What is this MOW operation?

[velotrain]

I've seen photos of long trains with conveyors that were identified as ballast cleaners.

 

I'm wondering if this is perhaps a spray-cleaning in place?

 

I suppose it could potentially be weed control, although the track in question doesn't look particularly at risk.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2016 by velotrain

[Kabutoni]

This is a water sprinkler train The image links back to: http://rail.hobidas.com/rmn/archives/2008/07/jr_42.html This was used to cool down the tracks during a 32˚C heatwave.

[Das Steinkopf]

Looks pretty much like a weed killing train, I think it is probably more precautionary than an urgent need as you can see some grass starting to sprout on the shoulder and looking at the colour of the vegetation it would be late spring early summer when the grass can grow quickly.

 

 

Edit looks like Toni got in before me with the correct answer.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Das Steinkopf

[velotrain]

This is a water sprinkler train The image links back to: http://rail.hobidas.com/rmn/archives/2008/07/jr_42.html This was used to cool down the tracks during a 32˚C heatwave.

 

I can understand them wanting to slow rail expansion, but I have to wonder if this really has any serious benefit?

 

If it's that warm, I can't imagine cold water having much of an impact beyond, say - 10 minutes?

 

The water hits the hot rails and immediately turns to steam, as is evident.

 

It might make more sense to have Hoki 800's dispense ice cubes ;-)

[katoftw]

The rails and ballast continually raise in temperature throughout the day.  A 35 degree day equals about a 55-58 ballast temperature.  If it hits 60-65, bad things happen.  Pouring 25 degree water over it and dropping the temps from 50-55 down to 45-50 give them an hour or so reprieve from bad things happening.

[cteno4]

why would they do it if it did not have a serious benefit?

 

Water getting down into the ballast has time to slowly evaporate and cool the local environment over a longer period of time.

 

you get the cooling of using cooler water but evaporation also sucks a lot of energy out of the local system.

 

jeff

[miyakoji]

I had to look up those TAKIs.  42750 series apparently.  I kinda want a few :)

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%89%84%E3%82%BF%E3%82%AD42750%E5%BD%A2%E8%B2%A8%E8%BB%8A

[bikkuri bahn]

It was a stop-gap operation- in the old days, summer temps rarely rose enough to warrant cooling the rails.  With global warming, the rail were affected, thus this temporary solution.  Now rail has been laid that has a higher tolerance range, so this operation is history.

[velotrain]

The rails and ballast continually raise in temperature throughout the day.  A 35 degree day equals about a 55-58 ballast temperature.  If it hits 60-65, bad things happen.  Pouring 25 degree water over it and dropping the temps from 50-55 down to 45-50 give them an hour or so reprieve from bad things happening.

 

What is the source of your data?

[katoftw]

My workplace.

[velotrain]

I had to look up those TAKIs.  42750 series apparently.  I kinda want a few :)

 

Based on what HS is showing, it's a Taki 9900.

 

Tomix has done them in HO, but not N - perhaps due to the fussiness of the details?

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10102659

 

The question is - does this justify a diversion into HO scale?

[velotrain]

My workplace.

 

Would you have a link?

[katoftw]

No.

[westfalen]

It must work if the Japanese do it.  I would imagine that in Hokkaido an hour's grace might be all they need until the day cools down.

 

It reminds me of the railhead cleaning trains used in the UK.  On my recent trip they seemed to be following us because we saw one almost every day and caught every class of loco used on them.

 

[velotrain]

It reminds me of the railhead cleaning trains used in the UK. 

 

I'm curious as to just what the benefit is?

 

I can well understand it with N scale models, but . . .

[kvp]

They are good for leaf removal and sanding. Also a cheap way to handle residues from open toilet cars left on and between the rails.

[NXCALE]

Hi all. I initially thought that the picture was showing a ballast cleaning process.

 

However, I think that the link provided by Toni clarified it well.

 

This is a water sprinkler train The image links back to: http://rail.hobidas.com/rmn/archives/2008/07/jr_42.html This was used to cool down the tracks during a 32˚C heatwave.

 

I understand that this is done to prevent the “buckle” of tracks which could lead to derailments.

 

Would you have a link?

 

To find more detail information about this topic, it is possible to search for “buckle+tracks”, there are online some technical and business reports and pictures about it.

