NYNJ To Test Float AT Bay Ridge 65 ST.

I was tipped off via third party from an employee at New York New Jersey Rail they may test a float at 65 St. Bay Ridge, Brooklyn tommorow 9/17/09. IF this is true it would probably be done sometime during the morning. Can any of you Brooklynites get down there with a camera? This would be certainly interesting to document. The floatbridges were completed in 1999 and make actually get used in 2009! Sounds about right with NY politics.

Maybe we can get the BMT-Man to go down there ?

Understand that test failed at 65th because they found track out of guage ... apparently installed that way those many years ago

Mr rt wrote:Understand that test failed at 65th because they found track out of guage ... apparently installed that way those many years ago

Well, 10 years ago...funny, I would have thought accurate measurement devices were available to the contractors that NYC hired to rebuild the yard and build the float bridges.
Since the yard itself has been used a lot since 1990, does this mean only the leads to the float bridge (and the bridge trackage itself) is out of gauge?

Sir Ray wrote:

Mr rt wrote:Understand that test failed at 65th because they found track out of guage ... apparently installed that way those many years ago

Well, 10 years ago...funny, I would have thought accurate measurement devices were available to the contractors that NYC hired to rebuild the yard and build the float bridges.
Since the yard itself has been used a lot since 1990, does this mean only the leads to the float bridge (and the bridge trackage itself) is out of gauge?

My understanding that it might be the hight of the rail than it being out of gauge.

If say a 132-lb/yd rail was used on the bridge it would be 7-1/8" high.
And if 90-lb/yd rail which is 5-5/8" high is used on the car float that would be quite a mismatch.

Joe

My understanding that it might be the hight of the rail than it being out of gauge.

If say a 132-lb/yd rail was used on the bridge it would be 7-1/8" high.
And if 90-lb/yd rail which is 5-5/8" high is used on the car float that would be quite a mismatch.

Joe

Found in "CROSSINGS" Newsletter of Railroad Construction Company, Inc. page 3.
http://www.railroadconstruction.com/div ... ources/div

Click on "volume 14.3 [PDF file]"

...Railroad Construction weld wedges to the head of the carfloat rail to correct a slight gap in height between the deck rail of the carfloat and the fixed rail on the liftbridge...

Neat fix, but can these be "legal" to operate in real service? Solution is only as good as the weld.
And the action of cars rolling out onto the float down that ramp could push the float away if the crews are not ultra careful. No?

Swap out the rail on the bridge to the right height and have the rail transition on firm ground in the yard.

Guess consultants/designers don't like to come see what things are like outside their offices........
Think of the billable hours they missed...........

I texted someone who works there. They test loaded a float and arraigned the float in all different ways with the different types of cars. They said the test was a sucess. Maybe putting the cart before the horse here "alledgedly" NS (Norfolk Southern) is going to lease 65 St yard in the upcoming months. Take the last bit of info with a grain of salt!

I know this is crazy. But I heard that the 65th street yard was going to actually be "leased" by the Canadian Pacific Railway. I work for the CP and years ago I was told that real estate was leased by the CP for some time but nothing ever came out of it.

freightguy wrote:I texted someone who works there. They test loaded a float and arraigned the float in all different ways with the different types of cars. They said the test was a sucess. Maybe putting the cart before the horse here "alledgedly" NS (Norfolk Southern) is going to lease 65 St yard in the upcoming months. Take the last bit of info with a grain of salt!

Now that the rail height matches on this particular car float and the bridge at 65th Street, does the car float still match the rail height at the Bush & Greenville bridges?

Joe

If I recall right CP had the lease for about a year and gave it up as they couldn't drum up any business to use the facility. (So far as I know no CP engines ever went down to bay ridge). I wonder if NS could do any better? I have my doubts but then again maspeth is packed now with the one aggregate customer...

I'm a little surprised DSNY & WM haven't moved down first ave and opened something next to the yard. It'd be an easy spot to transload & float out the trash instead of having all those trucks lined up on first ave...

Photo of that float bridge "compromise joint" is in Railroad Construction's company newsletter, on Page 3:

http://www.railroadconstruction.com/fil ... l_14_3.pdf

isaksenj wrote:Photo of that float bridge "compromise joint" is in Railroad Construction's company newsletter, on Page 3:

http://www.railroadconstruction.com/fil ... l_14_3.pdf

If you look above I've already posted that.

Joe

Great thread, thanks to everyone for the input.