What's new
What's new

Would you build a shop next to railroad

Lock

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
I am putting together a small one man CNC/Manual shop, I found a space that works for me but is maybe 100ft in front of a active rail line. Is this something to be concerned of? I am worried that the vibrations and such would affect a running machine as trains passed.
 
I suggest you visit the site and wait for a freight train to approach. Then lie down on the ground and pretend you are a machine tool. See what you think about how solid the ground feels and whether you could cut a straight line while the train passes.

Larry
 
I remember seeing a video on youtube with Mark Terryberry from Haas specifically talking about a customer that was having mysterious finishing issues that would pop up out of nowhere and after a lot of service visits they found out it was only happening when a train passed by. Plus, what if the train derails and your shop becomes part of Bruce Willis movie and then they use your mill for cover for bullets or something?
 
I am putting together a small one man CNC/Manual shop, I found a space that works for me but is maybe 100ft in front of a active rail line. Is this something to be concerned of? I am worried that the vibrations and such would affect a running machine as trains passed.

google map location pulleeze.

"Active" line.....could be in town going slow, could be doing over 100 mph.
 
In addition to laying on the ground, if you brought two pieces of steel plate and a mag base indicator with a LONG arm on it you could see what kind of movement the indicator shows. Mag base on one heavy plate and indicate on a smaller plate (so not indicating on dirt or concrete)
Could also put a wide shallow pan of water and look for ripples. Like a plastic water heater pan?
 
Only if you are planning blacksmith shop or heavy forging.. :D
Even heavy trucks are enough of problem in some locations like our office building that is apparently built on a clay bed.
 
Do you like trains? Are you a foamer?

No experience with a shop next to tracks, but had a garage apt that backed up to tracks many moons ago, first week it was awful, by end of first month the trains would rock me to sleep:D
 
Depends alot on your foundation. I worked at a shop very close to railroad tracks and we could not finish grind when a train was going thru. Rough grind ok, but there was enough disturbance that you could see lines and waviness if trying to finish grind while a train was passing thru.
 
No...No you should be in the middle of a peacefull grass field, with nothing within 30 miles.....:nutter:

Not like there isn't shops near railroad tracks at all....:toetap:

Try looking around your town, where is the heavy industry ?

Dravosburg roll shop...yes they had problems finish grinding
finish pass's on steel mill rolls.

Is your shop splitting millionths ?
 
No...No you should be in the middle of a peacefull grass field, with nothing within 30 miles.....:nutter:

Not like there isn't shops near railroad tracks at all....:toetap:

Try looking around your town, where is the heavy industry ?

Dravosburg roll shop...yes they had problems finish grinding
finish pass's on steel mill rolls.

Is your shop splitting millionths ?

negative stander +- .005 for most
 
Do you like trains? Are you a foamer?

No experience with a shop next to tracks, but had a garage apt that backed up to tracks many moons ago, first week it was awful, by end of first month the trains would rock me to sleep:D

LOL, I like a good train as much as the next guy but deff no foamer
 
negative stander +- .005 for most

And there are NO other shops near railroad tracks (of the same traffic) that are holding
these tolerances ?

If your renting, your not putting in foundations anyways.

Your machines could benefit from the isolating pads too.
 
google map location pulleeze.

"Active" line.....could be in town going slow, could be doing over 100 mph.
Google Maps

I believe that this line is more of a staging area between the intermodal yard a couple miles down the line and the timber mills the other direction. Not sure but I believe it would be a slow line.
 
Slightly off-topic...

One day many years ago I was working a construction job site when several people in medical scrubs appeared and requested that the paving crew stop their work. They were from the outpatient surgical office next door where the surgeon had a patient on the table undergoing an procedure that used a microscope. The vibrations from the steam roller(?) was causing too much motion for the doc to operate.
 
The industrial park my shop is in runs parallel to a very busy freight rail line. There's at least half a dozen CNC shops along the tracks, and no one seems to be bothered by it.

I can hear the trains, but I don't feel them, I'm probably 150' away.
 
Google Maps

I believe that this line is more of a staging area between the intermodal yard a couple miles down the line and the timber mills the other direction. Not sure but I believe it would be a slow line.
Uhm...your location shows "floriduh"
and the google map linky goes to "Portland, OR 97231 "

Note line closest to shop has a train sitting (when the bird flew by)

I agree it's probably a slow area.

Either way, it's already industrial.
 
And there are NO other shops near railroad tracks (of the same traffic) that are holding
these tolerances ?

If your renting, your not putting in foundations anyways.

Your machines could benefit from the isolating pads too.

not in this particular area, there's a furniture maker next door and a restaurant.
 








 
Back
Top