Abstract: A plate retainer apparatus is provided for use on a railroad track with a tie exchanger having a main frame, the apparatus configured for gripping and retaining rail tie plates to a rail during a rail tie exchange process. The plate retainer apparatus includes a plate retainer workhead constructed and arranged for movement independent of that of the main frame. Included on the workhead is a pair of workhead modules, each module associated with a rail of the track and configured for retaining a single tie plate associated with a target tie at a time. Each workhead module is movable relative to the main frame independently of each other.

Abstract: A rail tie plate retaining workhead is provided for use in conjunction with a rail tie replacement machine moving along a railroad track having a pair of rails. The workhead includes a workhead frame configured for movement along the track relative to the rail tie replacement machine, and a pair of plate retaining frames, each frame associated with a respective one of the rails, and being connected to the workhead frame. Each plate retaining frame has at least one rail guide wheel connected to the retaining frame using a fluid powered cylinder, the wheels vertically reciprocating between an extended position, in which the workhead is raised to a travel position, and a retracted position, in which the workhead is lowered to a working position in operational relationship with at least one targeted rail tie plate.

Abstract: An apparatus for cribbing and anchor attachment on rails of a railroad track, including a frame movable along the track, at least one dual function workhead mounted to the frame that is moveable into and out of operational position relative to the track, an anchor applicator tool pivotably mounted to each workhead, and a cribber tool mounted to each workhead and adjacent the anchor applicator tool. Each anchor applicator tool and cribber tool is movable under operator control relative to the workhead from a retracted position to a work position.

Abstract: A rail flaw detector is configured for locating flaws in rails of a railroad track and for use with a vehicle travelling on the railroad track. The detector includes at least one signal applicator configured for applying ultrasonic signals to the rail and for receiving return signals; a mechanical subsystem connected to the applicator and to the vehicle and configured for maintaining the at least one signal applicator in operational position on the track. A human-machine interface is connected to the at least one signal applicator, is configured to control the detector and to monitor sensed rail condition. In one embodiment, the human-machine interface includes a schematic display of the rail being monitored and at least one touch screen control for controlling the mechanical subsystem and the at least one signal applicator.

Abstract: A traction system is provided for a rail draft vehicle including an engine with a driveshaft, at least a pair of rubber-tired traction wheels, and at least one rail guide wheel pressurized relative to the vehicle by at least one fluid-powered cylinder. Included in the system are a programmable processor connected to a driveshaft speed sensor, a rail guide wheel speed sensor, an engine throttle controller, a fluid-powered cylinder controller and a vehicle control panel. The processor is constructed and arranged for automatically adjusting the engine throttle controller in coordination with the fluid-powered cylinder controller for achieving movement of the rail draft vehicle from a dead stop position by increasing applied vehicle weight upon the traction wheels by the at least one fluid-powered cylinder and adjusting engine RPM's until the vehicle begins movement as detected by the rail guide wheel speed sensor.

Abstract: A rail vehicle including a wheel assembly having wheels configured to traverse rails of a railroad track, a controller having a processor in communication with the wheel assembly, and a non-transitory computer readable medium, disposed on the vehicle, and containing instructions, which, cause the following steps in real-time as the vehicle traverses the rails: determine a rail pressure of the wheels on the rails, determine a degree of curvature of the rails as the vehicle moves along the railroad track, determine a minimum rail pressure of the wheels on the rails based on the degree of curvature, determine if the rail pressure is equal to or greater than the minimum rail pressure and adjust the rail pressure of the wheels on the rails to be the minimum rail pressure when the rail pressure is less than the minimum rail pressure to maintain stability of the vehicle on the railroad track.

Abstract: A tamper tool is provided for use in adjusting railroad ballast and constructed and arranged for use with a tamper tool holder attached to a railroad tamping machine. Included on the tool is a shaft with a first portion, a second portion, and a central portion disposed between the first and second portions, and a front surface, a rear surface, and two side surfaces. The first portion has through bores extending from the front surface to the rear surface, and the central portion has a first cross-section at an upper end, a second cross-section at a lower end. An area of the first cross-section is greater than an area of the second cross-section, and the shaft tapers between the first cross-section and the second cross-section. A paddle for tamping is attached at a free end of the second portion.

Abstract: A rail plate handling device is provided for removing and reinstalling rail tie plates located on rail ties on a railroad track, includes a frame configured for movement relative to the track, at least one tie plate gripping assembly mounted to the frame, the assembly configured for grasping a selected tie plate at the front and rear edges between an adjacent one of the at least one raised rail raised from the operational position supported by the selected tie plate and the associated tie in the operational position upon which the plate was resting, each gripping assembly including a pair of opposing gripping jaws which are configured for controlled reciprocation in a direction parallel to the rails along a guide bar, the guide bar being slidable with the gripping jaws and the selected plate, relative to the frame.

