Abstract: The invention provides a method of removing half ties from vaults in a railway bed, including detaching a section of rail from one or more of the underlying half ties of the railway bed. A section of rail may be elevated above the railway bed. In the alternate, the half ties may be cut at positions flanking the rail to form sectioned half ties. A tool of a hydraulic hammer is inserted along one of the half ties until the tool approaches a bottom edge of the half tie. The angle of the tool is lowered to a substantially horizontal angle. The tool is advanced substantially horizontally to free the first one of the half ties from the railway bed and the first one of the half ties is then removed.

Abstract: A tool for turning an elongate pipe is disclosed. The tool comprises a base and a drive wheel mounted for rotation on the base. The drive wheel has a cylindrical outer surface may include a plurality of projections extending radially outward from the outer surface of the first drive wheel. The projections extend past the edge of the base. In use, the projections contact a portion of the outer surface of an elongate pipe and turn the pipe with the rotation of the drive wheel. A guide is also mounted for movement on the base. The guide may be a pair of guide arms pivotally mounted on the base. Each guide arm has a free end and a guide roller is mounted for free rotation at each free end of each guide arm. Each guide arm is pivotable to a position wherein the guide rollers hold the elongate pipe against the projections on the outer surface of the first drive wheel.