Shooting a Thermite Weld on the Railroad from Start to Finish
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- Опубликовано: 5 янв 2022
- See how Thermite Field Welding is done on a railroad from start to finish.
Today's work is called a field weld (because it's being done in the field) and
when they set the weld off that is called shooting the weld.
The big yellow thing on the back of the weld truck is a rail puller which they have if
needed, it is powered by hydraulics from the weld truck and swung into position by the
crane on the truck.
All our thermite welding is done by a contractor. They like to have about a 1 inch gap
between the rails before they weld, a little bit more is acceptable however, but not much.
Each weld is guaranteed and each weld costs us $550 to do which is
really fairly reasonable. That was in 2021. Costs have risen now.
The welders have told me that they have gone on
other jobs were they have charged up to $1100 per weld. (depending on
distance they have to travel along with motel and food costs) Our welder today
is Tyler who is a really hard worker and who takes extreme pride in his work.
It is really great to see young men like Tyler out here on the railroad having
an excellent work ethic. He is a fine young man who cares.
It takes about an hour and 15 minutes to fully align the rail and make the weld,
grind it off and pick up. We cannot thank you enough for watching and it's
very special to us that we can share some of our experiences here at the
Cumberland Mine Railroad with you. Weld was done west of the train loading
facility at the prep plant at mile post 0.3.
Disclaimer: I am an employee of Iron Synergy at Cumberland
Mine. My job is railroad track maintenance. I am very fortunate to
have this job and everyone at the mine is very fortunate to have
Iron Synergy as it's current owner. Our past owners had every
intention of shutting this mine down, but Iron Synergy took
over and have kept this mine alive.
Please understand: I am NOT in any way an official or unofficial
spokes person for Iron Synergy or Cumberland Mine. Any viewpoints,
opinions or anything that I show in the videos, or write in the video
descriptions or any answer to any comment, should NEVER be
misconstrued or interpreted as being in any way shape or form,
any kind of official or unofficial statement from Iron Synergy,
Cumberland Mine, any of the mine's management, any of the
contractors that may be shown in any video, nor of any of
my fellow co-wokers.
Any viewpoints or opinions I may make in the videos, in the descriptions,
or in any answer to a comment is strictly that of my own and NOT an
official or unofficial statement or viewpoint that Iron Synergy or
any one at Iron Synergy or Cumberland Mine necessarily has or makes.
Again, we are very fortunate to have Iron Synergy as our current owners.
Please, when making a comment be respectful of Iron Synergy, Cumberland
Mine, my fellow coworkers and also any contractors that may be
shown. Thank You, Dave
#ThermiteWelding#WeldTruck#FieldWeld#ShootingAWeld
Made October 28 , 2021
Please pass on our thanks to the guys who were happy to be filmed carrying out the work, very informative.
Will do Andy. Thanks for tuning in and catching the show today and
glad you enjoyed sir.
@@ccrx6700 Hows about pulling your pants up?! You're showing more plumbers crack than a plumber!
@@walterburger5281 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@walterburger5281 why you looking, enjoy the view?
@@DeagleGamesTV FUMF
Around 7:14 you'll see a little rectangular piece of the mold laying loose near the hole the torch is poked into. That is the diverter plug. it gets dropped in right where the torch was after preheating is done. It will cause the liquid metal to flow to the outer two 'risers' and fill the mold from the bottom, which forces the impurities and slag out the top.
And at around 02:18 you'll see some arse crack.
tyty
We did 9000, feet of 100 lb. rail with thermite welding...underground at the mine I work at...where the fumes and smoke don't go anywhere when the ventilation stops working right.
Are the molds ceramic? I just can't think of a material that'll withstand 5000⁰f.
@@joshjoshspangler true wisdom
Thanks so much for showing this about thermite welding. of rails. Dad and two of his brothers worked on the railroad in Nebraska when they were "young lads. All three moved on to different industries. Dad told me about thermite welding of rails back in my younger days, I'm 83 next week, but I wish I'd listened more carefully and asked a lot of questions. Living from 1899 to 1985, I imagine he did his railroad thing somewhere around the 1920's. There were many fellows on the railroad back then and I'd suppose the same goes now. Sure wish Dad and I could have watched your video together but he passed in 1985. I did see something interesting rail wise though. I worked in another side of the transportation industry, aviation, and was enroute to visit an airport in the Kenosha Wisconsin area and was stopped at a rail crossing, near there, by a train load of continuous rails. The crossing was in the middle of a rather long curve, long enough I couldn't see either end of rails on those cars looked as though the went to each end. Those of you in the rail business might be able to tell just how long they can get to be, and would that thermite process be used to weld those really long sections together in the field when replacing or installing new track? Also is thermite welding used in other industries? I do remember 4 feet 8 ½ inches though.and was it that tunnels had to be 18 feet or was it 23?I didn't get what the fuel was to create that high heat to make the weld happen. It always amazes me the difference between railroading, make it heavier and haul more and (my industry) aviation make it lighter and haul it fast within weight limits, and trucks somewhere in between. Again thanks for the most interesting video - I must subscribe to learn more. Jim Martin in Wisconsin.
Iron and aluminum oxide for most but when welding ground rods for power substations they mux copper in with it. Its made by Cadweld.
Mix ....
Appreciate your taking the time James to visit with us and for sending in the very nice comment. We are glad you enjoyed the
show my good man.
Nice comment good story sir god bless
@@georgejoyce2710 That's what we used to do delta grounds for the service panels at outdoor ampitheaters, etc. Same principle, but a toy compared to this video.
These are the guys that make America work.
