Some pictures and questions

[Anonymous]

I had nothing to do better than going train spotting today. It was my first time going to Iona Island in New York. I walked exactly one mile between MP41 down to MP40. On the way, I saw something I didn't know, and that's why I need to bring this up to ask everyone.









What happened to this part of track?







Thank you!

Karn[:)]

[Randy Stahl]

curve oiler.looks like it's working well too.
Randy

[choochin3]

In the first photo is a whistle sign telling the engineer that he is approaching a grade crossing and that he needs to sound the locomotive horn.Photos 2-4 are a wheel flange lubricator,the trigger is what is mounted on the side of the rail. As a train goes over the trigger grease is applyed to the inside edge of the rail to reduce wear on the wheel flanges,and rail.The last 3 photos appear to be a sun kink.Was the temperature hot that day?Sun kinks happen when the rails don't have enough room to expand in direct sun and heat.When this happens the rails have no where to go so at the weakest part of the roadbed the rails will shiftout of alignment.If it wasen't very hot out on that day than I would say that it might be the roadbed setteling or a small sinkhole.I hope no train came through there at any high rate of speed.It looks like a train could derail here if the track gauge was out too much.Hope this helps answer your questions.From Beano Country. choochin3 out.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea what it is, but the cyclic wear pattern in the sixth photo is interesting, maybe its from wheel slip?

[Randy Stahl]

jruppert... Right on , rail corrugation caused by wheel slip...
Randy

[athelney]

Noting the flange lubricator - seems just a manual type - ie wheel hits it -grease is pushed out - On the CN mainline here at Page BC - Flange lubricator has a solar panel attached to it - advantage over manual ?? Solar panel was installed about 2 months ago -- any thoughts?

[csxengineer98]

the last pic looks lot more like a soft spot in the road bed... and on the 1 side more then the other
csx engineer

[Modelcar]

...Good pictures of rail alignment. Interesting, the location of the flange lubricator appears to be on tangent track....unless it is lubing for a curve behind the camera one wonders why located at that spot....On the nasty dip in the rail structure, it would seem to most that problem should warrant some attention....I claim to be no authority on such matters but I would side with the opinion above it is a defect in road bed allowing the rail to sink below where it should be from wet weather or some fault under the surface of that area. I've seen road ways move 6 ft. or more sideways and down hill in my home area of Pennsylvania and the suspected cause was worked out mines underneath and "posts" finally letting go that had supported the "worked out" mine area causing the surface above to move...Whatever the cause, don't the railroad experts on here think that section of rail needs attention...and pretty quick.

[Hugh Jampton]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

...Whatever the cause, don't the railroad experts on here think that section of rail needs attention...and pretty quick.

Depends on the train speed and how much more the track deflects when there's a train going over it.

[locomutt]

I can agree with some of the explanations,and that must be a curve oiler;
but I think the M.O.W. crew needs to get out and do something with the track.[:)]

[Modelcar]

....The track is not going to get better on it's own....so the only direction it probably will go is worse...!

[AntonioFP45]

Rkarn,

Did you call the Railroad and report the kinks?

It's always better to play it safe than risk lives. Just my opinion, but it would be better for a track inspector to come out and say "It's not dangerous" than seeing a newspaper article the next day with: Train carrying chemicals derails, injuries suffered by engine crew. Or: Amtrak derailment; numerous injuries.

It's hard to tell, but these photos looks like Class 4 track which (correct me if I'm wrong) allows up to 70 m.p.h.

Not slamming you, but IMHO, as railfans we should act as eyes and ears for the railroads, even if it doesn't seem to be appreciated at times. However, I'm very sure though that train crews already under stress do appreciate this! [4:-)][tup]

Cheers with an E7 in Run 8.

[mudchicken]

The only way you determine speed is by timetable or what the roadmaster restricts it to do to defects......track under load may be adequate for FRA Cls 3 or Cls. 4 running (remember please that the rules apply to track under load....Which is what geometry cars would verify at least once a year or more dependent on tonnage)

Flange lubricators are placed where the grease will be carried to do the most good. It may be lubricating multiple panels. The solar panels may be connected toone of several devices used to monitor (goop gage!) and/or heat cold grease.

Can you say subgrade failure & ballast pockets?

Corrugated low rail may mean train is going too slow and wheel sets are unbalanced to the low side, putting all the adhesion on the low rail. Needs Mr. Speno or Mr. Loram preceded by surfacing gang. I'm sure there's a track inspector, roadmaster and division engineer out there wondering why they keep buying new locomotives, but won't put a dime back into regularly scheduled maintenance to buck-up track modulus....There is a dispatcher unhappy about slow orders too...

