Abstract: A machine for welding rails of a track extending in a longitudinal direction includes a rail pulling device for gripping the rails to be welded to one another. The rail pulling device is connected to a machine frame of the welding machine by way of guides and coupling devices. The rail pulling device is designed for displacement in the longitudinal direction or transversely to the longitudinal direction by means of longitudinal displacement drives and transverse displacement drives, and is also vertically adjustable by means of drives. By means of tilting drives, the rail pulling device can additionally be pivoted about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to the replacement of old ties of a railway track by new ties. This aim can be achieved by spreading the two rails apart from each other. The reception of ballast gravel for producing a recess of ballast is carried out in a region below of the sleeper head of a ballast bed, which is located adjacent to the region of the old sleepers along their longitudinal axis. The received ballast gravel is temporarily stored and, once the new sleepers have been deposited, thrown off for the purpose of ballasting. In parallel and prior to the deposit of new sleepers, excess ballast gravel is ploughed in the recess of ballast so as to produce a leveled surface of ballast.

Abstract: In a method of rehabilitating a ballast bed of a track by excavating contaminated ballast and conveying the excavated contaminated ballast by a first conveyor band unit to a screening unit for cleaning the excavated contaminated ballast, the ballast bed is rehabilitated selectively, in dependence on the degree of contamination of the ballast, in a first or second operating stage. The first operating stage comprises the steps of excavating an upper layer of the ballast by a first excavating device which precedes a second excavating device, in an operating direction, and conducting the excavated upper ballast layer to the first conveyor band unit while, at the same time, the remainder of the ballast is excavated by the second excavating device and is conducted to a second conveyor band unit for disposal.

Abstract: A track renewal machine is equipped with a ballast conveyor band extending in the longitudinal direction and arranged between upper and lower tie transport units and between ballast receiving means and ballast distributing means. The ballast conveyor band has a discharge end positioned rearwardly of a device for laying new rails, in the operating direction. A device for spacing the new ties from each other is positioned rearwardly of the ballast conveyor band discharge end in the operating direction.

Abstract: A track tamping machine has a machine frame extending in a longitudinal direction and tamping units mounted to the machine frame. A first or upper transverse guide extends in a transverse direction perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction. Two sliding blocks are mounted for displacement in the transverse direction independently of one another on the upper transverse guide. A second or lower transverse guide is positioned vertically below the upper transverse guide and parallel thereto. The lower transverse guide is mounted in the sliding blocks for displacement relative thereto in the transverse direction. Two inner unit frames are connected to a respective one of the sliding blocks and support a tamping unit in each case. Two outer unit frames are positioned in each case farther from a vertical machine center line—with regard to the transverse direction—than an adjacent one of the inner unit frames and support a respective tamping unit.

Abstract: A method for cleaning ballast of a track comprising rails extending in a longitudinal direction is executed by means of a ballast cleaning machine having a machine frame supported on on-track undercarriages. The machine includes a cleaning chain with a chain cross member extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction. At the start of the cleaning process, an on-track undercarriage situated immediately ahead of the cleaning chain, with regard to a working direction of the ballast cleaning machine, is lifted off the track. The rails are severed, and the track is lifted, after which the chain cross member of the cleaning chain is positioned underneath the track. Finally, the on-track undercarriage is set down upon the track again.

Abstract: A track tamping machine has a machine frame extending in a longitudinal direction and tamping units mounted to the machine frame. A first or upper transverse guide extends in a transverse direction perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction. Two sliding blocks are mounted for displacement in the transverse direction independently of one another on the upper transverse guide. A second or lower transverse guide is positioned vertically below the upper transverse guide and parallel thereto. The lower transverse guide is mounted in the sliding blocks for displacement relative thereto in the transverse direction. Two inner unit frames are connected to a respective one of the sliding blocks and support a tamping unit in each case. Two outer unit frames are positioned in each case farther from a vertical machine center line—with regard to the transverse direction—than an adjacent one of the inner unit frames and support a respective tamping unit.

Abstract: A track position correction machine includes a multi-part machine frame and a satellite frame associated with the machine frame. A first drive displaces the satellite frame relative to the machine frame. A first packing unit and a track lifting unit are disposed on the satellite frame. A stabilization unit is associated with the machine frame. A second packing unit is disposed between the satellite frame and the stabilization unit. A second drive displaces the second packing unit relative to the machine frame.

Abstract: A gantry crane for transporting track panels comprises a longitudinal beam extending in a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal beam includes lifting tools for gripping a track panel and is supported by chassis frames including in each case two vertical beams, having vertical adjustment drives, and two transverse beams connected to the vertical beams. The transverse beams extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and have drives for transverse adjustment. Pairs of crawler tracks are fastened to the chassis frames for mobility of the longitudinal beam, each crawler track being connected to one of the vertical beams. Each chassis frame is designed to be rotatable relative to the longitudinal beam by means of a vertical axis of rotation which is disposed centrally between the two crawler tracks and connects the two transverse beams to the longitudinal beam.

Abstract: In a method of loading several like coupled storage cars with bulk material, a first storage car is first filled with the bulk material by reducing the conveying speed mode of a bottom conveyor band in the first storage car to a bulk material storing speed mode while a transfer conveyor band of the adjacent storage car fills the first storage car, the storing speed mode of the bottom conveyor band in the first storage car is automatically adjusted in response to a measured amount of the bulk material accumulating in a pile so that the first storage car is filled to a maximal height, and after the accumulated pile has reached a forward end position, the conveying speed mode of the bottom conveyor band in the storage car adjacent to, and rearwardly of, the first storage car in the conveying direction is automatically reduced to the storing speed mode.