We want to say Thank You for dropping in on us and watching
the presentation today farmer1ab. Appreciate the nice comment
my good man.
Think you need to look up some US history and ask Google who built the railway's. You may be surprised
you know, actually leveling two sections of rail to eachother where they meet isn't something you really ever think about but it's obviously very important. And any day where you get to use thermite is a good day
Your right Ethan, lot of this process the average person just does
not realize what all goes into making a weld. Glad you enjoyed
the show and thanks for watching my good man.
I think about that stuff but I’m a nerd.
that short stick isn't gonna do much for leveling
@@yupalsoyup7382 machined metal is pretty reliable. I’m sure he can do better with that than any level you buy in a store lol
From the looks of the aftermath, the coal dust seeps onto the tracks faster than you can possibly crib it out. Have they considered refitting the doors on those cars to be a bit tighter? If you're the only person out there cribbing, over 17 miles, plus all the other maintenance you do, eventually it's going to outpace your ability to keep up. I guess they call that "job security" in the churches and public houses. 😉
Hi everyone this is a standard weld i used to work for thermite australia over 20 years and done thousands of welds and it is very rewarding job to see it finished
We want to say Thank You for dropping in on us and watching
the presentation today Steve and for you very nice comment
my good man.
This video left me with more questions in my head in the end than I had at the beginning.
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Bag of Nails.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
A great video on thermite welding, I’ve heard of this but until now I have no observed it. Great camera work and thanks to the rail road employees for allowing you to get that close. I now have a lot more confidence in the rail road maintenance process. Thank You
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Stan.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
Amazing. I never get tired of this. Ive messed with thermic mixes in the past and the heat that comes from that stuff is insane. Thanks for the video.
Great to hear you enjoyed the show today! We do appreciate
your tuning in and for watching my friend.
twin towers anyone
You can get pure chromium and zirconium from oxides with this reaction.
The Mt Vesuvius Volcano display is actually the shortest part of the welding. Watching a repair on a main line with time constraints really brings out the skills. Improper preparation can be just as bad as the defect. Proper grinding also is a big factor and don't forget to shovel up the debris as it's a tripping hazard and by your shop a possible fire source. Thanks for today's trackside lesson!
Your absolutely correct Paul in that not getting the prep right can
be worse than the defect. We try to do the welds when train not running but it doesn't always happen and then your under the gun,
but have to do it right any way. The train had just left the load out
in this case so we had about 3 1/2 hours of time, finished both
welds just in time for the next train to start loading. Thanks
for watching sir.
That welder knows his stuff, as a boutet welder myself I can appreciate a man who knows his job.
Thank you for the very nice comment smokyp. We really
appreciate your taking the time to pay us a visit and write in
my friend.
This is just amazing. Thanks so much for posting this. You guys are keeping things moving forward and I find this fascinating!!
Was very nice of you to take the time and visit with us today
to watch the presentation Patrick and for your very nice comment.
Always enjoy the thermite welding process, and it does an amazing job. Thanks Dave!
Glad you enjoyed the show Rick and your welcome my friend.
Appreciate your watching today's show.
The lateral, right-left, alignment using two spikes - my head exploded! WOW! I learned something today.
Glad you enjoyed the show and learned something new. Do
appreciate your watching and writing in my good friend.
Working for 32.5 years for a railroad to me this is is sweet memories
Glad you enjoyed Jimmy. We are pleased to have you visit
with us today. I've got a lot of other RR videos you may also
enjoy seeing on my channel if you would sometime
care to check them out. My hat is off to you sir for your
many years of RR work.
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
I thought to myself... 20 minutes of watching this, really? Then the video ended and I can't believe how fast it went. Pretty cool stuff! You have some very talented employees!!! Thank you for posting this!
Thank you Jeff for the very nice comment. Appreciate your taking the time to check out the video my friend.
Does the train still uses
Thank you Dave! That was very interesting, and the finished product looks great! Railroading ain't easy, but it is great to see the young people are willing to do the hard work it takes.
Tyler is a very good young man, hard working and very
dedicated, yes is is great to see young folks like him with
his great work ethic. Glad you enjoyed Raymond and thanks
for watching my friend.
@@ccrx6700 A little casual about his PPE @1430. He has a long work life ahead of him. Bad habits will burn you in the long run.
@@aboversite Exactly. At 14:05 I would have been at least been wearing welding gloves. And I hope they were wearing face shields too, but something tells me prolly not. If I'm wrong, my apologies. Carry on.
I've seen a lot of thermite welding videos, and they are always fascinating, but none of the others showed the leveling part. Thank you.
"termite", lol
Your welcome Bill, really glad to hear you enjoyed the show. We do
appreciate your tuning in and watching sir.
@@ccrx6700 - Awh... I was actually looking for a true start to finish. Good video, never saw that process before.👍
Just more proof of the Flat Earth. Trains travel across entire Continents for thousands of miles in all directions and never go uphill or down more than a few inches at most; Maybe because the Earth really is Flat. Think about it... 🤔
Yes, they have to be Very level, both vertically and horizontally, before you do the Join.
The moulds are made from fire clay which is a bonded and fired alumina/silica kaolin mix. The actual thermit mix is (around) 60% iron oxide, 35% aluminium and 5% alloying additions - usually ferro chrome, ferro silicon, ferro molybdenum blended usually in 60 grit grain size. The actual blend varies to match the steel composition of the rail.
I worked on the Singapore and Hong Kong railways about forty years ago and the amazing thing is how the kit is basically the same. We’d have loved those hydraulic cutters though - we had 14pound hammers!
