TRRS 518: The Train from Hell - LORAM Railgrinder in Action

HUDSONVILLE, MICH - 17 Nov 2017
Thirteen Miles southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan, we’re in Hudsonville along the CSX Grand Rapids Subdivision.
Today is grinding day for this section of the railroad, with LORAM’s Railgrinder number 403 working the mainline while the smaller 610 takes care of the switches and crossings.
While track maintenance has always been an eternal fact of railroading, rail grinders are relatively new, with machines such as these two only being around for the last couple of decades.
- - -
In this video, we'll follow the Railgrinder for a couple hours as they work between Hudsonville and Saugatuck along the CSX Grand Rapids Subdivison - including a meet with empty coal train E800, and plenty of drone footage!
LORAM Rail Grinder
Consist:
LMIX 403 Railgrinder Train
o 1 Power Car / Cab
o 1 Water / Foam tanks
o 4 Grinder units
o 2 Water / Foam tanks
o 1 Power Car
o 1 Power Car / Cab
LMIX 610 Switch Railgrinder
o 1 Power Car / Cab
o 1 Grinder Car / Cab
Location/Time:
CSX Grand Rapids Sub, Hudsonville, MI, 40th Ave xing, on 17Nov2017 at 12:35 EST
Vriesland, 64th Ave xing, at 12:56
Zeeland, Fairview Rd xing, at 13:09
Zeeland, James St xing, at 13:19
Holland, North Wye/Roost Ave from 13:36 to 14:15 meets E800
Holland Amtrak Station, at 15:22
East Saugatuck, 138th Ave xing, from 16:05 to 16:25
CSX E800 Coal Empties
Consist:
BNSF 9247 [SD70ACe]
BNSF 9269 [SD70ACe]
130 Empty Coal Gons
Location/Time:
CSX Grand Rapids Sub, Holland, MI, North End Wye/Roost Ave, on 17Nov2017 at 14:01 EST
Thanks for watching! Make sure to leave a like and subscribe, for more from the Thornapple River Rail Series! Your support keeps this channel rolling - don’t forget to leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
Also like TRRS on Facebook! / thornappleriverproduct...
Videography Equipment:
-Primary: Sony FDR-AX53 4K Camcorder
-Secondary: Sony HDR-PJ790V HD Camcorder
-Aerial Platform: DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Drone
-Edited with: Cyberlink PowerDirector 16
Created by Alex Christmas. Copyright 2018, as the Thornapple River Rail Series, All Rights Reserved

[@newwomyn]

I understand why this is necessary coming from a former quality assurance auditor. My role was to perform audits on inspected rail car bearings. I saw firsthand the kinds of damage that can occur if railroads do not perform regular maintenance on their tracks. Tracks can develop pits and grooves that can shock bearings causing spalling, pealing, and impacted raceways and shattered rollers. When bearings become damaged they can "hotbox", and if it is not dealt with ASAP then the bearing can become seized on the journal, then as the outer race (cup) spins inside the adapter then the bearing will seize inside the adapter. Once that occurs then the journal will literally twist off leading to a derailment of a train. So the smoother you can make the rail head, the better off everyone is. A typical derailment usually starts at $10 million and goes up from there, and that only pays for the damage to equipment. The cost to re-route trains due to derailment can be in the millions of dollars, especially on heavily traffic main lines where the nearest mainline can be literally hundreds of miles away. Also if the derailment occurs in an urban area, depending on the freight it could cause the complete evacuation of neighborhoods, and sections of cities.

[@OspreyFlyer]

Thanks for the info! I was scanning comments to see what this was all about! 👍

[@paullindberg9230]

have. A wonderful. THANKSGIVING to all. Railfanners and. Rail road employees nationwide. Your services is what keeps products mooving

[@jackkreacherr9339]

I love these things when its dark out. Really looks like the Hell train then.

[@maimino1984]

I guess you could say their job is a grind. ;)

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Indeed!

[@jacobstraessle5874]

I could almost smell the dust as the grinders passed the station. Thanks for sharing.

[@oaktadopbok665]

Wow what a great vid! The drone work is superb . . . imagine, we never got to se any aerial footage just a few years ago. Awesome job, men.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Lots of possibilities, for sure. It's a challenge to get the drone shots right - since you have to think so far ahead as to how your chase will progress - but it's always rewarding to see the footage - so long as you don't mess it up. Thanks for watching!

