That was posted on Eng-Tips some time ago, but I never tire of watching it. Has German ingenuity written all over it, but I seem to remember the location filmed was in Belgium...or the Netherlands.
At least the machine that carries the new concrete ties from the cars to the new location has been in use in the US. I remember watching them from my office in Texas about 10 years ago. It was a little creepy in a "machines have taken over the earth" way until I saw that someone was driving the little cars that run along the top of the stacks of ties.
Railroad construction right outside the DOT construction offices...productivity was not high that week. Everyone was standing at the fence watching the show.
First, one suspects it may be quicker/less labor intensive which in places where railroad workers are union, only allowed to work 35 hrs a week, including breaks every hour or so... then it might pay for itself just on that basis. Sure, it seems fancy when compared to a bunch or Irish Navvies or Indentured Chinese fold but just maybe it pays off.
Second, my understanding is that for high speed rail, the track has to be laid more precisely/carefully ... so one suspects it may have an advantage in that department too.
I think one advantage is the stability that comes from the way the ballast is applied and packed down all as an inherent part of the process. That has good implications for durability and potential top speed of trains using track laid by it.
Regards
Pat
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It is certainly effective - the European trains are remarkably smooth. On the TGV the only sensation that you're doing 180mph is the buffeting which occurs when another one passes you in the other direction. Alone on the track there is very little sensation of motion, other watching than the blurry stuff outside the window.
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
"until I saw that someone was driving the little cars"; Some redundent someone who is only there to satisfy the latest union agreement. I'm sure the little cars would drive themselves quite well, if left to do so entirely on their own.
I like the sensation of arriving in Madrid without feeling like I've escaped and by total luck of the draw I made it through the slaughterhouse one more time. Foot room, good food, nice service, no OTT security, running the marathon to get to the gate, and no taxi ride to look forward to from the airport to city center upon arrival. Why fly, if crossing oceans are not involved?
Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisors one in a thousand’ ... Book of Ecclesiasticus
The dedicated high speed lines, at least in Germany, don't use ties and ballast. Instead they use a continuous concrete slab roadbed. More expensive, but greater long term stability.
Pah, it's nothing compared with the "Track-o-matic" invented for the recent "James May's Toy Stories - The Great Train Race".
Some nice person has posted the whole program (10 mile model railway race) on youtube in 6 parts. Here's a link to the first part, other parts naturally follow.
![[lol]](/data/assets/smilies/lol.gif "[lol] [lol]")
