Rails On Fire!

Propane powered switch heaters, in common use.  Keeps the switches operational.

Yep, it's to keep the switches working.

More news media hype, about something they know nothing about!

1) Some of the various views of the "tracks on fire", were/are not more than the gas fed (either natural gas or propane) switch heaters used throughout the nations railroad systems. They are used only at switches/interlocking planes, and in many places are even remotely controlled by the Dispatcher.

2) There has been at least one set of photos showing the Maintenance of Way workers using a "fire snake/rope", which is laid out along a rail that has broken. The heat generated into the rail itself by the "fire snake" causes the rail length to expand, which closes the gap at the break, which can then be thermite welded closed. Naturally the "fire snakes" are place on both sides of the break. Sometimes it takes quite some time for the "fire snakes" to accomplish their task.  The "fire snakes" are soaked in diesel fuel, and ignited usually by a RR fusee.

Out here in the Panhandle of Texas, most -- if not all -- switch heaters are now of a different type, which better suits our needs.  We have wind, almost all the time, which was notorious for extinguishing the open-flame type switch heaters, as pictured in a previous post.  So, now we use forced-air heaters.  The heater is in a box, near, but not close to, the track, and hot air is blown, through ducts, to ventilators alongside the point rails.

We do this every year in Chicago. This is nothing new. I have ridden many passenger trains into Union Station over the flaming switches. I thought they poured oil on the switches and lit them. I did not know they were propane fueled. Interesting. It's to keep the switches from freezing. While rails can crack from the cold and stress, you'll notice that the heaters are only at the switches.

George

We don't have any of those heater switches here in South Florida.  go figure.   It is cool today however topping out at very brisk high of only 70 degrees here is West Palm Beach.  Brrrrrr.

Here is a "fire snake" like Hot Water was talking about.

The night pictures are very dramatic though! I always enjoyed seeing the switches on fire in Chicago. I saw them on TV in NYC last night and told my colleagues that this was more fake news. We do this all the time in Chicago.

George

NJCJOE posted:

Here is a "fire snake" like Hot Water was talking about.

Looks like your center rail is on fire.

So if they only do it on switches, why is there a fire in the above picture?

The "fire snake" is used on a section of rail that has broke due to the cold. The rail is heated so it expands and can be thermite welded.

I thought the fire was because the train was moving so fast it left a trail of fire like the Delorean on Back to the Future

Matt Makens posted:

I thought the fire was because the train was moving so fast it left a trail of fire like the Delorean on Back to the Future

Right.

I've found this quite interesting to see. Is the flame somehow only at the rails and does not burn the ties (assuming wood ties)? One report I saw said they were burning the ties which didn't seem right and I assumed it was some sort of flammable jelly (sterno like) applied to rails. Interesting to read here it is more sophisticated then that.

So, out of curiosity how many of the jet snowblowers are available out there?

Now ya did it Matt , You got the Googlie eyes from Hot.

Matt Makens posted:

I thought the fire was because the train was moving so fast it left a trail of fire like the Delorean on Back to the Future

Nah, the middle rail is hot, and the outer two are ground.

Just think,if Metra installed Flux Capacitors in all their trains, commuters would arrive at their destination before they even left

Old news, for sure....as cited above, railroads have been doing this for decades, if not longer, since no cheap labor meant digging 'em  out with a pick was impractical.  I guess, but have never heard, that Alaskan and Canadian roads do this.  I wanta see this modeled! Heh, heh..

I watch this live cam site that has two live cams at the diamond in Deshler Ohio . I watched this real time yesterday through the fix cam, not knowing the 360 cam had focused in a close up view (as shown in the video). I was trying to figure out what they were doing. I'm thinking they were replacing some bolts. To get the new ones installed, they had to heat and expand the track for the bolt holes to line up.  I found this close up video of the operation. Reading the description under the video, it explains that's what they were doing.

https://youtu.be/LQZRDuBkDbg

Thank you so much for all your replies. Learn something new every day, so no day is ever wasted!

Alex

If you can't get any heat on the switches and have to go to Plan B...….

Riding the LIRR last winter (2017-18) I would see the gas switch heaters going at Jamaica station.  They did what they are supposed to do.

Stuart