[@anniebellemiller2986]

@@ThornappleRiverRailSeries just imagine the drone loses power just ahead of the locomotive and just watch and hear *_CRUNCH_*

[@itchymoche]

I would have liked seeing a before and after of the actual rail surface.

[@garyjohnson1392]

I second that request... Let's see what this is really all about!

[@HandFromCoffin]

I came to type the same thing.. what's it look like?

[@supercuda1950]

same here

[@mysterycitizen2135]

Worked on this exact machine (and a few others) from 2012 to 2017. The resurfaced rail head right after grinding actually looks and feels like a file, but smooths out after a few weeks of mainline train traffic.

[@Phantomthecat]

Nice video. Track grinding takes dirty to a while new level - I used to service the generators on a smaller track grinder, and it was the dirtiest job I had to do - and rail work is pretty dirty to start with!

[@ashqelon7267]

i know all about this type stuff, I worked in a saw shop MFG big band & circular saws. piles of grit from all the metal and when epoxy grit all day grinding.

[@railgap]

Those things go a LOT faster than I would have imagined.

[@neillsmart213]

Awesome perspective with the drone. Thank you.

[@LonnyJay-vh4yg]

Good clear feel me and great drone views this was a good show

[@Gordonseries385]

Thumbs up never knew they had machine unit like that thank you for the education

[@Rich206L]

Alex, you and DIB have the best Rail-fanning Videos on KZbin, and it's all about the narration and super fine videography. Rich

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Thanks!

[@龙源探索]

Wow, knew track maintenance was done often but never knew about this. Thanks for the info.

[@flydude1063]

This is wild. I never knew such a thing existed. Very cool.

[@verastaki]

When I used to live in Vancouver, Washington, right across then, BN, Burlington Northern rail yard and Locomotive Bypass area, where they fueled, sanded, maintained, sorted and parked locomotives, I used to love seeing the LORAM rail grinder at nighttime. When you can see all the bright sparks and the whole entire unit is glowing, not to mention all the lights installed all over the train. It would make a few runs and eventually will go fuel up at the beginning of the locomotive bypass, the tracks that curve heading straight towards the neighborhood I used to live at. After fueling up, it would park next to all the locomotives, which are parked close to my bedroom window. It was nice to see it parked so close. It was slightly different from this one. It had two B-Unit type Locomotives, 4 cars away from each side, thinking because they were so intensely LOUD. All the controls are in the front cab, which has no engine, and entire train, including the front and back cabs were powered by those two loud GE engines.

[@rkproductions1141]

I caught that up near my town, it's definently one of the coolest things I've seen. Very nice job as always

[@christianluts810]

The content, quality and commentary of your videos is superb. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

[@BazilRat]

I think I saw a similar machine being tested out/trialled about 15 years ago here in Bristol... they were walking along behind it and I could hear them talking about doing the same job manually - discussing how doing it by hand would have taken them weeks with full closures of the line, while this was profiling the rails and the lines were only going to be shut for the one night as they did the entire section.

[@verastaki]

The Locomotives on Rail Grinders are usually B-Unit Locomotives, which are controlled from the front or rear cab car, usually 2, but sometimes, they would add additional Locomotives on each end, totaling to 4 Locomotives. Those Cabless B-Unit Locomotives are extremely loud and noisy! You can feel vibration all over your body standing close to one, while it's running. Rail Grinder B-Units are Generators as well, providing power for all those cars requiring power in a consist.

[@HughMartell]

Exceptionally good video and drone photography which I find it interesting and entertainment to watch. Thank you!

[@jodypearce9515]

Awsome video. The longer Loram sure isn't the most pretty looking train, but it's a necessary set of equipment.

[@cnosprandt5155]

Excellent video! Your drone footage is fantastic and really brings this to another level. Thanks!

[@katrich61]

Excellent drone photography, a pleasing and interesting video to watch.

[@petewright5671]

A Wealth Of Knowledge!

[@mmheetech]

Excellent! I would be curious to see a close up of the rails before and after grinding sometime and a breif explanation of why they are ground that specific way. I think others are probably curious as well. Great video!

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Honestly the most noticeable change is the humming sound trains make after the grind, as the wheels pass over the marks left behind.

