Laying Long Welded Rail on the NER.

[48111]

In 1958, the laying of long welded rail, the use of which was being extended on British Railways, presented difficultys.The method used was to unload them from the carrying wagons on to the permanent way and then to manhandle them into their chairs.That was difficult enough with welded lengths of rail up to 300ft, but with 600ft long rail it was even more so and in 1958 a start was made in laying 600ft lengths.
After experiments in the N.E.R. Chief Civil Engineers Department, a method was devised for laying those long rails in one single operation.Bullhead section of rails of 95lb were chosen because they are more difficult place in their chairs than flat- bottom rails and it was considered that, if the method succeeded with bullhead rails, there would be no difficulty with fb rails.
The Flash Butt welding plant was not yet in operation at this time, and for the purpose of demostration lengths of rail had to be welded together.to form two 600ft lengths while loaded on ten bolster wagons.Special equipment was designed for holding the sections of rail upright on the bolsters ; for guiding them off the wagons at normal rail spacing of 4ft 8and a half inches, and for lowering the rail ends.
The ends were anchored to the track by 60ft steel wire ropes and the ten wagons were then drawn forward by a 350hp diesel shunter until the first 70ft of rail was clear, and the ends of each length had deflected down to the level of the rails in the track.The train was then brought to a stand and the wire ropes removed. One pair of the existing short rails were then tipped out manually from their chair seatings and the ends of the long rails were placed in postion in the firsttwo or three empty chairs. and fishplated to the end of the existing track. Then the train was kept moving at a constant speed of about 30ft a minute and the 600ft rails were guided into their chair seatings by men using bars.The whole operation required assistance of 22men in each gang.

Pretty hard work in those days.


48111

[HM181]

I have worked many ballast turns laying CWR, and fetched CWR from Castleton back to Donny Wood Yard.
I the mid 1980's we relaid most of the track from Hare Park Junction down Doncaster Station, on the up and down.
The CWR was loaded on special waggons, with a chute at the rear ends, and off loaded as describded above.
I loved to see the welders joining the lengths with a big shower of sparkes from the weld.
I have taken empty trains into Castleton and assisted in the loading of the trains with the CWR.
The shunter there was called Charlie, and he drove a remote control 0-4-0 shunter, which could not pull the skin off a rice pudding.
I must pay tribute to the bed in the shunters cabin, as I have used it once or twice.
Now Castelton CWRD has shut.
The CWR Shute trains always ran class 6.

[Ploughman]

If you can find a copy.
Fastline Films Vol 2
Behind the scenes.
Early On Track Machinery

Fastline / Tele Rail
5019399 104478
This DVD features a number of different machines in the 50s / 60s working mainly on the ECML.
Morris Tracklayer, Ballast Cleaner, early tamper,
Long welded train and others

[HM181]

Originally Posted by Ploughman

If you can find a copy.
Fastline Films Vol 2
Behind the scenes.
Early On Track Machinery

Fastline / Tele Rail
5019399 104478
This DVD features a number of different machines in the 50s / 60s working mainly on the ECML.
Morris Tracklayer, Ballast Cleaner, early tamper,
Long welded train and others

Each Saturday HM could put out many ballast trains working all over a large area, I have been as far as Burnley and from York down to Donny.
At this time guards had route knowledge of all the mainlines in our area.
We have worked with ballast cleaners which chucked the ballast down the banking sides to track lifters that could murder a 100 yards of track in a flick of they eye.
I was once on a ballast site at the Leeds end of Thackerley Tunnel which had 3 trains each with 40 spoil waggons on each.
In 1992 HM started on the Leeds,Bradford,Ilkley to Skipton electrification trains.
3 trains every night from Doncaster to site.
We signed on at 1745 to : 02:45, and 00:15 to 09:15hrs.
This lasted for about 2.5 years.

We also lifted CWR from Royston to Wath Road Junction when the Midland route to Sheffield was closed, and all round the Wath /Barnsley area.
One of the first BT I worked was putting in a junction at South Kirby Jct which allowed HST's and LHCS onto the Swinton and Knottgley Route to Sheffield.
This allowed the Midland Main line to close from Normington, Goose Hill Jct through to Wath Road Junction at Mexboro.
All the traffic was re routed through Wakefield Westgate South Kirkby Jct over the S and K to Sheffield
I have all my diaries from this time of what I did, complete with head codes, engine number and restdays and Sundays worked from 1981 through to 2005 .

[Ploughman]

You must have been on some of the same sites I was on.
I was a STO with Leeds Relayers usually looking after the diggers and Dozers in the hole.
Usually to be found on a site in Yorkshire, North, South East and West.
Sometimes venturing to the Settle - Carlisle and Tyne Valley.
Now finished after 20 years.
Last relay at Stourton Leeds June 2009.

[HM181]

Those times were good times,before they privatised our jobs and put serial bully boys in thier place.

[Billieboy]

How far does the PerWay section man have to walk, every day, on the normal main line inspection? I think it used to be two miles an hour; so on a long section, he could cover 8 miles of up or down track in a day.

[HM181]

No
Use
Rushing.

[Billieboy]

Originally Posted by HM181

No
Use
Rushing.

Haven't heard that for ages, since about 1956 when I was an apprentice and the Shop Steward came over to ask me if I was going to join a union, it was either the AEU or the NUR as the Docks were still part of the Western region in those days.When asked, he said that the union couldn't do anything for apprentices, so I said, "Then I don't have to join"!