DIESEL PILE DRIVER ACTION on the UNION PACIFIC!! 3 Mixed freights and crossover move. Drone views!

[@Diegoiowatrains]

Fabulous red great 3 UP mixed freights they work pretty good well done 👍😊😊😊

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

@Diegoiowatrains Thanks Diego!

[@w.rustylane5650]

Thank you for posting as I don't think I'd ever seen a pile being driven. Great hi-def in the sky. Cheers from eastern TN

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

@w.rustylane5650 You're welcome Rusty! You could feel it in the ground while driving. Cheers from Iowa👍

[@EntertainmentWorldz]

nice ivdeo bro

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks EW!

[@tristanstrains]

Excellent video

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Tristans Trains!

[@garymiller5937]

Awesome mixed freight with the pile driver in the background Red! 😊😊😊❤❤❤

[@garymiller5937]

Good mixed freights today. 😊😊😊

[@danlowe8684]

Red, another great vid!! Couple things you may find interest - the crane operator is running 3 lines - one for the hammer leads, one for the H pile, and one to start the hammer. The pile buck (term for tradesman) with the level that measures is measuring blows per foot to determine bearing in tons that the pile will support (goes off of weight of pile, weight of hammer, drop of hammer, etc.). One pile buck has a rope to assist in positioning the hammer leads and the other pile buck has a rope which cuts off the fuel supply to stop the hammer. As far as the length goes, they normally drive a 'test pile' at the beginning to determine length needed. More can be welded on if needed.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Dan! That's great information, I wondered how they determined how deep to go. I imagine some of those guys can tell by the sound of the hammer how deep they need to go. I hope to catch the actual bridge replacement next week. Looks like it will be a 45 foot precast concrete section. The replacement schedule keeps changing.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Hey Dan, when that pile driver fires is it forcing the hammer upward and then the weight of it falling driving the pile?

[@danlowe8684]

@@redsiowatrainvideos6645 Yes. This is why they had to restart the hammer at the start of the driving - there is not enough resistance to 'bounce' the hammer back into the air. Once resistance is encountered, it keeps going. There are also paint marks on the very top that indicate how many feet the hammer is dropping for the calulation of force being exerted. Then, when bedrock is encountered the piston really starts jumping out of the cylinder and the piles bucks can hear that.

[@sammyday3341]

In south Texas we drive to around 30 ft. The deepest I’ve driven are around 70 Ft.

[@bldallas]

@@redsiowatrainvideos6645 These pile drivers are diesel powered and they work just like the piston in a diesel engine. As the hammer drops to hit the pile it creates tremendous internal pressure, which ignites the deisel fuel, and throws the hammer back up to the top of its stroke. Really simple concept and it works fantastic. Regarding the pile lengths, a geotechnical engineer would have been involved in the design process. Part of their process include a field investigation where they send a drilling truck out to core holes and draw samples of the subgrade soils. The engineer then designs the length of pile needed, either based on side friction or end bearing (say into bedrock). Geotechnical engineering is not an exact science, though, as soil types and characteristics can vary tremendously, withing a few feet of eachother. So the plans will show anticipated pile lengths, but they will also call out a point of refusal (i.e., like 50 blows will only advance the pile a small fraction of an inch). That's what the guy on the ground is measuring peridoically. On a related note, I'm a civil engineer and I do some consulting, including estimating, for a railroad construction company. Because of their increased buying capacity and to avoid a contractor mark-up, the railroad companies typically supply tall the materials required for a project. This includes some extra length of H pile. Though our pricing is often a Lump Sum quote, we're typically asked for a unit price (dollars per LF) on the pile driving. Then, based on those field measurements, we are ultimately paid for the actual total length of driven pile.

[@garymiller5937]

Another long unit and another DPU. Yes!😊😊

[@ericbeckett1166]

Good video Red very interesting!

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Eric!

[@fallingup90]

Very cool pile driver action! That and the conversing going on when the train goes by the bridge lol

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks fallingup90! Yeah it was funny talking to the old boy who had the house next to the tracks. I can't believe he had anything hanging on the walls after all that pile driving😀

[@garymiller5937]

That eas so cool!!!!! Fabulous catch Red You rock!!!!! 😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤

[@vhostovich]

This is my third of your videos on this bridge replacement. Your an good drone pilot.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Vaughn!

