Loram Rail Grinder on the Lehigh Line of Norfolk Southern

This multi-unit giant machine grinds the rails back into the desired shape after wear from all those thousands of tons rolling over them every day. Smoke, noise and one giant moving sparkler about describes it. Water tanks spray the rails and ties to cool the molten slag formed by grinding and hoses put out small fires. One of the most dramatic maintenance of way machines on the railroad. Here it moves west on the Lehigh division between Easton and Bethlehem, Pa.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• NorfolK
• Southern
• Loram
• rail
• grinding
• lehigh
• train
• railroad
• american
• video
• DVD

[zuzulo56]

Nice clip here! Don't often see this toy in action. Did you know before hand that it was due? How did you find out?

My wife, the moon of my delight, once dropped the muffler/tail pipe off her '62 Chevy...and dragged them home (30+ miles) looking, sounding & smelling much like this.

[rollinswitch]

@zuzulo56 A friend was out by the railroad when it showed up and he called me.

[RailfanTube]

You didn't show the special caboose at the end where the spray water from... -_-

[rollinswitch]

@RailfanTube That and much more on the DVD.

[virginiatruckee]

That's amazing, out west here they would start a fire pretty quick! I guess out here they must have a fire truck nearby. Thanks for posting!

[rollinswitch]

@virginiatruckee They have fire suppression on board as well as a fire truck on rails that rolls behind them.

[kealoa9]

@Bigwill6363 The rails have to be kept to a certain contour to maintain correct alignment with the wheels which also have to be turned on a lathe periodically for the same reason.

[EMMAWONDERLAND1]

What hell do that???

[Bigwill6363]

why would they grind away even more of the rail thats been ground away from all the trains???

[sad1eluvsme]

What is it trying to do?

[FurryFootBall]

one of these monsters just past near my house, it light a field on fire. but it got put out fast because it was next to the fire station.

[ivantrains]

what a hall&

[Reds15OO]

looks like a sci fi machine

[SuperchargedMustang5]

I'm guessing they do this to help keep the track smooth?

[gokceralp]

someone tell me what those big toys do on the rails? :)

[TheMotherOfChrist]

@SittingMooseShaman ahhhhha, and yes of course ;) thank you :)