A Union Pacific undercutter works in a curve after the passage of a TRT (Track Replacement Train) east of Radium, Colorado on August 5, 2009. UP No. 902051 is a Plasser & Theurer RM80 undercutter that specializes in cleaning ballast. Over time, ballast can break down, and other impurities like sand and dirt can further create drainage problems in the track structure. This machine excavates under the track to various depths, with a series of conveyers taking the “dirty” ballast through screens, sorting out the fines and contaminants from good ballast, and depositing the “cleaned” ballast back onto the track. The waste materials are discharged using conveyors that deposit the material to either side of the right-of-way, or into open-top railcars.
Photo albums dedicated to the Men, and Women that keep the Railroad running around the clock 365 days a year. From Dispatcher to Track Gangs, these are the people that make the railroad moves!