[@garymiller5937]

Really like the pole driver too. 😊

[@sammyday3341]

I’ve worked on dozens of those projects. It’s still pretty exciting after all these years.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Yes Sammy, that was my first experience of a diesel pile driver. Quite impressive👍

[@fredtrench5684]

Thanks again Red. Good interesting video.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

You're welcome Fred!

[@archibaldtuttle8481]

Years ago I watched this type of pile-driving for almost an hour. Somehow I was noticed by the structural engineer supervising the operation. In brief what he described was; A 10,000 pound hammer in a cylinder working as a two-stroke engine. As long as the drive-operator has enough tension on that rope which controls fuel-feed -- more fuel is pulled in after each *smack* rebounds which also pulls in more air. Each impact delivers a bit more than 5X the hammer weight at maximum resistance of the ground to penetration. If the ground does not resist sufficiently then the Crane operator must raise the hammer to re-start until a great enough rebound can maintain the cycle.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

I believe the 10000 pound hammer part. I stood next to that thing for awhile. I'm sure it shook some homes in the town of Montour. I believe they drive to what's called the point of refusal.

[@brandonreeves5979]

Watching that pile driver is extremely satisfying. Nice catch brother man! 😉👍🏻

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Brandon! Glad you were satisfied😃👍

[@seanhannon1960]

I really enjoyed the video. I learned a great deal. I have an appreciation for your patience in filming too. Thank you!

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

You're welcome Sean H! I learned a lot too over the whole process.

[@ronaldrondeau7870]

Thanks keep us update on that bridge job look very impressive

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

You're welcome Ronald!

[@garymiller5937]

First video of yours I've seen. I'm a big fan now and a new subscriber. It was cool seeing the pile driver from the drone view. Thanks 👍 for the experience. I look forward to seeing more.😊😊

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

You're welcome Gary M! Glad you like my channel. You may like my bridge replacement video. It shows the H piles exposed👍

[@surlyogre1476]

5:15 that pile driver is a compression ignition engine. Like an upside-down diesel without a crankshaft - the piston drops onto the combustion chamber and a small amount of fuel is injected, sending the piston up again. (presumably diesel fuel, but it could be home-heating oil for all I know).

[@davidsnider1703]

Glad you were there , excellent video. I'm still amazed they can pound it into the ground that far.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks David!

[@garymiller5937]

Love the drone view! 😊 Nice long train with a DPU. 2 of my favorite things. Good job 👍.

[@gregblanton9386]

Soft subsoil along the creek bottom, making sure there is no settling of the new bridge from the weight of the trains, most RR bridges should last a minimum of 100 years, well engineered.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

I've seen a lot of 100 plus year old bridges still in service. Over built them in those days.

[@Ottos_ScLm_Race_videos_2009_on]

Thank you Red for filming this. I have watch them drive piling for years. The first one I remember were weight piston right on the piling. Next was a cap over the piling, then the diesel powered driver, work's like a cylinder of a engine, fire then drives the driver down the it exhausts.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

You're welcome Otto! It sure looked like a dirty job. It was impressive to witness.

[@wlh227]

The piston compresses as the hammer drops. Diesel is injected into the piston and explodes driving the hammer back up and the cycle continues,

[@AldoSchmedack]

36:00 Miller welder genset ftw! What I use too! Made in Wisc!

[@AgentMulder1805]

Mate, they dug that 90-footer in like an Alabama Tick. Was she very loud, the piledriver? The trains still run pretty sharpish past those workers there. What a cool bit of kit that piledriver is. Great video, Red, have a good one brother 👍 🍻

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Yes Agent Mulder! That's one big tick!! I should have had ear plugs in when I was close. Yes the trains still rolled by pretty quick. Hope to get some actual bridge replacement footage. Enjoy Your fall, spring is close here!!

[@oscarortega5089]

I find it crazy there’s no anchor chains on any of there lines especially the 1 line. But drive it hard ! I love pilebuckin !

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

I'm glad I got to catch that Pilebuckin Oscar!

