Railfans

[Orion]

The noteworthy "11foot8 bridge", also known as the "can-opener", in Durham, North Carolina, United States, is being raised by eight inches.

This video shows some of the fantastical machines in use to raise the railway track accordingly:

at 5:12 a Ballast Tamper which according, to the video, aligns the tracks and then tamps the ballast around the sleepers;
and at 6:24, a Ballast Regulator, to spread the ballast and add it where needed.

Video runs 8:42 in total.

[Orion]

One of two historic steam class locomotives has been retrieved from a Southland river this morning, but the other will be staying behind.

Article includes brief video of interview with Linton Contracting general manager Russell Bradley:

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland ... land-river

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I see Dunedin railways, want to close, or mothball, the section of railway on the Taieri Gorge between Pukerangi and Middlemarch.
Sad to loose another section of NZ railway history

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Dunedin Railways have now completely mothballed their operations until further notice.

[Orion]

^ a shame. One feels sorry for those who may find their jobs redundant.

...Fifty-one staff will likely be made redundant as Dunedin Railways Limited mothballs its track and equipment in a bid to avoid closing entirely.
In a statement this morning, chairman Kevin Winders said mothballing was a way of preserving DRL’s assets ''with a view to exploring future options for the company in what will undoubtedly be a very different tourism environment''....

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/taie ... -likely-go

The Taieri Gorge Railway is a great trip, glad I've done it, hope to do it again one day.

[tgsnoopy]

Sad about that, it was on my to do list for later this year too.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

How come during lockjaw, the Auckland city council haven't started building a light rail system for the city, ie. trams
Good opportunity for building a light rail system, especially around the CBD, instead of just going on and on and on and on and on and on....and on ...........and on and on.
Talking and talking talking talking etc., with nothing happening, apart from some ideas?
just my thoughts

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Just going through my old files/photographs, here's a picture of me driving a train in the late 1970's.
Photo taken by my LA assistant Rob Davidson, who worked for NZR before coming a lawyer, who passed away recently and was married to Lianne Dalziel, ex MP/Government Minister and now the mayor of Christchurch.

[Orion]

Mysterious damage to half of Auckland’s railway track network has left it needing urgent replacement, meaning commuter trains will run slower and less frequently for the next six months.

Ultrasonic testing of tracks already known to be worn has found their condition worse than previously estimated, prompting the unprecedented repair. ...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122444 ... al-concern

What gives? Any thoughts?

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Mysterious damage to half of Auckland’s railway track network has left it needing urgent replacement, meaning commuter trains will run slower and less frequently for the next six months.

Ultrasonic testing of tracks already known to be worn has found their condition worse than previously estimated, prompting the unprecedented repair. ...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122444 ... al-concern

What gives? Any thoughts?

Interesting?
Either old rails being worn out by the excessive amount of trains running over them or when the sections of track have been replaced using rubbish steel from China?

[Orion]

rubbish steel

I wondered about that...

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Here's photo I took today at Pleasant Point of Ab 699 at the station taken through the rear window of RM 4, the Model T railcar.

[Orion]

When I look in at the La Plata, MO, railcam there are usually ~350-800 viewers, depending on the time of day there.

Yesterday there were ~1,400 for a while, they were engrossed in this, I think I caught the tail end of it live: video runs 8:39

Train goes into emergency at La Plata MO Amtrak station:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF8BpR87X6Y

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Here's a dramatic weather

image.png

/train photo I found courtesy of Glen Anthony

[wembley]

Look what I got...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbH7YvjvOFM

[wembley]

And another one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMukdg8NU1M

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Interesting re the above, Passchendaele "Ab" 608, ran a steam train down there recently with a couple of Da locomotives working the train further south.
Da locos never did revenue service for the NZR in the South Island so was interesting to see those locos down here, just like the Djs in the North Island, although I think a Dj did a stint around Dargaville in the 1990's?.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Disappointed there was no mention on TV One news tonight about the DSJ locomotive and wagon that plunged into Picton Harbour yesterday.
I think this is an important environmental issue

[Nev]

^ Stuff have some nice security camera footage of the incident...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-exp ... on-harbour

[Awhituobs]

you do have to ask how this happened
someone must have got distracted

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

you do have to ask how this happened
someone must have got distracted

Remote locomotives are operated in the same way as truckies use Hiab when unloading their cargo/goods whatever off the back of their trucks.
Shunters use a similar way of controlling their shunt engines with a backpack system similar to truckies
Maybe there was a Hiab operating in the area and sent the Dsj with the container wagons attached, parked in a siding, got caught up in confused radio waves that sent the locomotive, which would of been running at the time, and wagon forward into the area where the siding was set that was towards the linkspan ?

[Orion]

Dry ice to help cut train delays caused by leaves on tracks:

A new way of removing leaves more efficiently from railway lines to reduce delays is to be trialled across northern England.

The technique, developed by University of Sheffield engineers, involves blasting tracks with dry ice from a passenger train. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58783589

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Dry ice to help cut train delays caused by leaves on tracks:

A new way of removing leaves more efficiently from railway lines to reduce delays is to be trialled across northern England.

The technique, developed by University of Sheffield engineers, involves blasting tracks with dry ice from a passenger train. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58783589

Interesting article. I can remember leaves affecting track circuits on the tracks affecting signals/level crossing alarms and barriers at Ensors Road at Linwood in Christchurch, when approaching from Lyttleton. There were a line of Poplar trees adjacent to the line and in autumn the leaves would blow across the tracks in Windy NE situations. They put a 10k restriction across the affected track and I can remember on one occasion when approaching the crossing the barrier arms were starting to go up because of the insolation of the track circuit because of the leaves. If it wasn't for the 10km restriction things may of been more disastrous.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I see Kiwirail have ordered some new locos built in Spain for the South Island.

[wembley]

Stadler locos I think.