Abstract: A clamp assembly for supporting multiple elongate rails in a rail tie-down car utilizes spring-loaded, hydraulically actuated clamp assemblies to clamp individual rails to the tie-down car. Each clamp assembly incorporates at least two clamp members which act opposite one another to prevent the rail secured in place by the clamps from sliding in either longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A drill station for a rail loading and unloading machine. The drill station is provided between primary and secondary drive units to enable adjacent ends of a pair of sections of rail to be driven independently by a respective drive unit to position the ends on the drill station for drilling. The drill station is raised from a stowed position below a walkway to conduct a drilling operation and retracted to provide workspace for an operator to install joining plates on segments of rail.

Abstract: A guide box for a rail loading and unloading machine. The guide box guides a rail from a ground location toward a drive unit and can be provided with actuators to enable steering of the rail. The guide box includes a base roller that underlies a rail path through the guide box. An arm extends upwardly along each side of the rail path and carries a guide roller. The arms are pivotable toward one another to abut the guide rollers over the rail path and thereby capture the rail between the guide rollers and the base roller or away from one another to enable insertion of a rail therebetween. The guide rollers are vertically pivotable to enable obstructions on the rail to pass through the guide box.

Abstract: A rail loading and unloading machine includes a plurality of cars for pick-up, processing, and loading of ribbon rail segments on a rail transport train. A pick-up car provides a rail lifting and manipulating apparatus for pick-up of rail from alongside the machine. A guide box aids guiding of the rail toward a primary drive unit. A crossover car includes components to steer the rail to a right or left side of the machine for processing and loading. A processing car includes a cutting station, drill station, crane, and secondary drive unit. The drill station is retractably stowed below a walkway to provide workspace for an operator to install joining plates on segments of rail. The secondary drive unit is disposed opposite the cutting and drill stations from the primary drive unit such that separate sections of rail on opposite sides of a cut or joint can be driven independently.

Abstract: A material transport and distribution consist including an offloading car, a generator car, and hopper cars. The offloading car includes a rotatable conveyor that can offload materials forward of and to the sides of the car. The generator car powers a plurality of hopper car conveyors. The hopper cars include a longitudinal conveyor that overlaps with conveyors of forward- and aft-located cars to enable transport of materials between cars and while the cars are negotiating a turn in the tracks. The hopper car hoppers are divided into chutes with respective guillotine-style gates. Each gate includes a resilient panel that flexes to enable closure of the gate without binding on materials exiting therefrom. A control system is provided to manage the gates and conveyors during offloading based on sensed characteristics of the operation thereof. An interlock system is also provided to initiate a cascading shutdown routine when a fault is detected.

Abstract: A material transport and distribution consist including an offloading car, a generator car, and hopper cars. The offloading car includes a rotatable conveyor that can offload materials forward of and to the sides of the car. The generator car powers a plurality of hopper car conveyors. The hopper cars include a longitudinal conveyor that overlaps with conveyors of forward- and aft-located cars to enable transport of materials between cars and while the cars are negotiating a turn in the tracks. The hopper car hoppers are divided into chutes with respective guillotine-style gates. Each gate includes a resilient panel that flexes to enable closure of the gate without binding on materials exiting therefrom. A control system is provided to manage the gates and conveyors during offloading based on sensed characteristics of the operation thereof. An interlock system is also provided to initiate a cascading shutdown routine when a fault is detected.

Abstract: A rail guide for loading railroad rails onto a rail train. The rail guide includes a guide beam disposed to depend vertically downward over each shelf in a rack on a rack car. The guide beam extends substantially the length of the rack car and is coupled to a corresponding guide beam of an adjacent car via a bridge that is configured to accommodate relative movement between the cars. A shoe is provided that is coupled to a leading end of a rail to be loaded. The shoe includes a follower that engages the guide beam to guide a rail being loaded along a path defined by the guide beam. The guide beam can provide vertical and lateral support to the leading end of the rail during loading.

Abstract: A rail guide for loading railroad rails onto a rail train. The rail guide includes a guide beam disposed to depend vertically downward over each shelf in a rack on a rack car. The guide beam extends substantially the length of the rack car and is coupled to a corresponding guide beam of an adjacent car via a bridge that is configured to accommodate relative movement between the cars. A shoe is provided that is coupled to a leading end of a rail to be loaded. The shoe includes a follower that engages the guide beam to guide a rail being loaded along a path defined by the guide beam. The guide beam can provide vertical and lateral support to the leading end of the rail during loading.

Abstract: A clamp assembly for supporting multiple elongate rails in a rail tie-down car utilizes spring-loaded, hydraulically actuated clamp assemblies to clamp individual rails to the tie-down car. Each clamp assembly incorporates at least two clamp members which act opposite one another to prevent the rail secured in place by the clamps from sliding in either longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A guide box for a rail loading and unloading machine. The guide box guides a rail from a ground location toward a drive unit and can be provided with actuators to enable steering of the rail. The guide box includes a base roller that underlies a rail path through the guide box. An arm extends upwardly along each side of the rail path and carries a guide roller. The arms are pivotable toward one another to abut the guide rollers over the rail path and thereby capture the rail between the guide rollers and the base roller or away from one another to enable insertion of a rail therebetween. The guide rollers are vertically pivotable to enable obstructions on the rail to pass through the guide box.