Thank you very much for the excellent info! We do appreciate
your writing in and for watching today my friend.
• thank you for sharing that •
My dad did this on the London Underground, this is serious work and these are hard working men!
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Ayo chill.
Appreciate the very nice comment.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
Thank you for the thermite track welding video . Never ever got to see this process until now . Very simple idea with fantastic results !
Glad you enjoyed the video John, we do appreciate your writing
in and for watching.
I'm a retired electrician and we bonded "grounds" [ copper wire / copper plate splice ] but ours were brass. Basically a controlled explosion. Good video.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the show today sir. We do appreciate
your watching.
Spent many Cadweld shots doing in ground and building steel with 4 ought bare copper.
The signalmen use copper bonds to go around those joints on the mainline to keep that continuous current thru the rails.
Electrician here also with something to add. Thermite for electrical bonding is copper oxide and aluminum it burns much more violently than the iron oxide version.
Enjoyed this video Immensely, brought back many memories. I worked for Amtrak RR and this process was actually not the first we used to join rails in the field, BUT the more improved one.
Thank you Joe for the nice comment. Really appreciate your
visiting with us and checking out the video. May you have
a most blessed day my friend.
One of the most impressive things I've ever seen in my life. Not exaggerating! Very skilled young men. Well trained. No pun intended.
We want to say Thank You for dropping in on us and watching
the presentation today Doug. Really glad you had a good time
with us. Appreciate the very nice comment my good man.
I did that for Amtrak in Chicago Illinois and If I did it anybody can trust me. I also worked in a big STEEL MILL(over 30 yrs). now that was impressive and dangerous!!!
This is impressive to you? You or I can be trained to do this in less than a day.. Please look up Semiconductor lithography
@@johns818 Indeed, semiconductor lithography is very impressive as well.
I am amazed at the amount of knowledge I acquire from watching this channel. I thought I knew a lot about construction and metalworking but I learn something new everytime I come to your channel. Thank you!
@Alex Drake, You are not alone !👍💪😎
Thank you Alex! Really glad I can be of some value! Do appreciate
your tuning in and watching the show my good man.
Channels like this are about the best sources of real practical info out there and provide a better education than any college and even many trade schools.
@@randacnam7321 Because here you're not paying for the doling out of information to a system that may as often as not be a disservice ...
Every different field has its own areas of specialized knowledge, and every single one of those areas has a thousand years of trial-and-error, experimentation and of course more recently science behind it. Knowledge is like a gift these days, since it's so easily shared, so easily appreciated. Just the fact that we didn't have to go there to watch the process is pretty amazing, given I grew up still in the day when the local Library was the go-to source for information on everything.
Wow! We can now see the very labor intensive thermite weld. I know they do these on most all railroads and I bet the process is the same - tedious and HOT! I agree with you on younger folks taking to the skilled trades - we shoulld never lose the knowledge and skills involved in maintaining our railways :) The end result looks fantastic :)
Thanks Brian for the really nice comment! Really great to hear you enjoyed the show, we do thank you for watching my friend.
I have seen this many times in Europa where it's done much faster and efficient.
@Rudolf Fabrie yeah there's got to be a more efficient way. Idk what it us but like 1 hour per joint can't be the fastest lmao
In regards to younger people learning professional trades here in the US most who do aren't looking for college loan forgiveness and a large majority who choose trade schools actually pay them off early.
@@dpz9872 What is your source for that assumption?
I would love to have a guy like Tyler working for me. Dude really cares about what he does.
Tyler is a good man Randy. For a young man his work ethic is
very good and that's great to see and hear about in this day and
age. Very much appreciate your taking the time to visit with us and check out the video my friend.
I'd have a few questions for him about his lack of following safety protocols though
Twenty years ago...I was younger and healthy....
Had all my tools and equipment... helpers...I could make most everything....
If you tube like this was around...I could have been something...
Good luck youngster s...
Keep making stuff...
Sounds to me Joseph you are somebody already with or without YT.
A man with skills in his hands is a valuable man and something
that is becoming fewer and fewer these days. Thanks so
much for stopping by and watching my good man.
A Very Involved Process. The Class I Railroads make it look so routine but it’s physically demanding. 👍
Yes it is Ken, we've had one welder in here in the past as
a contractor who used to weld for CSX and NS, Tyler is
just as good as that guy was from what I can tell. Do appreciate
your tuning in and watching my friend.
Always a fascinating process. Can you imagine doing a few of these on a 116°-118° Arizona summer day on nearly black old slag ballasted track? Hot on hot on hot! These fellas earn their money. Track workin' ain't easy. Thanks Dave!
No way, now that would be hot! Thanks and glad you enjoyed the video, we do appreciate your watching Scotty.
Thanks for the great video. I just retired from 20 years at San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit, and I knew that we used thermite welds but I've never seen it done. On the last job I was called into the train control room just before the final bit, so thanks for showing the process from beginning to end.
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Karen.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
I did over 300 rail welds without a runout and was the only one in our crew to do that,rail welding and grinding rails was one of my favorite jobs,thankyou for posting,Best wishes to you all from Auckland, New Zealand we had to have at least 3 meters between any 2 welds.
Thank you very much J Mc for the very kind words.
We do appreciate your taking the time to watch and write in
my friend.
Great Video Dave. I have heard of this process but this is the first time I have seen it done. Very fascinating to me I could watch this being done over and over again. lol Learned something else new in this video when you were talking about the different size rails I didn't know that there were different size rails. Love this channel and what you are doing. God Bless!!
Golly Gee, what a very nice comment! We are so glad you
enjoyed viewing this one and we so appreciate your nice
comment and for watching sir.
