All about Railroad Bridge Guard Rails plus I will show you some rail that was rolled in 1928 and is being used as guard rails here on Bridge 8 on the Cumberland Mine Railroad. #RailroadBridgeGuardRails#RailroadBridge Made March 06, 2022
Enjoyed the education. Jordan rails are very important. Helps prevent a bad accident worse. Plus think about this. They also add more stability to sleepers there are some curves that they have them on around Knoxville tenn. Major forces on a rail that transfers down to a tie. Come down a hill dynamics wide open the train wants to go straight thus pushing that outside rail out
Thank you very much Jason for the very informative comment and coming from an engineer's perspective. You of all people understand the extreme stress a moving train puts on the track structure. Very much appreciate your checking out the channel tonight my good friend. Bet you would have loved pulling a train back in the day with loaded cattle cars! LOL
Many years ago I sold rail produced by Bethlehem Steel. You are the first and only person I have seen to accurately explain the letters following the weight per yard stamping. Most have no idea what they (and there are many different ones) actually mean. Thank you.
Wow what a very nice thing to say James. I'm flattered. Hope you are a subscriber and will watch the rail identification marks video, although it won't be out until next fall or winter. Gonna really go into detail in that one. I do have an FRA rail defect manual and it is quite extensive in all the markings that could be found on a rail, plus I have a very old Sperry book that adds even more info in. Wish we could get together and talk sometime. We have a good bit of Beth rails here, perhaps you may have been someone we bought from in the past. 18 years ago when I started track maintenance full time here, someone once told me the RE stood for relay rail and it was only until a few years ago I found out what it really meant. I got that relay rail ingrained in my head and still find myself on occasion looking at it and thinking relay.... :-)
I have never seen a man like you Dave enjoying your job so much, good for you! Also, thanks for sharing all about railroading with us, it's quite informative for a senior like me just using H.O. train's. 👍
Thank you for the very kind words. Very much appreciated. HO trains are cool. I have a huge basement here and still have my HO from way back Santa gifts early 1960's. But have an autistic grand son. It would be torture for him to not be able to be around any kind of layout.
Thank you a thorough and understandable (to a non-railroader) explanation. I noticed the extra rails in the past and wondered why they were there. Now I know. Thank you again!
You are certainly welcome Kevin, glad to hear you enjoyed and we do want to say how much we appreciate your writing in and for watching the video my friend.
Wow! What great information! My grandfather worked on railroads for 44 years and I have loved trains my entire life. You give us information many of us have wondered about for years and I thank you for that!
Great video as usual, Dave! You are a very gracious host for sharing your enthusiasm for and knowledge about the railroad. I always look forward to your next release!
I'm not a railroader but I enjoy watching your videos. You have a pleasing personality and I like the way you describe what you do. I also like hearing about the line operation in general and what's going on with. Have a super great day!
Thank you very much TR for the very nice comment. I understand a big part of my viewers are not railroaders and try to talk about things in a way that is easy for everyone to understand. We really appreciate your checking out the video and being part of our channel tonight my friend.
Back in the 70's, when I was a young teen, we were snowmobiling on the abandoned railroad track beside the New Haven canal here in northern CT. As we reached the bridge by the old quarry, we all saw the bottom of my dad's sled when his skis became wedged on those guard rails. No one was hurt, we tag teamed the sled free, and were on our way. I've wondered what those inner rails were for since then and stumbled on the answer today. Thanks Dave.
Last year I was binging on "cab view" videos in Switzerland and Norway railways and I would often see these rails on some bridges and not others and often on straight stretches of rail for no apparent reason. Several times I left comments asking the purpose of those rails hoping someone would be able to answer the question but no one ever did. So glad YT recommended this video because you finally answered my question. Thank you. 🙂
Great video! I hope you will film the changing of this bridge deck. That would be really fascinating! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I enjoy your genuine enthusiasm for your job and all the little details.
Really glad you enjoyed Winston, I will try my best to be there when they change the deck, but there is never any guarantee I can, we shall see. Do appreciate your stopping by today my friend.
Very informative. It might be fun to watch some of the decking getting replaced. I'd like to know how it's done. Looking forward to the travel videos too. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your world.
Thank you so much John for the very nice comment. We really appreciate all the excellent support you have given the channel my friend. Got a video out sometime this summer on taking new bridge timbers down there. However it may be next year before they get replaced. Under ground here had some serious major problems last month and they only ran 12 trains the whole month, so money is tight right now and bridge deck replacement on back burner. You know I will do what I can to make a video when it does happen tho.
