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a closer view (27k)
This two inch break in the track occured the first night the temperature reached the 30's in the fall of 1997. It was discovered at about 2:00am by a train crew, who circumvented the track by using a siding. No other trains passed, causing considerable delay. Why the dispatcher did not have trains going arround the break on the siding is unknown. (Anyone have an NS rule book?) A maintainance crew (of two) arrived on scene by 3:30am and had the tracks fixed temporarily until 8:00 am the next morning, with trains crossing at 10 mph in the mean time. By 10:30, train traffic was getting back to normal. The break in the track occured at a "factory weld" on a peice of ribbon rail. The track gang simply removed about 15 feet and put in a new section.

For the hour and a half the track was seperated, four crossing gates in town remained down.

a closer view (44k)
The (formerly) broken section of track repaired. Note the grinding marks on the rail. The left rail is the original, cut back about 6 inches. The new rail is on the right and extends for about 15 feet.

In the background are two side tracks--this is the north end of the yard. The middle track was used by the train that discovered to break to get arround.

a closer view (60k)
This crane was in Tuscaloosa durring a major tie replacement durring the winter/spring of 1998. It is parked on a storage track under the I-359 overpass.

a closer view (27k)
Some sort of track adjuster-aligner crosses the 10th Street crossing in Tuscaloosa (it adjusts track vertically, but we don't know it's name). Norfolk Southern calls the block signal in this area "Bryant" in honor of Paul "Bear" Bryant.

a closer view (43k)
The same type of machine (but much newer) rests on a siding near Tamko in Tuscaloosa.

a closer view (79k)
The cab of the rail aligner...

a closer view (33k)
This special train cleans to ballast. The ballast is scooped from beneath the train, sifted and washed, and placed loosely back. A tamper then re-adjusts the ballast. Any dirt, sand, and wood is place into a side dumping MW car in the train for later disposal.

a closer view (26k)
Same train, different angle.

a closer view (25k)
Yet another shot of the ballast cleaning train. The first car is a heavily modified locomotive, next is the undercutter/scoop. After that, the ballast is run over a series of shaking and washing conveyor belts, the ballast is placed back on the ground. The dirt is put into the next car, which is a side dumping MW car. Following that car are two tank cars of water and a heavily modified box car that acts as an office and tool car.

a closer view (82k)
A fairly new Jordan Spreader is parked on a siding in town. This was also in town for the tie replacement.

a closer view (36k)
An old (circa 1987) Jordan Spreader is seen crossing 10th street. The spreader is on a siding, the main line is behind the spreader. The third track in the distance is KCS's line.

a closer view (88k)
The same spreader, moments earlier as a freight (that just so happened to be carrying MW-cross-tie gondolas) passes. The freight is on the main.

a closer view (90k)
This car is used to haul pre-assembled switches to their destination for installation. NS assembles a lot of their switches in Atlanta.

a closer view (67k)
Here a MoW crew changes out a peice of rail that an SRS car found to be defective. This is at the Bryant signal/10th Ave crossing in Tuscaloosa.

a closer view (91k)
Here, two NS contractors load a flatbed truck with rail. These two contractors, and about 10 NS MoW workers, were following a Sperry Rail Service car as it looked for defective track.