Practical application of a chemical reaction, always found this process very interesting and followup grinding. Thanks for the video!
Thank you mjm, glad you enjoyed. We do appreciate your
stopping by and taking in the show today my friend.
Thanks for the video and passing on what you all do and how it's done. That is a very important job to keep us and America strong and growing. God Bless you all, Thank you, again.
Your very welcome Parapsychologist. We do appreciate your
visiting with us today and taking in the presentation.
One of the most interesting/educational videos I've ever seen on RUclips! Kudos to the guys who performed the work.
Dealing with thermite isn't for amateur's!
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation iamkrash.
Appreciate the very nice comment and glad that you had a good
time today.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
That was amazing and interesting, thanks for showing us the process.
Great to hear you enjoyed the show, we do appreciate your
watching and writing in my friend.
i have no idea how welding content made it into my YT feed, but I won't say i am unhappy with it.
I generally like to know how things are done. God bless you and your work guys.
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Andrzej.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
I used to work as a taxi driver for Southern Pacific Railroad in west Texas and New Mexico, and in the winter the rails often contracted and broke. I knew they would repair those breaks, but never knew exactly how, so I'm happy to see how it was done.
Was very nice of you to take the time and visit with us today
to watch the presentation Stefan.
I could watch these guys doing this for hours !!! As a welding engineer it's the one welding process I've never been asked to work with or approve...
Thank you Paul for the very nice comment. We really appreciate
your visiting with us and watching the show today my good man.
As the line from the Polar Express goes: "Hot! Hot! Oh, we got it!"
Wonderful view of this heated piece of railroading, Dave!
Thank you Sam! Really glad you enjoyed today's show my friend.
and do appreciate the nice comment.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Dave .. very interesting. I learn something new every time I watch your videos, and I try to watch them all.
Your very welcome Kenneth, so glad you enjoyed this welding video.
It seems that a whole lot of folks like this one, it has a ton of YT views.
Not something you get to see every day. These young guys are
very dedicated and that's great to see young men out there working
hard and trying to do a good job. Very grateful my friend for your taking the time to watch and write in.
I've been fortunate to have had experience in; gas, stick, mig, Tig, and multiple forms of cutting styles but never thermite. It was a cool video and thanks for all the details. At 71 I finally found other than underwater welding a style I've not had an opportunity to do. Again thanks for the posting.
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Robert.
Very glad you had a nice time watching my good man.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
Thanks for all of the “extra” videos of the historical and interesting sites from your home state. Very enjoyable and interesting. I always learn something from each of your videos.
Thank you very much Alan for the very nice comment. It's very
special to me to hear when guys like you write in. Appreciate
very much your watching the video my friend.
Well done Dave, you’re becoming an old pro. I enjoy the complete process ant thanks for sharing.🚂🚂🚂
Thank you Tom. Old yes, pro I don't know about ....LOL Appreciate
your watching my friend and glad to hear you enjoyed.
I'm not sure if you guys hear this enough but you should be very proud of what you do. That was awesome to watch. That certainly looks like back breaking work and my guess is you have to do that in all sorts of weather.
Glad you enjoyed Craig, we appreciate your watching the show and
for the very nice comment my friend.
@@ccrx6700 that looks so awesome with tools cutting tools everything 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
Whoaaaa, thanks for sharing this. Wonderful job Tyler 🤌😆
We do appreciate your taking the time to tune in and
and check out the video Stanley.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
Great work Tyler !!! As I have said many times to young people, work with your hands and you will always have a job.
Appreciate the nice comment Dave and glad you enjoyed. Thank you very much for taking the time to visit with us to watch the video my friend.
Thank you Dave, I have watched thermite weld vids, and yes very frustrating they only show the crucible being fired, so thank you for showing start to finish. Was awesome. And those rail Jacks are a long way from the old days of the big screw bottle Jack's. And i know its a controlled burn but its a little concerning seeing it lit around all that coal. Great great video, thanks again Dave.
Had to cut some things out to shorten the video but seems like
you got a pretty good overall picture of what was being done.
Do appreciate your watching Pappy and for all your continued
support and very kind comments.
@@ccrx6700 hey Dave no problem, your stuck with me now, 🤣 your friendship and great videos keep me coming back.
@@TriGogglin 👍😊
I think what stands out most in this video is the commentary on every step of the process! It made me feel like I was watching an educational video on the intricacies of thermite welding from start to finish. So much so in fact that I believe even I can do it! Thank you again for explaining the reasons, tools and need for welding the rails vs simply turning on the camera and expecting us to know what’s going on.
Thank you very much for the very nice comment, it is
much appreciated and glad to hear you enjoyed the video.
This entire process is fascinating. Great video! Thanks.
It is pretty cool to watch isn't it. Wish i could catch one being
done after dark, that is awesome to see. Thanks for taking
the time to tune in and watch today Bryan.
I can keep coming back to this once a month or so and watch it over again. It’s fascinating.
Glad you enjoyed Jim. Appreciate your taking the time to visit with us and check out the video my friend.
Very interesting process. I never worked on the RR, but for a few year's I worked at a shipyard that made barge's and tugboats. I welded for a few year's. The guy's that worked in the side boxes, or any contained area, while welding all day, day after day, sure had it rough. They had exhaust blower's on the manhole, but the smoke was still so thick you could cut it with a knife. It was their job, their livelihood. Thanks, John
We want to say Thank You for dropping in on us and watching
the presentation today John. Very glad you enjoyed and appreciate
your sharing. I can relate, have some friends who used to build
barges too. Not for me!
