Re: [CBQ] Q Physical Plant in PRB, was BN GP 20s

[Kenneth Martin <kmartin537@surewest.net>]

Burnt clay was a common ballast on western lines in the 1800's. It was made by 
digging a trench and filling it with wood and clay then burning the wood. It's 
main attraction was it was cheap. While adequate for light trains it would be  
no more suited to frequent heavy coal trains than would be the light rail used 
in the 1800's. 

Ken Martin 

On Jan 8, 2012, at 2:01 PM, Winton wrote:

> Glenn, I agree with you. The track and maintenance on the Long Branch was 
> probably quite acceptable for what was ran on it BC (Before Coal). The main 
> problem I saw in the 1974-1979 era was the ballast. It was mostly scoria(sp?) 
> which is essentially clay baked by ancient underground coal seam fires. A lot 
> of it came from ballast pits along the western part of the line. It was pink 
> and red and gave the CB&Q's Long Branch roadbed that red color. But it was 
> very soft compared to other rock and it almost instantly crumbled to powder 
> under the weight of unit coal trains and grain trains. Then it fouled 
> whatever ballast remained and you got a lot of red mud pumping from the ties.
> I worked numerous work trains during that period where we towed the sled 
> under the track to plow out all of that red crap prior to spreading new 
> granite ballast.
> 
> Wyhog



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