A bit early, but I didn't want to interfere with Skull's visit...This is the first rail photo I've ever taken just to place in a specific spot in any media. Normally I don't think much about how I'll use a rail photo as I'm shooting it, unless it's a really newsworthy shot (those are pretty rare) and even then, I'm only generalizing that it ought to go somewhere. As I walked by this track car at the Nevada Southern Railroad Museum in Boulder City, the tool collection sparked all kinds of thoughts.
First off, these little cars are not as common as they used to be, though they haven't disappeared like "speeders" have. I've seen lots of larger, more modern variations pulled behind a hi-rail pickup with all manner of tools hanging on for dear life. These are also common in those large "maintenance blitz" outfits for carrying everything from spikes and coolers to compressors and even outhouses. But, they used to be found in nearly every town with tracks because there used to be track maintainers, sometimes called "gandy dancers", almost everywhere before the mechanization of routine maintenance. See this Wikipedia article on track. They used to get out daily to work on the track or signal systems somewhere within their own jurisdiction and these cars carried their tools of the trade. These lighter rigs can be pried on and off the rails fairly easily by two workers and they could be set off on a couple of old ties placed perpendicular to the rails and at gauge width. A far more common sight only a couple of decades ago.
Now look at the tools on the car. Anyone want to try to pull a spike with that giant "crow bar"? The weight and leverage might make is a bit easier but some of us less athletic types might find it challenging. Of course that is especially true now with treated hardwood ties that are pre-drilled and spiked with air powered hammers. I'd love to have the long fishplate bolt wrench to apply torque on my car's lug nuts after visiting a psychotic mechanic. The gauge bar looks easy enough to use. Set it between the rails and voila. However, what if it doesn't fit? Then you need one of the other tools. Ever try lifting even a small piece of 85lb. rail, let alone bending one? Let a "hydraulically enhanced" machine do it I say. All of these "armstrong" tools required a strong back and quite a bit of strength. I've played with similar tools but only on narrow gauge track with rails way under 35lbs and that was fun enough. Imagine maintaining a heavy mainline with 120lb rail using hand tools! The small museum at Horseshoe Curve has a great series of displays on this very subject. Talk about labor intensive! A whole crew could only be responsible for a few miles of track. That same sized crew today probably could cover all of Pan Am's District 1.
It wasn't that long ago when hand tools were common on smaller roads, albeit with slightly smaller rail and a bit less traffic to contend with. The museum in Oakfield, Maine has quite a collection of Bangor and Aroostook RR maintenance tools. One of the volunteers there even used them once upon a time and had fun telling us about them. Imagine leveling ballast with a hand tool that looks like a giant, extra-long cement trowel! What an art! Lots of jacks and steel bars involved too. A standard 39 foot section of rail was the largest piece you'd encounter. That's a lot of potential low joints to keep an eye on.
I guess seeing the small assortment of hand tools and parts on the cart got me thinking about what it takes to maintain track. Sure the guys in the hi-rail pickup today probably use some of the same tools even today for smaller jobs. Just imagine what is was like (cue the dream sequence sound effects) building and maintaining thousands of miles of track nation-wide with nothing else.
BC
Stay tuned for Skull's Excellent Adventures!
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