[@newwomyn]

Now let us discuss the two segments of a train and how both are regulated. Locomotives are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) which is an agency of the United State Department of Transportation (USDOT) , meanwhile rail wagons (cars) are regulated by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). All road equipment, rails, ties, fasteners, switches and turnouts, and signaling equipment are all controlled by the AAR as well as the USDOT. The reason why locomotives are regulated by the FRA is they contain the prime mover, generator, and traction motors. Even the bearings on the traction motors are inspected and reconditioned differently from the railcar's. Railcar bearings can contain brunelling in the raceways whereas bearings o the prime mover (locomotive) cannot. During the reassembly process on locomotive bearings the inspector has to spin or turn the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) against the outer ring (cup) and listen for clicking. If there is a clicking sound present then the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) will have to be exchanged for on that does not possess the clicking sound. This is important due to the weight of the locomotive, and also due to the fact that locomotive bearings do not index while mounted on the traction motor journal. Indexing means that as the object round curves, the outer ring (cup) will rotate slightly giving the bearing a fresh load bearing surface. Locomotive bearing when mounted will be in a static or stationary position. Now rail car bearings are not in a totally static position when mounted onto the journal. This means that there can be slight brunelling on the races due to the fact that when wheel sets are mounted under the trucks (suspension). They actually sit under an adapter plate that is sandwiched between the trucks (suspension) and the outer rings (cups). It may surprise you to know there is not a bolt or nut holding rail cars together, instead they use the cars weight and gravity to keep them together. On the trucks (suspension) there is a center pin (kingpin) that goes into the car's sub frame. The rail car body and sub frame is separate from the trucks (suspension). It is held in by gravity. Now as the train takes curves, pressure is placed on the outside of the curve, meaning the greatest pressure (force) is placed on the bearings located on the outer part of the curve. Example, when a train is taking a right hand curve, the weight transfer will shift to the left of the car, leaving the right side of the car with the least weight (pressure). During that time the bearings on the right side of the car will index (turn) inside the adapter plate giving the bearing a new weight bearing surface to ride on when in a straight line. It is like taking a curve inside your car, your weight will what to shift to the outside of the curve because when an object is in motion it tends to want to stay in a straight line. I hope this helps.

[@jerrysinclair3771]

A very interesting and detailed account of all the action. I was thoroughly entertained!

[@jackson246]

This is quite an amazing machine but it gives off this kind of creepy vibe.....

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

You should see it operating at night, all lit up!

[@HughMartell]

I came across a rig similar to this one summer afternoon in Wenatchee, Washington. Never having seen or heard of one, it was exactly that - creepy!

[@ember_shep8181]

Thornapple River Rail Series, yeah. Even the devil would run away from that train. There is a video on yt on an american grinder in the evening, it was spewing sparks everywhere. That was creepy.

[@electric7487]

THIS is truly the Devil's Express.

[@stephenrice4554]

The calls we got when railgrinding at night , train on fire etc . 👍🇬🇧

[@EtobicokeCentralRailways]

What a cool process and an excellent video. The wrap around drone shot at the end is top notch!

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

It was as much fun to fly as to watch. I love the wide open field at that location!

[@tehklevster]

Fantastic footage there, really, really well made.

[@seabulls69]

You haven't lived until you've seen one of these working at night. It's spectacular.

[@daveadams3897]

An interesting machine, a great video, and some fantastic drone work.

[@IbbyP]

Hey. Top movie, good commentary, a nice one to watch. Thanks.

[@SOU6900]

I got a chance to get an up close look at this machine a few years ago when I went with my dad to fuel it.

[@GnonplussedGnome]

I had one of those scared the crap out of me about 0200 one night in a small Georgia town I was passing through in my 18 wheeler!

[@BasilBuchko]

Your videos are damn good. You do a fantastic job!

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Thanks!

[@jbrat4313]

Nice views from the Quad.. Great quality videos 👏🏽

[@ragnarsbrother6049]

Nice work...and with fall colors too.

[@supersafarisurfer4489]

Very interesting video! I liked it very much!

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jacksonslaterelevatorraila6444]

Just had quite an Epic Fail one of these Loram Grinders just came thru my area last night and I accidentally hit the record button two times for the Grinding clip and now have to wait two to three years till I get another chance to film it again.However Roanoke Virginia sees them every 6 months with one probably due in the Winter sometime :)

[@JesseJames83]

There's one near our town I had to look it up

[@sferg9582]

Awesome footage, very professional job! Gotta get me a drone!

