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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken [quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes Last weekend we had an ice storm in the area. I never heard an official amount but the bed of my pickup had a good 3 to 4 inches in it. [:0] It started late Friday night with freezing rain and continued off and on most of the night. The trains were still running but crews were wanting lots of fusees. In the yard the MOW crews were lighting an oil [?] of some sort under the rails in the hump yard. They also lighted some under the rails on the mainlines. There were no switches near where they were lighting them on the mainlines. In the hump yard switches were near the fires. Every so often the small fires would flare up 5 or 6 feet in the air then settle back down to just a flame of a few inches. What type of oil did they use? Was this oil in a contain or pot like the highway maintence crews used to use? It did burn a while and also produced a smell. I had a feeling of maybe this used to be like the old time yard when steam engines were in use, lots of smoke and smells. [:)] [/quote] Kerosene http://www.aldonco.com/catalog_category.asp?sec=3&cat=91&subid=91 Very similar to the old highway smudge pots ......older switch heaters used kerosene or a mixture of waste/journal oil that was initially ignited by gasoline or naptha.... These little portable switch heaters are more common than you think.[:D] [/quote] This is a subject not very common down here. This is only the second ice storm I can remember in the last 5 or 6 years. If we have ice, snow, or sleet it usually is just a one day affair most of the time. How do these heaters effect the track? Does the open flame lessen the life of the rail? Why are they put where there is not a switch? I must say, since this is not a common occurance here in the winter, I did find it interesting to watch the crews put them out and light them. [^]
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