Loram Ballast Cleaner Passing Under A Bridge

[@danielparsignault9248]

During the 1957 summer, I worked on the Mesabi Range, in Virginia, MN, for the Oliver Mining Co., as a member of a track gang, tamping ties with a puny shovel, day after day. I surely could have used such a machine. 🤩

[@satimakris]

I love trains please keep posting more videoed about them.

[@phloughtgnarpsehs7263]

A bit of a novice here, but I noticed two things of interest: 1. Instead of collecting the grime in the hopper car, they dumped it off to the side. 2. If I’m not mistaken, that large tank holds water to be sprayed to keep the dust down. Didn’t seem to be happening. But it looks like you got a cool hat from the deal!

[@roseymalino9855]

Did you notice the various water sprays off the unit? I suspect the grime can only become wet to to the point it doesn't become sludge. Sludge could be problematic for machinery to handle.

[@phloughtgnarpsehs7263]

@@roseymalino9855 didn’t notice the sprays. But watching other vids of the identical equipment, with zero dust generated, tells me the6 weren’t doing enough to control it. Just my observation.

[@workinghardusa]

Great video!

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Thanks!

[@DESO718]

I spy something orange you were about to get =)

[@larryhutchens7593]

Not a follower of this railfan thing so please excuse my ignorance. Neat set of machines but what is the purpose of the operation? Note: I spent 40 years of my life repairing various types of machinery.

[@kaihorstmann2783]

It sifts out fine particles from the gravel, and also removes leaves, and other plant matter. Both clog the gravel bed, and impair draining rain water from the wooden sleepers/cross ties. At the same time it also rips out roots, particularly ones from the nearby trees which also can impair the alignment of the tracks when they grow thicker.

[@larryhutchens7593]

@@kaihorstmann2783 OK, thanks. I had no idea why they would do that.

[@Wolfgodmak]

@@larryhutchens7593 Ballast is the technical term for the gravel

[@larryhutchens7593]

@@Wolfgodmak Yes, different trades have different names for the same thing. In construction it is called aggregate. In the nautical world ballast is what they once put in the bottom of a ship to help keep it stable (or as stable as possible) while at sea. Can cause some confusion. I have a slight interest in railroad stuff, my grandfather retired from Frisco back in the early 50s. He got our family a couple of trips to California on Santa Fe. I rode the last passenger train from Oakland Calif to Flagstaff Arizona after I got out of the service in 70. Interesting trip, there were some reporters on the trip talking to the passengers & taking pictures. Thanks for the info.

[@katitcha]

Do they recycle things like metal, or is it all wat too small?

[@Hatcherhemsley]

Dang you got 115k on this nice!

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Thanks!

[@Sl20]

Awesome job eating and dropping!!,simple and easy !!!!!love it!!!!!🔴🫢🤫

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Glad you liked it!!

[@chickenwing111]

They are only cleaning the sides of the rail bed in this operation but ballast cleaning can also include material under the rails and ties. that is something to see. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sH-phpqKf7dpoNk

[@kekistanifreedomfighter4197]

Yep. If I'm remembering the analogy correctly, this is more of a "quick" cleaning that lets the ballast drain better since there's no dirt or mud acting like a plug in the sides.

[@dougdoeright4196]

I got to see them doing all of it once and it was amazing to see. It didn't waste time either it cruised right along taking all the ballast out from under the rails then run it through the screens and lay it all back down. The following day a rail beveling machine came through. That was hell fire and brimstone and smoke. For a few days after it came through the trains had a different sound till the rails smoothed out.

[@brushbros]

There is never an excuse for dirty ballast.

[@TickledFunnyBone]

did they hand you a loram hat?

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Yes

[@Weeklydoseofrailways]

Nice capture... Can I use this video in my train compilation video credit to you in video will be given

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Yes, sure

[@Weeklydoseofrailways]

@@UnstoppableRailfan Thank you

[@reneschroder5117]

Was haben sie jetzt da gebastelt?😗

[@brianrigsby7900]

Looks like a paddle steamer on rails😂

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

True because the big wheel

[@Oktolibre]

Did he show you an orange card?

[@grantbagwell8092]

Where is this video taken?

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Somewhere

[@majorwedgie8166]

That was cool!

[@JointedStudios]

When and what time?

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Yesterday at like 4:30PM

[@centexan]

Looking at the before and after.....I really don't see much of a point in this task. 🤨🤨

[@irvinwegmann6004]

It's called maintenance

[@ChrisJones-qw7bn]

Me either...all that "work" to just dump it near the tracks you just cleaned it from.....

[@centexan]

@@irvinwegmann6004 It's called a damn big waste of time and money. There may well be a need for this elsewhere on the line, but it sure as hell doesn't look like it's on this stretch. Of course, it is a union job.

[@TheNemosdaddy]

​@@centexan not a union job, this is an outside contractor and considering you're not the division engineer who assigned this work, your opinion is worthless.

[@centexan]

@@TheNemosdaddy Oh. Just as useless as yours, but you decided to throw it in too. Pfft!!

[@TheBigdog868]

What is it doing and why does this need to happen?

[@onrr1726]

It picks up the stone runs it through a shaker with screens the dirt goes off the conveyor system into a side dump or along the ROW while the Stone is dropped back on both sides of the rail bed and rebanked along the ties.

[@UnstoppableRailfan]

Yes

[@andrewkorman3464]

But it dumps the mess back on the ballast