[@electric7487]

Surprising that the grinding is done dry. You think they'd use water (or cutting fluid or whatever) to cool things down and tame the smoke.

[@chosentobedifferent6242]

These trains look like something out of a post-apoctalyptic sci-fi movie!!

[@iusetano]

Excellent video Alex. Great video, drone and editing work.

[@xcalibertrekker6693]

Those drone shots were sick.

[@carmichaeltrainproductionc9663]

Fantastic Video its not too often that you get to Catch these rail grinders!!

[@carmichaeltrainproductionc9663]

ike fun believe me my eyes are open I spend 40 Hours a week at work, so I only have 2 fill days to rail fan, not to consider house work and redoing the my office and bed room I’m a busy man!!

[@carmichaeltrainproductionc9663]

ike fun keep your opinions to yourself, I’m trying to show on here!

[@carmichaeltrainproductionc9663]

ike fun yes I know that in Central Indiana where I live it’s rare know if I were to get in my car and drive I would find them but I’m after steam F Units Classic GPs Heritage paint scene and old signals plus I spend 5 Days In the office so can take care of responsibility

[@metaz69u]

Nice Camera / Drone work. Well Done!

[@packet40]

That is really neat, thanks for sharing!!

[@deadfreightwest5956]

I love the smell of iron filings in the morning!

[@rrhone]

Best quality video ever seen. ty

[@tannerrobinson5110]

I drive past the Loram Facilities in Medina, MN every few days.

[@newwomyn]

Part One Bearings;Now let us discuss bearings on both rail cars and locomotives. Both are constructed basically the same and have the same or similar attributes. I will go from the outside or outboard side of the bearing to the inside or inboard side of the bearing. Also I will attempt to describe the role of every part and its function. 1. Bolts (3 in total) are screwed into the end of the journal during the mounting process. Their function is to retain the bearing onto the journal (axle) and must be torqued to a specified torque setting by a certified torque wrench. 2. Locking Plate. This is a triangular shaped plate of mild steel with a center hole and three holes that match the location of the holes in the end caps. These holes are where the bolts pass through along with the end cap. The locking plate also contains six locking tabs that are pressed against the bolts to prevent the bolt from backing out during the service life of the bearing. The locking plate also has information stamped onto it listing the shop that either built the bearing when it was new or the shop that re-conditioned the bearing plus the shop codes of the wheel shop that mounted the bearing upon the journal (axle). 3. End Cap. This is a round shaped plate of medium or high strength steel with the name of the manufacture, the AAR number, and three holes that the bolts pass through during the mounting process. The end cap's primary role is to spread out the mounting force equally throughout the seal wear ring, and it provides for proper retention of the bearing during the service life of the bearing. There are two basic types of end caps, shrouded and non-shrouded. The difference between shrouded and non-shrouded is along the circumference of the end cap there will be a dust cover shrouding both the grease seal and the seal wear ring protecting the two parts from collecting rocks, dust, and debris. A non-shrouded end cap will not have that lip or covering for the grease seal and seal wear ring. 4. Outboard Seal Wear Ring. This serves multiple functions. It is a ring of high grade steel that encircles the outboard side of the journal (axle) and is sandwiched between the circular ground grove on the inboard side of the end cap and the back face of the outboard inner ring (cone assembly). The wall dimensions are thicker at the back face of the inner ring (cone assembly) than the contact surface of the end cap. The seal wear rings outer surface is smooth to allow for the seal lips to glide over the seal wear rings surface to prevent lubricant loss. It also serve to transmit the mounting force throughout the internal parts of the bearing equally. The seal wear ring possess the manufacture's name and AAR number. The outer circumference of the seal wear ring nearest to the contact area of the seal wear ring and the back dace of the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) will be slightly tapered inward to aid in installation into the rubberized portion of the grease seal and prevent damage to the rubberized grease seal lips. 5. Outboard Grease Seal. This is a molded ring of mild steel that possess the rubberized seal that glides over the seal wear ring and the locking tab that encircles the entire circumference of the base of the seal. This locking tab when pressed into the outer ring (cup) counter-bore (a thin wall along the entire circumference of the outer ring-cup and a small groove running inside the entire circumference of the outer ring-cup, that locks the outboard seal into the outer ring-cup and prevents the grease seal from dislodging) The rubberized portion of the grease seal and the outer portion of the seal wear ring act to prevent moisture, dirt, and contamination entering the bearing's lubricant and preventing damage to both the rollers of the inner ring (cone assembly), races of both the outer ring (cup) and the inner ring (cone assembly).

