tracks (or take them off) at ordinary grade crossings…just line the truck up with the tracks and drop the flanged wheels in place, and off you go. The rubber tires provide the traction on the rails. I remember seeing one of these trucks with very worn bands on the tire treads, many years ago.
As for the part about controling signals, etc., they can go either way. On the UP through town here, they do trip the grade crossing signals. I believe, though, that this can be prevented with some sort of shunting control. Perhaps Mr. Mudchicken will help us out on this thread; he’s probably intimately familiar with this type of vehicle.
And, depending on the width of the vehicle (and more specifically the distance between the tires) they may have special rims on the wheels so the tires will actually ride on the rails.
Here’s a photo of a much larger version of this type of vehicle. This thing has a coupler on it’s rear bumper!!! This one belongs to the CP and is being used to pull a few gondolas to distribute ties for a replacement project. I have seen this exact arrangement used by the BNSF too.
Click on the photo to enlarge it, sorry it’s a bit fuzzy.[:I]
Mookie,
The track wheels are on racks that fold up or down.
The hyrail truck is has a heavy duty frame, the wheel racks are mounted to it, and can move side to side some.
Drive up on a crossing, drop your wheels and lock them down, away you go, the rear truck tires provide traction and braking, most of the Hyrails are designed so the front wheels and tires do not contact the rails, the steel track wheels do the steering.
Need to get off the tracks, just stop on the next crossing, fold up your track wheels, and drive away.
Droping or lifting the wheels and locking them in place takes about a minute or two at the most.
Ed
Thanks for supplying more info for my photo Ed. BTW I have even seen one of these monsters cruising down the freeway, flanged wheels up, with coupler on rear bumper. I have even seen back hoes and other construction equipment fitted with drop down wheels. Cool stuff!![8D]
Being the visual person that I am, I am seeing a truck sitting next to a grade crossing that looks no different than the regular train tracks. So how does being at a grade crossing make any difference?
It is just a handy place to get on the rails. Think how hard it would be to try to balance a vehicle on the rails. It would be like trying to jump two curbs at a time to get the tires on the rails. It’s easy to drive up to a grade crossing where the head of the rail is set in the pavement, and lower the flanged set of wheels, and you are off!!!
Jen…one first has to line up the truck parallel with and directly over the rails and then as several have said the flanged wheels are dropped down and some pressure exerted on them and as stated above perhaps completely lift the front weight of truck off the tires and at this point the flanged wheels take the load and do the job of keeping the front of the vehicle pointed the way you want to go…and of course right over the rails…Now my question to one in the business…Does tire pressure have to be altered to do this kind of running on the rails…? Another question: Is there any case when some of the smaller vehicles [small pickup], still rest on the front wheels and support the truck and making it necessary to lock the steering straight forward…? In other words, just be guided by the flanged wheels…but letting front tires support the vehicle.
The answer to the tire pressure is NO. The goal is to get on and off quickly and easily, no need to mess around. I would think they would want to operate with the same level of traction as on the road. The earliest uses of automobiles on the rails were different, they had no seperate flanged wheels. I’m not sure when the current technology began.
I believe that small vehicles do keep all 4 tires on the on the rail, and if I’m not mistaken do have a steering lock for the front wheels.
They just drive on the rails with the rubber tires and the train wheels guide the truck…it doesn’t hurt the tires at all.
…Ok on the small vehicles and wheels on the rails…On the tire pressure question, I was thinking in terms of running for some miles and the support of the rail head on the tire is much more narrow then on the road surface, hence wondering about any PSI requirement change…
Budd and Michelin combined to create a gas-powered motor coach many years ago. It had fluted aluminum sides. The power car pulled a single coach. The wheels were permanently set on rail, but the rail road wheels had rubber [Michelin, remember?] tread with a steel flange. The set was sold to PRR, but wound up at shortline Washington & Old Dominion. [no one considered it a success…]
…The conversation reminds me of after WWII when Traction Co’s. were replacing their street car vehicles, etc…and I believe it was Brill supplying new ones to Johnstown, Pa. and the wheels were somehow insulated with rubber making the units so quiet you didn’t hear much from them as they approached. I’m talking about a construction of the wheels in a way the “tire” part of the wheel was insulated from the remaining body of the wheel and silenced the noise. It was so different from the older cars in the noise they made traveling down the street.
Good Grief
Here’s something I can actually speak from experience on.
Back in 1978, I actually drove one of Mt Newman Mining’s Hi-Rail Toyota Land Cruisers, and this included a meet with an empty ore train in a crossing loop. I can’t tell you what it was like to pass an ore train in a Hi-Rail, because I was out photographing it, while someone else minded the radio! It was a really good shot, too used by the company for publicity!
On this vehicle, the front end was supported by the Hi-Rail wheels that were raised and lowered hydraulically. At the rear end all power and braking came from the rear wheels which carried the (not inconsiderable) weight of a Land Cruiser with cantilevered frames front and rear with the Hi Rail gear. The rear Hi Rail wheels just guided the vehicle, and had some flexibility.
As has been said, you just lined the car upon a crossing, usually with someone outside to tell you when you were in the right place, operated the switch and you were a rail vehicle! You contacted Train Control BEFORE doing this, of course!
The steering wasn’t locked on this car, but the weight of the whole front wheel drive assembly meant that it didn’t move much during rail operation. Driving was very smooth, although there was virtually no front suspension, just a rubber tread on the Hi Rail wheels. Acceleration was a bit slow due to the relatively poor adhesion on the steel rails, but the big trap was braking. It took forever to stop, because you were relying only on the rear drum brakes, applying on wheels in contact with a smooth steel rail!. A number of track workers were killed by running into the rear of a train, because at night, by the time you saw the rear end light, if you weren’t already at a dead slow speed, you were going to hit.
But during the day, you could run at 70 mph with no problems, much faster and smoother than on the parallel dirt access road!
Hope this helps
Peter
This vehicle is call a road railer. How do I know? I work for the CP rail way and I am a forman in the Milwaukee area in the MOW.( Track department) Why we use this type of vehicle is it is faster then the old car mover witch were a cat loader with out the bucket. and move very slow. This will move more cars.
Here’s a photo of a much larger version of this type of vehicle. This thing has a coupler on it’s rear bumper!!! This one belongs to the CP and is being used to pull a few gondolas to distribute ties for a replacement project. I have seen this exact arrangement used by the BNSF too.
Click on the photo to enlarge it, sorry it’s a bit fuzzy.[:I]
[/quote]
No change needed. All that is needed is the back tires to sit on the rail to add for the movement.
…Ok on the small vehicles and wheels on the rails…On the tire pressure question, I was thinking in terms of running for some miles and the support of the rail head on the tire is much more narrow then on the road surface, hence wondering about any PSI requirement change…
[/quote]
Duh here… I know the concept…now… but
I am sitting at a crossing that I literally have to throw Millie across because it is so rough it shakes us both apart. This crossing looks no different than the gravel and rails on either side of it. So does the truck have to use the crossing or can they just get on anywhere along this stretch of tracks. And do they get on by straddling one rail and then driving over the 2nd rail to get into position.
Now I am blushing
I am just not picking up on this how to get from the street into position on the rails …on a crossing that looks no different that the regular stretch of rails. Are you following me?
I know some grade xings have be built up to be pretty level so you don’t bump over the tracks as bad. This isn’t the case here! Or do they just drive to a more level xing?
And what if you are in the country - they don’t all have level xings do they?