Tomorrow I'm going to a hospital as a volunteer and as being part of an international 'Lung cancer screening research' program. I'm not knocking these workers or the work they are doing. Its pretty much the same as I've done most of my life in welding and steelwork and mining etc. I smoked for 46yrs and one day I put down my last and never touched another. For six months I should have been in a mental home with what the 'cold turkey' did to me but it was worth it in the end. I possibly might die from what smoking has done to me but at least in a bit more comfort than had I kept it up. One thing I'm certain about is that in the last few months, I'll take the habit up again... Well done fellas and I'd give a leg to be able to be out there with you and I'd certainly have a packet of maybe Camel in my top pocket. Aug 04 2019.
Here in the IL flash butt welding is not normally carried out on site, but fixed machines are used for welding in rail depots. I believe that London Transport has a mobile machine on trial for a time many decades ago. Site welding here is nearly always done by Thermit. There was a film made by British Transport Films, probably in the ‘50s, which referred to some sections being arc welded, and showed manual metal arc welding being done on rails, but I’ve never seen that done, and it certainly seems like doing things the hard way with a section of steel that large; I think that must have been very short lived. I have seen electric conductor rails being arc welded, but these were very old rails in North London which were of quite a light section, and I think it was just an emergency repair. There is a video on TH-cam of gas pressure welding which I believe is widely used in Japan, but not elsewhere. I don’t know why portable flash butt machines have never become widely used in this country, possibly because access to the worksite is sometimes difficult, with all equipment having to be delivered by Van, and then carried to the track, sometimes up or down steps, by hand. While that can be done with Thermit welding it’s obviously not possible with flash butt. Is that smoke or steam in the video; I haven’t seen it before with flash butt welding.
the orange welder head actually pulls the rails as it welds. the yellow part we call pullers. They hold the rail and adjust the peak and rise of the rail for welding. it also assists in pulling closure welds up to around 150 tonne. Ran a Holland unit for 3 years. Quite interesting work.
Aren't all the operators supposed to be smoking at the same time? I saw one guy with a beverage. I used to be a mechanic on the welding gang and used to weld up the hardfacing on the shear.
I think a fume extraction fan with a small chimney could spare the workers from most of the smoke. There are more modern machines requiring less supervision where you only press start and then can walk away from the fumes and get back when the fireworks show is over.
How this smoke is forming ? there is no chance of smoke when iron melts, it clearly indicates presence of some other flamable substance near molten steel.
Ties are soaked in creosote. They might have put in some new ties here too, along with the new rail. Old ties don't hold spikes very good. You don't want that brand new rail rolling over, or worse, causing a derailment which would ruin all that hard work.
Lots of standing around. Guys could help get the unit positioned instead of watching one guy wrestle with it. Clearly not interested in maximizing productivity.
Holland supplies the crew for the rail welder for a reason. They don't want an untrained employee of the railroad handling a million dollar plus, piece of equipment that they haven't been trained to operate.
Tomorrow I'm going to a hospital as a volunteer and as being part of an international 'Lung cancer screening research' program. I'm not knocking these workers or the work they are doing. Its pretty much the same as I've done most of my life in welding and steelwork and mining etc. I smoked for 46yrs and one day I put down my last and never touched another. For six months I should have been in a mental home with what the 'cold turkey' did to me but it was worth it in the end. I possibly might die from what smoking has done to me but at least in a bit more comfort than had I kept it up. One thing I'm certain about is that in the last few months, I'll take the habit up again... Well done fellas and I'd give a leg to be able to be out there with you and I'd certainly have a packet of maybe Camel in my top pocket. Aug 04 2019.
I was thinking that only 2 of the workers were smoking. If I remember correctly they all should be smoking at once. That one guy had a beverage.
Here in the IL flash butt welding is not normally carried out on site, but fixed machines are used for welding in rail depots. I believe that London Transport has a mobile machine on trial for a time many decades ago. Site welding here is nearly always done by Thermit. There was a film made by British Transport Films, probably in the ‘50s, which referred to some sections being arc welded, and showed manual metal arc welding being done on rails, but I’ve never seen that done, and it certainly seems like doing things the hard way with a section of steel that large; I think that must have been very short lived. I have seen electric conductor rails being arc welded, but these were very old rails in North London which were of quite a light section, and I think it was just an emergency repair.
There is a video on TH-cam of gas pressure welding which I believe is widely used in Japan, but not elsewhere.
I don’t know why portable flash butt machines have never become widely used in this country, possibly because access to the worksite is sometimes difficult, with all equipment having to be delivered by Van, and then carried to the track, sometimes up or down steps, by hand. While that can be done with Thermit welding it’s obviously not possible with flash butt.
Is that smoke or steam in the video; I haven’t seen it before with flash butt welding.
@Stephen Furley it's the generator I think
It’s smoke from the tie it looks like it caught fire
the orange welder head actually pulls the rails as it welds. the yellow part we call pullers. They hold the rail and adjust the peak and rise of the rail for welding. it also assists in pulling closure welds up to around 150 tonne. Ran a Holland unit for 3 years. Quite interesting work.
Thanks for the information!
Aren't all the operators supposed to be smoking at the same time? I saw one guy with a beverage. I used to be a mechanic on the welding gang and used to weld up the hardfacing on the shear.
Shear to close to the tie on that one
That's a lot of fume to breath in every day. Neat process.
I think a fume extraction fan with a small chimney could spare the workers from most of the smoke. There are more modern machines requiring less supervision where you only press start and then can walk away from the fumes and get back when the fireworks show is over.
Do not worry. The workers’ lungs filter it all, so that it does not get to valuable people.
@@marioxerxescastelancastro8019 Enlighten us. Please explain your definition of "valuable people".
I find myself wondering whether the use of this equipment might damage the track signal circuits.
How this smoke is forming ? there is no chance of smoke when iron melts, it clearly indicates presence of some other flamable substance near molten steel.
Like timber sleepers?
Ties are soaked in creosote. They might have put in some new ties here too, along with the new rail. Old ties don't hold spikes very good. You don't want that brand new rail rolling over, or worse, causing a derailment which would ruin all that hard work.
I'm so relieved to know it's safe to smoke on the job. That shit has gone too far.
Lots of standing around. Guys could help get the unit positioned instead of watching one guy wrestle with it. Clearly not interested in maximizing productivity.
That's the railroad for ya. If you are a contractor , As Holland is, you are only permitted to weld and vice versa. Union politics
Holland supplies the crew for the rail welder for a reason. They don't want an untrained employee of the railroad handling a million dollar plus, piece of equipment that they haven't been trained to operate.
This doesn't want to play in anything other than 360P.