Railroading; Brushcutter Part II

Railroad Track Maintenance operations on the Union Pacific railroad. We were clearing trees & brush with my machine, a Kershaw Brushcutter. This was filmed in the foothills above Denver, CO on the track leading into the scenic Rocky Mountains.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• train
• railroad
• trees
• cut
• Union
• Pacific
• track
• colorado
• D&RGW
• Denver
• Rio
• Grande
• Rocky
• Mountains
• UPRR
• brushcutter
• maintenance
• of
• way
• MOW

[bcarter1973]

Hit one of these in June 2000. They had track & time on Main 1 and had the other boom sticking straight out across Main 2. We derailed 2 locomotives and 15 cars! (Jacksonville, AR)

Great video, nice to see one still in operation!

[RockyMountainExtreme]

@bcarter1973 .... Holy shit! You hit one! how did the operators come out? These things are sketchy to run, you need to balance the machine by keeping both work heads out right about the same. I can't believe the one you hit was fouling a main track... dumb!!!

[bcarter1973]

@RockyMountainExtreme Was a heluva ride! Boom snagged front of engine, when it did, we snatched the brushcutter off main 1 and it slammed into the side of the lead unit derailing us instantly. Then the machine flipped up in the air and pretty much landed in the front door of the 2nd unit. Conductor was bad ordered, i was off 6 months and the operators got beat up and cut up pretty bad but everyone lived! gonna send you some pics of the aftermath!

[RockyMountainExtreme]

@bcarter1973 ... Amazing everyone lived, after taking on and derailing a train. I'm still shocked the guys in the brushcutter thought it was a good idea to foul a main track without authority! Glad to hear you all came out alright, all things considered. Stay safe out there!

[rwy178]

So what are you operating, Portecs or Kershaws?

[RockyMountainExtreme]

This one was a Kershaw... powered by a 2 stroke Detroit 8V diesel that was supercharged and turbocharged. Damn thing sounded like it was going to come apart when running at operating speed!

[ssllaaddee]

NICE! Im looking to go work maintenance at the railroad. BNSF prefer but if i can find another ill do it! lol

[localcrew]

Little known fact: The Detroit Diesel powerplant is used in order to wake up hobos sleeping in the brush. 'Cause otherwise they'd be getting a "free haircut" -- if you know what I mean.

[brian93ist]

i saw a hydro ax with a head on it like this it cut brush that was growing in the electric lines

[caltrain2]

this is algore's worst nightmare lol but i love it!

[johnnymolson]

Im on a crew like this in BC Canada. I run a kershaw weedmower and this Pyke follows us and does a 2nd and 3rd pass. Best machines to operate but also the most dangerous.