[Anonymous]

I've spent a lot of time on Iona Island in my younger days, avoiding the larger crowds up the road at Bear Mtn. Park. We would hang out there watching trains, birds, boats and mostly our girlfriends. A small island in the Hudson River, much of it is a bird sanctuary with the only buildings an old Navy storage facility.

Rail traffic was West Shore freight trains.(Amtrak runs along the opposite shore.) Speed was fairly slow as I recall as the train crossed curved causeways & a long, low wood trestle bridge to get on and off the island.

Wayne

[Anonymous]

Muddy Creek,

I can imagine what your old days were!! If I had more time in this country, I would take a train ride, going out to explore many things I have never seen in railways' world! HBD, DED, etc. forget it, we never had it in my country. That's why sometimes I am afraid if someone may think my question is so STUPID to ask here. I am novice, despite of being long time rail fan, but somethings I will never have a chance to see in my life over there!

Anyway, when I walked down south along the track, I noticed that the bridge was actually a lot wider than a space required for a single track. Can you confirm me from your memory in your younger day, this line was once double tracks???

Karn[:)]

[Anonymous]

The "W" is a water stop, generally there will be a little shack on the side of the tracks where the crews can wash up and refill their drinking water. There is also usually a hose so they can refill the locomotive as well.

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

The "W" is a water stop, generally there will be a little shack on the side of the tracks where the crews can wash up and refill their drinking water. There is also usually a hose so they can refill the locomotive as well.

funny...but wrong..... the W is a wistle post...telling the engineer that thier is a crossing comeing up and to start to blow the horn in the 14-L (2 longs 1 short and then a long)...
csx engineer

[espeefoamer]

I sure hope they've got a slow order on that bad track[:0]!!!
Those photos reminded me of a Far Side cartoon I saw once,in which a train crew looks out the engine cab at some equally bad track, and one says to the other,"It looks like we've got some mighty bad trackulance ahead".

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98
[..... the W is a whistle post...telling the engineer that there is a crossing coming up csx engineer

off-topic (sort of) ---> Maybe "W" is for water in Canada? The reason I bring this up...

At the Railway museum in Squamish, BC there is a miniature RR that crosses the entry way. The warning sign refers to "wig-wag lights" which I think means alternate flashing lights on the crossing signal. In the US a wig-wag is an old style crossing signal with a swaying banner...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

The "W" is a water stop, generally there will be a little shack on the side of the tracks where the crews can wash up and refill their drinking water. There is also usually a hose so they can refill the locomotive as well.

funny...but wrong..... the W is a wistle post...telling the engineer that thier is a crossing comeing up and to start to blow the horn in the 14-L (2 longs 1 short and then a long)...
csx engineer

[(-D]

I was just joking [;)]

[JoeKoh]

Wow
nice pics.Mow needs to called.
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

Do you think it is enough to make the engineer and the conductor feel something is wrong there?

Karn[:)]

[kenneo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rkarn

Do you think it is enough to make the engineer and the conductor feel something is wrong there?

Karn[:)]

Oh, yes, if they are going fast enough. But if the speed is slow enough, that track is servicable. Does it need help. YES. But it does not appear to be pumping mud, and that is a good thing.

If that line is the West Side line from Jersey north, yes, it once was multiple track.

Curve oilers (also known as flange lubricators) are sometimes used on straight rail to reduce flange and rail head wear, bu the better solution to curing that wear is to get that track back into alignment and cross level. From the spacing of the dips, I would suspect that the roadbed there goes over a filled in trestle and the piles have finally rotted out and the roadbed has settled into the voids. That would also explain the lack of pumping in evidence.

OK. Mud Chicken, Sir, local amature RDM now off duty.

[UPTRAIN]

Neat pix!!!

[Anonymous]

Karn,

The West Shore line was double track from Dumont NJ, to the yards in Selkirk, near Albany, NY. South of Dumont was 4 tracks. I believe they started switching to single track when commuter traffic was stopped on the line around 1960 and by the time I started heading to the area around Bear Mountain in the late 60's, I think it was all single track. I've looked through some books and can't find a photo showing the track configuration on the trestle during those years but I think it was single track by then.

I haven't ridden Amtrak along the opposite shore for a long time, but that is some of the prettiest railroad scenery in NY, in my opinion.

Off-topic: I grew up in Pearl River, near the town you listed in your profile, though your village didn't exist in those days, being part of Spring Valley. My mother grew up on a farm there, near the Green Meadow School, a school my Aunt helped start. My Grandfather built some of the buildings there and at Three-fold Farm.

Wayne