Last Circus Train on FEC (Oops)!

[CMStPnP]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWx2Sl0zF_Y

 

[Paul of Covington]

   I have a question for someone who knows.   What was the purpose of the yellow "caps" on the rails?   Around 16 to 18 minutes in the video the locomotive wheels had to climb over them, and one of them slid a few inches before the wheel climbed it.

[BaltACD]

Paul of Covington

   I have a question for someone who knows.   What was the purpose of the yellow "caps" on the rails?   Around 16 to 18 minutes in the video the locomotive wheels had to climb over them, and one of them slid a few inches before the wheel climbed it.

Didn't watch the full video. 

However, having rerailed a number of engines and cars during my career.  I expect what you have highlighted are a steel tool known, among other names, as a replacer.  It is a winged wedge type of device that has it's far end being about 1 foot wide and resting on the top of the ties and it narrows as it reaches top of rail height and forces the flanged wheel onto the top of the rail and then into the proper alignment with the rail.  These devices need to be applied to both rails as single wheel is rarely derailed, nearly always the entire wheelset is derailed - normally one wheel inside the gauge and the other wheel outside the gauge.

Each derailment presents its own unique challenges in getting the wheels back on the rail and a variety of techniques will be used as necessary.

[Deggesty]

BaltACD

 

 

Paul of Covington

   I have a question for someone who knows.   What was the purpose of the yellow "caps" on the rails?   Around 16 to 18 minutes in the video the locomotive wheels had to climb over them, and one of them slid a few inches before the wheel climbed it.

 

 

Didn't watch the full video. 

However, having rerailed a number of engines and cars during my career.  I expect what you have highlighted are a steel tool known, among other names, as a replacer.  It is a winged wedge type of device that has it's far end being about 1 foot wide and resting on the top of the ties and it narrows as it reaches top of rail height and forces the flanged wheel onto the top of the rail and then into the proper alignment with the rail.  These devices need to be applied to both rails as single wheel is rarely derailed, nearly always the entire wheelset is derailed - normally one wheel inside the gauge and the other wheel outside the gauge.

Each derailment presents its own unique challenges in getting the wheels back on the rail and a variety of techniques will be used as necessary.

 

Are these different from rerrailing frogs? Many are those that I have seen hanging from an engine.

There is the story of the conductor who told a new hire to ge get a couple of frogs after a car had been derailed. After some time, the boy came back and said, "I couldn't find any frogs; will a couple of toads do?"

[BaltACD]

Deggesty

BaltACD

Paul of Covington

   I have a question for someone who knows.   What was the purpose of the yellow "caps" on the rails?   Around 16 to 18 minutes in the video the locomotive wheels had to climb over them, and one of them slid a few inches before the wheel climbed it.

Didn't watch the full video. 

However, having rerailed a number of engines and cars during my career.  I expect what you have highlighted are a steel tool known, among other names, as a replacer.  It is a winged wedge type of device that has it's far end being about 1 foot wide and resting on the top of the ties and it narrows as it reaches top of rail height and forces the flanged wheel onto the top of the rail and then into the proper alignment with the rail.  These devices need to be applied to both rails as single wheel is rarely derailed, nearly always the entire wheelset is derailed - normally one wheel inside the gauge and the other wheel outside the gauge.

Each derailment presents its own unique challenges in getting the wheels back on the rail and a variety of techniques will be used as necessary.

Are these different from rerrailing frogs? Many are those that I have seen hanging from an engine.

There is the story of the conductor who told a new hire to ge get a couple of frogs after a car had been derailed. After some time, the boy came back and said, "I couldn't find any frogs; will a couple of toads do?"

Same principles, different configuration. 

Back in the day there was a T&E arbitrary that was paid to crews for 'rerailing cars'.  That is one reason back in steam days there were rerailing frogs were carried on most tenders, so crews would have them be available when needed. 

There is no such arbitrary payment in todays contracts and in most cases crews would be charged if they attempted to rerail equipment without the direct orders of supervision.  In today's railroads rerailing is an action that is taken with the direct supervision and instruction of mechanical department employees. 

If you noticed on Mechanical Dept Supervisor had a Blue Lantern that he placed on the locomotive while other employees needed to go under the equipment to place and/or adjust the tools being used in the rerailing. 

It is truly amazing what Mechanical Dept employees can do with just wood blocking and wedges in addition to steel rerailing frogs.

[tree68]

The yellow (and orange) "blocks" are temporary guage bars.  

You'll notice a lot of shimming of the rails as well.  The rails spread under the locomotive.  Several glimpses of the ties left me unimpressed...

The actual derailment is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpSSdCgnh70

[Paul of Covington]

   Thanks, Larry.   I see now where the rails were pulled together by a come-along type of arrangement between the yellow thingies.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

tree68

The yellow (and orange) "blocks" are temporary guage bars.  

You'll notice a lot of shimming of the rails as well.  The rails spread under the locomotive.  Several glimpses of the ties left me unimpressed...

The actual derailment is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpSSdCgnh70 

Activated the link.  Also, edited what follows a few times:  

Love the sound of the SD40's (?) engine revving up and down !! 

The problem with both of these videos is they ignore the background action of the MOW guys replacing the damaged rail and repairing the track to allow this move to occur later on.  This linked video shows a little of it in the far background - cutting the bent rail with a torch and the backhoe then flipping it out of the track, but that's about it.  Us track guys are disappointed.    

What happened in the near rail 'rolled over' to the outside / towards the camera - look at the left side of the Original Poster's linked video in the first couple of minutes; better yet, see about 5:50 in this linked video.  The yellow and orange blocks are steel plates welded into an upside-down C-shape to grab the outside of the head of both rails and pull/ rotate the rolled-over one up to about where it ought to be; the 'come-along' feature is used to tighten up the C-clamps and pull them together do that.  See about 16:00 of this linked video.  The steel plates are thin enough that the wheels and flanges can run over them without derailing again - since they rest directly on the rail and don't have to bridge any distance, they don't need to be real thick.   

Regular gauge rods grab the base of the rail on the outside.  All of them keep the base of the rail from spreading outward.  The 'double end' version have clamps on the base of the inside of the rail too, which keeps the rail from turning over to the outside.

The W or V-type rerailer straddles the rail and forms a shallow ramp on each side.

The "camel's hump" type of rerailer has a much steeper slope up, and goes on only the side of the rail where the derailed wheel(s) is(are).  

If somebody wants, I could try to find photos of each of these on-line someplace. 

- PDN.  

[tree68]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Activated the link.

Thanks - I coded it, but the forum software ignored it...