I grinder passed right by the house at 2am one cold night in Colorado Springs near Fillmore. WHAT A SIGHT! The wheels and grinders glowing bright. Itnwas a rare railfan moment I'll never forget.
Seeing those things coming at night is an eerie sight, even if they aren't actively grinding. Something about all the lights they have is just ominous, like the patrolling enemy element looking for a tiny infiltrator in a movie.
Dude, what you just described sounds exactly like what I saw one night when I was a tiny kid in my dad’s car! He’d strap me into the seat and take me hunting for the trains around LAX whenever we heard one. This was before the Alameda Corridor went in, so the trains used those tracks all the time. One night, there was a weird and loud (but very short) train that Dad matched speeds with on the parallel road. That imagery still sticks with me.
We chased it one day when I was working from the Fort Lewis Fire Station. They were setting fires for miles along the Virginian section in SW Roanoke County. They finally stopped grinding for the day due to all of the fires started by the grinding.
This is off topic, but at 4:35 this is probably the best side-shot I've seen of a box truck showing off the gap between the cab and the chassis. Trucks are my kinda thing and it's so hard to find good isometric side shots for 3D modeling purposes.
Off topic, but my god, I love the old architecture of those buildings in the background! We should still be putting the effort to make new construction to match that beauty.
I saw this done in the St. Louis, MO area many years ago. Like the first set up shown, they had two guys with fire hoses at the back of the rear most card.
Been on several LORAM related brush fires. We see them in town, we mosey on down to the station and top off the tanks. They and MOW do a good job, but these heatwaves we’ve been having, really get these things off running.
I seen the primary grinder myself in person and at work. Oddly no switch grinder or hi-rails with it, which isn't good cause it started a fire. Video I took has sadly since been lost to time.
man we had one of these just out of my town in NSW, RFS turned up, wasent needed since they had already put it out practically, RFS cleaned it up, since rail grinders in Aussie have fire trucks that follow em! Nice catch
I used to live near where they made these and I vividly remember a nightmare I had one night where I was walking through the woods and one of these came flying down the tracks throwing sparks and instantly lighting the whole forest on fire trapping me.
that actually happened but you have to work for them to know about it because they only show it for training purposes. It didn't light the forest on fire but they lost control and flew off the tracks.
Anyone know what the actual grinder wheel looks like? I think i found one. A big cup wheel with 4 mounting holes and a bigger center hole? Idk fer sure.
Trains to the next 4 years. From now, we'll be underground. There will be no trains except for luxury trains on the surface. And all commercial trains will be underground.
I use to work for them some years ago, not sure if they still require that lifestyle of being on the grinder everyday for 6-10 hours ways away from home living out of hotels. They had a revolving door its no way to live.
The rails have to have a certain crown and profile for the best fit for all the wheels that roll over them. That wears down as thousands of wheels go over them. A lot cheaper to grind the rail crown and profile back to original spec this way than to do a full rail replacement.
rail grinders are near impossible to see in melbourne they run unscheduled runs RARELY through melbourne at like 2 AM exclusively and nobody is awake to report on them and there are no timetables or anything
Over years of being in service, the rails get beat out of shape by the traffic - exactly the same way a blacksmith beats iron into shapes, just slower and not as easily visible. If you remember the childhood "Little Golden Book" called "Tootle", you'll know that sometimes young trains wander off across fields chasing butterflies and such, getting them in trouble. Grinding resets the correct shape, and helps deter "Exploration" by young trains like Tootle (and some older, forgetful ones) by helping keep their wheels locked properly in place on the rails, where they belong.
@@Ferd414 Thank you for the explanation. When you see the sparks, it looks like a large amount of metal is removed. I'm guessing this procedure can't be done too many times without risking weakening the rails?
Enthusiasts/fans/hobbyists of all types have this terrible habit of using technical language and leaving neophytes in the dark. What exactly is a rail grinder and why does it start fires?
There are a number of opereating regulations which demand a horn pattern be used and when. For example, on approacching a vehicular crossing, two long blasts and a short when approachine the crossing, then the horn must be sounded (I forget how close) to the crossing and remain sounding until the train has fully blocked the crossing. The LORAM guy wasn't too observant of the rules. You can search (Duck Duck Go rather than Google) for "Railroad whistle signals".
I grinder passed right by the house at 2am one cold night in Colorado Springs near Fillmore. WHAT A SIGHT! The wheels and grinders glowing bright. Itnwas a rare railfan moment I'll never forget.
