Narrow Gauge Reunion Part 3 - The Pile Driver

[@jayfmiller]

Thanks for the very enjoyable 3-part video. I am not a typical railfan but I am a fan of everything railroad pre-1955. I have visited most of the restoration roads in the U.S. and i am glad to see that there is enough interest and support to keep some of U.S. RR history alive. I have been fortunate to spend a lot of time on business in the U.K. and I wish folks in the U.S. supported legacy steam like they do in the British Isles for even relatively lone runs. I attended the U.P. Depot Days again this year in Cheyenne and I had to drive from SLC because (tragically) there is no AMTRAK service in the entire state of WY! I wonder why UP has ever done a steam excursion with sleepers from the east and west to the event over the U.P tracks. I would pay as much as a nice sea cruise for the privilege. Please keep providing us with these fun videos.

[@ToyManTelevision]

WOW YES. Wanted to go to that. To ride a train there!!! WOW.

[@jayfmiller]

If you get a chance, the narrow gauge lines in Wales are a real hoot. (Excuse the pun)

[@mariotorres6287]

I just LOVE your narration!! You have me laughing!! I enjoyed the video. Thanks for posting and showing off the gorgeous scenery and interesting little railroads along the way!

[@OpenRoader]

Your wife is a great part of these video's. Always nice when a man can have the support of his wife and find something you both enjoy!

[@ToyManTelevision]

We have fun together!!

[@OpenRoader]

It shows, makes me have fun watching these!

[@sonnydean3187]

This is railroading at its finest! Without track support equipment and ground crew members, there would be no trains. Not to mention watching the historic equipment in actual operation. Very cool!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Love seeing people restore this stuff. Did you see the Nevada Northern wrecking crane?

[@Jakbiecrane88]

When that thing got going she really went shaking that just shows how much force it applies to those piles

[@ToyManTelevision]

When you think of what it takes to drive a pole 8 feet into the ground....

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Ah good old steam powered machinery, truly revolutionary for its time. Glad individual scans groups still preserve these industrial gems

[@ToyManTelevision]

I love all steam!!! Did you see the steam engines in the Sanphipo home? kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpK6fJ1vj9-afZo

[@tomklock568]

Fun stuff! Enjoying this series. Thanks!

[@martinmakarick1957]

Totally awesome, I wish I lived near there! Thank you for sharing !

[@ToyManTelevision]

Love this railroad. Always love to go there. Ah.. in the summer!

[@Bozobi]

I live in Chama, I'm a 18yro enthusiast to this amazing piece of American narrow gauge.

[@spotts9668]

there's nothing more fun than screwing around beating the crap out of something!!

[@ToyManTelevision]

StevePotts piles. Driving piles. Anyway cool process!

[@KevBygrave]

Fantastic, The Pile Driver certainly did like to shake! Great Video Guys.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Don't know how it is that thing doesn't just fall apart!!! Dang cool though..

[@kennethwalker170]

I like seeing these railway workers taking a very heavy/dangerous piece of machinery and screwing around with it

[@tjorgensen2007]

You two sure have a lot of fun in doing what you love to do...screwing around. love it

[@ToyManTelevision]

THANKS. Right now trying to get my steam punk 3D copy machine working!! Up coming show!! Got the main part working this week!!! Pneumatic ram was not working, turned out to be the back up regulator. Now in the trash with the motor starter. Trying to hook it to natural gas but the HVAC people are scarred. I keep saying stay calm and carry on. The 2 60 amp 220 connections make it look worse than it is.

[@gquayle]

great see such a curious piece of equipment in operation.

[@ggsumner1947]

Very interesting video Dale. Thanks for sharing. For those who have not seen all of your videos, they really should. They are very entertaining, but also educational at times.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Gee, thanks for that!! Do share!! We sure like making them. 2 really fun ones coming up.

[@coolrides]

One can't fall asleep on that highway! Neat pile driver! :) Jack

[@ToyManTelevision]

The sort of road you expect in central America. With crosses al down it.

[@NoOneEpic]

Wow that's something really neat too have seen. Great video

[@ToyManTelevision]

Thanks!! I must now build a 1:20.3 scale model of it.

[@nathancorcoran5347]

That was pretty nice to see that pile driver and next time you are going to film the rotterey snow plow in the cumbers & Toltec scenic railroad right.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Planning on that!!!!

[@tom7601]

The road where they filmed "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", is south of Palm Desert, CA. We were going out to Blythe, CA one time, and saw the ramp they used to launch Keenan Wynn's (?) junk truck down the mountainside.

