Paul_D_North_Jr That would be after the tamper has provided the relaxing massage / 'gentle touch fingers' / vibrating bed function - believe me, it'll shake things up just fine. But so much for the track 'bed' - does it then place a confection of some kind on top ?
That would be after the tamper has provided the relaxing massage / 'gentle touch fingers' / vibrating bed function - believe me, it'll shake things up just fine.
But so much for the track 'bed' - does it then place a confection of some kind on top ?
No-that would be the one on the end with the Porta-Potty...
- esp. for the 'mint' part - that was inspired !
Paul_D_North_Jr But so much for the track 'bed' - does it then place a confection of some kind on top ?
No but it does leave things properly cradled, tucked in, tied down, and in mint condition.
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The newest version, in addition to fluffing up the ballast, turns down the tie plates as well.
Then that was most likely the rotating power broom / sweeper on one end of the regulator. It literally flails the ties, ballast, and track with many pieces of rubber hose that have a stranded wire core [ouch] to move the ballast stone particles to where they're wanted, in the process stirring up all kinds of dust. Which is why those were usually about the first track machines to have enclosed cabs, and usually have their air intake and cleaner/filter in a box up on top of the cab, connected to the engine compartment by a pretty-good size flexible hose.
- Paul North.
Definately of the pigpen variety.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Most likely it was a 'ballast regulator'. To confirm that ID, see the 'Rail Equipment Pics and Questions' thread here from about a week ago at:
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/158475.aspx
Not usually needed unless the ballast has been disturbed, which tie replacement will do. It pulls the ballast that's been pushed down and out back into the track structure, and distributes it to where it's needed - like the voids next to the ties. After the tamper goes through and does its thing, another regulator will 'dress' the track to fill the top voids left by the tamper's compaction, maybe spread any new ballast or redistribute the existing ballast to where it's needed more, such as on the outside of a curve, neaten up and smooth the shoulders, and sweep any excess ballast off the tops of the ties, etc. If it was surrounded by a cloud of dust - kind of like the 'Pigpen' character in the 'Peanuts' comic strip - that's likely what it was.
Its ballast cleaning...so that dirt etc. is removed to allow clear drainage.
We took our son to college today. As a bonus, the drive is right next to the (usually busy) BNSF line from Jasper to Marshall, Minnesota. Along that line, there is a bunch of MOW work going on. I saw a dozen + pieces of equipment that seemed to be in the tie replacing business. One of these pieces puzzled me. (Not the one that had the porta-potty on the back-do they draw straws to see operates that one?) The last piece of equipment was a machine that seemed to *fluff up* the ballast on the outsides of both rails. They weren't just fluffing in the areas that ties were replaced. This machine was headed down the prairie tracks, fluffing everything in sight. Is this common, or neccesary, to do this to ballast from time to time?
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