Your videos demystify a lot of the myths and questions about railroad signaling from way back when we were kids trying to figure them out along the tracks....excellent!

We also have these insulated rail joints for track occupancy reports and for road safety. But our connection cables are thicker. Greetings from Berlin/ Germany. Sven

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

I have a subscriber from The Netherlands who just sent me some photos of joints on a railroad near him and I see what you mean about thicker track wires! Those things are huge!

I live off Backus road and love your videos. Off railroad near my house

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

Worked out there many, many times! Thanks for checking it out!

Mark you did an excellent job of explaining the insulated rail joints and how they work. I really enjoyed it. Thanks 👍👍👍❤️

Always look forward to your new railroading videos!

I'm old. I remember when espee use to call them Allegheny rails.

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

Alleghenys were installed in the field and bolted together just like an angle bar. I believe Allegheny was an early brand but they were all Portec by the time I came along.

@Stoker58

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkClayMcGowan Allegheny Rail Products is still around under the L.B. Foster brand. They actually have an IJ Contract with UP among other Class I’s. They bought Portec and due to the government wanting to prevent a monopoly Portec’s IJ line was awarded to Koppers to create competition and avoid a monopoly,

Hi Mark - I like the explanations you give. Being a railfan I want to know the basics, and being an info-junkie I want to know the gory details. You strike a good balance between the two. That said, I would like to hear good, down-in-the-weeds descriptions of various aspects of trackwork on occasion, subject matter up to what you know and want to take time to tell. Just as long as there's no test at the end! Thanks again for your efforts Mark. Much appreciated. Highball the rollby.

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I'm hoping to catch some trackwork in a place where I won't be in the way. Both my close connections with that info are off right now so I'm just having to hope I catch them. I'm going up tomorrow but at these gas prices, I just can't afford to go as much as I was a few months ago.

Great video, Mark! Impressive. 👍

Outstanding presentation on the insulated joints and all the info on them, Our section crew cut in a lot of glued joint slugs for the maintainers around our area of CP and thermite welded them in for a smoother ride, Plus the end posts that fail of course when its the hottest part of the day and we would have to change it out and watch the rail run together as we took the joint bars off. We liked having to do that part very early in the morning in the summer if we could to avoiding the pinching of the rail to change the wore out end post. This is also why we started replacing our IJs with glued Polly joints slugs.

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

We stopped using the Portec joint bar type on mainlines sometime back but I certainly remember the hassle to the Track guys in very hot or very cold weather. They too, tried to get it done before 9am in the summer, when possible. In winter they would have to burn the rope to get rail together but the air pollution folks put the kabash on that back in the late 90s. With the hydraulic rail pullers available today, it's not as big a deal and neutral temperature is easier to achieve.

@StormySkyRailProductions

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkClayMcGowan Thanks much for the response on how you guys did it out that way, When I first started we used saw dust and fuel oil mixture but the as o late we used the pullers and fire snake during the colder months.

Hah. I started my commercial driving career hauling corn silage. I can truly visualize a corn field meet. 12' corn greatly reduces visibility when opening up a field. 😊

Mr McGowan, To put it quite simply sir.. You Rock!

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Sometimes I even rock out!

Great job Teacher ! 👍

Clear as mud!

Interesting video.

Lots of rail flow there Mark! Our IRJ's are cut at an angle , which really helps them last and helps with rail flow! We still have to drill the rail ourselves ...LOL . Thanks for posting! Gregg.

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

They found that the angled cut joints lasted no longer in areas such as the Tehachapi. By the time I retired they weren't replacing them with angled cuts in the valley either. Welding on all track connections became policy by 2000 on the UP.

Closure rail is the rail between.the frog and the switch point

Fascinating video always teach something interesting always wanted to know how you install that stuff since right now in il there redo interlocking Lenox in Mitchell il wanted know how they put that stuff in neat stuff keep it coming

Very interesting! They are very thin, these isolator joints. Here in the Netherlands they are at least 1,5 cm wide (1/2 inch). You can hear them when you are on the train. This kind of joints are also use for the level crossing controlling circuits. But man what you do, walking on the rail, is forbidden here. Now our tracks are more frequently used with passenger trains mainly. I will try to take a picture of the isolating joint here, and mail it to you.