[@ToyManTelevision]

"Jimmy" Durante. Loved when he "kicked the bucket!!" WHAT A MOVIE!!!!! I've seen it like 100 times. I wander around quoting lines. I caunt see!! (Jim Backus) He caunt see!! Mickey Rooney. His eyes are closed. Everyone is in it!!

[@gramnylen5961]

Beautiful!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Thanks!!! What a FUN trip!!

[@gleanerk]

Thanks again!!!

[@karynfelix-the-Cat]

I enjoyed this!

[@ToyManTelevision]

And I enjoy watching you enjoying it.

[@joenewstead4848]

At one point the rotary snow plow o y was operational. It was even used to clear the right of way. I have not heard of any plans to make it operational again though

[@johnnywilson1616]

Now that was some interesting screwing around! You guys are just having way too much fun with this screwing around! Wait a minute....hold on a second! Can ya ever have too much fun? And is there ever enough 'screwing around!' I think I just answered my own questions there. So by all means, carry on with some more major screwing around!

[@ToyManTelevision]

They will need to pry my camera out of my "cold dead fingers".

[@tom7601]

The large gear is like the gear on a tank turret or to rotate a radar antenna. It's normally called a "Bull Gear."

[@jeanneuzarhudson8207]

You mentioned to a response that they use something similar for building skyscrapers. Well, if the news doesn't get to Salt Lake from San Francisco, we have one of our new, "Skyscrappers", down by the Bay Bridge approach that is leaning 6 inches to the N-E and has sunk more then 16 inches, Uh Excuse me, this is earthquake country. No, but seriously. (In case that's not serious.) A good time was had by all. Those PBL guys are getting better and better at their models. LOL !

[@ToyManTelevision]

WOOW!!! When they built the 1200 foot Strato tower thing in Las Vegas one of the 3 legs wondered off by like 10 feet before they caught it!! The fix? Turn right and keep going!! If you look up the legs, you see that one of that is a "dog Leg" A huge bend in the middle!! OOPS. Happy to stay on the ground. I don't think I feel good about riding the roller coaster on the top!!!!!!

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Scary! the whole thing is made of wood. They really do a great job and y'all do an awesome job. I don't get the blue button, but I'm a subscriber.

[@joesask857]

nice thanks

[@tjorgensen2007]

Very Interesting video. Looks like it took a long time to build something compared to how it is done in today's time.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Hello!! No kidding. YET these are still used to build sky scrappers and stuff!! OK, not home made ones like this toy, but huge air powered hammers 100 feet tall. WOW

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

I am probably the only ones from my generation to remember the Long Long Trailer Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz with all of the rocks that she collected and put them in the trailer and stash them

[@rohnerw]

Very interesting! I suspect back when, a 'select' crew would have been used to dig a tight, shallow, yet aligned pilot hole, and then the piling put into that and driven home to help with alignment and angle. Thanks for putting this up, Dale! Excellent! Always look forward to each and every one! Keep up all the EXCELLENT, Screwing Around! I hope the two of you never run out of energy! Does screwing around, energize? :)

[@ToyManTelevision]

Most fun I've ever had. Retirement is good!!!

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

how many trestles are on the railroad line and will they upgrade them to steel and concrete if need be replaced or would they use piles once again thank you for a great adventure

[@skeeterweazel]

From gentleman in the video: "Thats me hooking the steam line up to the pile driver. Narrator error, the steam line for the pile driver comes off its own "Steam Tap" called "The Monkey tail" I don't know why it's called that."

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Some of our fine bridges sometimes appear that they are just screwing around. Some of the steel beams hammered in however they please! Screwy.

[@Drkush2022]

holy crack! i couldn’t go on that road! that’s scarier then the road heading to my home on digby neck!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Watch the high side!! Hay! I can see my house from here! Where’s that? UTAH!!!!

[@dianametcalf4248]

I always enjoy your videos! Do The Friends have any plans of restoring the coaling tower in Chama to working condition?

[@ToyManTelevision]

It actually works well. I’ve run it. I have video. But they don’t use it as it’s easier to use the front loader. Biggest problem is the coal doesn’t fit through the grates. We took hammers and broke it up as we forced it through the grates.

[@JoelHudson]

Turn left Right there!

[@ToyManTelevision]

Lucy!!!!

[@jonathancordovaceo]

see u next year if u come

[@harryrichhart1953]

mispronunciation of Cumbres & Toltec D&RG.... it is Kum bres...