Abstract: A rail plate dropping apparatus is provided, including a plate magazine having an upper end and a lower end and constructed and arranged for retaining at least one rail tie plate, a locating portion connected at the upper end and constructed and arranged for reciprocally positioning the magazine between a raised, travel position and a lowered work position, and an ejector mounted in operational relationship relative to the lower end of the magazine and configured for ejecting the plates sequentially from the magazine.

Abstract: A railway inspection system for monitoring defects of a rail, including an inspection vehicle configured for traversing the rail, a sensor disposed on the vehicle configured for obtaining rail condition data, a memory disposed on the vehicle and storing previous rail condition data from a previous traversal of the rail, a display device disposed on the vehicle, a processor disposed on the vehicle and a non-transitory computer-readable medium disposed on the vehicle and containing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause performance of the following steps in real-time as the vehicle traverses the rail, namely obtaining current rail condition data from the sensor, displaying on the display device representative images of the current rail condition data, retrieving the previous rail condition data from the memory, and displaying on the display device representative images of the previous rail condition data.

Abstract: A singulator is provided for orienting, sorting and conveying at least one rail fastener, from a bulk supply of such fasteners, and includes a frame defining a lower end and an upper end. A plurality of transverse magnet bars is connected to an endless conveyor system disposed on the frame to move from the lower end to the upper end. A ramp is disposed on the frame, has an underside facing the magnet bars, and an opposite sorting surface opposite the underside and receiving the fasteners. At least one deflector assembly is associated with the ramp and is constructed and arranged for sorting fasteners drawn along the ramp by the magnet bars from the lower end to the upper end so that single fasteners are delivered at the upper end.

Abstract: A regulator moldboard and grader blade assembly includes a moldboard having at least one transversely extending pin, the pin having a notch with a surface inclined toward the moldboard. At least one grader blade has at least one mounting opening having a flared surface complementary to the notch so that the blade is hangable on the pin so that the notch draws the blade against the moldboard as a fastener tightens the blade to the moldboard.

Abstract: A rail plate handling device is provided for removing and reinstalling rail tie plates, wherein at least one of the rails is raised from an operational position during the removal and installation process. A frame is configured for movement relative to the track; at least one tie plate gripping assembly is mounted to the frame, the assembly is configured for grasping a selected tie plate at front and rear edges between an adjacent rail raised from the operational position supported by the selected tie plate and the associated tie, pulling the selected plate away from the adjacent raised rail and away from the associated tie, retaining the selected plate in a suspended position above the track while the tie is extracted and a new tie inserted, and then replacing the suspended tie plate back upon the rail from a gage side of the rail.

Abstract: A fastener driving workhead unit is provided for performing an operation on spikes of a railroad track having a plurality of ties, and includes a hammer housing configured for accommodating a hammer, the housing being attached to a hammer bushing having a hammer bushing clamp. Also included in the workhead unit is an anvil assembly having an anvil and an extension coupler, the extension coupler being releasably secured to the hammer bushing by fastening the hammer bushing clamp. Further, the workhead unit includes a jaw assembly having a jaw block, the jaw block having at least one jaw block clamp for releasably securing a guide rod to the jaw block by the jaw block clamp, such that the anvil freely reciprocates in the hammer housing for driving the spikes into the plurality of ties.

Abstract: A tamper drive includes a wobble shaft rotatable about a central axis. The wobble shaft includes an eccentric hub recess within a movable bearing coupled to a yoke. The movable bearing rotates when the wobble shaft rotates to induce reciprocal movement of the yoke. In another tamper drive, an eccentric portion of a wobble shaft is rotatable within a bearing coupled to or integrated with an offset lobe having a pin slidingly disposed therein. Still another tamper drive includes an arm having a shaft fixedly coupled to one end, and first and second cam followers disposed at the other end. A rotatable cam provides a cam surface for each of the first and second cam followers.

Abstract: A gripping mechanism is provided for use with an apparatus for removing and inserting a rail tie that needs repair or replacement from a railroad track, and includes at least one gripper lever constructed and arranged to be actuated between a closed position and an open position, and a plurality of gripper fingers. Each gripper finger is configured for being individually attachable to and removable from a corresponding one of the at least one gripper lever for grasping the rail tie.

Abstract: A railway nipper machine is provided that includes a nipper frame having a pair of nipper hooks for performing a nipping operation, and a position feedback device having a central control module configured for controlling the nipping operation based on a depth signal and a time signal. Further included in the nipper machine is a depth sensor connected to the position feedback device for generating the depth signal relative to a nipper actuator connected to the nipper frame, wherein the depth sensor transmits the depth signal to the position feedback device. A timer is provided for generating the time signal, and the nipper machine is actuated by the nipper actuator in response to a determination value generated by the position feedback device based on the depth signal and the time signal.