I saw the same things years ago! I thouth the train was on fire, then I got a closer look
the railfan who actually films a before and after of the track surface will win the internet for day :)
Seeing those things coming at night is an eerie sight, even if they aren't actively grinding. Something about all the lights they have is just ominous, like the patrolling enemy element looking for a tiny infiltrator in a movie.
Night would be cool!! 👍
Dude, what you just described sounds exactly like what I saw one night when I was a tiny kid in my dad’s car!
He’d strap me into the seat and take me hunting for the trains around LAX whenever we heard one. This was before the Alameda Corridor went in, so the trains used those tracks all the time.
One night, there was a weird and loud (but very short) train that Dad matched speeds with on the parallel road. That imagery still sticks with me.
We chased it one day when I was working from the Fort Lewis Fire Station. They were setting fires for miles along the Virginian section in SW Roanoke County. They finally stopped grinding for the day due to all of the fires started by the grinding.
This is off topic, but at 4:35 this is probably the best side-shot I've seen of a box truck showing off the gap between the cab and the chassis. Trucks are my kinda thing and it's so hard to find good isometric side shots for 3D modeling purposes.
Off topic, but my god, I love the old architecture of those buildings in the background! We should still be putting the effort to make new construction to match that beauty.
Jeez you can see the ditch lights from Jupiter
That’s the whole intent
The average gevo has brighter.
I like the car alarm sound, is it coming from the train
I’m pretty sure they used dedicated blinders from live performance lighting.
I could eat chicken pot pies and watch this all day long
this is a very cozy comment :)
I saw this done in the St. Louis, MO area many years ago. Like the first set up shown, they had two guys with fire hoses at the back of the rear most card.
With the alternating ditch lights and siren, it might as well say "police" instead of Loram.
Been on several LORAM related brush fires. We see them in town, we mosey on down to the station and top off the tanks. They and MOW do a good job, but these heatwaves we’ve been having, really get these things off running.
You don't keep your tanks full?
@@Sponge60 not completely, about 3/4, makes much better time on the hills. Hydranted territory.
Looked windy too, worst case scenario
This is a first for me, I'd never heard of or seen such a thing. Very cool.
Jeeesz Loram, save some ditch lights for the rest of us.
That farmers bullnose Ford still putting in the work at 4:30 😍
One of those would go past our house when my kids were little. We called it a dragon.
An unholy, terrifying machine from hell itself.
I can only imagine how many times these rail grinders start a fire😂😂😂
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
I love this specific siren chirp.
That is a serious piece of machinery.
I seen the primary grinder myself in person and at work. Oddly no switch grinder or hi-rails with it, which isn't good cause it started a fire. Video I took has sadly since been lost to time.
man we had one of these just out of my town in NSW, RFS turned up, wasent needed since they had already put it out practically, RFS cleaned it up, since rail grinders in Aussie have fire trucks that follow em! Nice catch
Them mow machines is awesome especially them grinders and undercutter
I used to live near where they made these and I vividly remember a nightmare I had one night where I was walking through the woods and one of these came flying down the tracks throwing sparks and instantly lighting the whole forest on fire trapping me.
that actually happened but you have to work for them to know about it because they only show it for training purposes. It didn't light the forest on fire but they lost control and flew off the tracks.
Great catches awesome capture and nice video hunter
@1:05 : “why are you stopping “ !?
“I have to take a piss” …
I've seen one of these before. They were working on the CPKC tracks where I happen to be so I was able to film it.
Fascinating to see. 👍
The speed of grinding the rails looks like it has been tripled compared to what I have seen five or six years ago.
Nice 👍 great catch cool machine
Minnie Pearl would be interested in how to turn it on and off. She was always talking about Grinder's Switch
Fo sho!
I saw a rail grinder yesterday on my way to work, never seen one until then
That's quite a setup!!
Brightest ditch lights !!visible from Hubble telescope 🔭
2:42 just randomly pulls fire hose out of nowhere
Galls Street Thunder siren, spectacular video.
Very good video, like !
I never saw one of those before, it's pretty cool.
Interesting..I've never seen this done before
I didn’t even know such a thing existed.
What's the purpose of the siren?
It’s cool.
It’s to get the other trains to pull over to the right….lol
Grinds the rails to their true profile. There are many videos that explain.
"I'm telling you he's a cop"!😂😂😂🎉
-The Fast and the Furious.
