Abstract: A rail plate grasping assembly may include a holder part that may be coupled with a rail vehicle that moves along one or more rails of a track with the one or more rails coupled with rail plates that are coupled with rail ties. The assembly also may include a wear part that may be coupled with the holder part and shaped to engage the rail plates to support the rail plates while the rail ties are removed beneath the rail plates. The wear part may be separated from the holder part and replaced with another wear part.

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 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.