Came across this rail replacement procedure apparently in Russia. Very interesting use of track panels. Old rail is sectioned into track panels and removed for apparently use elsewhere? New panels installed but not joined. Panel rail removed and long strips of welded rail installed. Joining of long section thermited welded but joint bars installed as well. Not trusting the Thermite maybe because of temperature swings?
MC Any experience of this type replacement?
NOTE: run the time back to beginning as link starts at 3:50
Maybe, but probably that’s just the most efficient way to get the material removed, regardless of whether it’s then reused or simply scrapped.
The panel rails are jointed together (starts at 9:00) so that the rest of the panel train as well as the ballast train can get across
Pretty sure the joints are installed when the rail is laid, then time passes (right at the 33:20 mark), then the welders come by later, remove the bars and make the weld. There’s no indication that the bars go back on after the weld is made. This “joint it now, weld it later” approach happens pretty often in North American practice as well.
Never seen it down exactly this way in a production environment. Then again, complete rebuild from the subballast up, including installation of a geogrid under the ballast layer, just isn’t done on freight railroads over long distances and under traffic. The closest I’ve ever come was when we upgraded a 5,000’ yard track to a main line. In that case we scrapped out the existing track in place, graded, and then built new track with a track-laying machine… But that was different because we could take the yard track out of service for a few weeks in the process.
Estonian panel party with Plasser and other western equipment. What Balt is thinking is inefficient is due to the super-heavy concrete ties that have to be moved by the gantry crane.
Appears to be used for only replacing short sections of track which is probably fine for them. (Otherwise they would be flash-butt welding instead of Boutet welding)…The whole thing is done for existing track under traffic (and under catenary) with survey (optical robotics, GPS would be killed by multipath errors) as a a good check and verification for grade and alignment - the Plasser tamper has no idea where it is in the real world. Didn’t really see it, but there appears to be a blade / dozer somewhere in the process that is also being guided by survey machine language. The whole process is small scale, out of face - the rail train enforces that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the old track panels were cascaded into a branchline or backtrack somewhere, at least the rail. Trying to figure out the Geogrid application. Like most of Europe, it’s a little over-engineered, but its always been that way. Works for them. If that rail goes elsewhere, it’s got to have the proper tie plates or concrete ties to properly work.
I see the Burkhardt World Railways influence has not completely worn off.
Estonian panel party with Plasser and other western equipment. What Balt is thinking is inefficient is due to the super-heavy concrete ties that have to be moved by the gantry crane.
Appears to be used for only replacing short sections of track which is probably fine for them. (Otherwise they would be flash-butt welding instead of Boutet welding)…The whole thing is done for existing track under traffic (and under catenary) with survey (optical robotics, GPS would be killed by multipath errors) as a a good check and verification for grade and alignment - the Plasser tamper has no idea where it is in the real world. Didn’t really see it, but there appears to be a blade / dozer somewhere in the process that is also being guided by survey machine language. The whole process is small scale, out of face - the rail train enforces that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the old track panels were cascaded into a branchline or backtrack somewhere, at least the rail. Trying to figure out the Geogrid application and what the subgrade conditions dictated. (Peltier has apparently never been to the PRB during concrete tie construction - geogrid is everywhere along with the NEC trying to negate impact damage by concrete ties) . Like most of Europe, it’s a little over-engineered, but its always been that way. Works for them. If that rail goes elsewhere, it’s got to have the proper tie plates or concrete ties to properly work.
I see the Burkhardt World Railways influence has not completely worn off.
Estonian panel party with Plasser and other western equipment. What Balt is thinking is inefficient is due to the super-heavy concrete ties that have to be moved by the gantry crane.
Appears to be used for only replacing short sections of track which is probably fine for them. (Otherwise they would be flash-butt welding instead of Boutet welding)…The whole thing is done for existing track under traffic (and under catenary) with survey (optical robotics, GPS would be killed by multipath errors) as a a good check and verification for grade and alignment - the Plasser tamper has no idea where it is in the real world. Didn’t really see it, but there appears to be a blade / dozer somewhere in the process that is also being guided by survey machine language. The whole process is small scale, out of face - the rail train enforces that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the old track panels were cascaded into a branchline or backtrack somewhere, at least the rail. Trying to figure out the Geogrid application and what the subgrade conditions dictated. (Peltier has apparently never been to the PRB during concrete tie construction - geogrid is everywhere along with the NEC trying to negate impact damage by concrete ties) . Like most of Europe, it’s a little over-engineered, but its always been that way. Works for them. If that rail goes elsewhere, it’s got to have the proper tie plates or concrete ties to properly work. Curious as to what triggered that particular piece of track to be replaced and the thinking that went with it.
I see the Burkhardt World Railways influence has not completely worn off.