Sterling Secondary Trackwork

[ConrailDetr​oit]

NS 5529 had a work train that was setting out ties in Warren next to the Old Tank plant today with 7 UFTX gondolas. They cleared into the tank plant siding to let NS 121 pass around 3:30pm. I heard they will be replacing ties all the way up to 18 Mile all into next week.

[AARR]

I wonder when those "gondola's were built (for coal) if they ever thought someday they would be used to MOW service (usually covered by flat cars and "true" gondola's.

[bctrainfan]

Amazing how they climb up on those gons with a backhoe, how did anyone even think of that in the first place? I am betting that rednecks and alcohol were somehow involved. "Hey, BillyBob, watch this!"

[CAT345C]

I gotta wonder how stable that is, when I was doing track work running a backhoe it was a bit unstable straddling the rails and putting ties in. I could pick up 5 with the thumb and carefully move them to the side. I assume that thing must clamp to the car some how.

[M.D.Bentley]

No clamp, just the weight of the machine. A very stable work platform . Believe it or not. AND operated by outside contractors with the train crew provided by Conrail.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Wasn't the Litchfield power plant (on the Indiana Northeastern) using a variation of this backhoe (with a coal-optimized bucket) to unload coal cars?

[bctrainfan]

Not sure about Litchfield, but it would be quite possible, seen pictures of them with different buckets/attachments for unloading all kinds of bulk stuff from gons or open hoppers using these or a regular backhoe.

[Racer]

I saw this train sitting in Mound Yard this past Friday, but was uncertain which direction they were headed next. Have all the ties been set out for the work north of Mound Road?

[AARR]

Wasn't the Litchfield power plant (on the Indiana Northeastern) using a variation of this backhoe (with a coal-optimized bucket) to unload coal cars?

Yes, I was told they unloaded 20 cars in 12 hours on average.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

I saw this train sitting in Mound Yard this past Friday, but was uncertain which direction they were headed next. Have all the ties been set out for the work north of Mound Road?

As of 4pm yesterday it looks like they have not been north of 12 Mile.

[bctrainfan]

I was reading the RJ Corman site, and was reminded of the pics above with the backhoe on the gons, seems old RJ started his huge RR empire in 1973 with one backhoe used like the one in the pics. You might say his company had a little growth since then!

[AARR]

I was reading the RJ Corman site, and was reminded of the pics above with the backhoe on the gons, seems old RJ started his huge RR empire in 1973 with one backhoe used like the one in the pics. You might say his company had a little growth since then!

There was a nice article in Trains magazine about RJ Corman a while back (within the last year maybe?).

[Saturnalia]

I was reading the RJ Corman site, and was reminded of the pics above with the backhoe on the gons, seems old RJ started his huge RR empire in 1973 with one backhoe used like the one in the pics. You might say his company had a little growth since then!

There was a nice article in Trains magazine about RJ Corman a while back (within the last year maybe?).

You might be thinking about the piece on the shouthauls Corman does. That was the September Issue.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

The work train was by CP Bonita getting a Form D to Andrew around 4:30pm. They are going to be replacing alot of ties as Sterling Secondary has plenty of new ones sitting along the ROW.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Setting out ties just south 15 Mile now. Some track equipment was working behind them.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

FD63 with NS 5529 had about 20 CR ballast hoppers today and were dumping ballast south Andrew today. They were blocking 16 Mile around 1pm waiting for NS 121 to clear a route for them into Sterling Yard. Then they went to set out more ballast south of 18 Mile then backed the train into the yard. The crossing at 18.5 Mile was also getting worked on today.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Tie replacement has started north of CP Bonita. They were working around 6 Mile today.

[kurt19d]

All of that equipment was parked on the Tank Plant siding the past two mornings. Around 6:45 am today there was a large group of operators huddled together having a meeting. Lots of equipment. Took up the siding from the TACOM access road crossing to the north end.

[mike nowakowski]

I was watching them work North of 12 Mile road today, good thing to distract you from work lol

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Yesterday 10/17 at 5pm, An NS engine was pulling all of the track equipment SB through Warren.

Today a Flatbead truck with a crane on the back was picking up some of the new ties set off for replacement north of 18 Mile. Dont know why, maybe too many where set off. Conrail Maintainers were at the 18.5 Mile crossing.