Boneyards
Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit
I admit that I am a Discovery and History Channel junkie. The varied and in-depth topics are fascinating to me. Who knew you could do a two hour program on the history of concrete and make it fascinating?
So I was particularly interested in a new Discovery Channel program called Boneyards, which started last week. The basic premise is what do people do with old and worn out vehicles and things that get taken to, well, boneyards. The first episode was on railroad boneyards.
This was fascinating to me, especially the part where they used old rails to make fence posts. Watching them take worn out rails, heating them up, rolling them and pressing them into fence posts was just neat to see. Sure, watching them cut up an old locomotive and using its materials for scrap metal was interesting, but to watch them reuse worn out materials was the most interesting part.
Members of the Colorado Rail Car company were interviewed about its taking old railcars, refurbishing them and putting them back into service. This was the highlight for me. Seeing those old cars now back in service was a sight to see. And think of the savings!
When I was in Nashville earlier this year, I took a ride on the Music City Star. This new commuter line uses all refurbished equipment. It’s cars came from Metra in Chicago and its locomotives from Amtrak. And they saved a ton of money doing it that way.
One of the things people point out when discussion of adding rail lines to a system is the high cost associated with it. Considering how much can be saved from reusing old equipment, maybe they need to check out a few boneyards before making up their minds.
Thanks for reading the MT Position, updated every Thursday.
July 5th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Maybe there’s a lesson here for not just transit, but for the American public in general. We are the most wasteful society in the history of mankind. When was the last time most of us had an applicance repaired? We just go out and buy a new one. We toss computers into the trash. Repair/refurbishing and reuse is something that makes sense not just from the economic standpoint, but also from the environmental standpoint and from the standpoint of not using up the limited resources that our planet can offer us.
July 5th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Fred;
I too watched this programme as I am also a bit of a DC junkie. I was also amazed as you were as to the recycling efforts. What really blew me away is that these rail tracks and ties are over one hundred years old, and boy if they could talk! And speak of fence posts, that company in Illinois makes 6-10 thousand posts a day!
Awesome!
Lew
July 5th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Thanks for making me aware of this program. I too greatly enjoy the history channel and the discovery channel, and believe it or not, it was my 16-year old son that got me interested.
I’ll definitely watch for “boneyards.” I’m a “nut” about antique cars, and especally antique buses. If I had the extra money, I’d love to restore some old buses. I’m always thankful for those that have done so and display them.
July 11th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
I too am a fan of recycling. Having said that I have a slightly different story. A couple of years ago a well meaning person offered the City an old streetcar that had been languishing in his blackberry patch for several decades. It sounded good on the surface, save a piece of history and all. We did a quick analysis of the cost of restoration and then tried to figure out where we could place the car. It just didn’t work out and we didn’t think it was the best use of tax payer’s money. Keeping buses in service seemed more important. We hoped a private group interested in restoration would step up but that didn’t happen. It seems everyone expects government to maintain history as well as the present while looking to the future. I’m still looking for volunteers.