One of our branch lines in ohio the 85lb yard rail is dated Carnegie steel 1898 and still sees 2 to 3 trains a week! Its in decent shape all things considered but probably much slower speeds for trains than when it opened originally
That is very cool! It's also sad in a way. The US was the absolute undisputed champion of heavy industry until quite recently in the scheme of things. We built everything. From toasters to the biggest cargo ships on the oceans. Now, we can't even make our own medications. I better stop before I get started on an epic rant, lol. Have a good one.
Awesome! Sure wish I had a piece of that rail with the mill brand on it! And you can take that as a hint, my birthday is right around the corner. Thanks so much for writing in and for watching today my friend.
@@pamike4873 I totally agree with you about the decline of America. TLC and everything should last however today's crap not so lucky. RR do so much for Americans and America .
@@ccrx6700 I have a section of "U" rail and a piece of pear-head rail. Both of those were not rolled after the war between the states. I also have a piece of girder rail from trolley track in the street and a piece of 8 lb rail. Just for information, there were at least 27 different sections or patterns of 75 lb rail rolled. I have a small book put out by a scrapping company of almost every rail section rolled, 1 9/16 to 8 inches tall.
Hey Dave. I gotta say I wanted to be an engineer since I was 3 years old. Never went that route as a career. I always wanted to know stuff about the railroad. but I guess unless you do it you never get to learn railroading. So I absloutly love watching your videos. Thank you so much for posting these teaching and learning sessions. Awesome.
Thanks so much Troy for the very nice comment, that was special for me to read. I'm very pleased to hear you are enjoying the home movies. We really appreciate your watching them my friend.
As always Dave, I learn so many interesting things from watching your videos! I find that the best teachers are people that enjoy their work and take great pride in their craft. You are precisely that type of person Dave. God bless!
Very glad you enjoyed the home movie Alex. We do appreciate your very nice comment and for watching my friend and for your faithful support of this channel.
Here in Oregon, we have lots of rail. I always wanted to know the story behind those things. First time viewer. Great job. Another thing I can point out to my family when on a road trip. No wonder I have seen so many of these guard rails along I-84 between Ontario Oregon & Portland. 400 miles. Also Baker City, LaGrande, Pendleton, Boardman and The mighty Columbia River.
That rail was made right before the great depression. We still use the PRR standards as the old school signals were wired as per standard. And you need to find which one. Use that when we rewire or hang a replacement position light signal. Now we have led bulbs!
Interesting stuff for railway geeks. When I waited for a London Underground I often wondered what the additional rails were for. They have a fair few tight bends some of which used to give a good screech. The inner guard rail was only a few inches away from the running rail.
@@ccrx6700 You have been doing excellent stuff for years! You seen to enjoy your work and explain things in detail that cannot be found in many places. Your smile and laugh is infectious. Please keep it up!
Great video Dave, great content on this one, kinda knew the guard rail, but, im so glad you explained the wooden beam on the edge of the bridge. Didnt know it was used to keep them from skewing. Thats awesome. And the old rail add in was great. Predates the mine by a long shot. Thats cool stuff right there.
Well golly gee.... what an exceptionally nice thing to say. I'm flattered. I understand, far more than you may think, how nice it would be to work with competent people. We may be in the same boat my friend.
Thanks for another informative video, Dave. I learned about guard rails from my HO-scale model bridges that had them and kept my model cars from falling off the bridges during derailments. It's still nice though to get a pro to explain them to those who don't know. I noticed years ago by watching videos that Norfolk Southern doesn't seem to subscribe to the use of GR's, and NS has many long, high, curved, high speed bridges. My blood would run cold if I were an engineer or conductor on an NS train and had to cross those bridges. I mean if a rail were to break or spread the gauge under the lead truck of a locomotive, there would be nothing from keeping it from immediately drifting all the way over and dropping the wheels on the outside from falling off the side of the bridge ties....game over for the crew! I would think that guard rails are always cheaper than the derailment clean up and the lawsuits that would follow, especially when deaths and chemical clean-ups are involved. Just my 2¢ on the rails.
You're very welcome Scotty, really glad you liked the show. I had not noticed that about NS, but no doubt your right. Someone who worked there once told me NS stood for No Sense.....LOL You are totally right in your thinking, I certainly agree with you there my friend.
