Abstract: A railroad hopper ballast discharge door assembly includes pliant side panels along a discharge gate opening. The pliant side panels are strong enough to retain the ballast within the hopper when the door is closed, yet are flexible enough to yield when ballast flowing out of the hopper becomes wedged between the side panel and the door as the door closes. Strengthening ribs reinforce the pliant side panels and may be embedded within them. The discharge door assembly is readily adapted for automatic, motor-actuated operation.

Abstract: A railroad maintenance device distributes, regulates and reclaims ballast along a railway road bed. The device includes one or more hopper cars for transporting and depositing ballast, a regulating car including a track regulator, a shoulder regulator, and an extensible plow arm for reclaiming ballast deposited at a distance from the shoulder of the road bed. The hopper cars include radio controlled gates for the remote control of ballast depositing operations, and a computer controlled system for optimizing the distribution of ballast according to predetermined parameters. A bucket elevator is located rearwardly of the track regulator for lifting excess ballast from the road bed, and a belt conveyor transports the lifted ballast to a hopper car.