[@nancyhodges444]

Cool action Red, Watching pile driver work, very fascinating, with a few trains mixed in along with the drone. Good one Red.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Nancy! Hopefully I can catch the bridge replacement here soon👍

[@PlanetMojo]

I used to work near Manitowoc Crane, and they are still made in Manitowoc and neighboring Port Washington (their corporate headquarters is in Milwaukee WI.) They have a regional headquarters in Pennsylvania and manufacture cranes there as well, and they also manufacture cranes in other countries, and own six brands of cranes I believe. .

[@ckuehncnwhsyt]

Lunda Construction is based in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

[@kens.3729]

These are the BIG Money Employees Working. 🤔👍

[@tedm5398]

They are very talented people as well. Probably all of them are qualified to perform multiple tasks.

[@bluefj-wc3vz]

Nice video. Those are called hanging leads that the diesel hammer is riding in. And also note the outside H pile are batter driven. Which means at an angle. Picture it looking like a trestle bent under ground.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks blue87fj60! I noticed the angle of the H piles on the outside when I did the bridge replacement video shortly after this video. Thanks for the explanation👍

[@bekleidungu.ausrustung7068]

Great action, Red! Up close & personal. I guess the same crew is going to build the bridge. That part will be interesting to see how it disrupts train movement on this line.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Bekleidung! The hard part is figuring out when their doing the work. The schedule changes quite a bit. They will replace one bridge at a time with precast concrete.

[@PlanetMojo]

Great job Red! I had to come back in time to see this one. Yesterday I watched the bridge replacement video - the whole thing. Hope you can get another of them replacing the other side, and of the ballast going in.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Planet Mojo! It's quite a process. I definitely learned a lot on the construction process.

[@65gtotrips]

What’s always been super interesting to me is that the piles aren’t arrow tipped; They just slam them butt into the ground. Great shots at the end there showing the amount of travel on the piling. - Are there any civil engineers on here to explain why not a shaped tip ?

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Yes, very impressive power! They drive the piles to the point of refusal.

[@thomasmackowiak]

The trains were a bonus in this video, Red. The drone footage of the trains was great. The most spectacular part of the video was the portion of the video devoted to the work done by the pile driver. You said those "H" columns were about 90 feet long. I presume that the crew was driving the "H" columns down to bedrock to support the bridge. It looked like they had a jig under the rails that they used to determine where to place the "H" columns. The makeup of the soil and underlayment determines how far the pile driver can pound the "H" column into the ground each time the pile driver hits the "H" column. The next step in the process is to see what type of bridge they are going to build to span Indian Creek. Hopefully, you were able to capture some of the bridge building and the actual placement of the bridge.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Thomas! That was a very interesting day for me. I agree, the columns get to a point where they don't want to drive any deeper. That depth must have been predetermined somehow. I talked to the crew and they said the bridge spans will be precast concrete. I hope to at least catch one side of the bridge getting replaced. Track 2 is the first one scheduled for replacement.

[@thomasmackowiak]

@@redsiowatrainvideos6645VIDEOS they may have done a core sample to determine how far they had to go before they hit bedrock.

[@fredtrench5684]

@@thomasmackowiak I wondered about that too. They also probably checked the old pile notes on the existing abutments.

[@esosthompe]

Vidéo top

[@donwarren6486]

Driving a H beam into bed rock for stability ... we have done this several times for huge load bearing structures.....

[@josephpadula2283]

I have heard stories of very long pilings hitting a rock a glancing blow and the pile bends and the end pops up in a parking lot nearby! Did a hole /around it , cut with a torch and fill the hole..

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

I don't doubt that. Filming up close was quite an experience. I wonder what the Richter scale would read.

[@josephpadula2283]

Two kinds of piles bearing- drive till you hit bedrock Friction- the surface area of the outer surface of the pile holds up the weight , like a nail in wood. In a Coast area bedrock could be hundreds of feet down , friction piles can do fine .

[@stevesmith-wc2gb]

I wish I owned one of them so when my neighbors start playing loud music I can start that up

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Yep, that would get the point across!

[@RRRIBEYE]

I live in a small, northern Iowa town and there used to be a grain-train line between all the coops, but now, these lines are all bike trails. I can't say I'm upset! lol. I would think that would kinda suck living right next to a double track like that what with all the horns blasting at all hours and crossing bells clanging! I appreciate the videos you provide none-the-less. My grandfather was a track engineer for the Wabash RR back during the 30s and 40s. He was one of the main guys that laid out where the tracks went and also designed many of the trestles. I imagine they also had to do some serious pile driving then too.