Just out of curiosity what shipyard? My dad was a welder at a shipyard in Pittsburgh that made barges.
That was super interesting! I think most people don't know how labor intensive something like this really is. Thank you for showing that!
Really great to hear you enjoyed the show, we do thank you
for watching my friend.
Twin flames! There certainly is a lot to learn about track repair. These guys are amazing. And they make it look easy.
Thanks for the nice comment Shirley. We really appreciate your
watching the welding job my friend. Always something different
going on the RR.
From someone who's never seen this kinda work before, MAN, THAT IS SO COOL! That railtech machine is awesome!
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation iamgalaxies.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
ruclips.net/user/ccrx6700
This was really a top tier railroad video. Fascinating to watch. Great job putting it all together!
Golly Anthony, what a very nice thing to say! We do appreciate that
and for watching my friend.
This is a joke right??? Must be a railway worker.
It makes a lot of sense to contract out this highly specialized job, but it sure would be awesome to give it a try once! I really like how they cut the molten steel with that hydraulic cutter! The grinding seemed a bit tedious, but the end result was pretty sweet! Thanks Dave!
Thank you my friend for the very nice comment! Really glad you enjoyed
the show. You would have made a great welder as meticulous as you
are in making things done right! I thought about you as they were aligning
the rail to get it just right because that's the kind of craftsman you are also!
@Planet Mojo; Ah YES ! The "Tedium" ... ... ... ... it did seem a bit labor intensive ... ... ... ... Well SIR ! I have discovered a little key on my keyboard, it has a arrow pointing to my right, it seems to cure the "Tedium" ... ... ... ... (it's a word, I googled it)😂👍❤
@@capttom7772 No idea what you are going on about...
@@ccrx6700 Thanks Dave. I wonder how they came up with this technique. Thermite has been around a long time, but it would be interesting to know the back-story of how and when they started using it to weld rails together! Very interesting video. I like the longer format, keep up the good work!
@@PlanetMojo yes it would be interesting but I don't know the history, will have do some research on that
Well this looked great! A surprisingly long process. I can only imagine how much work is had to be a century of two ago.
Thanks for this video from Finland!
Thank you for the nice comment Tapio, glad you enjoyed. We appreciate your taking the time to watch and write in my friend.
Great to see
I have done this years ago when working on the Hammersley rail line in Western Australia
Good job guys
Thank you very much Bat Man lives for taking the time to
pay us a visit and write in my friend. Hope you have a good day.
I love watching this, especially when
the crew let's you up close to see the
process!! The first time I seen this
was right after Conrail was formed
and the track gangs laid continuous
Rail from Anderson Indiana to
Elkhart Indiana on the Dow line!!
That roadbed pumped mud from
the lack of maintenance from the
end of the NYC thru Penn Central
and the track was nasty, bolts were
missing in the fish plates and the
trains would slam over those joints!!
I hope your Railroad has a safe and
prosperous New Year Dave!!!!
Really great to hear you enjoyed the show, but please don't
get me started on the Penn Central track disaster...... LOL
we do thank you for watching my friend.
Especially when you get flashed by the crack of one of the railroad workers
The first time I saw thermite in action was 9/11... 😐
@@godsbeautifulflatearth oh no they're here
I watched this being done in Louisville Ky a few years ago and had no clue you could weld a train rail this way. Interesting!
It's the best way to join rail and it is required for high speed rail just takes a lot longer then fishplates. Continuous welded rail is as smooth as butter to ride on.
Very much appreciate your taking the time to visit with us and
watch the video today Byron.
Great video! Thanks for showing us!
Thank you for the nice comment bhseigel. Glad you could take the time to pay us a visit and check out the video. May you have a most blessed day my friend.
Excellent content and attention to detail. Thank you for the video and to the highly skilled craftsmen who carry out this invaluable work. Now I need to research the chemistry involved in the process.
Thank you Jack, glad you enjoyed the home movie.
We do appreciate your tuning in and watching sir.
I hope the locomotive operators appreciate the attention to detail, you lined those rails up cleaner than anything I've personally worked on and I've done furniture joinery.
Thanks for the nice comment Sacrilicious, we do appreciate
your taking the time to watch and write in today.
When u think about it hes responsible not only for the locomotive people but the rail freight as well...huge responsibility
@@johnrencheck2283 Nothing is comparable to a human life, well except for maybe a freight train full of prime lumber.
Awesome video man! I've been wanting to see how this works. I'm an engineer (though they still don't let me drive the train) with six P.E. licenses. I'm pretty good with welding. But this is a process I've never done. My uncle Brian used to work for the C&O railroad as a welder. He could weld anything. He did not smoke. But, he died of lung cancer. I think it was from all his RR welding. This process especially. Another buddy of mine, Roy, worked for C&O as well, and did this process. He's OK, but he said there was a lot of smoke and brimstone. I see these guys doing the process, and they don't have a proper respirator. That's not on them....it's on the guys that spec'd the process. Maybe I'm wrong, and I stick and TIG weld without a respirator....but I don't do it day in and day out. I have to worry about these guys doing this work daily. I think they need lung protection.
In this video, their end result looked outstanding. A job well done. I just hope they don't wind up like my uncle. I'd be wearing a P-100 paint shop respirator when I did this work...just like when you spray Imron. Better safe than sorry. If I'm wrong, tell me. But my uncle was a good guy and was only about 38 or so when he died of lung cancer and he didn't smoke. So, I think this heavy welding is something to be careful with.
