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 rail maintenance of way machine for a route is provided that includes a single chassis supporting a plurality of working modules. The modules include at least a broom module that can manipulate ballast and loose material that are disposed on a location of the route adjacent to the chassis a spike supply module that can provide a fastener; a tie spiker module that can receive the fastener from the spike supply module and to drive the supplied fastener through an aperture defined by a tie plate and into a replacement tie; and an anchor module that can remove an installed anchor from an installed tie and to install an anchor onto the replacement tie.

Abstract: A multi-function rail maintenance system is provided for performing a sequence of rail maintenance operations on a targeted portion of a railroad track, including at least two function specific modules, each module being movable along the track and having a designated number of function-specific workheads; each module including a coupling assembly for connecting the modules together and for maintaining a specific separation distance; at least one operator cab on at least one module; and a control system on at least one module associated with the at least one operator cab, and connected to each module for controlling and coordinating operation of the workheads, and for maintaining the specific separation distance.