Leaves on The Mountain

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

The hotel in West Woodstock CT had an acetylene for its gas lighting - many years ago.

The tin knocker (sheet metal specialist) used a generator fo his gas welding well into the 80's

We used a similar system in our bird scare cannons to keep blackbirds off corn.

[Steve Leet]

well said Steve & Brain, why listen to the track crew?

[John Kokas]

Re: the removal of extra ballast from top of ties -  good little project for #51 and a couple of the tip cars.  Shovel off the tie tops and put it in the tip car and then spot drop ballast at those low joint location(s) that confound the track crew all the time.  Great job for a couple of guys on a slow day or weekend.

[Mike Fox]

I was working on an idea to turn a rototiller we have into a ballast broom but decided it was a ton of work..

[Andrew Toppan]

They work pretty good on the small scale stuff. We just have to be careful about buildup either in the ditches or right along the ROW. Don't want to worry about trapped water or errant sparks causing any considerable consternation.

I hadn't thought about fire risk - but I've seen fires started (at Sheepscot) in needle/leaf litter no thicker than what lies within the gauge on the upper section of the Mountain now...

[Bill Reidy]

On our inspection trip this morning, I told Brian as we rode 52 north that his post about the need to clear ballast and debris off the top of ties struck me as spot on.  I half-jokingly said we need a ballast regulator and asked are any available for import from Australia or other countries?  He replied by asking if this could be an on-going work weekend maintenance project, which I think is a smart suggestion. 

[Wayne Laepple]

In modern railroad construction, clearing ballast off the ties is just about the final work when new track is built. It's known in the trade as "dressing off" the track and includes getting excess ballast off the ties and shaping the shoulders. Of course, in today's modern world, such work is done exclusively by machines. A ballast regulator has an adjustable plow on one end to move ballast around and shape the shoulders, and a powered horizontal broom on the other end to sweep any remaining stone off the ties.

[Ed Lecuyer]

I half-jokingly said we need a ballast regulator and asked are any available for import from Australia or other countries?

Well, funny you should mention that...

A  2' gauge hydraulic ballast spreader *is* for sale - but it is located in Utah. There has been some talk about acquisition, but nothing is formalized. Shipping is the biggest issue (and would likely exceed the value of the spreader.)

[Mike Fox]

I have seen that for sale for well over a year, maybe 2. I have never seen a whole picture of it, and this is not it. Needs new wheels at minimum, plus some work on the plow.

[Graham Buxton]

There are more photos of it here:
https://www.discoverlivesteam.com/discoverforsale/forsale/2_Flanders/index.htm#flanger
You may need to scroll around a bit to see the flanger as there are also other items on that page.  Price shown is $3995.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Comercially built. That is an interesting gizmo.

What kind of a truck would be needed to haul the unit? Is there a heavy duty flatbed truck, not a tractor trailer, that could carry it? If so, and one could be rented, would it be feasible to fly out to Salt Lake, get the truck and load it, then drive back to Maine?

Jeff S.

[Wayne Laepple]

Returning to the original topic, it seems to me that three or four people with leaf blowers, sitting on one of our pushcars towed slowly by No. 51, would do a fine job of moving the leaves out of the gauge and off the shoulders. It might take a little practice to find the right speed, but then it should be an easy-peasy job.

[Jason M Lamontagne]

I tend to agree with Wayne for leaves.  Jay Barta sourced the appropriate leaf blower for us as well.  Perhaps a rental as proof of concept then seek funds to purchase some units.

For excess ballast- I agree with Steve Lennox that this should be a work weekend project.  Shoveling ballast rock is not easy as they interlock tightly.  Moving the stone over any height or distance is back breaking.  At this point- redistribution into the adjacent ditches, and getting as much labor possible to divide up the work is the practical answer. 

In the future, care to avoid over ballasting should be prioritized.  In the future future, a ballast regulator would be very appropriate (esp with EBT hoppers in the future future).  I’m not sure the unit posted for sale would be a great gamble at $4k plus transportation, without knowing the details of its condition or ability to do our specific job.  Maybe- but not sight unseen.

See ya
Jason

[Graham Buxton]

  I have a long gravel driveway, much of it on a steep hill.  And maintaining that driveway (and its associated ditches) is a chore that I have plenty of experience with.     

In spite of having a Terramite backhoe at my disposal, for moving smaller amounts of rock, I find that shoveling rock into a bucket, then loading the buckets onto a low trailer and hauling the buckets to a spot where the rock is needed is an effective technique. I used to use 5 gallon buckets (perhaps 1/2 full) but have found that 3 gallon buckets are a better option.

Putting excess ballast into a bucket avoids filling a ditch any faster than Mother Nature already does, and once the rock is in  bucket(s) moving it (with a pushcar or similar) to where it can be used shouldn't be a big deal.

I have a pile of 'crusher run', and another pile of 2" drain rock. The drain rock is harder to shovel, and I get less in a scoop than the smaller crusher run, but its do-able.  I don't try to fill the buckets up, just put in what is comfortable for me. 

[Wayne Laepple]

I have a great idea. How about we find a really big squirrel cage blower and mount it on a pushcar. Run it with a flathead Ford V-8 engine with v-belts! Angle it about 40 degrees down toward the track. That should do the trick!!