A new tool for an old task: track work
On any railway, maintaining the infrastructure is a difficult, dangerous and crucial undertaking. Performing that work on tracks that climb nearly 4000’ on steep grades above ground level into some of the harshest weather conditions on the planet makes the job even more complicated. To make this challenging work easier, more comfortable and far safer for the track crew, in 2019 we brought a new re-railing car into service.
The new car was used to re-rail the entire three mile route to the summit with heavyweight 100lb rail, replacing the existing 25lb rail and supporting wooden sidepieces. This substantial upgrade has strengthened the track system, smoothed out the ride and greatly reduced the amount of routine track maintenance. The project was completed in the spring of 2022, well ahead of its original target date.
Much of our lightweight rail had been in use for well over a century, as evidenced by this foundry mark. While it was perfectly sufficient for running our trains, wooden side pieces were necessary for support, and that wood required a tremendous amount of maintenance.
New 100lb rail (left) vs old 25lb rail. Engineer Josh Bishop took this shot to demonstrate how the new rail is fixed directly to the cross tie, which eliminates the need for the wooden side piece underneath the lightweight rail.
Designed and built entirely on site, the Cog’s new enclosed 65’ rail car revolutionizes the grueling process of removing and replacing rail. It provides a safe environment for our crews to work efficiently year round, day or night, in relative comfort.
The rail car is completely enclosed but open to the tracks below, and is equipped with hydraulic tools and an overhead crane. Each 19.5’ section of new rail weighs 650 pounds.
The heavy vinyl curtains on each side can be pulled back to load supplies and equipment, and to reduce wind resistance when parked at a high elevation work site. And the view can’t be beat, like this foggy autumn sunset near tree line above Jacob’s Ladder.
Throughout the Spring and Summer of 2020, track crews went up after passenger service ended each day, often working late into the night. By mid-September, the long stretch between Skyline and the summit was nearly complete, leaving only Long Trestle and a short span below Jacob’s Ladder to be re-railed.
Prior to the rail car coming on line, our track crews would only be expected to complete a fraction of the work that can now be accomplished during a typical work day. Here, Mark and John are installing new steel rack seats on the shuttle track below the Base Station.
Once the new track is laid, there is quite a bit of debris to clean up. Asst. General Manager Ryan Presby operating the crane just below Jacob’s Ladder, removing old wood and lightweight rail from alongside the track. The right-of-way will be completely cleared by the end of 2022, although some very old debris (including traces of the destruction caused by the hurricane of `1938) remains out of reach of our crane and ground equipment.