Wow, train buff or not, you will find this whole procedure fascinating!
For those who live in the Springfield area and have seen all the machines running up and down the tracks, here is a link to a video that shows you how the concrete ties and rail are put in place.
The road bed was raised 13 inches to accommodate the new high speed rail line between St. Louis, MO. and Chicago, IL. There are only two of these track laying machines in the world, one here and one in Europe.
Imagine what all those laborers who laid the first cross country tracks would think if they could see this!
http://www.wimp.com/traintrack/