[@newwomyn]

Part Two Bearings6. Outer Ring or Cup. This part encases all the working parts of the bearing, and is manufactured with high grade, high carbon steel. The parts of the outer ring are as follows; a. Outer Circumference or Outer Wall. This is the part of the outer ring (cup) that the truck adapter rest on. It also contains the manufactures name, AAR number, and the date code of original manufacture. b. Counter-Bore. This is the part of the outer ring (cup) that the grease seal body is pressed into with an indention (groove) along the entire inside circumference that the grease seal body tab locks into. c. Raceways. There are two raceways. This is the smooth surface inside the outer ring (cup) that the rollers of the inner ring (cone assembly) glide on. The two raceways are tapered, larger diameter near the outer ring (cup) counter-bore) and smaller toward the center of the outer ring (cup). It is designed to distribute both the mounting and car turning forces equally throughout the bearing. d. Inner Band. This is the area sandwiched between the outboard and inboard races. This area of the outer ring (cup) also possesses important information. During manufacturing or re-conditioning the plant or shop that has manufactured the cup or the re-conditioning shop that inspected and repaired the cup grinds with a pencil grinder their unique shop code or marks upon. This area is also the most undisturbed portion of the outer ring (cup), and in the event of an incident either with car itself or the bearing, investigators will look for these marks or codes to determine the history of the bearing, and the manufacture and the re-conditioning shop that inspected and repaired the bearing. 7. Inner Rings (Tapered Cone Assemblies) There are two of these, both outboard (outside of the car) and inboard (toward the inside of the car) (locomotive too). The parts of the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) are as follows. a. Inner Ring. This part is a circular in shape is forged form high grade alloy steel that consist of the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) bore which is the portion of the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) that is pressed onto the outer circumference of the journal (axle). These two surfaces have what is known as an interference fit, and must be pressed on the journal (axle) using a bearing press. This inner ring (tapered cone assembly) possesses two faces, one is the back face which serves to retain the rollers on the outboard portion of the bearing, and the front face that contains the rollers ion the inboard portion of the bearing, and the front face (chamfer) that contains the rollers on the inboard portion. This portion also rest upon the spacer. The back face serves to provide a surface for the seal wear ring to rest upon, it also contains the manufacture's name, the AAR number, the date code of manufacture, and during re-conditioning it possesses unique shop codes are written with a pencil grinder of the re-conditioning shop that has inspected and repaired the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) The inner ring also possesses the raceway that the rollers glide and roll over. The raceway is tapered, larger toward the outboard side and the back face, and smaller toward the inboard side. The geometry is such to allow even mounting and turning pressure or force throughout the entire bearing. b. Tapered Rollers. Tapered rollers are manufactured using high grade chrome vanadium steel and perform the function that is implied by its very name, they roll and glade over the two raceways, one located on the inner ring (tapered cone) and the other one located on the outer ring (cup). Even though for example in a 6 1/2X12 100 ton bearing there are 23 per inner ring (tapered cone assembly) the weight is on only one or two at any given time. The weight applied on the tapered roller would be at the apex or the very top of its orbit around the inner ring. (For all the rail fans just look at a bearing mounted on a rail car, rake a straight edge and position it directly up and down right in the middle of the bearing, the top of the bearing would be the portion that would be bearing the weight. Tapered rollers are of a tapered design, a larger diameter toward the outboard side of the bearing, a smaller diameter toward the middle of the bearing, near the middle band of the outer ring (cup). c. The Cage. The cage is manufactured either medium grade steel, or in a 6 1/2X9 Generation 2000 100 ton bearing, will be made from a high grade poly-carbonate plastic. The cage does with the name implies it retains the rollers and keeps them from shifting during bearing rotation. The cage contains pockets for the rollers and it is also of a tapered design, larger toward the outboard portion of the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) and smaller toward the inner band of the outer ring (cup). At the inboard side of the cage there is a small lip that carries itself throughout the entire circumference of the cage. The lips job is to retain lubricating grease into the raceway-roller combination, and to keep the grease from entering the middle of the bearing assembly that is devoid of raceways and rollers. 8. Spacer Ring. The spacer ring sits between the inboard and outboard inner rings (tapered cone assemblies), the inside diameter is approximately the same size of the outer diameter of the journal (axle). It is manufactured using medium grade steel. Its primary function is to by using a lateral machine (electronic or manual) to set the lateral end play of the bearing after it has been mounted onto the journal (axle). If the spacer ring is too short, the bearing assembly will seize, if it too tall there will be too much slop (side to side) motion. When the correct size spacer ring is applied to the bearing, and that is determined using the machine I just described in this section, the rollers will have steady and constant pressure on the two raceways (inner ring-tapered cone assembly and the outer ring-cup). The proper size spacer ring will prevent the tapered roller bearing from shifting when the train negotiates curves, reducing fatigue on the roller-raceway combination, preventing the loosening of the end cap, and keeping the backing ring from coming off the fillet of the journal (axle). 9. Inboard Inner ring (tapered cone assembly) Refer to Section 7, subsections a,b, and c.