Again, great video! I'd like to see it done in person :)
Thank you so much Jim for the very nice comment. You make
some excellent points about the respirators. I will tell the
2 gentlemen next time they come here. Really appreciate
your taking the time to watch and write in my good man.
Yes I had an opportunity to eventually become a pipe welder and I did work as a helper. But I saw that there aren't any old welders, and heard from people that lung cancer is common.
Leared about this in my manufacturing process class, had to look it up just from how cool it sounded. Thanks for the video!
How cool is that Joseph. Glad you enjoyed. We do appreciate your
taking the time to watch the thermite weld show.
Man, I love stuff like this.
God bless you and thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you kittypigeon for the nice comment, glad you enjoyed. Really appreciate your visiting with us and checking out the video. May you have a most blessed day my friend.
drive the moisture off to prevent steam explosions, preheat the weld area, then fire up the crucible
That was just so fascinating to watch. I'm surprised by the gap having welded before. But I figure they knew it was enough for the process. Thanks, Dave, for sharing how that is done.
Wow John! really glad to hear you enjoyed this one. Really so much
appreciate your wonderful comment and for watching my friend.
The thermite produces plenty of super-hot molten iron which fills the gap.
1" gap for regular welds but they make a wide gap weld kit that you can shoot at 1½". Company standards where I'm at you have to use a bicycle grinder to grind the base and web of the rail to get rid of any defects the weld leaves behind.
@@hrdwrkncnsrvatv5131 L50 & L80 wide gap welds; well that were the other sizes I welded 30 years ago
@@hipster1966 they still have wide gap welds. They just "prefer" 1" haha
Awesome! Brings back memories of my time being in the Steel Gang at CPR. Thx for sharing.
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Dan,
appreciate the very nice comment my good man.
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Thanks for showing us the whole process!
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Christian.
Hope you will sometime check out more of our Railroad videos at:
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love watching this done by the rail guys... kinda envious of the kit you guys have
Glad you enjoyed Lawren, right up your alley! Thanks for
watching my friend.
During one of our rail upgrades we had stockpiled a lot of 9030 rail. The welding shop wanted the work, so supply purchased the kits. In order to get a correct mold, etc., we sent the supplier a short rail section. We made a fixture on a building slab where they could align the rail and shoot the weld. So we crop 2 feet off the rail end to make a 74 foot rail. Well, they shoot 3 or 4 and I get a call on the radio to go investigate. All of the shots blew out. We called the company and they sent a representative out. He showed up and told the guys to just go ahead and do their thing and he would watch. When they started to place the sand around the mold, they were moistening it. He told them that was wrong. That corrected the blow out. I noticed your contractors drying out everything because moisture can blow slag everywhere.
They're actually heating the mold up.
Thanks for the nice story Thomas. I'm not a welder but moisture
seems to me never a good thing around when welding. Had a
guy come here one time and welded a frog, he did a lot of
heating on the frog before starting to weld it.
steam explosion = eeek
Thank you for keeping this country moving Dave! 👍
Thank you very much for the nice comment. We
appreciate your visiting with us and watching. May
you have a most blessed day my friend.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing guys!! Be safe!
Very much appreciate your taking the time to visit with us and
watch the video today Jeff.
thank you very much dave. really appreciated seeing how this was done all the way thru. very impressive work, the amount of safety that has to happen it's hard to believe no one gets hurt with all the hot molten metal around. how much water did it take to keep the coal spillage from lighting up with all this going on around?
also what were the rail level tolerances they really had to adjust alot to get 3D leveled. just when i thought they were good and level they did a bunch more adjusting and it looked like the final level had an upward pitch of 1mm per inch? some sort of rail flex that had to be accounted for when heated up to 500º?
tell them guys well done, impressive work i couldn't even tell where the new and the old started and stopped with out the scab down below. they probably left that scab there so it would be easier to find and inspect later?
what was the reason for such a short piece needing to be welded in? i saw the bolt holes and was wondering why a short rail wasn't installed to replace. i know there is a reason, i just don't know what it is from what i observed.
also that's alot of excess coal spillage, i am surprised there isn't old worn conveyor belting laid down to help collect it. maybe have that historical rail road crew collect it with a small john deere X series tractor with a front end loader and use it for their steamie . mine could write it off as donation plus get some free clean up/maintenance so that debris vacuum isn't needed so much?
Thanks my friend for the very nice comment. Rail before
being welded does have a slight crown to it which is put in
to account for the small amount of shrinkage as the weld cools.
We have very poor ballast conditions here that won't hold track
surface under joints so eliminating the joints helps to hold the rail profile to within specs instead of sinking, thus helping to avert
a possible derailment caused by track surface deviations.
Hope that helps
"1mm per inch" is a pretty triggering measure.
I am a man and now retired but liked to work with men on construction sites. Same sort of banter even though I was 40 floors above ground. We are living in a crazy woke world where men get 99% of the work done, crawling around in dangerous places in very hot or very cold conditions. Yet they receive little praise just criticism.
These men are doing things that allow us to eat, live in a comfortable home, drive a nice vehicle, work in an office with things delivered because of what these gentlemen are doing.
Appreciate the very nice comment MrAerocomposites.
Speaking of woke, I was born a man, all my life thought I was
a man, but now identify as a railroader....:-) Thank You for taking the time to visit with us and check out the video my friend.
Banter? More like annoyance. Unless you have something constructive to say; You can lick all of our taints.
Enjoy your retirement instead of getting mad at BS you mostly been told to be angry about.
What a slick process. Essentially a portable foundry, forging and machining operation. Very cool.
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Kenny.
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Thank you for showing the whole process. I enjoyed it.
