How A Railroad Replaces Ties: Part Two, Installation!

Ever wondered how railroads install new ties? THIS is how its done, and with the use of an entire track gang! We'll get a neat, up close view, of the entire process, while seeing these cool machines hard at work!
Watching new ties get replaced is a neat process. It requires an entire traveling track gang, with an entire crew! In this video, we'll see spike pullers, scrappers, tie inserters, tie pullers, track brooms, ballast regulators, and so much more hard at work! With the use of this cool, heavy equipment, the skilled crews on this track gang make things look easy! Watching this entire process unfold along the railroad tracks was neat!
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[@richardcarlson582]

I've seen several tie replacement videos and this one is by far the most coherent explanation of how it's done. And that crew were really moving along. Thanks!

[@daveschmitt4499]

@richardcarlson582 . When I worked these 20 years or so ago, we could install around 8000 to 10000 ties a day. This only happens when there are many ties in each mile of track. The more spread out the replacement ties happen to be, the less production you would experience. Walking 15 to 20 miles a day wasn't unheard of with limited tie replacement. Oh and that was when I worked on the wood tie gangs. Concrete tie gangs were so much different. New tracks were laid with a huge machine laying on tie at a time under it, while riding on caterpillar type tracks on the front of the machine and the rear ran on the rail that was being forced onto the ties after they were placed on the ground. The huge machine pulled many flat cars filled with concrete ties.

[@TonyTruth-s9z]

Best video of the day. I've seen this locally recently.

[@SD457500]

Great to hear! Locally as in the Twin Cities? This same track gang is slowly working east; its so cool to see.

[@TonyTruth-s9z]

@@SD457500 St. Cloud. The gang has been working on a spur that runs into the western industrial park where the old repair yard and roundhouse once resided.

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Awesome part two tie replacement video. Took me back to my railroad days back on the CP. Enjoyed watching once again and have a wonderful rest of your Tuesday. Steve

[@TomahTrains-s5b]

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@SD457500]

Thanks for watching, and great to hear that you enjoyed the video!

[@BattleshipOrion]

Those tie inserters have so much force, that when the track crew I mentioned some time ago came through, they broke 3 ties in a 150ft span...3 NEW ties....also, as mentioned in my last comment when I came by to read comments, something else kinda maintenance related is that my town is not known for railroad history...CSX kinda changed that, as they donated a 40ft steel sided boxcar ACL 20767 to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical society...yes, the same people with the NKP 765, and 358. The boxcar was used as a tool car and storage in town for the last 39 years as part of the railroad's maintenance of way department. It sat on a 500ft stretch of abandoned track, the respective switch was taken out after a derailment in the late 70's, early 80's...sometime between then because in what lil' footage of that derailment exists, C40-8w's are used.

[@lexpo181]

so cool to see those MOW machineries! Excellent video Douglas! ;)

[@lfeco]

Enjoyed that. Doing this the old way would have been a hard job.

[@SD457500]

Doing this the old way would have been a TASK! Thanks for watching!

[@daveschmitt4499]

@lfeco . Trust me. When I first started at a laborer years ago, we worked on a section crew with other section crews helping. We were required to uninstall and completely install 10 ties per man per day. Absolutely, everything was done by hand. The only thing that we did use that would be considered mechanical was track jacks that you carried from location to location, hand jacked to raise the rails. Everything else was manual labor, including spiking

[@Seaboardsystem-t7e]

BNSF seriously needs to do tie replacement on the Hinckley subdivision. Some of the ties on that line are up to 20 years old and railfaning there every day i’ve seen those ties start to show their age for a while now

[@marksamuel130]

So ancient compared to European systems

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Cool

[@docugraf]

On Europe's tracks all the steps are done within one machine

[@erict5234]

Every time we have a tie gang scheduled for our area, the same routine happens every time... 1st ballast train comes and dumps new rock, then the regulator clears it, tie gang does their jobs and finally a tamper and regulator finishes the job. (I have never not seen the regulator run ahead of the gang.)

[@daveschmitt4499]

@erict5234 . Must dump rock first because most times a lot of rock either isn't on the track to begin with or the surfacing gang behind the tie gang wouldn't have enough to smooth the track and stabilize it.

[@erict5234]

@@daveschmitt4499 correct.

[@TrainWork]

Good Stuff👍😁OperateOnOperator

[@SD457500]

Glad you enjoyed the video; this was a neat and cool operation to see.

[@BruceBergman]

Do they have this equipment in 36" narrow Gauge? asking for Disneyland and Knott's and Cedar Fair 7:43 😊

[@richardbause2453]

You skipped the part on how the plates are reinstalled under the rail using the rail lifter . This has to happen "before" spiking can begin. 😮

[@SD457500]

Whoooops, I appear to have missed one of the machines. You can see the plates being placed with the track broom though. Hope you enjoyed the video, and thanks for watching!

[@richardbause2453]

@@SD457500 The guys walking along pickup the plates and set on end of the ties, the rail lifter follows behind them. Those guys lift up the rails and slide the plates under, then comes the spikers.

[@Bob.W.]

Thx. What CPKC Subdivision?

[@SD457500]

This is on the Withrow Sub, over in NE Mpls. Thanks for watching!

[@Bob.W.]

@SD457500 Thx. Not familiar with that Sub.

[@SD457500]

Think of Shoreham Hill; that area.

[@daveschmitt4499]

@@SD457500. When were they in that area and which direction were they headed

[@SD457500]

@@daveschmitt4499 This was last week, and they were heading east. I *think* they are still heading east towards Withrow or down towards Soo Jct.

[@kkoch666]

I bet those machines break all the time. Looks like a lot of maintenance.

[@Memphisdoug]

What happens if the new tie is too low to the rail?

[@daveschmitt4499]

@Memphisdoug . After the new tie is installed, another machine installs the metal plates between the rails and the ties on both ends, then the tamper comes and tamps the ties tight to the rail. Then the spikers come and spike the rail to the tie.

[@abecoulter8550]

why not concrete sleepers

[@daveschmitt4499]

It's called a Tie Gang

[@SD457500]

Appreciate the feedback on the video; I hope you enjoyed it otherwise!

[@daveschmitt4499]

@SD457500 . There was a missing machine. A machine would typically raise the rail so someone or a couple of maintenance of way employees could slide the plates under the rail on each end of the new tie. Back in my day we first used track jacks or pry bars. Then came machines that clamped both rails, a piston jack would raise the rails by pushing down on the ground, then there was a stick like attachment with prongs on the bottom of the stick to place in the spike holes on the outside of the rail to slide the plate under the rail. Then the pistons were released, the clamps unclamped and the machine was either pushed forward to button control, powered forward. And NATURALLY the piece of equipment i showed someone several weeks ago, I can't find now, lol.