Using a magnet to remove scrap from a railroad track - GIF

Using a magnet to remove scrap from a railroad track.

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Previously:

Cleaning shop floor with magnets - GIF
Dropping a magnet through a hollow copper bar - GIF
Hammer with magnetic soft face - GIF
Handheld lifting magnet - GIF
Homemade magnetic vise - video
Magnetic doorstop - GIF
Magnetic invisible fasteners - GIF
Magnetic manhole cover remover - GIF
Pulling wire using magnets - GIF
Truck-mounted magnetic road sweeper - GIF

So, all of those bent wire things in the hopper were picked up from along the tracks?

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Originally Posted by hemmjo

So, all of those bent wire things in the hopper were picked up from along the tracks?

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Looks to me that "those bent wire things" were just replaced with the green "wire things." They pulled the old ones and just left them on the ground, then put in the new ones. Now they are finishing things up by collecting the old ones.

Now you have made me wonder what are those bent things for? I have walked a lot of railroad track in my near 76 years. Have never seen anything like that.

Of course I freely admit, LOTS of things I have never seen before. Maybe next week I can see all the rest.. :smash:

I know them (the clips) as "Pandrol" clips. They are essentially springs which engage in the base (part of the sleeper) and press down on the top of the rail flange. The clip is essentially a spring, so it uses the elastic properties of the spring to restrain the rail in poistion. The Rail could have a plastic saddle piece between the sleeper and the rail flange, and the pandrol clip can also have a plastic piece between it and the rail flange - the plastic pieces essentially insulate the metal rail from the sleeper - this is important for certain track occupancy detection systems

Track maintenance work I recently observed had some of the removed clips being reused, but not all. I was not in a position to ask what criteria was used to determine if a clip was reused (work gang had a tight timeframe to get the switch replaced.)

Interesting. All I have ever seen used is the old style, iron railroad spike. All the rail lines around wher I am have been in use close to or over 100 years. Wefor sure need an upgrade here in the USA.

Found this video. have to copy and paste the link. It will not post here. (or I can't make it work :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSIra38frCM

Various spring type clips or bolts are used primarily for concrete ties/sleepers where the spikes are common for wood.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hemmjo

Interesting. All I have ever seen used is the old style, iron railroad spike. All the rail lines around wher I am have been in use close to or over 100 years. Wefor sure need an upgrade here in the USA.

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I still see the old-style railroad spikes used too, for wooden crossbeams. They hold down a metal plate and the metal plate holds the rail to the plate with these clips.

are all the iron ore nuggets I see along railway lines not high enough grade to be picked up?
Brian

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Originally Posted by that_other_guy

are all the iron ore nuggets I see along railway lines not high enough grade to be picked up?
Brian

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iron ore needs to be about 86% iron before a tramp metal magnet can attract it enough to pick it out of an orestream. Typical "high grade" iron ore is only around 65-75% iron content (the rest being impurities like silica, alumina, etc). Tramp metal magnet usually sits about 400-500mm (15-20") above the bottom of the belt trough, with an ore depth of around 300-350 mm (12-14") at the peak. Tramp metal magnets are designed to collect metal in the orestream such as excavator teeth, fire-extinguishers, or other "bits of metal" which if left in the orestream will end up ripping conveyor belts, or jamming in crushers, etc doing expensive and unsafe damage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by that_other_guy

are all the iron ore nuggets I see along railway lines not high enough grade to be picked up?
Brian

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I suspect what you are seeing are taconite pellets. I was told that iron ore was easily made into taconite, which is about 30% iron and was more economical to ship than ore. Once at the steel mill, the taconite was made into steel via processes that were too complex to be done near the mines.

What I know for a fact is that taconite balls make awesome sling shot ammunition! It would take us about a half hour to find a 1 lb coffee can full of them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by that_other_guy

are all the iron ore nuggets I see along railway lines not high enough grade to be picked up?
Brian

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Do you have a picture? All I ever find is coal. I'd love to trade or buy some for my rock collection.