I blame Greg's Crew

Jinx

when in doubt, upgrade!
Location
So Jordan, Utah
How the hell do they pick up the train cars?

(It is probably something I can google, but you are a better story teller...) :D
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
How the hell do they pick up the train cars?

(It is probably something I can google, but you are a better story teller...) :D

Big, heavy machines. :p

Usually all the cars that are involved in a derailment get scrapped and shoved out of the way, the trucks are just held in place by a pin and when the cars tip over, usually the axles fall out of place.

The damaged cars and track are shoved out of the way, then my department comes in and we start with building a level grade, then start dropping in 40' sections of pre-built track and start rebuilding. We typically use trackhoes to unload track panels off of flat cars and put them into position, bolting them together.

Typically the goods that were loaded on the train are scrapped, the company is self insured so they just eat the damage to the freight.

The priority with a track like that is getting it back in service as soon as possible, we have had massive derailment with 30 plus cars on the ground and had the track back in service within 36 hours. If a track is not running trains, the company isn't making money.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
These are Side Booms... a Cat dozer with a MASSIVE winch on one side with an adjustable boom and a moveable counterweight on the opposite side. 4 of these can lift and carry a locomotive. They use these to shove and move anything involved in the derailment out of the way.

Screenshot_20210716-184848_SmugMug.jpg


The chaos that is a massive derailment... this was a 1.8 million dollar derailment, caused by an employee that didn't fully release a brake after picking up a car from a customer. And it happened on UP track, but it was a BNSF train.
Screenshot_20210716-185339_SmugMug.jpg

Side Booms working on clearing the mess...
Screenshot_20210716-185346_SmugMug.jpg
Screenshot_20210716-190045_SmugMug.jpg

New track panels laid, a few hours later and we had the siding tied back in to the main track.
Screenshot_20210716-185730_SmugMug.jpg
 

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
Big, heavy machines. :p

Usually all the cars that are involved in a derailment get scrapped and shoved out of the way, the trucks are just held in place by a pin and when the cars tip over, usually the axles fall out of place.

Traveled by rail often when working sled dog races in northern Manitoba. It is not the most comforting thing to pass abandoned cars from a previous derailment!
 
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