Rare footage of Network Rail Track Renewal at Pembrey 11/12/2011

[eezy1972]

What camera do you use. You get some great results.

[robmasterman]

@eezy1972 I use a Panasonic HDC-HS25, although it's no longer produced...Bob

[CarlyWaarly]

We get similar at Lismore Circus London NW5 0200hrs - 0400hrs, nice shots!

[robmasterman]

@CarlyWaarly Thanks for your comment....Bob

[DiddlyDom]

Very interesting video! Ive always wondered how they do this sort of thing, 5* and your channel subscribed to!!

[robmasterman]

@DiddlyDom Thanks Dom, greatly appreciated....Bob

[Retaud21]

Well done Bob. A really interesting piece of film. Many thanks.

[robmasterman]

@Retaud21 Thanks very much, I'm pleased you enjoyed it....Bob

[MG06ZT]

More unusual footage been a good few months for you. Not sure about weather and early start, but great shots.

[robmasterman]

@MG06ZT Had to film this Keith, all this action at the bottom of your garden...pure magic......Thanks as always....Bob

[Rabbitbunvoo]

Blimey, amazing stuff! The rail at 2:15 astounded me - how is it flexible like that!? =)

[robmasterman]

@Rabbitbunvoo It certainly is, the rail is made of special steel that has to be flexible and hard wearing to carry the heavy freight trains...Thant's modern technology for you...Bob

[Drdamp]

Do many heavy freight trains use the route? Up here they used lightweight sleepers on long sections of the Settle & Carlisle, but with the heavy weight and ever increasing number of quick moving coal trains they ended up having to replace all the lightweight sleepered track with standard concrete sleepers. The lightweight stuff was moving about too much and the track distorting. The ballast shoulders didn't arrest the movement. So I wonder what will happen in your locality with that.

[robmasterman]

@Drdamp The only regular freight on this line are the 3,000 ton MURCO oil trains to and from their refinery at Robeston in Pembrokeshie. There are currently two trains in each direction each day and are usually Class 60 hauled. Thanks for your informative comments, I shall have to investigate a little more on this one...Bob

[ADMIRALSCORNER]

How interesting to see this going on. It looked like really hard work. I hope you remained warm and comfortable and didnt miss too much sleep! They had to keep your track up the standard as it is seen by so many of your viewers Bob!

[robmasterman]

@ADMIRALSCORNER It's not often filmed, and it was great to be able to do it so close to our house. It was incredible to see how fast the whole process of renewal took Mike...Thanks as always...Bob

[aleu650]

excellent video and thanks for uploading!! ... 1:05 they are using steel sleepers !!.. believed that they were not used more

[robmasterman]

@aleu650 It is unusual, but obviously are being used on this occasion...Thanks for watching....Bob

[modemeyes]

Thanks Bob as I'm a fan of engineering (watching it!) but was puzzled by those steel sleepers. I thought that they were got rid of years ago................Mike

[robmasterman]

@modemeyes My pleasure Mike, in the one clip you can see, concrete, wood and metal all withing a few meters....Bob

[1adamstephen]

fantastic video bob the track is easy to take off once you know how lol

Adam

[robmasterman]

@1adamstephen Thanks Adam, I've never seen this method used before, and it's very impressive....Bob

[cuzinitr]

Good of them to renew the track of you're garden layout eh Bob, HaHa! Excellent video! Rich

[robmasterman]

@cuzinitr Best layout in the area Rich...Thanks again friend....Bob

[TimHall42]

Very interesting, thanks. Saw similar goings on in Redcar in the 90s when I lived up there, including the stupid o'clock starts on Sundays! Could do with their help if I build my 00 layout in the loft next year!

[robmasterman]

@TimHall42 Thanks Tim, I could have done with them a few months ago in my attic as welll....Bob

[EMuksteam]

Nice shot Bob of all the work that goes into replacing old track.You got right next to all the action there (C&A) Happy Christmas to you & family.

[robmasterman]

@EMuksteam Thanks both, and compliments of the Season to you and your family as well...Here's to a great 2012....Bob

[JPMiller14]

Top notch footage, Bob. I thought you probably would be out for this despite the terrible conditions. As others have commented, it is strange to see lengths of solid steel bend like rubber when handled. Excellent stuff.

