Sure great to see the progress on up-grading the line with new ballast. But I was shocked to see the most archaic system used to get ballast on the track-using a tie as a plow. I will give several reason why it is not the best way, followed by other method suggestions:
1: The tie can ofter derail the car, or the car ride over the tie and is a bitch of delay to remove from under the truck.
2: That method dumps too much stone for most of the need to raise the track for 3" under the tie.
3: The force of pushing the tie all goes through the brass bearing that is not designed for such side force, damaging the brass or the boxes.
Another method might be if you build a triangle shaped small plow which has the flat side against the wheel where small roller are built to ride on the turning wheels. The bottom has rail groves which keep the plow in place. It is usually built with aluminum so it is lighter to drag in or out of under the car. They are also built so the plow cuts several inches below the top of the rail, reducing the amount of stone dumped per car-length.
Ballast pans can be hung under the car below the doors by chains. These are like channel shaped which have slide doors to control the amount of stone to be dumped. They are hard to empty to move under the next car without shovels and labor.
Chain or cable come-alongs can be fashened to the doors which open them in a controlled amount and not flood the track, needing the tie to level it off the top of the rail.
I see that with only a 3 car work train, there are numerous conflicting movement of the work train and the work tamping and regulating equipment, requiring then to often run into the clear. Tamping is usually worked up-grade and the stone is at the lowest point presenting the problem. If the tamper is working toward the ballast source, the work trains can make their numerous runs on open track and the tamper has no conflicts, as well. If the ballast source is made to be at the higher location, the work train can move it down to the bare track, all still ahead of the tamper that is working up grade toward the summit. It is cheaper to pay to have the trucking deliver the ballast to the highest places for the work train to carry down to the work sites, so there is no delay to the tampers and regulators.
Certain section of the C&TS track, such as at Cumbres, Osier depots, etc. should be maintained with cinders from the Chama ash pit for historical display of how the track has alway looked and felt. The story of the line is to show how it used to be done. Working and tamping cinders into, and raising old track is just one of those important functions that should be displayed in places, only to the limit of the supply of the cinders. The S curve at Labato is one of those good places for cinders. It will same money on buying ballast.
But cinders and ballast do not mix and old cinders should be kept below any ballast stone.