[@davidpayne2880]

The pile driver is like a single cylinder diesel engine. Watch rhe top of the driver and you can see the piston rise up due to the combustion of the fuel. Every time it falls down it injects more fuel to drive the pile to bed rock.

[@DiscordC]

the combustion isn't what drive the pile down, the piston is also the hammer, the piston/hammer comes down by gravity as it comes down, diesel is injected into a cup in the anvil, the piston/hammer hits the anvil driving the pile down, compresses the fuel, ignites it, and the combustion sends the piston upward, the more fuel that is injected, the bigger the explosion, the higher the piston/hammer is pushed up, the harder it will hit the anvil, equals more driving force on the pile, too much fuel can send the piston flying out of the cylinder, that has actually happened, this type of pile driver is literally a single stroke diesel engine, this type is called a diesel hammer, there are diffrent types of diesel hammers, there are also, hydraulic hammers and the old time pull drop hammers.

[@chrislaarman7532]

(Being halfway watching this video after having watched the (first) bridge being replaced:) Yes, that pile driver is impressive. However, to me it's also familiar. My home town of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) is built on peat. (Simplification!) However, there are layers of sand in between. Taller buildings require piles of some 90' to be driven. They used to use piles of reinforced concrete, but that seems being replaced by some sort of drilling and filling. So, driving H-piles is new to me. From the 60s I remember a few occasions of steam-powered pile drivers that could move on a bridge that itself could move, and a temporary railway (diesel, I can't remember steam there) to bring individual piles on two lorries to the pile driver from the reception area where these concrete piles (merely 60', I think) had been lifted from trucks using portals featuring manual hoists. Here's the steam part of a floating pile driver: kzbin.info/www/bejne/apyrYYeEo6qtbtU. (I couldn't find those bridge ones.)

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks for the information Chris L! I know the H piles on this job were 90'. They drive the H pile until the point of refusal. It definitely speeds up the bridge replacement using this method.

[@warrendarrah2555]

Great video Red. What did you decide the little brick building used to be for?

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Warren! I talked to a long time Montour local and he said the building was an old electrical substation.

[@davidpierce1837]

Thanks Red for filming this , was interesting to watch. Bet the people in town get tired of the noise but hey that is progress. That first west bound locomotive either needed cleaning or a paint job . Not sure if i asked you this before how long a charge on your drone when there is not much wind ?

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

You're welcome David! Yes the people in Montour have endured the noise for awhile now. I believe the pile driving is done. My drone can go 25 to 30 minutes in a low wind situation. The barometric pressure also comes into play.

[@paulsmith5398]

That pile driver has a nice loud ring to it, and i wonder how much it would register on an earthquake scale?

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Definitely want ear plugs Paul! I was wondering about the Richter scale too.

[@paulsmith5398]

@@redsiowatrainvideos6645 no problem with the noise, i would just take out my hearing aids, as i am basically deaf without them. A year or so back, a guy out east had a mini-Richter sensor, he set it on a RR crossing (off the track of course), and it measured 3.5 on the scale with a train going though at track speed, which was 60 mph in his territory.

[@RDC_Autosports]

use to run one of them… well the crane… don’t have to do much after you get it started just sit and watch and cut the fuel off when you get to your mark or it just stops 😅

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

I enjoyed doing that video. The guys I talked to said it took about an hour to drive a 90' H pile. That thing really shook the ground😆

[@Phantom-Signal]

It also amazes me how the conductor repeats word for word the instructions from RTC. Sometimes it's like over a minute that they say the instructions, sometimes speaking fast as well. Do they write the instructions down? How can they remember what's was said so good. It amazes me. 😊

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

I wondered the same thing Phantom. That's a lot to remember. I think they have a computer on the engine and read from a screen.

[@shawnstanley9440]

Been in Marshalltown since Mar. 11th. Traffic is down to a trickle compared to normal. Has coal been suspended? Anyways, thanks for being there! We love your work!

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

You're welcome Shawn! Not much for coal that I've seen lately. I think natural gas has taken over a lot of the power plants.