Interesting history and I'm glad the powers that be let you make these videos. It's truly amazing that a rail from 1928 could look like it was made yesterday!
Great history and lessons in track design and maintenance :) It is cool to know some of the history so when you see those cut ends on the guard rails, you know it was done so you could get a tamper/cribber in to deal with the softness on the bridge approaches. Nice!
Wednesday morning, eating a bacon, egg and cheese omelet drinking a cup of coffee and watch'n Dave working on his railroad. Life is good. 😀 Thanks Buddy
Had once been a specialty built here in Chicago along our elevated/electric “L/EL” Rapid Transit lines Of course we have one slightly raised single rail supplying 600 volts some foot outside the gauged parallels. Being elevated 100% of the time, everything you mentioned to prevent catastrophic derailing has become common place, and we certainly have had our share of unique derailments. Along the middle between two sets of tracks which so heavily patena'd, looks like a ghost set which if so had not been used in more than half a century and would obviously have been different gauge. Well I finally found out the other day that indeed ghost rails had been built as special use trackage.
What a great video⚠️ I used to wonder on those inner rails but never asked why. Now, thanks to you, I've learned some more good information. I also appreciate you translating the markings and codes on the rails. I'm going to watch more of your presentations. Thank you so much, my friend! (P.S.) love your words of "happy rails to you."😁
Another great video and tutorial Dave! I personally have learned a lot from you since being a subscriber of your channel. There's so much to learn abt railroading and having someone as knowledgeable as you makes understanding what's discussed that much easier to comprehend. We're very fortunate to be part of your channel and to have a teacher like you! You definitely make railroading fun and interesting and always look forward to seeing your next video! Thanks again Dave for sharing your videos with us along with your time and effort my friend!
Very glad you enjoyed the home movie Shawn. We do appreciate your nice comment and for watching my friend, and for being such a faithful supporter of this channel.
Great video. Some further thoughts: On through girder bridges the inner track guard rails also serve the function of keeping derailed wheels on the timbers, thus keeping the car body from striking the bridge structure and causing damage to the bridge. Some railroads have removed these guardrails permanently because: it's difficult to tamp the approaches, which need it often; the timbers get spike killed and shorten their life; as ties/timber get old these guards can be knocked out of place easily and become non-effective in the case of derailment.
Thank you very much for sharing that Joe! Us not having a bridge like that here, that reason had never entered my mind, so glad you wrote in with that.
Wow awesome video Dave, very interesting! I know the big trestle over the Yough River that Wheeling & Lake Erie runs doesn’t have guard rails, the ties on the trestle were all replaced about 2 years ago but they never put the guard rails back in and that trestle is 160ft high! And wow 1928 rail that’s awesome! Oldest I’ve ever seen was 1943 and still in use on W&LE. Great video Dave!👍🏼😎🇺🇸
Thank you very much Stretch Limo, really glad you enjoyed tonight's presentation my friend. That is the bridge at Speers you are talking about right? W&LE approached Frontier RR several years ago about putting in new timbers on that bridge, but it was so high up nobody wanted to work on it. That bridge is way up there! Oh how I wish I could catch a train going over it someday!!!!
@@ccrx6700 No I’m talking about the one that goes over the Yough River at Banning/ Jacobs Creek, same line only about 8-9miles east of the one your talking about at Speers, the Speers trestle is even taller/longer than the one I’m talking about, couldn’t imagine working on them!
I must say, your memory is amazing! To remember a wheel going off on that specific piece of track and that specific issue, man. You probably have more knowledge of what's happened on that track than the log books do!
Well thank you some beach, but had you been there as I was and saw those loaded cars over the hill sideways, it's something you would never forget either. It was very ugly! And you are right about the knowledge, I don't know a lot about much of anything, but I am the world's foremost expert on this particular RR. And that comes simply because I have been here on track the longest of anyone. And with all that knowledge, guess what? It doesn't pay a single cent more per hour than a guy here that just started....LOL
Very informative, especially since i don't see them here in michigan. we have thick steel bridge sides that go up past the rails acting as a barrier. I also like the stories about the derailments.
Your quite welcome John. Lot's of folks have written in before I made this video on why the 4 rails. Got tire of answering so made a video :-) Really appreciate your nice comment my friend.