Was very nice of you to take the time and visit with us today
to watch the presentation Patrick.
Wow, I never knew that thermite welding was that complex and takes as long as it takes. I've seen track rehabilitation work done on the railroad line in my neck of the woods and watched them perform most of that task. (To replace about a mile of track typically took at least a day) The tracks that were being put down to replace the older tracks were preassembled 39' "panels", placed on 50' flatbed cars and brought down to the track bed with a crane. The rails of the old tracks were actually cut with a special saw, then a crane would lift the old tracks onto the flat cars. Then a small bulldozer would push the old track ballast aside, then the newer tracks were placed where the old tracks were and the rail joints were staggered and joined together temporarily with angle bars / fishplates. Then the tracks would be ballasted with pulverized granite, aligned properly and the rails were welded together. The old track ballast was comprised of cinder and slag that was brought in from steel mills in PA, via hopper cars that the B&O Railroad used to ballast the tracks of the Staten Island Railroad with many, many moons ago. Happy New Year.
Thanks for this. I heard that they used old slag for ballast.
There is a company bout an hour from here Bill that sells
slag for ballast, it's very inexpensive but we never did try it.
Same here in and around Pueblo, Colorado. Cf&i, later Evraz, steel furnace slag could be found under the tracks for a couple hundred miles in any direction from here. UP and BNSF have since switched over to granite ballast nowadays.
0:22 - Setting Crown
1:40 - setting alignment (He should be checking gauge side, not field side.)
2:21- Rectangular left side tool is called a Sheer (Squeezes/Cuts off Excess) Giant thing on the right is a Rail puller (Usually for destressing rail)
2:49- The pot is known as a Crucible, The Thermite powder is Poured into it and later ignited
2:57- you see the other guy with a red brick, known as a Shoe mold. He's filing it due to likely wear, but this also ensure a good seating.
3:00- In goes The thermite into the Crucible
3:40- Tyler- They're made out of a silica based compound, usually with age, you'll find they're easier to grind due to softening. The harder, the more course the silica is. (Also he's adding a paste/mud to seal off any cracks that the molten steel could protrude).
4:51- Sand uses bentonite, which is an absorbent and swelling clay. (Which in this case its said that it's Clay). Clay vs sand can be an argument of what is better. Clay typically can dry and crack, and someone has to stand guard incase any signs of a blow out. Sand can dry out, but can be revived with a little bit of water, and will always hold its form even if left out for a day after it was packed.
So here's the part you don't see. There's a tool called a "Gap gauge", a multi use tool that you set in the weld gap and butt the torch saddle against and then anchor it to the rail (usually by a bolt). (the black clamp looking thing with 2 arms coming out of it.
Once that is in place. One person will set their mold inside the Shoe jacket. The other person will hold that same shoe up to the rail while the person on the side of origin will take the arm and fasten the bolt in into a valley on the shoe. This holds it firmly against the rail. When the other side goes to be put on, the free shoe gets rubbed/grinded into the other, ensuring that the base of the mold and top of the mold have a good seating all the way around. It is also important to note that these shoes should be sitting straight up and down, prior and post being anchored by the torch saddle arms.
The two then pack around the entire weld (ensuring not to get sand/clay INSIDE the casing) which not only prevents the molten steel from pouring out, but also helps insulate the heat.
Further on, The Square pans are called slag pans. You normally see some sort of sand in these to help preserve them over time. It catches the impurities/ excess. When you see him heating them with the torch, he is taking the moisture out of them which will prevent any Splattering or popping of the slag which can potentially be dangerous.
Once the torch is set on the torch saddle, the flame is set to be in the center of the weld gap. I believe most welders use Oxygen (65lbs) and Propane (14.5-15lbs). You set the flame rich till you hear a crackling, then turn the oxygen up just enough for that crackling to stop. This is the beginning of your Preheat process which takes 5 MINUTES MINIMUM. Your heat soak should go about 10 inches back on each rail reaching 750 degrees externally and 900 degree's internally.
Once proper pre-heat is reached, you remove the torch, set the diverter plug in, set the crucible and ignite the thermite. This process should NOT take longer than 30 seconds, as it takes at least 23 seconds for the Thermite to drop from the Crucible filling the weld.
After 3 minutes, remove the crucible.
After 4 minutes remove the slag pans (Dispose of slag properly and set pans aside to cool, do NOT stack them)
After 5 minutes remove the Shoe Jackets and torch saddle.
After 6 minutes you should be ready to remove/ break the top part of the molds, revealing the excess steel. If it is still molten, you re seal the mold on top and continue to let cool. When you begin sheering the excess, it's possible that with it leaking out, you can create a heat tear, so you don't want to go full throttle with your sheer all the time.
Once sheered, knock off the excess steel or bend it out of the way, profile the top to NEAR finish. Grind the gauge side flush. Rotate to Field side, get it down enough, it's not required to be perfectly flush field side. Rotate back to original position and grind to flush. Fade in the edges of the head of the rail.
clean up excess debris and take out any pitting on the edge of the collar on the base, and you're good.
So what is your take on this job ?🤔
@@1STGeneral Thermite welding on its own is a simple process over all. Its stressful when/if you have helpers who aren’t familiar. Its not an easy one man task. Not saying it cant be done, just makes it easier having help. Usually the parts where a second or even third person is needed is Packing the sand (some people use clay), setting up/ getting ready to set the sheer (if hydraulic or hand pump) and moving hardware and tools to next weld. Its standard for most welders to shoot 4 in a day. If I have good help, 2 setups of hardware and pre made weld gaps, I can shoot 20 welds in a 10 hr day. however its best to grind welds when they’re hot. If I’m welding and grinding, maybe 14 at best.
