Abstract: A railway track maintenance system for grinding the heads of rail track rails. The system includes a master microprocessor which controls a plurality of individual slave microprocessors controlling a plurality of grinding heads positioned under a series of railway vehicles. The grinding heads are individually adjustable in angular position and grinding pressure. The pattern of the grinding heads can be changed sequentially while the train is moving at grinding speed. The grinding heads can also be sequentially lifted and then lowered to grinding position for obstacle clearance while the train is moving at grinding speed.

Abstract: Vehicle-mounted rail grinding apparatus has circular rail grinding discs mounted on a massive platform that is supported by hydraulic pistons and cylinders located at or adjacent the centers of gravity of the platform and vehicle carriage. This permits universal relative movement of the vehicle carriage and platform so that the vertical position of the discs is independent of the movement of the vehicle carriage caused by undulations and other imperfections in the rails.