The Ravages of Nature

Frost Heaves & Washouts

The Wasatch Mountain Railway runs along the edge of a steep hill and a lot of water runs off it and onto the track during heavy rains, sometimes resulting in washouts. The photo on the right shows the aftermath of hurricane Jeanne in 2005 and the tilt in the track is from washed-out ballast, not a tilted camera.

Frost heaves occur on a section of track where runoff from melting snow and rain tend to keep it wet (photo on left). Re-ballasting and re-alignment are required every spring, at least.

The track that is screwed to cypress boards never has these problems.

Critters