 

Something that intrigues me is the decision of using this control measure to reduce the risk of derailment due to buckle tracks. I think that other countries have replaced normal steel tracks with prestressed steel tracks (50% sure that this is the name of the steel). Otherwise countries with high temperatures would not be able to run trains, Middle East countries for instance.

 

My guess is that the decision of using sprinkling water trains obeys the economic model that Japanese Railway Companies uses.

 

What I mean is that large companies usually have models to assess the impact of accidents (i.e. derailments). One of the many variables that these models manage is the cost of injuries which needs to be converted to an “equivalent value of life”. It sounds quite hard but the cost of changing/improving the system (i.e. installing something else) needs to be compared with an approximate economic value of life saved to decide if the new installation is beneficial.

 

Other variables that could affect the model result (here, I am speculating) are availability (or unavailability in this case) due to new track installation which could involve fines from the gov. transport regulators, the capital expenditure for the installation, operational expenditure to maintain any system, etc.

 

 

 

[kvp]

I was talking about the UK railhead cleaners, not the japanese rail cooler.

 

Anyway, most countries with warmer climates have added thermal expansion points along the rails. These are overlapped rail joins with a gap diagonally across them and track circuit jumper cables. If this climate change continues JR Hokkaido have to start adding them too. Fun fact: conventional fishplate connected rails are mostly immune due to natural movement freedom along the connecting plates. Overlapped plate connected rails were used for smooth high speed running since the 19th century. Nowdays these joins are only used as thermal expansion ones for continously welded rails and ballastless bridge connections.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

It must work if the Japanese do it. I would imagine that in Hokkaido an hour's grace might be all they need until the day cools down.

 

It reminds me of the railhead cleaning trains used in the UK. On my recent trip they seemed to be following us because we saw one almost every day and caught every class of loco used on them.

 

DSC04355.JPG

That's a pair of class 20s on a sandite train...used to improve rail adhesion during the Autumn months. As you said, all sorts of interesting things crop up on these services. The location of that picture looks like Barnetby, not too far from Immingham...major UK freight territory. If so, there is a bit of history, as those signals were replaced last Christmas.

[velotrain]

Thanks for the info Claude - most interesting.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandite

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Rail_Services#/media/File:Hugh_llewelyn_20_308_(5555975722).jpg

 

 

I like the pink and blue valves - connected to the ladies and the gents rooms in the cab?

Edited February 11, 2016 by velotrain

[westfalen]

That's a pair of class 20s on a sandite train...used to improve rail adhesion during the Autumn months. As you said, all sorts of interesting things crop up on these services. The location of that picture looks like Barnetby, not too far from Immingham...major UK freight territory. If so, there is a bit of history, as those signals were replaced last Christmas.

Yes, Barnetby, give the man a cigar.  My friend and I spent an afternoon and morning there in November, the freight trains were like shooting fish in a barrel.

[beakaboy]

Hi all. just wondering what this unit is or does.Looks like sliding bars in the ceiling with covers over something. Hope the link works.

 

Edited February 15, 2016 by cteno4

[kvp]

That's a small track maintenance unit. The sliding bars are small cranes that can reach out sideways and can be used to lift trackside equipment or shorter pieces of rail in and out of the car with minimal manual work.

[cteno4]

I think the sliding bars are small gantry arms that can come out and the things hanging are small winches. Perhaps to help move rails around on adjoining tracks? Cute little guy love the warthog worker logo!

 

 

 

Not bad for a scratch build, but the motor would be an issue as the cabs are forward of the trucks and the bed is low. Here is where having the spares of the kato portram powered trucks would be great!

 

http://www.modeltrainplus.net/products/aru-nine-a1030-open-wagon-emu-type-deto-kyoto-style

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited February 15, 2016 by cteno4

[velotrain]

This is the translated text with the video that Jeff posted:

 

"Hakone Ekiden in to monitor 1 form as to follow the players came down from Gora in order to enter District to Iriuda. Hanging over the sound in its distinctive style was sounded in Hakone mountain."

 

The next video looked interesting, so I watched it.  This might be better titled, "Why is MOW equipment pulling this passenger train" ?

The cab is a bit crowded, so I thought it could be a training run of some sort.

However, there's a sibling unit on the rear, which suggests the train was reversing direction at some point.

Since the train consists of EMU's, I'm curious why they needed to buffer it with MOW stock?

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIcHcI9wE0s

Edited February 15, 2016 by cteno4