Track for maintenance or a possible extension of the line

[Wayne Laepple]

It’s been well over 25 years since I worked in Cape Charles, but my memory is that the main line rail is 130-PS and the sidings were a mix of 100-PS, 85-PS and 85-PR. Our standard these days is 60-ASCE rail.

[Mike Fox]

I don't think the By-laws cover extending the railroad. That is left to us. Long term goal could be anything. We certainly don't want to outgrow our ability to maintain what we have.

[Bob Springs]

Mike makes an excellent point. 
Building more than can be properly maintained would compromise safety and we surely don't want that.

[John Kokas]

Which strengthens the point for the need for mechanization of a lot of our MOW work.  The tamper is a start but eventually a tie handler, spiker, bolt machine, gang car, and work carts will finish the job.  I know we'll never find a ballast regulator small enough for us.

[Roger Cole]

Your organizations mechanical ability is amazing.  You built your own homemade tamper and boiler flanger.  I'll bet given the opportunity a standard-gauge ballast regulator could be "slimmed down".

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

I'm sure you'd be able to built small ballast regulators from tipcars or tipcar frameworks but as regards a future extension of the line, once again, I fully agree with Mike, don't outgrow your ability to maintain what you have.

[Mike Fox]

Ballast regulator would be fairly easy to build. I have a couple different ideas using a rototiller unit as the broom side of it..

[John Kokas]

The sweeper part of a ballast regulator is the easy part and a rototiller type front would work although the RPM would have to be dramatically increased.  Where it gets dicey is coming up with the plow front and hydraulically controlled wings for ditching, shaping, and scooping both dirt and rock into or away from the ROW.  The wings put an awful lateral strain on the unit and I have personally experienced a hydraulic arm fracture failure.  The boom is enough to scare the hell out of the most daring soul not to mention the shower of hydraulic fluid which covered the machine.

[Terence Kasabian]

+That track down the Virginia and Maryland was PRR main line,  Most likely too heavy for us to use.  It would most likely be 100lb PS or heaver. 

[Roger Cole]

+That track down the Virginia and Maryland was PRR main line,  Most likely too heavy for us to use.  It would most likely be 100lb PS or heaver.

Sometimes yards and sidings into industries are laid with lower-weight rail.

[Russ Nelson]

We certainly don't want to outgrow our ability to maintain what we have.

That's why I'm looking forward to doing some lining and leveling of the main this spring. We *are* getting together to work in a few months, aren't we?

[Wayne Laepple]

Believe me when I state unequivocally that 60-pound rail and smaller is getting really hard to find in any quantity at any kind of affordable price. That rail section was obsolete 50 years ago, and 21st century railroads long ago replaced anything that light with heavier rail. Even 90 and 100 pound rail is getting difficult to find.

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

 Same out here the 44-pound -20 kilo- second- hand rail in good condition is a rarety in France. I've heard you can buy  new ones in China.

[James Patten]

As we move north I notice the rail gets heavier and heavier.  By the time we reach North Whitefield we'll probably be at 110-lb rail.

The obverse of this would mean that the rail gets lighter and lighter the further south we go.  That means it'll be 12-lb rail in Wiscasset, right?

[Bill Piche]

As we move north I notice the rail gets heavier and heavier.  By the time we reach North Whitefield we'll probably be at 110-lb rail.

The obverse of this would mean that the rail gets lighter and lighter the further south we go.  That means it'll be 12-lb rail in Wiscasset, right?

More like the rings on a tree, James. The center is at SS and radiates out from there. By that logic Wiscasset will probably be 80 lb rail since there's a bunch of that all over the place.