Abstract: A rail loading and unloading machine includes a plurality of cars for pick-up, processing, and loading of ribbon rail segments on a rail transport train. A pick-up car provides a rail lifting and manipulating apparatus for pick-up of rail from alongside the machine. A guide box aids guiding of the rail toward a primary drive unit. A crossover car includes components to steer the rail to a right or left side of the machine for processing and loading. A processing car includes a cutting station, drill station, crane, and secondary drive unit. The drill station is retractably stowed below a walkway to provide workspace for an operator to install joining plates on segments of rail. The secondary drive unit is disposed opposite the cutting and drill stations from the primary drive unit such that separate sections of rail on opposite sides of a cut or joint can be driven independently.

Abstract: A drill station for a rail loading and unloading machine. The drill station is provided between primary and secondary drive units to enable adjacent ends of a pair of sections of rail to be driven independently by a respective drive unit to position the ends on the drill station for drilling. The drill station is raised from a stowed position below a walkway to conduct a drilling operation and retracted to provide workspace for an operator to install joining plates on segments of rail.

Abstract: A system for guiding rails onto a rail train having rail cars with a plurality of vertically spaced rail support shelves includes upwardly opening guide channels extending from funnel members position at the end of the rail car to each shelf in alignment with the outermost rail receiving pockets of each shelf. A guide shoe with a horizontal roller recessed therein and projecting below the bottom of the shoe is mounted on the end of a rail threaded across the shelves and guide channels of the rail support car. An alternative guide shoe further includes vertically extending rollers projecting from the sides of the guide shoe.

Abstract: A system for guiding rails onto a rail train having rail cars with a plurality of vertically spaced rail support shelves includes upwardly opening guide channels extending from funnel members position at the end of the rail car to each shelf in alignment with the outermost rail receiving pockets of each shelf. A guide shoe with a horizontal roller recessed therein and projecting below the bottom of the shoe is mounted on the end of a rail threaded across the shelves and guide channels of the rail support car. An alternative guide shoe further includes vertically extending rollers projecting from the sides of the guide shoe.

Abstract: A rail unloading vehicle is self-propelled and able to travel either over-the-road on conventional roadway tires or along railway tracks on railway wheels. Threading mechanisms for unloading the rails are arranged to retract so they provide a narrow profile for transport over the road. The threading mechanisms have thread boxes with jaws that open to accommodate easy reception of rails, and close to apply rollers to the rails for unloading operations. A special rail clamp has a pair of oppositely pivoting dogs to allow rail manipulation in opposite directions without slippage. A special saw allows safe on-site cutting of rails.

Abstract: A method of efficiently delivering replacement railway ties for use in replacing ties that have deteriorated. GPS technology is used to obtain the GPS location of each tie that needs to be replaced. A tie train carrying replacement ties has a GPS monitor so that one or more ties can be unloaded at or near the location of each tie that requires replacement. A tie replacement crew can use a GPS monitor to locate each tie that requires replacement, and the crew can remove those ties and install a nearby replacement tie.

Abstract: A method of efficiently delivering replacement railway ties for use in replacing ties that have deteriorated. GPS technology is used to obtain the GPS location of each tie that needs to be replaced. A tie train carrying replacement ties has a GPS monitor so that one or more ties can be unloaded at or near the location of each tie that requires replacement. A tie replacement crew can use a GPS monitor to locate each tie that requires replacement, and the crew can remove those ties and install a nearby replacement tie.

Abstract: A rail unloading vehicle is self-propelled and able to travel either over-the-road on conventional roadway tires or along railway tracks on railway wheels. Threading mechanisms for unloading the rails are arranged to retract so they provide a narrow profile for transport over the road. The threading mechanisms have thread boxes with jaws that open to accommodate easy reception of rails, and close to apply rollers to the rails for unloading operations. A special rail clamp has a pair of oppositely pivoting dogs to allow rail manipulation in opposite directions without slippage. A special saw allows safe on-site cutting of rails.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for spreading ballast along railways makes use of an inertial measurement system to determine where to apply ballast from a hopper car. A variety of techniques can be used to determine the location and speed of the ballast spreading train, including manual or automated visual techniques, laser technology, radar technology, radio frequency transponders, magnetic sensor, thermal imaging and aerial photogrammetry. The invention also contemplates “on the fly” surveys and terrain profiling using lasers or radar.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for unloading long ribbon rails which are carried on a transport car on bunks which hold the rails in four or five different tiers each containing eight to ten rails. A special railcar is equipped with a gantry crane which feeds the rails from the bunks into power driven thread boxes. The thread boxes grip the rails and feed them rearwardly onto the railway bed. After the first two rails have been unloaded side by side, the next pair are fed into the thread boxes. The thread boxes feed these rails out of the bunks as the train is moved forwardly at the same speed as the rails are fed rearwardly so that the rails are unloaded end to end with the first pair of rails. The railcar has retractable over the road wheels that allow it to be towed on the roadway to the site of the rail transport car.