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2/11/2025
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Viewing Album:  BNSF RR tie replacement
 
By:Greg Elder
Dates:3/10/2016 - 3/11/2016
Album Info:MOW crew working on the BNSF tracks through Newton, Kansas. They came with 2 of every machine and covered a mile a day. It was like the circus came to town, each machine doing a different and specific job and performing very well.
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Assembly line
Title:  Assembly line
Description:  The line of machines spread out and working.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:58:46 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  80   Comments: 0
Ballast tamper
Title:  Ballast tamper
Description:  Before the spike driver comes along, the ballast tamper firms up the rock beneath.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:49:56 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  61   Comments: 0
Tamping for the spike driver.
Title:  Tamping for the spike driver.
Description:  Ballast tamper with its tamper arms burried in the rock.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:51:25 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  58   Comments: 0
Clamper closeup
Title:  Clamper closeup
Description:  Here you can see how the machine clamps the clips on either side of the tie to hold the tie in place.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:56:04 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  63   Comments: 0
Clip clamper
Title:  Clip clamper
Description:  After the spikes are driven, the clip clamper pushes the clips against the tie.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:54:46 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  65   Comments: 0
Insert new ties
Title:  Insert new ties
Description:  This machine grabs the new ties and places them between the spread clips.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:42:01 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  71   Comments: 0
Insert ties 2
Title:  Insert ties 2
Description:  A side view of the tie insert machine.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:43:02 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories: 
Locomotives: 
Views:  57   Comments: 0
Clean up
Title:  Clean up
Description:  After the tie replacement crew is gone, the pick up crew gathers the old ties.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:57:47 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories: 
Locomotives: 
Views:  83   Comments: 0
Spike puller
Title:  Spike puller
Description:  The spike puller was the least spectacular of all the machines. It pulled the spikes one at a time and left them where they fell on the ground.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:25:22 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  66   Comments: 0
Spike puller flip
Title:  Spike puller flip
Description:  Here is a close up of the spike being pulled and dropped into the ballast.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:26:40 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  60   Comments: 0
Set tie plates
Title:  Set tie plates
Description:  This machine was a disappointment. It rased the rail and slid the tie plate under the rail, but the plates were placed by hand.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:44:59 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  63   Comments: 0
Plate setter
Title:  Plate setter
Description:  Aother shot of the plate setting machine.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:46:18 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  57   Comments: 0
Plate positioners
Title:  Plate positioners
Description:  Here is the crew with the hardest job, dig the old plates out of the ballast and set them on the ties for the plate positioner.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:48:01 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  58   Comments: 0
Set out ties
Title:  Set out ties
Description:  First order of business was to set out the new ties.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:18:03 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  73   Comments: 0
Setting ties
Title:  Setting ties
Description:  Carried behind them on a pull cart, these clamping backhoes set off ties at paint marked locations.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:20:00 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  55   Comments: 0
Double effort
Title:  Double effort
Description:  There were 3 of these units operating back to back.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:22:10 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  61   Comments: 0
Tie jector
Title:  Tie jector
Description:  After the last cart passed, the spike puller came next.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:23:34 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  64   Comments: 0
Special work
Title:  Special work
Description:  A special work crew works around the switches.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 3:00:26 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  78   Comments: 0
Spike driver
Title:  Spike driver
Description:  Driving the spikes one at a time, you can see the magazine loaded with spikes to the right of the driverhead.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:53:11 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  59   Comments: 0
Spread tie clips
Title:  Spread tie clips
Description:  Before a new tie can be inserted, the tie clip machine spread the clips apart on the rail.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:36:01 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  57   Comments: 0
Spread clips 2
Title:  Spread clips 2
Description:  Another close up to show the mechanism that spreads the clips.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:37:11 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories: 
Locomotives: 
Views:  49   Comments: 0
Close up of clip mechanism
Title:  Close up of clip mechanism
Description:  You can see in this shot how the spreader grabs the rail, pushes the spreader arms down, and opens the slot between the clips.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:40:30 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  68   Comments: 0
Tie puller
Title:  Tie puller
Description:  The most spectacular machine pulled out the old ties. There were 2 different machines, but they worked the same way. A grip on the rail lifted it slightly, a hand grabbed the tie, and pushed it out; Left side or Right side.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:29:29 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  51   Comments: 0
Work in front of the Station
Title:  Work in front of the Station
Description:  Here the tie extractor works in front of the Amtrak Station.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:31:13 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories: 
Locomotives: 
Views:  64   Comments: 0
Tie extractor 2
Title:  Tie extractor 2
Description:  The long reach of the tie extractor.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:32:23 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories: 
Locomotives: 
Views:  63   Comments: 0
Tie extractor 4
Title:  Tie extractor 4
Description:  Here you can see the mechanism that lifts the track while the grab arm clamps the tie and slides it out. Leaving it along the ROW.
Photo Date:  3/11/2016  Upload Date: 7/22/2016 2:34:22 PM
Location:  Newton, KS
Author:  Greg Elder
Categories:  Yard
Locomotives: 
Views:  63   Comments: 0

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