[@cowboyvalley]

You'd think they would raise the "hammer" to the top to store the rig for transport.....would make it a damn sight easier to store.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Yes, I think it would. Not sure what they can do, it may not be 100% or they may well still be figuring out how to make it work correctly.

[@cllines604]

did they say the lbs of the weight that is used to drive the piling

[@ToyManTelevision]

Nope. They have 2 weights, the other stayed on the flat. BUT huge!! Like 5 feet X 2 feet X 1.5 feet. Iron. Do not drop in on your foot!! Like to know though. If you have any info....

[@sct4501]

The Million $ Highway seems to be a pretty rough ride judging by the way y'all are bouncing around in the Ford

[@ToyManTelevision]

Steven Thomas well, it’s the racing suspension. Great on the track. But...

[@mirekklemens662]

🤔👍👍

[@ToyManTelevision]

Now that’s some significant screwing around! Driving in pilings just for the heck of it.

[@Buck1954]

So the pile driver doesn't actually do work on the railroad, they just arbitrarily drive a pole in the ground? Looks like they are making a stand, or some device they can whack as they drive by.

[@ToyManTelevision]

Naw. Just screwing around. The cut down the poles at the end of the day. It’s now a huge toy!!

[@how_to_hallagon1]

I don't think it has to do with screwing around. You have to attract visitors to keep the money flowing. It sometimes takes more than just rides alone.

[@crystalrock18]

Steam trains and Texas swing music how do you read my mind??????????????

[@ToyManTelevision]

So darn fun!!! Love that tune.

[@crystalrock18]

Time Jumpers is another great Texas Swing band. Me and my blue grass band LOOOOOVE them!

[@ToyManTelevision]

You have a band?!

[@crystalrock18]

I'm in a band called Pik'n Lik'n out of the STL area. We play blue grass and country tunes we are on FB and you may find us on youtube I think as well.

[@TristanMorrow]

So, what is the _point_ of the piles? ;-) Great videos, as always-thanks! And can it really be called "screwing around" when it's being driven in with a hammer?

[@ToyManTelevision]

My grandmother always complained of Piles. Not sure haw that works....

[@sidneywallace48]

back in the early 70's I drove about 200 of these pilings in the ground for Union Pacific at Grand Island Neb. where there was to be a grain elevator built.. This was to stabilize the soil (river bottom sand from the North Platte river) These were creosoted telephone poles and was the nastiest job I've ever done..(every inch of skin that was exposed had big water blisters from the vaporized creosote caused by the hammer action) In the mountains I would imagine that pilings were used for retainer walls to hold fill in place as well as stabilize soil for footing for bridges ect.

[@ToyManTelevision]

I helped with a 7.5 inch railway years ago and the guy building it wanted to use creosote on the ties. He had found a drum of the stuff somewhere. I developed a horrid rash, like a bad sunburn.GAD!!!!! Bad stuff!!! HAve you seen building brass locomotives with Ralph and Rosie? He has built a working HO scale UP pile driver. The one you used??

[@CHAS1422]

Google the following and you will see how bridge trestles were constructed with wood pilings. A wood piling cantilevered above the ground is a secure structural attachment point to build many types of superstructures. Water towers along routes is an example.

[@trainzguy2472]

Creosote is funky stuff. And not a good "funky" either. When they replaced a bunch of the ties at my local train station everything smelled funny for weeks.

[@Ada152513]

Sure wish you'd cut the music!

[@chrislg1957ilovespam]

Dont quite get the out of tune out of kilter background music from @4:08 to 13:20 ...... I find it a bit disturbing and interesting at the same time LOL ..... Anyway really enjoy the ''Movies'' of all the screwing around

[@ToyManTelevision]

Fun day playing with the pole driver. And playing music...

[@r.c.r.rproductions8462]

do you mean pile driver ?

[@ToyManTelevision]

Well it really is a pole!! But yes, pile.

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

I am probably the only ones from my generation to remember the Long Long Trailer Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz with all of the rocks that she collected and put them in the trailer and stash them

[@ToyManTelevision]

We love that film. Desu Arnaz is very under rated as a film - TV producer. Funny film!!!! And some "history" of the trailer movement.

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

I mentioned the Long Trailer to my mother that really brought back some memories she let loose with the whole bunch of laughs and giggles

[@ToyManTelevision]

Funny movie. Wonder what their life "on the road with the band" was really like. Big hotels no doubt. BUT a travel in a big bus. And no flying. So sort of "real".

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

Definitely would be exciting