April 2009 Work Weekend Progress

[Bill Reidy]

We weren't sure how good a job the new tamper was doing. When we air tamp by hand we tamp the ends of the ties from the rail to the tie end. With the new tamper only one spot next to the rail is tamped three times. With the power up on the new tamper the tamping steels are going deeper. The lining crew learned how good a job the new tamper was doing when they tried to line the rail. Help! we need more men with lining bars.

I'd also note the ties in this section are old 8x8 guardrail posts -- not the usual 8x6 ties.  So it's good to hear Big Joe was able to dig down low enough to tamp these larger ties.

[James Patten]

With all the projects that was going on I was a little worried that there wouldn't be enough people at the end of track to ballast, jack, and tamp.  It turned out there was quite enough, considering the waiting between ballast delivery trains.