WOW!! That was a lot of information in one video and I am NOT complaining about it. THANK YOU so much for this video! I've been wondering about this for years as a modellor and just never looked it up. After this video, I now understand why the derailment at Santa Fe Junction flyovers in Kansas City never left the bridge. Brilliant engineering! Thank you!!
Really great to hear you liked the presentation Alaina. We do appreciate your nice comment and for watching my friend. I just happened to be watching SFJ when that derailment happened believe it or not!
Very good description of the guard rail. In place and you hope you don't have to use it and thousands of tons pass over it daily but not on it. I see you have a fairly wide walkway which is helpful in maintenance or if you have to replace a knuckle. Plenty of bridges in upper Michigan and Minnesta with heavy side shields to keep taconite from raining down on your car. Just saw a 🎥 on a grain train which derailed and luckily the wooden edge kept it upright and they were able to pull it back on the tracks. For some good big bridge scenes and work zones (plus the mega crane they moved in to work on it) check out Grain Express for then last month. Even an aerial view of a rail grinder at night. So an A+ for today's track construction!
Thank you so much for the A +, now where can I send you an apple...LOL We do thank you Paul for watching and writing in with the very nice and informative comment.
Thank you hugoknight1 and welcome to our community, we are glad to have you with us and hope you will continue to enjoy. Here is an introduction video to get you a feel for what all we do here at the Railroad and a bit about our mine: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oOug0z34118.html Lot's of cool RR videos on our home page if you would sometime care to check any of them out. ru-vid.com
Dave, as always I enjoyed your educational railroading video. You know the history of the railroad and coal company so it makes your videos interesting for me. You are a great ambassador for the Cumberland mine. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much Thomas for the very nice comment. We're very pleased to hear you are enjoying and we so do appreciate the support you have given us my friend.
Dave, great history lesson!! Thanks for sharing the information. It is always fun to see what you are going to bring us next. Fun to learn why things are the way they are. Take care!!
THANK YOU DAVE ! Here at "DAVE'S UNIVERSITY OF RAILROADING", We always enjoy your lessons about the history of "CCRX"! You SIR; "Talk Good Story" ! (as they say in Hawaii)👍💪😎🚂
Really great to hear you liked the presentation Captain Tom. We do appreciate your nice comment and for watching my friend. Gonna have some more history lessons in the up coming track ride videos also. I love history of this place.
Yes it is Paul. Only 3 mills left in US that still roll rail, sadly. We get all our new rail from Steelton Pa. which is about 5 hours away from us. Steelton is owned by Arcelor Mittal which is a Dutch/India owned company however.They are the largest steel manufacturer in the world currently. Very much want to say Thank You for taking in tonight's presentation my friend.
Thank you Dave for explaining the inside rail (Bridge Rail). A few weeks ago I had ask you what those inside rails were use for from another video and you graciously and some people also responded with what the purpose was for...... Love your videos...... And "Happy Railroading to you".
You are very welcome Brian. I do love to tell the history of this place. Most of the old guys here have retired and or are deceased, so at least the history now will be saved for posterity. Really appreciate your very nice comment and for taking in the video today my friend.
Oldest rail I've ever seen was 1914, on the London &Port Stanley Railway. That was likely in the late 60's. The Railway became a spur when it was abandoned between Port Stanley and St.Thomas, and the London to St. Thomas section was used to service the Ford plant, and a few other industries. Not long after all the old track was replaced sometime in the mid to late 70's.
I love that old rail Rod. Got some pics of rail tolled in late 1800's will share with you sometime, that rail is not on our RR tho, it's mid Pa. my friend from Frontier took it out of a yard last year. Thanks for writing in and for watching today my friend.
This section St. Thomas to Port is still in use by the Port Stanley Terminal Rail. So is some of the old rail that our Tourist trains use. The PSTR has replaced all of the rail in the road crossings with 100lb. The Ford Plant was not serviced by the L&PS. the plant is gone but most of the heavy rail and yards remain unused. St. Thomas to London has a fair amount of train traffic. used by CN for various car loadings from industry on the line.
@@georgehowlett7023 , Yeah, I'm pretty sure I mentioned that, and the St. Thomas RR Museum before here. I lose track (ha) sometimes and I am trying not to be the old guy that repeats stories. :) Still using those 1914 rails? Wow.
Thanks for the info on guard rails. I travel a lot by train and have always wondered what they were for. I sort of guessed but it is nice to have it confirmed and all the details explained.
