I been working on the railroad

[plonq]

Here is plonq trying his hand with a hydraulic tamping machine.

We had to raise this stretch of rail a bit, so we used hand jacks to lift it a couple of inches and then tamped down the ballast using a (surprisingly heavy) hydraulic tool. Yes, I am actually working here and not just posing. I knew that the forman was snapping a picture, and he caught me glancing up to see if he had taken it yet.


Here is a picture of that selfsame forman showing us how it is done. Given that he has been essentially working a desk job for longer than I have, let us say that it was a learning experience for all of us. Happily we managed to take care of the job with suitable safety and alacrity.


If you look very carefully (you may have to click through to the larger version) you can see a train approaching us from the opposite direction on the track. Even though I knew that his TOP clearance ended well past the crossing in the picture, it was still a little disturbing.

Comments

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

The train coming towards you is freaky.

Yikes :(

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

I feel for you. Real work would probably kill me these days.
How is the labor dispute coming along?

[atara.livejournal.com]

At the risk of disturbing everyone on your friends list, I have but one comment to the first picture:

Rawr.
:)
<3
I miss you.

[pierrekrahn.livejournal.com]

I an't figure out if you look macho in the first picture, or if you should be singing YMCA!

[ramalion.livejournal.com]

I kinda find it disturbing that with the amount of training (or lack there of) that you guys are suppose to be doing repairs on something as important as a railroad.

Hopefully things will get back to normal soon and you'll be back at your desk.

[fuzzytoedcollie.livejournal.com]

Eeep!
At least it's not winter....

[mwalimu.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of the old joke about discovering that the light at the end of the tunnel is actually an approaching train.

[hartree.livejournal.com]

Blue collar snow leopard!

Hope things go well with this, Plonq. Definitely stay safe. It's unfamiliar work and there are lotsa things with lots of kinetic energy involved in what you're doing.

My comment on the first picture

[giza.livejournal.com]

My, what a big tool you have. ;-)

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

You look like a pro, dude!

You've even got your belly hanging over the jackhammer, letting it do all the work for you!

It's like you've been doing it for years!

[plonq.livejournal.com]

Meeting a train head-on is one of those situations where wearing a seatbelt might not help much...

[plonq.livejournal.com]

Most of our day yesterday (ended up being just over 10 hours) was spent inspecting rails and checking signal lights at crossings. We only did about an hour and a half of "real" work, but even so I'm feeling it in a lot of places today.

[plonq.livejournal.com]

I miss you too.

[plonq.livejournal.com]

On Sunday we get to change out some rails - again with no real training. It would almost sound like fun if it wasn't for the fact that they're predicting miserable weather for the occasion.

[plonq.livejournal.com]

Best I can do is just stay alert and attentive. In a way I think we're pretty safe in the job because none of us are comfortable enough with it to start making dangerous assumptions. We double and triple-check everything as we go.

[plonq.livejournal.com]

Damn thing weighs a ton, and it was killing me after the first couple of times I used it. Eventually I figured out that the smooth plate on the back of it was where I was supposed to let it rest against my leg. Once I figured that out, I could let my leg bear the brunt of the weight and all I had to do with my arms was steer it.

Re: My comment on the first picture

[atara.livejournal.com]

*snerk* :)

[dalesql.livejournal.com]

Yah, be careful. Here in Boston we had a workman seriously injured recently when a commuter train struck the equipment he was driving in the roadbed area. Ruined his day, month, and probably ruined the rest of his life. (he was in critical care unit, which is a step up from the intensive care unit, when the story fell off the news cycle. )

Ask me at a con someday about running commmunication cables over train tracks when I was younger and stupider.

[farlo.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh, now we can call you "Manuel Labbore".

*lap-sized dragon singing ...*
"I've been working on the raiiilroooad,
all the live-long daaay,
I've been working on the raiiilroooad,
Just to pass the time awaaay ..."

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

A comment only 1 week late. ;-)

I just saw this video, and it reminded me of your third photo.
http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f95/leoncrooks/?action=view¤t=Trainmeet.flv
Do you know anything about that?