[@newwomyn]

Part Three Bearings10a. Inboard Seal Wear Ring. Refer to Section 4 for its function , design, and construction. The exceptions are as follows. There are three basic inboard seal wear rings, and they are as follows; a. Standard Seal Wear Ring. The contact portion of the inner diameter nearest to the inner ring (tapered cone assembly back face) and the journal (axle) will be smaller. Typically this contact portion will be 1/8 of an inch or smaller depending on the bearing class and size. b. Axle Saver Seal Wear Ring. The contact area on the inside diameter of the seal wear ring the contacts the journal (axle) and the back face of the inner ring (tapered cone assembly back face) will typically will be larger, approximately half the height of the entire seal wear ring. These are typically used to either add stability to the inboard portion of the bearing assembly itself or is used in the presence of a grooved journal (axle). c. Composite Seal Wear Ring. This seal wear ring will have a grove cut on the inside circumference, near the area that makes contact with the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) that accommodates a sleeve manufactured from high grade poly-carbonate plastic that is white in color and appearance. The inside circumference of this poly-carbonate sleeve will make contact with the journal (axle). It is typically used in newer bearing assemblies or in the presence of a grooved journal (axle). This poly-carbonate ring is not used on locomotive bearing assemblies, or bearing classes above 100 ton. 10b. The outboard circumference portion of the inboard seal wear ring is the surface in which it is pressed into the chamfer that is cut and ground into the backing ring on the side closest to the tapered roller bearing and away from the contact portion that makes contact with the back face of the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) When pressed together it forms the inboard seal wear ring-backing ring sub-assembly. This is performed prior to installation into the inboard grease seal of the bearing assembly. 11. Backing Ring. This ring sits between the inboard seal wear ring and is mounted along with the rest of the tapered roller bearing assembly onto the fillet of the journal (axle) and is the closest part to the wheel of the completed wheel set. There are two types, a fitted backing ring, and a non-fitted backing ring The parts of the backing ring are as follows; a. The outer circumference which can be either shrouded or non-shrouded. Remember what I described in the end cap section. A shrouded backing ring will shroud the inboard seal wear ring and the grease seal from moisture, rocks, debris, and contamination. A non-shrouded backing ring will not have this attribute. b. The inner area where the name of the manufacture, and the AAR number. c. The chamfer that is cut into the portion nearest to the tapered bearing assembly where the seal wear ring is press fit and is locked together with the seal wear ring to create a backing ring-seal wear ring sub-assembly. The chamfer is cut and ground along the entire circumference of this portion of the backing ring. d. The Bore. This portion is the inside circumference that the journal (axle) passes through during mounting to a completed wheel set. e. The Counter-bore and Fillet. The counter-bore is the portion of the backing ring that is pressed onto the chamfer of the journal (axle), and the fillet is the curved surface that mates with the fillet of the journal (axle). The fillet of the backing ring has a concave appearance, while the fillet on the journal (axle) will have a convex shape and appearance. Both surfaces one on the backing ring and the other on the journal (axle) are designed to mesh together, and serve also to help seal out moisture, dirt and other contaminants from entering the bearing assembly. This also is interference fit, and during the bearing installation process, the counter-bore and the fillet will be pressed into the fillet of the journal (axle). f. Differences Between Fitted Backing Rings and Non-Fitted Backing Rings, and How to Determine the Differences Between Them. For fitted backing rings, the cou8nter-bore will be measured with either a gauge block, or be measured with calipers that contain a dial indicator. If measured with calipers with a dial indicator, the inside diameter of the counter-bore will be measured in two places with the contact points of the calipers exactly 180 degrees opposite of one another. There is specific tolerances that must be adhered to in order to classify the backing ring as fitted. When using a gauging jig. the counter-bore of the backing ring will be placed on a gauging jig that has been calibrated using a master ring with a known measurement used as a comparator. The gauging block will contain two button stops mounted on riser blocks, and a dial indicator mounted on its own separate riser block specifically designed for mounting the indicator. The backing ring counter-bore will be turned on the gauging jig to determine the overall inside diameter. If it is within tolerances, then it will be graded as a fitted backing ring, if it falls outside those tolerances, then it will be graded non-fitted, meaning the counter-bore will be oversized. A different type of backing ring will not have a counter-bore and fillet, instead in its place will be a radius that begins toward the surface next to the wheel and curves outward into the bore of the backing ring. This has to be gauged with a go-no go radius gauge and must be gauged in two places with the contact points of the radius gauge touching 180 degrees opposite of each other. The radius gauge cannot pass through the radius of the backing ring, instead one side of the fillet gauge will be in a slightly raised position. 12. Lubrication of the Tapered Roller Bearing, and Amounts Installed Per Class of Bearing. Prior to pressing the grease seals, the bearing will be placed inside a grease press that is hooked up to a computer driven pump. The press heads will grip the bearing on both the inboard and outboard sides, the the pump will engage to pump a pre-programed amount of lubricant into the area between the inner ring (tapered cone assembly) and the outer ring (cup) inside the area of the roller cage and rollers. Half the specified amount will be installed on one side of the bearing, the other half of the specified amount will be installed on the other side of the bearing. The classes and amounts are below, all amounts must be within plus or minus one ounce to pass specifications; a. 75 ton E Class 16 oz b. 100 ton F Class 24 oz c. 100 ton Generation 2000 12 oz d. 125 ton G Class 32 oz e. GG 6 1/2 Locomotive 32 f. GG 6 7/8 Locomotive 32 oz The above is for freight applications.

