Shannondell Model Railroad
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  • Home
  • Welcome
  • First Looks
  • About SMRC
  • Events & News
  • Layout
    • Railroad Signal Systems
    • SMR Rolling Stock
  • Membership
  • History
    • Club History
      • Layout Changes in 2018
      • Layout Changes in 2019
      • Layout Changes in 2020
      • Layout Changes in 2021
      • Layout Changes in 2022
    • Railroad History
    • Railroad Operations History
  • Education
    • What is a Railroad?
    • Railroad Infrastructure
      • Trackage
        • Track
        • Track Laying
        • Track Configs
        • Roadbed Components
      • Operating Components
        • Stations
        • Yards
        • Comm/Control
    • Transport
    • Rolling Stock
      • Motive Power
        • Introduction
        • Pulling Power
        • Classification
        • Steam Power
        • Diesel-Electric
        • Electric
        • Other Power
        • Manufacturers
        • Famous Locos
        • Model Motive Power
      • Unpowered Cars
        • Introduction
        • Revenue Source
        • Passenger Cars
        • Famous Trains
        • Freight Cars
        • Car Construction
        • Manufacturers
        • Model Railroad Cars
      • Maintenance of Way
        • Introduction
        • Track Bed Maintenance
        • Track Geometry Maintenance
        • Tie & Rail Maintenance
        • Dealing with Nature
        • Right-of-Way Maintenance
        • Comm/Signal Maintenance
        • MOW Equipment
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Picture
Picture

Education - Part 3D2

​Track Laying
​

Track Laying

​Once track foundation, drainage and ballast have been laid down (usually by earth-moving equipment), track can be laid. Today this is done by track-laying equipment. There are two basic approaches to mechanized track laying. In one, ballast, prestressed concrete or steel ties and rails are brought to the construction site on the track-laying machine and assembled as the machine travels along the newly-laid track. In the other, track sections (rails, ties and all) are fabricated in factories designed for this work. The sections are then loaded on railroad cars for transport to the site where they are put in place. Special sections of track, such as turnouts and crossovers (see Track Configurations) are usually fabricated before transport to the installation site. However, when a section is too large to transport by rail, it is assembled on site.

The best way to understand mechanized track laying is to watch a video, such as this one of a track-laying machine (7.3 minutes). In this video, the machine is rebuilding a high-speed railroad track, replacing the older prestressed concrete ties (which are stored somewhere on the machine), leveling the ballast, placing new ties and eventually laying the rails, welding the newly-laid rails to those already in place (producing continuous welded rail or CWR), tamping the new rails and then rolling onto them for the next section. Another video further helps to understand machine-installed track (17.5 minutes).

​Installation and maintenance of trackage is now heavily mechanized, compared with former methods, thus reducing time required and improving both accuracy and safety. We will have more to say about maintenance later.
​
Track Configurations
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  • Home
  • Welcome
  • First Looks
  • About SMRC
  • Events & News
  • Layout
    • Railroad Signal Systems
    • SMR Rolling Stock
  • Membership
  • History
    • Club History
      • Layout Changes in 2018
      • Layout Changes in 2019
      • Layout Changes in 2020
      • Layout Changes in 2021
      • Layout Changes in 2022
    • Railroad History
    • Railroad Operations History
  • Education
    • What is a Railroad?
    • Railroad Infrastructure
      • Trackage
        • Track
        • Track Laying
        • Track Configs
        • Roadbed Components
      • Operating Components
        • Stations
        • Yards
        • Comm/Control
    • Transport
    • Rolling Stock
      • Motive Power
        • Introduction
        • Pulling Power
        • Classification
        • Steam Power
        • Diesel-Electric
        • Electric
        • Other Power
        • Manufacturers
        • Famous Locos
        • Model Motive Power
      • Unpowered Cars
        • Introduction
        • Revenue Source
        • Passenger Cars
        • Famous Trains
        • Freight Cars
        • Car Construction
        • Manufacturers
        • Model Railroad Cars
      • Maintenance of Way
        • Introduction
        • Track Bed Maintenance
        • Track Geometry Maintenance
        • Tie & Rail Maintenance
        • Dealing with Nature
        • Right-of-Way Maintenance
        • Comm/Signal Maintenance
        • MOW Equipment
        • Manufacturers/Services
        • Model Railroad MOW
  • Videos
  • Photo Gallery
  • Contact Us
  • External Links