[robmasterman]

@JPMiller14 It was a rare opprtunity to film it Justin, Thanks again for your comments...The 150 has been down West today....Bob

[MonochromeLoco]

Splendid footage Bob. I was surprised to see how pliable the rails were too.....Keith

[robmasterman]

@MonochromeLoco Thanks keith, I think everyone has been surprised at the flexibilty of the rail, bearing in mind the use it has....Bob

[canvids1]

what a awesome catch you got Bob right place right time good one

[robmasterman]

@canvids1 Thanks Wayne, it was great to be so close to the action....Compliments of the Season to you.....Bob

[trainfart]

awesome, Awesome! :)

[robmasterman]

@trainfart Thank you once again for your kind comments....Bob

[EWS60500]

Nice vid bob, very interesting to watch, most of this happens at night on the valleys lines so I never get to see the action, I hear it but never see it!

[robmasterman]

@EWS60500 Thanks Llion, it is rare to have the oppportunity to film this sort of work....Bob

[AndreiTupolev]

I wonder if you were the only one to be pleased to have that going on at the bottom of your garden at 4 a.m., Bob? :P Glad to see the fine art of hitting it with a hammer is still alive and well.

[robmasterman]

@AndreiTupolev Spot on Andrei, Mrs M wasn't too pleased either ....Thanks for your wonderful comments....Bob

[penninefilms]

Interesting to see how they do it.

[robmasterman]

@penninefilms Thanks Bradley....Bob

[cmeonthemove]

Great stuff Bob. I guess that's the downside to having a 1/1 scale trainset in the garden - engineering works overnight! Great to see the versatile excavators in action and the various stages of track renewal. I never realised how flexible those rails were.

[robmasterman]

@cmeonthemove I wouldn't change it for the world, and such events are rare, so I'm happy to sit and watch it all.....Thanks again...Bob

[siobhan104]

Very interesting Bob. Strange that one section had concrete sleepers then 4 wooden ones and all the rest steel. All the best....Tim.

[robmasterman]

@siobhan104 The wooden sleepers were at the start of the new trackwork Tim, so whether it's to allow some expenasion until it settles down, I'm not sure......Thanks for watching....Bob

[simonpilk]

Interesting that it was mostly a steel sleeper relay. A very interesting piece of video indeed, I am guessing the bus journey was a bit testing though! Well done RM.

[robmasterman]

@simonpilk Something not often recorded Simon, and I'm pleased you found it interesting...Many Thanks......Bob

[penybontshed]

Good traditional West Wales weather!

[robmasterman]

@penybontshed You can say that again, it was terrible conditions for doing track work.....Bob

[uhm121]

great video bob have a good christmas john

[robmasterman]

@uhm121 Thanks John, and I wish you and your family the same....Bob

[lionbill]

Great, Interesting & Entertaining. . . could have watched this action all day. Thanks-a-lot Bob!

[robmasterman]

@lionbill Cheers Bill, delighted you enjoyed it.....Bob

[bladesman123]

Fascinating stuff here Bob, outstanding stuff from that excavator driver too, thank you for uploading.

Dave.

[robmasterman]

@bladesman123 Thanks Dave, nice to the othere aspects of the railway for a change....Bob

[Willowfs4472]

Great video Rob, that rail looked like it was rubber the way that machine handled it, how long over all did it take them to lay the track down?..

[robmasterman]

@Willowfs4472 The track re-laying was very fast indeed and the whole section was done in amatter of hours...lifting the old track and re-doing the ballast took the longest time....Bob

[MegaCullie]

nice job bob . its like im never away from work when i see this footage. im sure network rail should of posted letters through your door just to let you know they were under taking the relay job . looking at it it just looks like the welders have to finish off now unless they came when you stopped filming . its a like from me cheers.................kev

[robmasterman]

@MegaCullie We were informed Kev, although this was the last weekend of the dates they gave...After filming the main ballast drop was made, and re-taming of the whole section was completed last night with return to normal operations this morning with a 50mph slack......Bob

[mvjedforest]

Apart from being woking up so early, Bob, you were fortunate to have this event right on your doorstep. Very interesting and enjoyable. I was particularly interested in the machine lifting the rail into position, having, many years ago, done it the hard way by hand (with shorter sections of course). Altogether, a very impressive display of skill....Mervyn

[robmasterman]

@mvjedforest I totally agree Mervyn, and I've never seen this method before...it looks very efficient, and was done very speedily mith minimum noise and delay to services....Thanks once again...Bob

[balmesh]

Very good Bob - I see what you meant now about being wakened early! I had thought they laid track in panels, pre-formed. They did when I lived near Ashford, as the pre-assembly depot was the source of useful cast-off sleepers for the K&ESR. Anyway, excellent stuff and you can throw away your tripod - I wouldn't have known that film was hand-held. . . . . Alan