Abstract: In a method of tracing a track geometry immediately ahead of a ballast pick-up device of a cleaning machine in a working direction, a first and a second measuring chord are guided on the track by a respective front and rear end point. A versine measured by a first versine sensor of the first measuring chord is stored, in connection with a distance measurement, for registering the rear end point of the first measuring chord as a desired position with respect to a local track point. After the rear end point of the second measuring chord has reached the local track point, the rear end point is displaced until a measurement value corresponding to the stored versine is reached by a second versine sensor, and thus the desired position has been attained.

Abstract: A machine for transporting and laying track switches has a switch carrier that can be supported on a track or a ballast bed, on the end thereof, by a rail or track-laying gear. The switch carrier has a central carrier section connected with winches, and two end carrier sections that are mounted on the gear carrier and are respectively connected to the central carrier section in an articulated manner by a carrier joint. The two end carrier sections can be pivoted about a gear axis, which is parallel to a carrier axis of the carrier joint and at a distance from the same, in relation to the gear carrier, by way of a rotational drive.

Abstract: A machine for welding rails of a track extending in a longitudinal direction includes a rail pulling device for gripping the rails to be welded to one another. The rail pulling device is connected to a machine frame of the welding machine by way of guides and coupling devices. The rail pulling device is designed for displacement in the longitudinal direction or transversely to the longitudinal direction by means of longitudinal displacement drives and transverse displacement drives, and is also vertically adjustable by means of drives. By means of tilting drives, the rail pulling device can additionally be pivoted about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A machine for welding the rails of a track includes a rail pulling device that grips the rail ends and pulls them together so that they can be welded to one another. Two rail clamps provided for gripping the rails are fastened to the rail pulling device. The rail clamps are each vertically adjustable in their position relative to the rail pulling device by way of a respective adjustment drive in a direction extending perpendicularly to a pulling device plane formed by hydraulic drives of the rail pulling device. With this, the rails can be lifted from ties in a simple manner in order to enable the clamping members of the rail pulling device to grip the rails.

Abstract: In a method for efficiently removing a great number of damaged rail sections, after a first separating cut, the severed free rail ends are gripped by a rail pulling device connecting the rail ends to one another, and are pulled towards one another. The pulling force required for the pulling-together as well a current rail temperature are registered for calculation of that length of a replacement rail which is required for producing a desired rail tension. A second separating cut is carried out—with corresponding path measurement—spaced at a distance from the first separating cut as calculated on the basis of the selected length of the replacement rail.

Abstract: A method of cleaning encrusted ballast comprises the steps of screening the encrusted ballast to separate detritus from the ballast, washing the screened ballast with water while removing the separated detritus on a conveyor belt unit, clarifying the washing water to produce a clarified water portion and washing water sludge, and disposing of the washing water sludge by moving it to the detritus on the conveyor belt unit for common removal with the detritus.

Abstract: A transport car comprises a loading platform for transporting a crawler crane having a pair of crawler treads, and undercarriages supporting the platform for moving the transport car along a track, the loading platform extending in a longitudinal direction and having two lateral edges extending parallel to the longitudinal direction. A pair of transversely spaced support plates on the loading platform retains and supports each crawler tread on the loading platform, and drives are provided for repositioning the support plates relative to the loading platform perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction into an assembling position in which the support plates project beyond the lateral edges of the loading platform.

Abstract: In a method of surveying a track (9), a first or mobile measuring vehicle (1) and a second or stationary measuring vehicle (2) are placed at a distance apart from one another on a track section to be measured. A reference line (14) is formed by a laser beam emitted from the stationary measuring vehicle (2). At the start of each measuring cycle, by using a GPS receiver (19), the relative position of the stationary measuring vehicle (2) with reference to a fixedly installed GPS reference station (29) located adjacent to the track section is determined, the said GPS reference station being known within a terrestrial coordinate system. The reference line (14) is aligned with the mobile measuring vehicle (1) on the basis of the determined position data, and the track surveying operation is carried out by advancing the mobile measuring vehicle (1) while changes of the actual track position relative to the reference line (14) are registered.

Abstract: During the installation of a catenary cable of a catenary of a track, the catenary cable is pulled from a storage drum, on which it is wound, and guided over winch wheels of a friction winch while being held under tension. From there, the catenary cable is passed onto a mounting roller with a pull-off resistance producing an installation tension. The pull-off resistance is created by the friction winch and counteracts a pull-off force of the catenary cable. Between the winch wheels of the friction winch, the cable tension is gradually increased up to the pull-off resistance.

Abstract: In a method for tamping ballast supporting sequentially arranged ties of a track extending in a longitudinal direction, which comprises a tamping cycle at each one of the ties, the tamping cycle comprises lowering a tamping head carrying tamping tools hydraulicallly reciprocable in the longitudinal direction to immerse the tamping tools in the ballast, reciprocating the tamping tools to tamp the ballast, vibrating the tamping tools in a first tamping cycle phase, discontinuing vibration of the tamping tools in a second tamping cycle phase, raising the tamping head to lift the tamping tools out of the ballast, and moving the tamping head from tie to tie.