Abstract: An apparatus for placing tie plates between a rail and selected crossties along a railroad track. The apparatus includes a mobile frame which travels on the rails along a railroad track and carries a magnetic wheel for retrieving loose tie plates, a magazine for holding and positioning the loose tie plates over a selected rail lie, a rail jack for lifting the rail away from the tie to allow insertion of the tie plate, and an insertion arm and plate which urge the tie plate into position between the tie and the rail. The magazine holds a number of tie plates and has an elongated guide plate, dimensioned to fit the rail receiving area of the tie plates. A series of biased linkages, arranged vertically along the guide plate, urge the tie plates against the guide plate to hold them in place.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing ballast utilizes eccentrically mounted disk-like undercutters to remove ballast from a position adjacent the track shoulder inwardly to a position underneath the ends of the crossties. The undercutters project inwardly from their mounting position on the lower ends of vertically disposed columns which overhang each side of a supporting carriage. The vertically disposed columns attach to horizontal sliders mounted transversely relative to the carriage. Linear actuators act to position the undercutters for ballast removal.

Abstract: Track maintenance apparatus for use in railroad track maintenance utilizes a forward cribber unit to remove ballast from between the crossties and a rear adzer unit to smoothen any irregularities in the crosstie surface during a track re-laying operation. A single worker can perform both the cribbing and adzing tasks without dismounting from the apparatus.

Abstract: A railroad platform using outriggers for stability utilizes a set of detachable rollers positioned intermediate the outriggers and the platform as weight bearing members. The rollers enable the platform to move along the outrigger as needed to re-align the wheels with the railroad track.

Abstract: The tamping machine is provided with tamping units on which each tamping tool (8) is articulated on a junction lever (26) controlled for work pivoting by a piston-cylinder unit (28) connected to a forced oscillation generator (24).The tamping tool (8) can be lifted into out-of-use position on the junction lever (26) by means of an intermediate lever (30) driven by a second hydraulic piston-cylinder unit (31), this intermediate lever being connected to said tool by a connecting link (36). In the lowered working position, the articulation (29) of the intermediate lever and the two articulations (34, 35) of the connecting link are aligned and the piston-cylinder unit (31) for the driving of the intermediate lever is abutted at the end of its stroke. As a result, the tamping tool (8) constitutes the equivalent of a rigid tool with respect to the transmission of the tamping and forced-oscillation forces.

Abstract: The tamping machine is equipped with tool holders (7) on which each of the two tools (8) of a pair of tamping tools is connected by a cylinder-piston unit (28), via an eccentric arm (25, 25'), to one of the two eccentrics (24, 24') of the output shaft (33) of a forced oscillation generator. Each of the two eccentric arms (25, 25') has, in addition to its articulation to one of the two eccentrics, a second articulation connected directly to a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit (28) and a third articulation (29) connected by a connecting link (30) to a pivot (31) fastened on the tool holder, said last connection having the purpose of immobilizing the two eccentric arms in rotation around the eccentric shaft (33). This transmission of movements, designed to facilitate the maintenance of the hydraulic cylinder-piston units (28), is also shown applied to two and three pairs of tamping tools juxtaposed in the same plane.