"Elmer" in action - Laying down rail. The WW&F Gantry Car "Elmer" delivers a length of rail to the crew working in front of the train. A traveling crane with chain falls grasps the rail off an idler flatcar and the crew walks it forward. Once completely clear of the Gantry Car, the rail is slowly lowered into place using the chain fall. Near the front end of the Gantry Car, sits a small track car, which carries joint bars, attachment hardware, and the necessary wrenches to install them. The joint bars that will hold this rail have already been attached to the previous length of rail. The Gantry Car has multiple advantages over the old method of hand-carrying and placement. First, it requires far fewer crew members. Second, those crew members don't risk back injuries, as these rails are quite heavy. Lastly, the gantry can be used to hold the rail in position and adjust it to whatever angle is needed to facilitate attachment and securing of the joint bars.
