Jim Wilkins wrote:
Once I was working near a surface grinder that the operator pushed
too hard, fragmenting the wheel. One large chunk thumped loudly
into and dented the steel door about 50' away. The rim velocity is
~60MPH.

Cool.

I showed up right after they hauled the guy away. He was on a track
welding gang that uses thermite to weld the rails together. A cable
driven hand grinder's gas engine's governer went haywire and he was
reaching over to kill it when the grinding wheel exploded. It broke
both forearm bones and just about cut his hand off.

It was a brown resinoid wheel, ~16 grit ~8"x 1".

I've seen them track welders using 8"x 1/8" grinding discs and
putting so much side pressure on 'em that the edge of the disc was
~3/4" out of line! 8-/ ...and they're just grinding away! LOL

There's a time limit. The dispatcher gives you the time between
trains and you have to decide if you can get the job done in that
much time.

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What's weird is the guy that got hurt was a brother to a buddy of
mine in my-department and was going there just to meet 'im.

Alvin in AZ
retired signlape