Outstanding video. Thank you for documenting a vital (and important) component of maintaining railroad rights-of-way. The Harsco tamper is an ingenious machine, and fascinating to watch in person (as I have). It's (more-or-less) a lightweight, more versatile version of the much larger (and impressive) Unimat machine of Plasser American. But...don't let size fool you...the (smaller) Harsco machine -- a rebuilt product of Ohio's Quality Track Equipment -- is "up to the task" in every way. The CSX "Rhino" ballast regulator is a "dandy", especially in the hands of a skilled operator. It comes from CSX's ex-RF&P shops in Richmond, VA...in many instances, rebuilt from a standard Knox-Kershaw machine. During the "brooming" procedures towards the end of the video, too bad the machine's onboard water tanks weren't utilized to mitigate the dust that comes with this work. BTW...down here in Central Florida, CSX is currently using a "Rhino" regulator (dressed in camouflage livery to honor veterans) to maintain some "A"-Line trackwork on the Carters Subdivision. Very cool... 👍👍
I happen to be a mechanic for CSX and can say without a doubt this is on of the easiest to maintain and most cost effective machine for this type of work. Put a good operator on the Mark IV and I will put it up against the rest of them. Plots forward and reverse. Plots surface and line. Once that is done edit your recording. Then it’s off to the races. Plus the calibration process is idiot proof.
N Hrand Junction CO there is a huge line of equipment like this and more. Just amazing looking things and I had to find out what they were. I saw the name HARSCO on one and looked them up. Can someone tell me what is happening here?
The first machine compacting the ballast (rock) underneath the track and essentially leveling out the rail. The second one is sweeping up displaced rock so the ballast can keep the ties in place.
Outstanding video. Thank you for documenting a vital (and important) component of maintaining railroad rights-of-way. The Harsco tamper is an ingenious machine, and fascinating to watch in person (as I have). It's (more-or-less) a lightweight, more versatile version of the much larger (and impressive) Unimat machine of Plasser American. But...don't let size fool you...the (smaller) Harsco machine -- a rebuilt product of Ohio's Quality Track Equipment -- is "up to the task" in every way. The CSX "Rhino" ballast regulator is a "dandy", especially in the hands of a skilled operator. It comes from CSX's ex-RF&P shops in Richmond, VA...in many instances, rebuilt from a standard Knox-Kershaw machine. During the "brooming" procedures towards the end of the video, too bad the machine's onboard water tanks weren't utilized to mitigate the dust that comes with this work. BTW...down here in Central Florida, CSX is currently using a "Rhino" regulator (dressed in camouflage livery to honor veterans) to maintain some "A"-Line trackwork on the Carters Subdivision. Very cool... 👍👍
I happen to be a mechanic for CSX and can say without a doubt this is on of the easiest to maintain and most cost effective machine for this type of work. Put a good operator on the Mark IV and I will put it up against the rest of them. Plots forward and reverse. Plots surface and line. Once that is done edit your recording. Then it’s off to the races. Plus the calibration process is idiot proof.
I’ve been on one for 18 years now it’s an awesome machine.
N Hrand Junction CO there is a huge line of equipment like this and more. Just amazing looking things and I had to find out what they were. I saw the name HARSCO on one and looked them up.
Can someone tell me what is happening here?
The first machine compacting the ballast (rock) underneath the track and essentially leveling out the rail. The second one is sweeping up displaced rock so the ballast can keep the ties in place.
one ugly machine