Unusual Firefighting Train

[bearestir]

Pictures of the firefighting caboose of a Loram railgrinding train in action:

http://bearestir.rrpicturearchives.n....aspx?id=23991

The train grinds rails and throws a lot of sparks in the process, so the caboose is a firefighting unit. I thought some of you might enjoy some pictures of a different type of firefighting equipment.

[ffmedcbk1]

I wonder if those at NFPA are going to form a committee to address the greivious lacking of a particular pattern and color of striping on the apparatus?

[ffmedcbk1]

Being a railfan also I apprciate that.

I saw this one and thought it was interesting too.

[LFDAO10]

Does anyone know what the purpose of them grinding the rails is? Never seen such a thing. It would be interesting to see how much water they carried. I imagine they could just hook up a few tank cars and have a huge supply. I saw picture one time of some other firefighting rail car but it was basically a flat car with a couple of tanks, pumps and turrets.

[nmfire]

Like any other piece of metal, they need some sharpening and grinding sometimes. Its common practice, especially on heavily traveled rail.

[Chazz2771]

Does anyone know what the purpose of them grinding the rails is? Never seen such a thing. It would be interesting to see how much water they carried. I imagine they could just hook up a few tank cars and have a huge supply. I saw picture one time of some other firefighting rail car but it was basically a flat car with a couple of tanks, pumps and turrets.

After the trains go over the rails so many times, it begins to cause the top of the rail to "mushroom" over, sort of like a chisel gets after a while. If they didn't grind it, the rails would eventually get so far out of profile that it would cause extra wear on the train wheels and also make the track width slightly narrower causing excessive friction between the train and the rails.

[LFDAO10]

Interesting! Thanks for the quick responses. This link is to the rail car I was thinking about. Looks like it too is used for brush fires along the rails.
http://www.wildlandfire.com/pics/equ...f-ff-train.jpg

[bearestir]

Does anyone know what the purpose of them grinding the rails is? Never seen such a thing. It would be interesting to see how much water they carried. I imagine they could just hook up a few tank cars and have a huge supply. I saw picture one time of some other firefighting rail car but it was basically a flat car with a couple of tanks, pumps and turrets.

If you look at the last picture in the album, you'll see the two rail grinding units at work. You can see the sparks under each, as well as all the smoke generated by the units.

The rail grinding train consists of the locomotive, a tank car or two (for whatever it is they use to fight any fires), the rail grinding units, and the caboose: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2963...71367402jRAmsj

The locomotive looks like it has a firefighting apparatus on the nose:

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2655...71367402bjINvL

Here are the tank cars that go on the train:

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2759...71367402DRNaaM

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2920...71367402WJLKdg

The caboose not only fights any fires that come up, but it also routinely sprays down the side of the tracks to try to prevent fires:

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2679...71367402HjsxCl

I'm glad everyone seemed to enjoy the photographs (and the ones above are also mine).

[hwoods]

That BNSF Thing looks like a Weed Sprayer. But Weed Sprayers put out Fires too........ For the Railfans among us, (I'm one Too) My station covers a 5 mile stretch of AMTRAK's Northeast Corridor about 12 miles North (Timetable East) of Union Station, Washington DC. I see Loram Equipment out here from time to time, but getting a Window for them to work in is tough.

[ffmedcbk1]

harve I couldn't think of how they can get working on those tracks in you area.

Where is the BNSF tank sprayer located?

[FWDbuff]

Anyone ever see the book "US NAVY AND MARINE CORP FIRE APPARATUS", By William Killen?

There are photos of several pieces of apparatus in there, built during WWII, that are pretty much standard pumpers for the time, with the exception of the fact that there are no rubber tires- they are strictly steel "railroad truck" wheels- the apparatus was designed to operate in Naval ammunition facilities where it may have been miles from the ammo depot warehouses out to the piers- like Earle NJ or Little Creek, Va.

[SavingHawaii]

Some more here.

And this one is pretty imaginative.

[FDAIC485]

That BNSF Thing looks like a Weed Sprayer. But Weed Sprayers put out Fires too.

Weed Killer and Fire. I betcha you that produces some nice smoke/steam.

[Just a new name]

New Jersey Transit goes past our dorm window. Not happy about it.

[nmfire]

For people that live along the NEC, you can ask Amtrak to notify you when they are going to be grinding the rails. In many cases, they will pay to put you up in a hotel for that night. It doesn't bother me much but some people think its the end of the world.

[FDAIC485]

[Dickey]

Wow, pretty cool video....thank you.

[ffmedcbk1]

that is so amazing... thank for the video.


Do they have one of those in the "Thomas the Train" isle at Toys R Us so I can buy one........ uh, I mean so I can buy it for my son!!??!!

[Just a new name]

Are they just reshaping the rails?

I remember last year watching them replace rails at night. Pretty neat.

[Flochief]

This stupid thing comes down through our area 4 times a year.(Just started this 2 years ago). We have the majority of our woods fires during this time.
It is extremely large gulleys and 20 to 30 hills along the rail.

Norfolk Southern also buys water from us while they are doing the Atlanta to Macon routes usually 60,000 - to 80,000 gallons.


The last time they came through was in January. It was damp so we didn't have the problem we have had in the past.