I feel like it was only because the engineer saw he was on camera.
So, This is the Lorax !😮
Anyone know what the actual grinder wheel looks like? I think i found one. A big cup wheel with 4 mounting holes and a bigger center hole? Idk fer sure.
Not gonna cap the train kinda cute😏
I’d love to work on a grinding train
Trains to the next 4 years. From now, we'll be underground. There will be no trains except for luxury trains on the surface. And all commercial trains will be underground.
What interval(s) do the railroads use for scheduling a grind on their tracks?
I saw one pass my facility in Dade City fl the other day
Good train videos
The first one was just in the Kingston Ny yard not long ago.
What is a grinding team, or what is the purpose of the grinding team - please?
Basically track maintenance it grinds the rails to remove imperfections and smooths them out which makes the tracks last longer
How is something this big so precise?
I've never seen one this filthy dirty before. lol
At night those things look like the fire worm from LotR. They are also unpleasant to work on.
I use to work for them some years ago, not sure if they still require that lifestyle of being on the grinder everyday for 6-10 hours ways away from home living out of hotels. They had a revolving door its no way to live.
Does anyone know the name of the siren noise.
What"s the point of this machine?
The rails have to have a certain crown and profile for the best fit for all the wheels that roll over them. That wears down as thousands of wheels go over them. A lot cheaper to grind the rail crown and profile back to original spec this way than to do a full rail replacement.
rail grinders are near impossible to see in melbourne
they run unscheduled runs RARELY through melbourne at like 2 AM exclusively and nobody is awake to report on them and there are no timetables or anything
Wut cind of train is that?
Stupid thing to ask maybe but what is the siren for? In case of fire?
Where was this at
The description in the gray bar below the vid states, Benson, NC.
WHY ARE THEY STARTING FIRES?
The short one does crossings switchesan other areas the big one can't get too
Nice video!
Can somebody please explain to me what's happening in this video?
grinding the rails to reprofile them, makes the ride smoother and prevents wheel damage and makes the rails last longer
@@andreww2098 Ah thank you.
That unit need's a good wash and clean, if not running a clean unit what dus it say about the operation of unit.
4:12. Is that some kind of sonar?
Nope just eching short alarms for fire crews, sonar is underwater and radar is radio waves
very interesting
Never saw one. Never even heard of one. Still not sure what I did see here.
It's a train that uses grinding wheels to grind a finish on rails as it moves. I can't remember what the benefits are of ground rail.
So why is this done?
It's to remove defects, fatigued metal and to restore the profile of the tracks.
Kereta aakah itu.?
Why do you need to grind rails?
Over years of being in service, the rails get beat out of shape by the traffic - exactly the same way a blacksmith beats iron into shapes, just slower and not as easily visible. If you remember the childhood "Little Golden Book" called "Tootle", you'll know that sometimes young trains wander off across fields chasing butterflies and such, getting them in trouble. Grinding resets the correct shape, and helps deter "Exploration" by young trains like Tootle (and some older, forgetful ones) by helping keep their wheels locked properly in place on the rails, where they belong.
@@Ferd414 Thank you for the explanation.
When you see the sparks, it looks like a large amount of metal is removed.
I'm guessing this procedure can't be done too many times without risking weakening the rails?
@@EssexCountyPhoto You'd have to ask the folks involved in it. I only know the "why", not the "how many times can it be done" of it.
@@Ferd414 Cheers!
Enthusiasts/fans/hobbyists of all types have this terrible habit of using technical language and leaving neophytes in the dark. What exactly is a rail grinder and why does it start fires?
Foamer Alert! Foamer Alert! :P
It literally is a foamer tho lol, there's fire suppression foam mixed in the water on those.
Why do they grind the rails
Removes imperfections and smooths them out for longer track life
LOL
Young Nancy White David Brown Larry
Did not see the fire
Is leaning on the horn full bore necessary
There are a number of opereating regulations which demand a horn pattern be used and when. For example, on approacching a vehicular crossing, two long blasts and a short when approachine the crossing, then the horn must be sounded (I forget how close) to the crossing and remain sounding until the train has fully blocked the crossing. The LORAM guy wasn't too observant of the rules. You can search (Duck Duck Go rather than Google) for "Railroad whistle signals".
American trains are loud , stinking and airpolution diesel engine and slow , horrible !!!
Seriously, why don’t you apply for a job at the RR. You’re pretty obsessed.