RIP Clermont Steel?
In the "where there's smoke there's (possibly) fire" department, I've seen a lot of smoke regarding Clermont Steel closing and/or B&M no longer using them for fabrication.
Thoosies are trying to connect this with the new B&M rattle, implying that Clermont is at fault for poor manufacturing. Obviously this is far-fetched. However, if the news is accurate, a lot of things could be at blame, with tariffs and the substantial changes in geopolitics and macroeconomics being prime suspects.
This would be a loss for American manufacturing. While not nearly as important as jobs and livelihoods being affected, it'll be sad to no longer see track for unannounced projects sitting out in Ohio or going around the country on trucks. They seemed pretty cool with thoosies too, given that Jeff was given a tour a while back.
PhantomTails:
Thoosies are trying to connect this with the new B&M rattle,
I don't know where I read this — it may have well been here — but B&M may have loosened their tolerances to keep new rides affordable?
I worked with Clermont directly a few times the past few years, but it's been a few months since I have since our program got dropped and what I was working on will no longer be made there. I might send them an email just to give an update and see if anything comes back.
About the rattle... I personally doubt it's anything with the track manufacturing itself, per-say. My main leading theory is that the special cold rolled pipe I believe they used to get imported for the running rails from Europe was dropped in favor (by B&M due to cost) by more traditional extruded pipe options, which is not as precise tolerance wise and a worse surface finish. Have a more sloppy running rail, you might get a bit more hunting in the wheel assembly and feel things a bit more. With steel prices going up and more competition than ever the past years, B&M may have done in this as well as other changes, to reduce costs.
The track welding/fabrication is probably near identical as it always has. Those guys are GOOD and have been doing it for decades. I doubt their processes got worse. My bet is on the material selection by B&M along with some other structural design type changes.
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