Bizarre railroading

[come_to_think]

The astonishing kluge shown at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZNvhy73S9g&feature=related
rolls along a railroad track from which the ties have been removed and shoves new ties under the rails.  It brought forth a depressing memory:  Around 1952, a Russian told

Comments

[come_to_think]

I think I should have omitted the "the" in the italicized clause. It seems that only some (rotten?) ties are replaced. Shoving ties under rails that were completely unattached would surely be impossible. That was my original impression, and overnight it made me suspect that the whole thing was a hoax.