MOW Equipment

Peirce Oct 21, 2001

  1. Martyn Read

    Martyn Read TrainBoard Supporter

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    Here's a few from the US.

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    SPMW7747 in a UP freight passing Elmhurst, on the former CNW west of Chicago.

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    Interesting NS gondola, these apparently were pulpwood flats with the bulkheads chopped down and sides added.

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    The helper set is shoving against BN961309 passing through Cresson PA. I think this is a rail carrier, it's in BN's MOW number and paint scheme anyhow. Don't know what it was doing so far east though :confused:
     
  2. Johnny Trains

    Johnny Trains Passed away April 29, 2004 In Memoriam

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    Martyn, I would imagine that the fellow who walks alongside those ballast cars must need a good pair of work boots and a stong pair of legs! We could be talking a several mile walk during the course of the day! And walking on ballast and ties that far must be physically taxing!
     
  3. Colonel

    Colonel Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Johnny,

    After working for more than 20 years on track I can assure you that walking on ballast does wear ankles and knees. Many a morning I have woken with stiffness in my legs and joints from walking on ballast. A lot of injuries are recorded and many a worker requiring knee surgery as a result of tripping on the ballast.
     
  4. signalguy

    signalguy Passed away December 19, 2004 In Memoriam

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    What is worse than ballast is the iron ore pellets in areas where they are transported by rail. It is something like walking on marbles or ball bearings when they are on top of the ballast and ties. They fall over the side or leak through small cracks and holes in the ore cars, especially in switching yards, so you have to be careful of how and where you step.
     
  5. Johnny Trains

    Johnny Trains Passed away April 29, 2004 In Memoriam

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    Gil, I've seen those things and would not like to step onto a pile of them in the dark.
    They look like rabbit pellets but larger, right? Kind of a purplish/black color?

    Martyn, I learned my lesson about walking on the tracks. A few years back, I went out and walked along a mainline that was heavily ballasted. I wanted to see an old scale and a small shack that was a good mile and a half down the tracks. The only way to it was to walk on the rails. Being from New York, I walk fast, walk miles each day, but I walk on flat ground mostly. I was nervous about not having much clearence alongside me, so I took off like a madman down the line. I tried mostly to stay on the side so if I slipped I'd fall away from the rails. (Oh, and I do not do these kinds of things anymore either). I ended up with some nice black and white shots, and made my way back to the car.

    The next morning, I ended up in the emergency room with back spasams that were so bad, I was in bed for the next three days. My wife ended up driving roughly 500 of the 650 miles back home. I was hurting for weeks.

    I take my hat off to all the MOW guys and gals out there. I can see the long term effects of a tough job like that.
     
  6. Martyn Read

    Martyn Read TrainBoard Supporter

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    If anyone is interested more in the Channel Tunnel Rail link, they have a great website at www.ctrl.co.uk with loads of information and construction photo's included.

    This link here CTRL.CO.UK Page should give you a photo of the Medway bridge with a short work train on it. There are two parrallel motorway bridges behind, and you can see how the line swoops down the valley and across the bridge, I think this will be really cool when it opens (meant to be Oct 2003 IIRC.)
     
  7. Martyn Read

    Martyn Read TrainBoard Supporter

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    Here's a couple more ones from the UK. When Paddington was being resignalled and electrified in the early 90's, this Unimog was used on the train that built the bases for the electrification masts. I think this is a pretty cool bit of kit, complete with a Hiab crane and air brakes (roof mounted!) and a funky orange light. [​IMG] The orange silo is behind the unimog, not attached to it btw. Each wagon is the equivalent of a small rail mounted readymix truck.
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    This new track machine had just left the Plasser plant at West Ealing, and is passing through West Ealing station. I'm pleased this pic came out as it was dull and raining heavily, looks like I ended up panning slightly, I don't remember as it was taken in the early 90's. :rolleyes:
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  8. Peirce

    Peirce Passed away April 3, 2009 In Memoriam

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    I haven't even seen many pictures of this old MOW transporter--a tricycle hand car, I believe it is called.
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  9. Peirce

    Peirce Passed away April 3, 2009 In Memoriam

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    Here is some historic detail on that three-wheeler pictured above.

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