A concrete finishing and forming machine adapted for rail trackbed deck construction accommodates various plinths and channels needed for light rail construction. The adjustably configurable machine comprises a rigid frame disposed above a deck by vertically upright, adjustable jack stands supported at their bottoms by wheeled, powered bogies adapted to traverse upon suitable rails on opposite sides of the deck. The jack-stands may be connected to supporting swing arms that extend from pivot sleeves enabling to angularly swing out from the frame. A slidable carriage that is longitudinally displaceable within the frame supports at least one downwardly extending, vertically adjustable paving head having a tool that, when immersed within wet concrete and then horizontally displaced, strikes off elongated, smoothed channels resembling pathways upon the concrete. The heads are longitudinally displaceable relative to the carriage so they may be spaced apart such that plinth strips are concurrently formed between the channels.

A fastening system for track rail includes a molded support block, and a direct fixation fastener positioned upon an upper side of the molded support block. The direct fixation fastener includes a metallic frame and a non-metallic overmolded jacket. Clamping fasteners of the fastening system are structured to engage with retention elements integrally molded in a concrete matrix material of the molded support block to clamp the direct fixation fastener to the upper side within a range of lateral positions.

A system for and method of stabilizing rail track structures using a load transfer apparatus is disclosed. The load transfer apparatus includes a vertical load transfer element with at least one cross-sectional rib and a top load transfer element with at least one longitudinal vertical fin, wherein the top load transfer element is used to transfer applied locomotive and rail car loads to the vertical load transfer element. In one embodiment, the vertical load transfer element comprises a plurality of cross-sectional ribs spaced along a length of the vertical load transfer element. In another embodiment, the top load transfer element comprises a plurality of longitudinal vertical fins spaced along a perimeter of the top load transfer element to enhance stability of the top load transfer element.

A track maintenance machine, constructed to be mobile on a track, for consolidation of a ballast bed underneath a track, includes a machine frame supported on an undercarriage and a consolidating device, connected to the machine frame, which includes at least one consolidating element constructed to be lowered. The consolidating element is constructed as a consolidating plate which, in a working position, is larger in a longitudinal direction of the track than a distance between two sleepers of the track, and the consolidating plate is disposed to be rotatable in order to turn the consolidating plate into a passing position for lowering or raising between two sleepers. A method for consolidation of the ballast bed underneath a track by using a track maintenance machine is also provided.

Encoded information means located on an infrastructure to be decoded by sensors located on mobiles, in such a way that these means encode the position they occupy in the infrastructure and allow for a mobile travelling along the same trajectory, provided with the adequate sensor, to read, decode and transform it immediately into information on its exact position in the infrastructure and being characterised by the fact that along the same trajectory described by a mobile it is possible to encode information in the infrastructure by means of different objects presenting dielectric change boundaries or dielectric/metal boundaries at different heights or distances regarding the origin of the onboard sensor, these boundaries being interrogated by a sensor on board the mobile by means of pressure or electromagnetic waves and by measuring the time the waves take to return to the sensor, making it possible to determine the distance at which the reflections occur and in this way to extract the information.

The invention relates to a system for securing sleepers in a ballastless track formed by a base plate, sleepers and an interposed elastic intermediate plate, wherein the sleeper body comprises at least one through-hole, and the base plate comprises the corresponding blind holes in which a securing pin is embedded, to which a guide rod that can be inserted in the through-hole is joined, via which the sleeper is secured to the base plate in such a way that no additional pretensioning is added to that caused by the positioning of the sleeper thereon, and only a certain amount of vertical movement is permitted, forming a disassemblable assembly of the securing elements and the sleepers.

A system for and method of stabilizing rail track structures using a load transfer apparatus is disclosed. The load transfer apparatus includes a vertical load transfer element and a top load transfer element, wherein the top load transfer element is used to transfer applied locomotive and rail car loads to the vertical load transfer element. In one embodiment, the top load transfer element includes helical flights. In another embodiment, the top load transfer element includes a flared top. In yet another embodiment, the top load transfer element includes a load transfer cap. In a further embodiment, the top load transfer element includes two or more support legs each with a top support attached thereto. The railroad stabilization system can comprise any one type or any combinations of types of the aforementioned load transfer apparatuses.

A track bed for a railroad track, includes track ballast made from particulate matter and a multitude of railroad ties supported on the track ballast, wherein at least one region of the track ballast is stabilized by a bonding agent that bonds together particles of the particulate matter, wherein the bonding agent is based on a hydraulic binder, in particular cement, and the bonding agent leaves free voids between the bonded particles so that the track ballast has a water draining capability in the at least one stabilized region.

A protective coating system for a railway structure having a waterproof membrane and a ballast mat. The waterproof membrane is disposed on the railway structure. The ballast mat further has a ballast protection coating and a sealing layer. The ballast protection coating is a rubber compound and is disposed on the waterproof membrane. The sealing layer is disposed on the ballast protection layer.

A composite railway sleeper (1; 50; 100) comprising an outer coating shell (2; 51; 101) made of composite plastic material and a shaped structural core (3; 52; 102), made of a material comprising at least concrete contained within said outer coating shell (2; 51; 510; 101), wherein said outer coating shell (2; 51; 510; 101) presents in the upper outer face (2a; 51a; 101a) two distinct and opposite groups of grooves (4; 53) suitable to receive the angular guide plates (G) belonging to pre-assembled elastic type fastening systems (64) for the connection of two respective rails (R) with said railway sleeper (1; 50; 100).