@glennfoster2423

2 жыл бұрын

My Dutch friend, Marc, I think you are referring to "fouling the track,". Whether the person, a tool, a piece of equipment, etc. is in a place to foul the track and possibly interfere with operation of a train, there have been rules in effect that REQUIRE the absolute protection and safety of the trains, on-track equipment, people etc BEFORE the track is fouled. Mr. Mark complies with the rules, even as a bystander and non-employee. He is always aware of his surroundings and "expects to see or hear a train (or on-track machine) approach from either direction on any track at any time.". Just watch out for the "oh-so-quiet" Hi-Rail trucks.

@Ztbmrc1

2 жыл бұрын

@@glennfoster2423 Yes I am sure Mark know what he is doing, as a former railway employee.

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

I'd love to see a photo of your IJ's! The only time mainline IJ's are involved in crossing circuitry here is if a crossing is in, or near to, a control point (like Green and Hayes Streets in Tehachapi) where the turnout circuits have to be accounted for. Termination shunts don't require them nor do island circuits. The speed limit on the Tehachapi is 23 mph, but that doesn't mean a train can't sneak up on you. In this case, a train had just passed and I had contacted by connect and was assured there was no other traffic in the area. Nevertheless, I kept my exposure to a minimum and checked the facing and trailing signals before shooting. I wouldn't shoot this kind of thing on the mainline in the valley where the speed limit is as high as 60mph. Thanks for checking it out. I hope you can join me this Saturday at 1pm UTC for the European live stream!

@Ztbmrc1

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkClayMcGowan Ok, I will give it a try to make a picture, but here I have to be very careful not to be arrested when walk near or on tracks. Ok next Saturday 9 april 1 pm UTC = 3 pm local time central Europe. I will be there! (It is 6 am for you then!)

Good Explanation, but I would need more as I'm not a fast learner. 🤩

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

Well, You'll just have to watch it a few times as there really isn't much more to them. I do have an entire playlist on how the signal department works. Here is the link. Maybe it will help! kzread.info/head/PL6ge3RoxmyvqBUZL-pzdFNCD9ZwWeAxwA

MARK HOW IS THE TO CONTAINER HOLD DOWN ON TOP OF THE LOWER CONTAINER ? ENJOY ALL YOR VIDEO'S KEEP IT GOING 👍

@raymondbailey4538

2 жыл бұрын

Containers all have movable lock pins in pockets. When picked up by the crane it pokes its hook into the lock hole releasing the pins, then lifts it off.

Mark can you give me some current info on crossing gates and the whole system. Like cost and weight of the various sizes of gates. And the cost of installing a new crossing system with lights and gates. All my info is from the early 2000s just before I retired?

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

The whole system is a pretty open term. It depends on how many gates and mechs, flashers, are there cantilevers, etc. But, just based on a two gate, no cantilever set up with cabin set up with batteries, controllers, rectifiers, relays, TC units, etc., counter weights, cables, wire, foundations, plumbing and associated hardware...about 100K. Gates themselves, as I purchased form WCH, were about $250 for a 16' aluminum base and a 16' fiberglass tip. Nine foot fiberglass tip extenders were about $90. A 32' gate weighed about 75 pounds. I have no idea what the whole thing would weigh but it was a truck load!

@billmorris2613

2 жыл бұрын

Mark Clay McGowan Thanks. I just needed the weight of the gates. Your answer was a great help. I was surprised at the cost of a new installation these days. Back in the late 90s early 2000s we were told a new system for a two lane street was around $100,000 back then. I was helping the parish (County in the other 49 states) I live in with getting more protection for the RR crossings. We had both the KCS and IC (Which had a branch main and the Chicago main) running through our parish.

I see the piece of material that is used to join the two track sections. Do you know what type of material it is made of, I assume some sort of non-ferrous stock and appears to be riveted to the track sections. Thanks for another informative video. I notice also I have started to forget the names of items I worked with as a truck mechanic.

@glennfoster2423

2 жыл бұрын

The bars and bolts that hold the two rails together have insulation material separating every bit of metal from each rail and bolt from creating a "path" or short circuit from one rail to the other rail in the insulated joint. The IJ is fabricated and tested by the manufacturer then shipped to the railroad for installation. Mark, what was your min,/max. distance for separation of the two joints?

@Stoker58

2 жыл бұрын

The material used can vary but it’s ultimately up to the customer. The most common is fiberglass. There’s also polyurethane and some manufacturers offer proprietary products. For example one of the major joint producers L.B. Foster offers ceramic end posts.