[robmasterman]

@balmesh Thanks Alan, I know that short sections of rail are often delivered from PAD's, and I've seen long welded rail dropped off a moving train of special wagons, but this is a new one to me, but the oiperator of that vehicle was obviously very skilled as he made it look effortless.....Bob

[balmesh]

To robmasterman

Yes, they knew how to make the machine sing . . I expect the section was too short to make pre-assembly worth while. Likewise the ballast unloading, not enough to warant the special self-unloading train that i have seen working out of MountSorrel. . . . . . . Alan

[robmasterman]

@balmesh The special self-unloading train arrived at 23.00 last night, the deposited ballast being tampered soon afterwards.....all is quiet now....71 was on the tanks this morning...thanks....Bob

[balmesh]

To robmasterman

Ah, good to know it's still operational.  hope you don't mind being woken up for the Murco? Let me know if it becomes a nuisance, I shan't be offended. . . . . Alan (BTW, you all mended, now?)

[robmasterman]

@balmesh You can ring any time Alan, not a problem...I'm fine now thanks, just some more investigations to be done....Bob

[stanbrinsmead]

Absolutely fascinating. And a great reward for a sleepless night! I was amazed to see how 'fluid' the rails seem to be, like lengths of liquorice. A great video! Jane

[robmasterman]

@stanbrinsmead Thank goodness these renewals don't happen too often Jane, thanks for your kind comments....Bob

[wooltman]

This video took me back a few years,I have had many days working in ALL weathers,michaelsutton1u said about the rails bending this very dangerous as they swing and bounce,when moving any length of rail 60' plus and they stretch as well.They stress the rail by cutting a section off ,fit the stressing equipment to the rail and pump drawing in the rams and stressing the rail to the required welding gap.In the video you could see a guy cutting the rail. I could go on for ages,Best regards Chris.

[robmasterman]

@wooltman Thanks for that insight Chris, it's much appreciated...Bob

[acw71000]

Bob, this is a wonderful slice of life reminding me of some of the BTF films. Wonderful to see the team work involved from these very professional workers in such horrible conditions. Well filmed throughout, especially as you had to film without the aid of a tripod.

[robmasterman]

@acw71000 Thank you for those kind words Austin......it seems a side of the railways that we rarely see, and I was amazed to see that the actual track laying was done so efficiently by this road/rail vehicle.Different skills from the good old days, but highly skilled never the less...Bob

[Bevoin1970]

I was absolutely gripped and fascinated by this video throughout Bob, your superb camera angles, combined with closeups, and long shots made it very interesting to watch. I love stuff like this, its the engineer in me. I once delivered some books to a College/Uni in Cardiff area some time ago, I got to have a quick glance at one, you don't realise just how technical laying track is, serious stuff is involved. So I marvel at a little brute force and skill in this techno age. 10/10 Bob :-)

[robmasterman]

@Bevoin1970 It's so rare to have the opportunity to film such events, let alone see them in daylight.....I throroughly enjoyed the spectacle as well Paul, and as always, you're far too kind......Bob

[michaelsutton1u]

never knew that rails bend that easily

[robmasterman]

@michaelsutton1u There we are a new bit of knowledge..lol....Thanks for watching....Bob

[comebersum]

Super vid, Bob......5*****

Cutter

[robmasterman]

@comebersum Thank you very much Cutter.....Bob

[atlanticcoastexpress]

Absolutely fascinating Bob! The cranes (lifting the long welded rail into place) made the steel rail look like soft sticks of liquorice! Even though there are much fewer men compared to the old style of P-way work - it's interesting to see just how many men are still needed. Thanks for sharing it - we can only admire their hard labour! (and your lack of sleep) Regards Rob.

[robmasterman]

@atlanticcoastexpress Thanks very much Rob, and well observrd....it wasn't a pleasant job in those terrible conditions....Bob

[488scooby]

nice catch bob,where i live at winwick, there always sat in there welfare vans, lol,

[robmasterman]

@488scooby There was torrential rain most of the day, so I didn't envy them one bit....Bob

[littlegalah]

Rare footage all right you got them working well some of them working

[robmasterman]

@littlegalah They've all got they're specific parts to play Alan, Thanks as always....Bob

[GreatWestern175]

Fortunate to see it right from your doorstep what the men in orange can do with the mainline

[robmasterman]

@GreatWestern175 It's not something we are fortunate to see often Ryan, as most of the work is carried out in the dark.....Thanks again....Bob