[@TOOCOOLFORME]

Great video. Love it.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Thanks, Bob!

[@garman1966]

Would have been nice to see before and after closeup pics of the rails to see what this beast does!

[@HighlanderNorth1]

It's important and necessary to keep the rails running smoothly between 2 enormous metropolises such as Saugatuck and Hudsonville! Lol

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Now now, they do run a 3-car passenger train each way daily - sometimes up to 24 axles in the busy season!

[@ArchTeryx00]

A lot of cargo runs through that rail system, even if the passenger number is relatively small. Smooth rails are absolutely vital for freight timetables, and decrease the chances of derailments, couplers breaking and other such wipeouts.

[@r6u356une56ney]

you realize this is part of a longer stretch connecting muskegon, grand rapids, and other points north to chicago, right?

[@HighlanderNorth1]

me999 No. I was assuming that most people have probably never heard of these 2 towns, just as most people have never heard of the 3 towns I lived in before I was 13. I was joking.

[@andrewscherle2136]

I'm part of the Loram crew and I'm on a rail grinder are machine is RG414 the newest one in the fleet

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

I'm assuming just because it is the newest doesn't mean it is clean? Question: do you know how they make the cabs? Are they on old locomotive frames or built from scratch? Thanks!

[@andrewscherle2136]

Thornapple River Rail Series they are built from the ground up and are machine is pretty clean. We just washed it for a guy from trains magazine that toke pictures of are grinder

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Thanks, Andrew! I recognized the EMD B-style trucks so that got me curious. I actually almost signed on to work for LORAM last summer as a summer laborer but took an internship at a Civil Engineering Consulting firm instead! Little cleaner of an experience!

[@andrewscherle2136]

Thornapple River Rail Series 😂😂 it's very dirty and very dangerous work if you don't pay attention out there you can easily get killed or seriously hurt

[@Lammedreng]

Great job filming this!

