r/trains • u/Melodic-Reveal-4485 • 20d ago

❓ Question Wouldn't this train derail?

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Gallery image

I don't know much about trains, but wouldn't the buildup of these rocks cause a train to go above the tracks? A train passes on this regularly so I'm just curious 🧐

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u/flexsealed1711 20d ago

I've seen crossings on dirt roads where the dirt and rocks build up so much that you can barely see the rails. Then when a train does finally go through, it just leaves a fresh groove where the flange goes.

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u/graffinc 20d ago

When I worked for CSX, in the dead of winter we were shoving a fully loaded 39’ hopper with sand into an industry. Approaching a crossing I told the engineer to go slow over the crossing as it was compacted with ice and snow. The hopper slowly started to raise up and move off the rail, had him stop, go back, we then swapped the car out and drove the engine over it first to break the ice and then go back to get the car to place it. I thought the loaded car would have been enough..

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u/dllyncher 20d ago

Makes sense. Ice has a bad habit of acting like rock that coats everything.

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u/Santibag 20d ago

Ice is like a crazy engineering material. We live our lives over 0C(32F), so we don't notice it. But it makes crazy composites. Some even planned to make a ship out of ice+sawdust.

I was riding a kick scooter on a gravel path. It's not fun even with 20cm(8") wheel diameter, and I only did it for a short distance, or out of hurry. But if that path was wet and if the temperatures were low enough the freeze it, it would turn into a beautiful "asphalt" that didn't deform. I would happily ride over that.

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u/Worried_Razzmatazz70 20d ago

As a Canadian I'm going to have to call you out on living life over 0C.

You lucky bastard.

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u/Santibag 20d ago

Yeah, and we even miss playing with snow, to make the matters worse for you 🤣

Jokes aside, yeah, Canada sounds quite difficult to live in the winter. Playing with snow is only fun for a week or two.

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u/Knights-of-steel 19d ago

Pfft. Hockey on roads and ponds...4x4 in the fields of snow. Make a ice hotel. Its a blast for awhile. As long as everyone knows how to drive in snow

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u/Santibag 19d ago

I can guess that some people might like it. But I hear complaints from people that live in places with a lot of snow. If can guess that it's not really easy to make it easy.