Appreciate the information Dave it’s amazing I enjoy listening to the information you impart never have traveled by train in the states, more in the UK but even then never knew the ins and outs of maintaining a railroad, thank you very much for taking the time to inform.
Thank you so much for this informative video. I've hung around trains since I was 5 and wondered about those guard rails. I figured they were to keep the trucks on the bridge but never found documentation about it. Much oblige!
You are very welcome some beach. Wish I could meet you also. Really appreciate your very nice comment and for taking in the home movie today my friend.
Thank you very much Gene for the nice comment. Glad you are having a good time with us. We really appreciate your taking the time to visit and watch. May you have a most blessed day my friend.
You are certainly welcome. They tell me that you guys also use check rails on some very high degree curves. Appreciate your stopping by today and for taking the time to write in my friend.
Your certainly welcome and thank you Mike for watching and writing in with the very nice comment. And just for you, I will continue to keep the home movies coming :-)
That's great to hear you enjoyed watching 4ever dc. Really appreciate your very nice comment and for getting tickets to the home movie today my friend.
Thank you for your latest RU-vid video . Always interesting no matter what you cover . Always impressed with your dedicated professionalism - a true railroader !!
Dave really enjoy your videos your amazing attitude and sharing the vast experience and knowledge you have from 40+ years working on the railroad your podcast should have at least 100k subscribers come on people if your watching subscribe keep up the great work Dave !!!!!
Well golly James, what a kind thing to say. That was very thoughtful of you. Appreciate your checking out the video. May you have a most blessed day my friend.
So interesting! I never knew the purpose of the timbers along the edges of the ties ok bridges. Also very interesting about the issue of soft roadbed on bridge approaches. I’d never thought about it before, but it’s obviously important: the bridge abutment will be concrete and not prone to any movement at all, so the track needs to be super-stable in the run-up to it. So strange that they didn’t want to put guard rails on the recently replaced decking: I’d think that it would be a small incremental cost, while they were once re-doing the decking. 🤔
Very good analysis of the exact issues we have on bridge approaches Dave. I know they didn't put them on the last 3 cause of money issues, we were a financially troubled company when those decks got replaced. Really appreciate your nice comment and for stopping by today my friend.
Thank you very much Kurt. We're really glad to hear you enjoyed the home movie today and do appreciate all the great support you continue to give to this channel my friend.
As much as all Rail Roads preach Safety, they seem to cut corners at times! Once in an interview Wendy's founder Dave Thomas was asked "Why are Wendy's Hamburger Patty's square?" To which Dave's reply was "Because Wendy's doesn't cut corners!"
You are very correct in that statement irongoatrocky, sadly. As always we do appreciate your writing in and for watching and all the great support you have given us my friend.
I actually managed to guess what the extra rails on a bridge were for! cool! Thank you for taking time out of your day to share! Now i know what they are called.
Really great to hear you liked the presentation Michael. We do appreciate your nice comment and for watching my friend. And, since your on a roll guessing, hope you win tonight's lottery! LOL
I like your closing ... "Happy rails to you until we meet again," you were a Roy Rogers fan as a kid I think. No worries Dave, so was I. I was just playing with the idea of maybe naming your company truck "Trigger." And yes, I learn something new with every offering.
Of course I watched Roy and Dale every Saturday morning at noon, right before Sky King came on and right after Bugs Bunney. Saturday mornings growing up were the best. Tarzan started off the day. My first lunchbox in first grade was a Roy Rodgers Dale Evan Chowwagon. Still got it and someday gonna do a video on it. Really appreciate your taking the time to check out the video and write in my friend.
Very well explained Dave and I learnt something too, about those side timbers which we do not use here. Love the old rail, it makes me think what trains ran over it all those years ago. Some of our rail is pretty old but I never saw any as old as that. we still have some signalling equipment in use from those times with castings that show the old companies names.
Really great to hear you liked the presentation cedarcam. We do appreciate your nice comment and for watching my friend. Sure wish I could see some of those castings! That would be awesome for me.
@@ccrx6700 Sadly unlike you I never took my cam to record them Looking back I wish I had. I think somewhere I have a photo in a switch tower (Signal box) that had some dated castings in. I will see if I can find that some day and put it on my channel. I bought two signalling block section instruments when one box we had closed and not sure if they have a date stamped into the wood. I know one has L&Y which was Lancashire and Yorkshire and it was 1923 when that company ceased.
