How does an excavator board a train?

New ballast getting delivered for FEC Railway's work on the West Palm to Orlando phase of Brightline/Virgin Trains US. The ballast comes in via hoppers... but how to unload it?
Simple, you just put the excavator on top the gondolas! Here we see the full process of the excavator climbing itself onto the train and then unloading the gons...

[@Erzahler]

I've seen this done before on the UP/SP in Texas, but it's still always fascinating to watch! The excavator operator must have great skill and excellent situational awareness to perform this feat. I'm sure some special training is required to do this.

[@Pyle81]

Yes folks, This is the CORRECT way to do this. And the first time he was shown how to do this he was scared shitless. Now its like he's tieing his boots. Its called knowing your equipment and having skills.

[@TolgaEastCoast]

Very cool, an intense center of gravity exercise at work.I think RJ Corman also employed this skill in his time.

[@Hounddog71]

I do this every 3 months the company I work for has stone and gravel come in on the train it takes 2 to 3 days to unload them as long as the machines are running good

[@anitacaboose]

Sheets of plywood seem awful flimsy to me!! No matter how many times I have seen this unloading, amazing to me.

[@Honestware]

I think they were 3/4". The unit loading on them is actually very low because the tracks spread the weight out. It's only to protect the pavement and the rails.

[@scottsmith7051]

Those things are amazingly nimble.

[@colvinator1611]

Very, very clever people using a piece of very cleverly designed machinery.

[@diggerdave.6587]

A good idea but the operator is a little snatchy at the controls

[@chriskelleher349]

Now we know .
Great video.

[@WVT0587]

I’ve unloaded a lot of ballast for Norfolk Southern, we just used a ramp instead of platform!
Z

[@DonLuc23]

Wonder what the pucker factor is?

[@Williams_aju32]

Esse trem é da empresa RMS logística

[@sabarigirisanm7909]

Only skilled Operator can do climbing over the wagon.

[@flyerbob124]

There is a TH-cam somewhere of a backhoe lifting itself out of a rail car onto ground.

[@ogd82699]

The only thing I dislike about this is how the orange hats are judging his every move..

[@AnnaKlamrzynska-by2xv]

2:00 2:02 2:02 2:03 2:03

[@Suber140]

Made in USA, with a helmet in the cabin. 🙊

[@residivisblongkiri]

😱😳

[@venusalien5153]

I never even knew this was how they operated. I always thought the rail car beds were emptied at a dump site, the materials loaded into a dump truck and off it went. Never did I think that something this ridiculous would be happening. Sure the backhoe operator has skills, 'm not denying that. But the whole plan there looks assinign/jack ass-ery.

[@jeffreytherailfanning2011]

It's like the wait what meme

[@alec4672]

4:24 you're welcome

[@joshsterling464]

This is the absolute worst way to do that, I could do it with my eyes closed lmaoo

[@warriordog4094]

this is the dumbest way to discharge a rail cart...

[@timregan1005]

average...