Designs in Orbit

Mar 22, 2025

Designs in Orbit is my YouTube channel recommendation for March. Since September of last year, this channel has been documenting the efforts to rebuild the Clinchfield Railroad in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, after its destruction due to hurricane Helene. Every video update has taught me something new about the efforts:

  • A ridiculous amount of rock and dirt was washed away during the floods. It's amazing just how little effect one dump truck has on the rebuilding efforts; some of the videos on this channel showcase dozens of dump trucks all lined up to dump their loads.
  • The amount of work that has already been completed is insane. From rebuilding bridges, to moving rock, to driving pilings to shore up the railroad's track bed, a literal army of workers has made tremendous progress.

The most difficult section of the rebuild is currently ongoing, and the most recent video (below) showcases some of the expertise that excavator operators are employing in this challenging section. It's amazing what humans can do in situations like this!

2 Comments

Gary

8:21 PM on Mar 23, 2025

Clearing ballast from the rails is really cool. Thanks for the pointer. Lots of stuff here that I doubt would get OSHA approval.

Jonah

9:20 PM on Mar 23, 2025

There's definitely some very dangerous stuff going on in this line of work. Lots of rock dust that I'd hate to be breathing.

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