[@clearingbaffles]

Can you show a profile of the track shape you are trying to achieve? Thanx from the left coast near the Crapitol of California (and Roseville yard)

[@washingtonstaterailproduct5382]

Awesome video.

[@lathamarea1437]

an under carriage view, see what it looks like sitting still, how are the grinding stones replaced..

[@r6u356une56ney]

some closeup views of the railhead before and then after grinding, would have been cool to see....

[@ArchTeryx00]

Very good drone and camera work. Just please be careful around those things - that dust is extremely toxic to breathe, and as you observed, the filter doesn't catch near all of it.

[@EastTexasRailfan]

Nice video, I really liked that shot at around 2:30

[@NWORails_Off_Topic]

I saw this in delsher today, I just uploaded the whole day recording at the park

[@BradleyTims]

I put in my app. to work for Loram ,sure hope they hire me on ,amazing company.

[@crobar_]

That train is sinister.

[@maplelaugh420]

Love this! Wonder if anyone ever gets sprayed by the foam😂

[@justinw7258]

What foam? I see water

[@justinw7258]

@Samuel Skala we never used foam always water

[@philh.7100]

Another interesting part of this are the special grinding wheels used and how they are made.

[@creatioexnihilo6599]

In Hong Kong now. Used to live in Holland MI, so nostalgia...

[@pecheur1951]

They use these in The Netherlands (i.e. the REAL Holland) too 😉

[@gregobern6084]

Is there a before and after cross section view? How does grinding affect wheel slip?

[@20PINKluvr]

Has the loram ever been in arizona? Nah its so dry even that water pump wouldn't put out the fire

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Yeah they go out there, in deserts fire isn’t really an issue.

[@ColAngus]

Wow, spectacular footage. Subbed! :)

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Welcome aboard!

[@magicalintel5867]

The water tanks look similar like those crude oil tankers on freight trains

[@MicrobyteAlan]

Thanks good video

[@r6u356une56ney]

is there some way to know in advance where/when they doo track maintenance like this? I'm sure they have a schedule, just wonder if there would be any way to get a copy...

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

No schedule is publicly available. You have to find them yourself or hear of it from your friends, like I did.

[@clearingbaffles]

News Flash "Coal train catches fire from rail grinding restoration operations!"

[@RailRide]

Here is a video produced by Vossloh that explains the process--at least on _their_ particular approach to rail grinding. It includes animations and a closeup of the post-grinding railhead. Whoever posted it however, only got a copy that cuts off early, but it does answer a fair number of the questions posed here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmHOaXuOZax7r6s

[@rustynail6819]

Loram does not use any foam, only water that is obtained from municipal water sources AKA fire hydrants.

[@bobyoung1698]

At the risk of sounding too critical, why didn't you show a before/after comparison of the rail?

[@OffGridInvestor]

If they had this in my country IT WOULD start a wildfire.

[@railyardfilms6491]

This would make me happy 2 catch

[@jeffneis553]

Would like to see a close view of the grinders.

[@davecasler]

Love your videos. I suggest long term you look into color grading. You can make great videos look even better.

[@trainmaster52]

Like the video. Very comparable to Pentrex.

[@bryanschlippjr4894]

5:55 no horn on E800?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Private crossing

[@toomanywaystofall]

talkin about putting the axe to the grindstone...

[@midmichiganrr24gp9]

they're hiring right now to LORAM

[@yalepelchat6613]

That thing looks like the NR from Rolling Line

[@denisetindall1487]

I like train videos on KZbin 👍

[@pennystewart4127]

Never actually seen it in action...I'm always dropping off or picking up crews.

[@brycehodges3032]

Can you do a video train chase through grand haven

[@brianrigsby7900]

4:52 pumpkins? What?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

BNSF engines are sometimes called “pumpkins” due to their Orange color

[@JointedStudios]

Nah. Its the train from clean rail heaven.

[@knightsaberami01]

What does it smell like?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Honestly, it doesn’t smell like anything at all.

[@Foreignwrists]

Some graffiti on these would be badass 😎

[@pcorf]

Must be so damn loud!

[@blameusa7082]

how much rail does it take off?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

I'm not sure but best measured in thousandths of an inch I am told.