[@loadblock4995]

That crane must have 30000 hrs on it by now! It used to be in Mn (Stillwater, Lafayette, crosstown, Hastings, lowery bridges mostly on water)

[@lewisgoodridge1308]

Good use for two stroke diesel engine. Driving piles

[@lewisgoodridge1308]

Steel in the piles is austenic rust resistant

[@AldoSchmedack]

9:43 How does that lone engine in the middle keep the proper pace with the rest of the engines at the front and end of trains like that?

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

The lead engine controls the other engines with remote control. Varies amperage when needed to traction motors.

[@shawnlothridge6932]

Up just had a coal train come through Fairfax and cedar Rapids on Monday the 13th

[@Phantom-Signal]

How far are they planning to drive those in? They are so long! Great video as always Sir.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks Phantom! Those are 90 foot long piles. They pretty much go until it doesn't want to drive in anymore.

[@davidsnider1703]

Will they hook new bridge to those pilings

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Yes, precast concrete.

[@lucmarchand617]

I work start 2002 fort-McMurray,alberta,canada was ground zero for piledriving one day I work on job we run out of h beam yes hard believe .all contractor run flat out on piling.diesel piling is dirty job but rate pay union nobody complaint right.thank you video.calgary alberta canada

[@Cripleclarence_1948]

In the last video I was wondering what those miniature looking tracks running across the main tracks were for. Now I know.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Learning experience for me too, very interesting to witness.

[@ronhill5118]

Ram is jumping about 2 feet each blow. Would be interesting to know what pound weight the ram is.

[@garymiller5937]

Do they need to go to bedrock with the pilongs? 😊

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

They go to the point of refusal.

[@kenn5894]

Very impressive, but I always wonder how they keep bare steel from rusting through over the years?

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

I wondered about the rust too Ken N. Must be a special kind of steel.

[@fredtrench5684]

@@redsiowatrainvideos6645 Probably Corten.

[@daleolson3506]

No oxygen no rust

[@zman_o7]

🇺🇸😎👍🇺🇸

[@Q_The_Rabbit]

How far does each smack drive the beam?

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Looked to me about 3 to 4 inches on each smack. Took around an hour to drive a piling.

[@kens.3729]

8 sure Hope to GOD they had the Utilities marked so they Don’t go through the Oil Pipeline. 😬👍

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

That would definitely go right through it Ken😀

[@AldoSchmedack]

38:00 Speaking of being level that looks like one big plumb bob itself!

[@RECoyote]

What's the difference between an I beam and a H beam?

[@robertlafnear7034]

Not just a Pile Driver a Cable Locater too........ they used these and huge Augers to ....a. DIG HOLES.... b. LOCATE all the High voltage cables close to the tunnels as the dug the underground Red line tunnels in L.A.😏

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Thanks for the info Robert L!

[@garthjones3747]

they inject a dab of diesel into the inner drive when the upper driver falls it dtonates the fuel and drives the pile with a lot less stress on the crane G

[@davidsnider1703]

That guy measuring has to really feel it

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Oh yeah!

[@edmcelhone4501]

they go bye resistance

[@michaelbuss5731]

Driving that pile halfway to China 🙂

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

No doubt Michael👍😁

[@bohhica1]

This must of been before they replaced the other bridge, of looks the same area.

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

Yep, same spot.

[@davidsnider1703]

Wow can't believe they don't hit rocks or something going down that far

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

That pile driver is pretty strong. 90 foot is a long way to drive a pile though.

[@AldoSchmedack]

They'll push the rock out of the way usually

[@davidsnider1703]

@@AldoSchmedack impressive

[@williamalessi2816]

The piles have to be driven until it hits bedrock.

[@1topfueldrag]

i would’ve had those orders all messed up. Someone has a JD lawn tractor graveyard.

[@ronaldpiper4812]

They can add on and keep going. There driving has to do with engineering it goes in every stroke till it only moves little or no more then done

[@marc1553]

I wonder why they have to so deep

[@redsiowatrainvideos6645]

They have to drive the piles to the point of refusal to support the weight.

[@chrislaarman7532]

(My top-level comment may help.) - This little river could represent huge layers of "soft" deposits. Replacing these with "proper" dirt would likely do the trick, but it would likely take quite some time and no trains at all during that time. So, driving piles down into the more stable ground may be the "economic" choice.

[@joseph4140]

If the first one has any grade it will stall

[@edmcelhone4501]

diesel fuel