@glennfoster2423

2 жыл бұрын

@@Stoker58 The insulated joint bars made from fiberglass materials were easily assembled in the field at the site However, the final product suffered from the PPP problems of any assembled joint -- loosening of bolts, parts and failure of the fiberglass. The fiberglass components needed proper inspection and maintenance to insure the integrity required. This does not disparage the fiberglass joint in any sense, but, in my experience, factory manufactured insulated joints are a better choice, even considering that more work is required for use, especially on high tonnage high frequency main tracks

@Stoker58

2 жыл бұрын

@@glennfoster2423 Oh Absolutely manufactures recommend buying pre assembled “plugs” for that reason specifically. I was just stating the different types of end post materials. I know L.B. Foster only offers fiberglass kits and their tough coat products for field assembly. Their higher quality products like Kevlar insulated joints are sold exclusively as pre built plugs in house to ensure quality

Nice video! In my state of PA on the NS there is a slowish line (4 trains a day) that used old PRR signals they are ABS signals anytime it rains or snows the signals show a stop indication and the trains have to go restricted speed is this due to the joints? its been reported by train crews many times but hasnt been fixed has been happening for over a year

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

That is more likely due to poor track structure. Ballast gets full of dirt, which turns to mud when wet, old ties become infused with grime and are easily waterlogged and that will short the rails and cause signal and crossing problems. The joint's are usually not the culprit in those situations. Thanks for the compliment and for checking it out!

@moregltfirephotography4857

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkClayMcGowan ah okay would never had thought that thank you very much

Mark, what determines whether they use concrete ties or wood ties?

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

A few things are taken into consideration. Because of the sheer weight, concrete holds the track structure more solidly so they work better on grades and curves like the Tehachapi and Cajon Passes, thus reducing the surfacing intervals. They hold up better in areas of extreme temperature differences such as Nebraska or Kansas, they hold up better under heavy traffic conditions and, in most applications, last longer than wood. At some point I'm going to do a piece on roadbed and track structure. Thanks for the question and for checking it out!

Hi Mark, Another great video, you didn't show the "Ballast Regulators" operators best friend the "Boot Leg" just plow up or sweep out a couple of those and then feel the signal maintainer love(Ha-Ha).

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

We stopped using bootlegs in the late 80s under SP. I don't think there are any left in this corner of the world. Thank God! They were SUCH a pain in the bohunkus!

How many bubblegum bond did you have in your section Mark? That was the old school guarantee for a night overtime call out.

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

I've not heard it referred to as that! We would shove something like a broken bond or a bottlecap between the rail ends, or stick a few strands in a #14 sleeve. Then there were hacksaw bonds. I usually just did it while already on a call, but not hacksaws, that was a lot of work too. Might as well put it on right! I'd go back the next morning and do it right. I really didn't like working OT so I didn't set up calls. Once ribbon rail became the norm, it was no longer an issue. Thanks for checking it out!

If those rails touch each other that would short the circuit? Would it drop the signals to red? Thanks buddy!

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

With the exception of the polarity joints in a turnout, both joints generally need to fail before it will cause a signal problem. Joints are tested at regular intervals to ensure there is no current leakage in either joint. Thanks for checking it out!

Mark, where and what is the scource of electricity that operates the signals.

@raymondbailey4538

2 жыл бұрын

Hey John, The power comes from the little signal shack were the wires come out. As the train runs down the rails the wheels connects electricity to the other rail telling the signaling equipment the train is on the track. In mainline systems they can tell how far the end of the train is and how fast it is moving reporting back to the control center. It is exactly what model railroads used to distribute power and control to the engines.

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

The source of the power is the local power company who have meters at most locations these days. In the absence of that, the AC is delivered to a location via underground cable or poleline (more rare these days) . Once in the cabin, it is converted through rectifiers to DC for track, signal and crossing control systems and all signal and crossing lamps and to keep the batteries in the house charged. The rectifiers run everything unless the AC power goes off.

never slot joint on stright time!

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

Ha! It never mattered to me as I usually passed OT on to the next guy. I wasn't a big fan of going back out once I was home and dry! Thanks for checking it out!

Some of those rail spikes have really pulled out in that turnout!🤨

@MarkClayMcGowan

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah. A common issue with wood ties. That's why they use so many spikes! Thanks for checking it out!

Where's ya lookout lol

Far out man! An insulated joints so your fingers don’t get burnt on the roach. Only in California

@raymondbailey4538

2 жыл бұрын

Naww man. That's an alligator clip! 😅