Quote:
Originally Posted by Catenary
Track can't be put in final alignment until it is ballasted. The ballast is spread, then a tamper will make multiple passes to position the track in final alignment. This process is repeated as part of the maintenance cycle, so any wobble you feel is intended to be there at this point, and not the result of poor installation.
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Good Day.
There had been an image of the rail alignment and tamper machine in the Phase 1 website, but that is long gone. So....
This is an image of the machine from YouTube :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFJvqD3DI8
I do not recall if this is EXACTLY the machine we had, but it is very close.
I saw it waiting to be used just west of Blair station as they were welding the rail, and subsequently watched it in operation.
Also from YouTube :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gIv_o0LR4k
A good explainer of the action of the machine.
Furthur..... the more passes of the machine, the better the alignment, and the smoother the ride. But there is a point of diminishing returns for the expense and time.
Also, the explainer machine is a bit more comprehensive and exacting in its operation; the machine we used is a bit less accurate, so would need more passes.
They neglect to explain the wheeled pantograph equipment in front -
it is to assist guidance and detect the misalignment of the rail as the machine passes over,
and to let the machine bring the rail into line as it tamps it in place.
This process is also assisted by 2 laser guidance systems , one on the pantograph reading back to the machine,
and one two-part system, with emitter-detectors on the machine reading emitter-reflectors mounted down the RoW both ahead and behind the machine to improve keeping to the line of the RoW.
Finally, this overall is part of what happened to give the first Trillium Line (then called the O-Train) its first improvement - CVR instead of jointed rail.
It allowed straighter rail, and less wear-and-tear on both the old rail and the Talent's wheels, which were proving to be a maintenance nightmare.
It HAD to be done to continue operating the trains. These systems just cannot be used on jointed rail - it's useless, the rail quickly falls out of alignment again.
But that first run of the O-Train was fun - the clackety-clack and swing-and-sway of old-time travel.
EnJoy!