Stobart Rail - Trac Gopher Operation - Shaftholme Junction

[@TrainsandRails]

excellent footage

[@frostgfx]

This Undercutter doesn't seem to be very efficient as far as amount of spoil and the loss of a lot of good ballast. There are some great systems in the USA that are very efficient and can cover many miles in a day. Balfour Beatty and plaster Theurer come to mind.

[@pearlyhumbucker9065]

They do not need to go to America to see such great systems - AFAIK they have several of the originals in GB, built by Plasser&Theurer and MATISA.

[@ms-w3599]

I get this question is old but thought I would jump in with my (limited) knowledge. Smaller machines are more cost efficient for small ballast renewal jobs. Don't know about the condition of the ballast here but if it's being replaced it's likely fouled and well worn meaning all of it has to come out. Also if geotextiles are going under the ballast layer then the ballast depth has to be increased hence the increased spoil.

[@MrBook123456]

good video on how it work ??

[@paulbetka1803]

Be nice if someone was explaining the process ❗

[@joeylawn36111]

@@01harvey It gets worn down and rounded - smaller in other words. Smaller rocks will cause the tracks to settle too much, and be less stable.

[@BadDriversOfAugustaGeorgia]

I obviously don't know a lot about rail. Why would the ballast need to be changed? It's just rock. It's not like it has an expiration date.

[@ms-w3599]

Ballast gets worn by the passage of trains and tamping operations

[@ivanolsen7966]

@@ms-w3599 and full of dirt .. that stops drainage that affects lower layers .. also if the dirt /mud builds up it can get into the points etc and crash trains ... if I'm not mistaken

[@ms-w3599]

@@ivanolsen7966 yeah absolutely, was just explaining that rock technically does have an expiration date due to wearing of the edges and breakage due to tamping. Stone breakage contributes a minor amount to fouling, historically main issue was fines (sand, coal dust, etc) coming off open wagons and fouling the line too. Today issues such as mud pumping up through the ballast where there is a bad formation layer (legacy of old railways being built up on whatever was close) is going to cause more of an issue than dirt coming in from the top (as long as the drainage onsite is ok).

[@jamesbraithwaite478]

Do they reuse/recycle old ballast?

[@DickHolman]

Yes. What isn't re-usable is sold as aggregate for civil engineering.

[@ms-w3599]

Worn ballast that is still reusable will be used on heritage railways and possibly main line sidings. Stuff that is too small or has been rounded too much can be recycled. You wouldn't use worn ballast on any speed of mainline I think.

[@kennethhume8628]

Too much reliance on manpower , more high quality machinery needed to speed the whole operation up .

[@oelschlegel]

lot of dudes standing around

[@rossleighdavies4117]

sheat

[@johnmehaffey9953]

Obviously all ex council workers, takes a lot of skills to stand around with your hands in your pockets, still think the old system was better lift the track then lift the ballast, level off replace new road, move on to next project