It can be labor demanding, especially with grinding, it has its hazards and cautious measures.
The only mental parts of it is knowing how many welds you can get out of an oxygen bottle, identifying where you could possibly have a “blow out” (where a weld leaks/fails) and making sure you have every last supply.
1- weld kit for specific rail/ comp weld kit
1- crucible (safe start or make sure you have igniters)
1 bag of Sand.
--
tools
12” straight edge
36” straight edge
2 a frames
claw bar
sludge hammer
spike maul
shovel
2lb hammer
6 wedges
oxygen bottle and propane bottle
proper gauges
torch body
torch head
1 corse file
1 torch striker
1 gap gauge
2 5¢ nickles
chalk/marker
Rail saw with arm and blades (gasoline if applicable)
tape measure
--
hardware:
set of shoes/jackets (base pan if 3 piece weld kit)
1 torch rail clamp
1 torch saddle
2 slag pans
demolding tool
crucible carrier
fire extinguisher
Amazing, thank you for showing us how it was done!
😊👍your welcome
Really cool to finally see that process in action! Subscribed.
Glad you enjoyed the show Fritz. We do welcome you to the
channel and there are a lot of good RR videos on my home
channel page if you would sometime care to watch them. Hope
you will continue to enjoy and hope you hit the notification bell
so You Tube will keep you informed of new vids when they are posted.
Was the rail broke, cracked or damaged that it needed welding?
Great question Bob and one I did not answer in the video, thanks
for asking. We had a rail break there in the past and had used
joint bars to splice in a short piece of rail. So we took that out
and put in a longer plug and welded the plug in instead of
having 2 joints close to each other. Appreciate your watching
the show today my friend.
@@ccrx6700 Thanks for replying back.
Enjoy your videos & ENTHUSIASM!
@@ccrx6700 Well Dave ! That answers mu question just fine !👍👍
@@BobSmith-mc7uq 👍
Observations:
On main-line rails, the temperature of the rail should be taken to ensure it is within spec.
All of the luting should be cleaned off the weld area for inspection.
The weld number and date should be marked on the foot of the weld.
All hot debris should be taken to a single place of safety away from the job.
All cold debris should be taken away for disposal.
The joint area should be packed and ballasted to match running road levels.
Only then is the job done! (Nice finish to the rolling surface though 🙂🙂)
Thanks for sharing the great advice my friend. We do appreciate
your writing in and for watching the show sir.
The markings should be on the web of the rail to be in a more protected location. If your railroad says base or foot of the rail then that is where this info should go.
just who is all this advise aimed at?
lads in the vid don't need it ?
people viewing don't need it ?
I watched this process being done at some crossing here in Clinton MO, 8/26/22. Needless to say I couldn’t go watch it like you did but because of your excellent camera work and editing I clearly see how it was done. Thank you very much for going to the trouble to make this video. I can go to bed at night and get a good nights sleep, now, knowing how it’s done, no more guessing. Thank you.
From Missouri.
Thank you very much for the really nice comment. So glad we
can help you sleep better tonight. That alone made all the
effort putting into making this video worth it. Really appreciate
your watching today Jack.
Keep the smile on your face and happy trails / rails to you
Thank you for the very nice comment Norm. Appreciate your taking the time to visit with us and check out the video. May you have a very good day my friend.
So with all the coal dust in the bedding is there a higher danger of fire?
I expect he was partly there as a "fire watch", which is an OSHA requirement for "hot work". But you gotta keep perspective---a little smoldering coal dust is nothing compared to the thermite fire used to make the weld!
Coal was pretty damp when they did this but always keep
a close eye on stuff like this and stick around for awhile
to make sure nothing would catch later. Do appreciate
your watching Geoff.
How come women never complain about these types of jobs being male dominated?
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That was one of the most interesting videos I have ever seen. The young man who was doing the work seemed quite proficient. thanks for sharing.
We want to say Thank You for dropping in on us and watching
the presentation today dRATS. Very glad you had a good time
with us, we appreciate your very nice comment.
A great video on how it is done. Thanks.
Thank you so much Marty for the kind comment. We do
appreciate your visiting with us today and watching my good man.
This is what was used to bring down the wtc complex.
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so technical and precise for such old rails, very cool!
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It’s amazing the things they come up with. It’s cool to watch something you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to watch. Good camera work. Thank you for your camera work 😊😊😊😊
Glad you enjoyed Barty and thank you for the kind words. We certainly appreciate your taking the time to watch the video and write in my friend.
GREAT video. Loved it. Thanks man❗️
We would like to say Thank You very much for taking the time
to visit with us today and watch the presentation Troy.
We do appreciate your very nice words my good man.
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Awesome, we just had rails and ties replaced here near our train station in Clemson SC. We love our trains!!!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed and we do appreciate your taking the
time to check out the video on thermite welding my friend.
I like the contraption you use to move the rail and dial it in. Cool stuff
Glad you liked it Jonny. Thank you very much for checking out
the video and writing in my friend.
GREAT WORK! thanks for showing us,, very interesting. cheers NZ
Your welcome Dave, glad you could take in the weld show. The
guys are contract welders and they did do a great job.
Hi there , that was the job I did on the railway here in the UK 🇬🇧 now retired but wish I was still there. Loved my job . Best wishes 👍🏻😎👍🏻
Really appreciate your stopping by to watch Alan and I do hear
you on wishing you were still there. If you weren't so far away,
they need welders here on the RR's. May you have a very good
day my friend.