@Spikedriver After years of "Windmilling" your wrist will begin to give you trouble I went to the flip up and drop when you get it to full height just drop it and whip it the last foot or so it will put them down in three licks on a hard switch tie.
I could out pull a spike puller when I worked T&S I would start them pulling every day pull the outside and both insides let the four spike pullers do the outside on 1 rail.
I caught up the anchors in the evening doing one hand behind the back to do triceps on the front side.
With all of the hydraulics it would seem things would goa lot faster, but when It was just a backhoe and hand tools we did a lot more than any section gang does now.
5 men and a backhoe then would put in 100 ties tamped, spiked anchored and dressed in a day, sometimes more in the right kind of track "good rock, No mud and straight track"
Different world then.
The best thing I ever got in the new tool category was the first Hydraulic Saw I got it was a 14 inch straight handle dual pivot by Stanley, it was the best saw I ever had it would cut a 132 in under a minute and straight as an arrow. when the motor wore out they got some other kind and it was not half the saw, same for the first hole saw drill we got hydraulic it cut at the right speed and you could saw at least 6 holes with one bit as long as you kept the lubricant on it. Railroads are notorious for buying equipment from companies that members of their boards own stock in or are board members of.
Have a good safe week.
