This method makes it possible to characterize the seat of a railroad track through penetrometric and geo-endoscopic tests. It includes steps consisting of striking ram head of a light dynamic penetrometer to drive the tip of a train of rods into the seat, measuring the strength of the seat as a function of the pushing in depth of the train of rods, removing the train of rods from the seat, pushing a tube into a hole left by the train of rods, and sliding an image-recording camera inside the tube. The method includes additional automated steps consisting of measuring the position of the camera while it slides inside the tube, i.e., the dep that which the images are recorded, and couplingan analysis of the recorded images as a function of the depth with the strength measurements of the seat to characterize the different layers of the seat.

A method for controlling/regulating a rotatory drive of a working unit of a track maintenance machine includes using a sensor to record a measurement parameter with an approximately periodic history function derived from a rotation of the drive. A frequency or period duration of the history function is determined with an evaluation device, and the frequency or period duration is compared with a target parameter for stipulating a control signal. A number of time-discrete measurement values is formed for the measurement parameter and an auto-correlation of these measurement values is carried out by a calculation unit for determining the frequency or the period duration. As compared to a conventional method with zero stage recording, a precise recording of frequency changes is therefore also possible between two zero stages. A device for carrying out the method is also provided.

A method for controlling/regulating a rotatory drive of a working unit of a track maintenance machine includes using a sensor to record a measurement parameter with an approximately periodic history function derived from a rotation of the drive. A frequency or period duration of the history function is determined with an evaluation device, and the frequency or period duration is compared with a target parameter for stipulating a control signal. A number of time-discrete measurement values is formed for the measurement parameter and an auto-correlation of these measurement values is carried out by a calculation unit for determining the frequency or the period duration. As compared to a conventional method with zero stage recording, a precise recording of frequency changes is therefore also possible between two zero stages. A device for carrying out the method is also provided.

A method for stabilizing a track having sleepers supported on a track ballast and rails secured to the sleepers, includes using a stabilizing unit which is connected to a machine frame that can be moved on the rails and has a vibration exciter and rollers that can roll on the rails. The vibration exciter generates in particular horizontal vibrations which run transversely to the track longitudinal direction. The course of a force exerted onto the track by the stabilizing unit is recorded over a vibration path during a vibration cycle by sensors. At least one parameter is derived from the course by an evaluation device and is used to evaluate the stabilizing procedure and/or the quality of the track ballast. A device for implementing the method is also provided.

A method for stabilizing a track having sleepers supported on a track ballast and rails secured to the sleepers, includes using a stabilizing unit which is connected to a machine frame that can be moved on the rails and has a vibration exciter and rollers that can roll on the rails. The vibration exciter generates in particular horizontal vibrations which run transversely to the track longitudinal direction. The course of a force exerted onto the track by the stabilizing unit is recorded over a vibration path during a vibration cycle by sensors. At least one parameter is derived from the course by an evaluation device and is used to evaluate the stabilizing procedure and/or the quality of the track ballast. A device for implementing the method is also provided.

A railway track (1) including at least two railway rails (2) and at least one measuring apparatus (3), disposed under at least one of the railway rails (2), for measuring vertical contact pressure, wherein the measuring apparatus (3) has at least one mat-shaped or planar carrying body (4) with a multiplicity of measuring sensors (5), disposed at a distance from one another, for measuring the vertical surface pressure at the respective positions of the respective measuring sensors (5).

Method for detecting rail switches degradation and failures, the method having the steps of applying a Discrete Wavelet Transform to stored measurement data relative to a switch move to be analysed and obtaining a feature vector associated with said switch move and including Discrete Wavelet Transform coefficients delivered by the applied Discrete Wavelet Transform; comparing the obtained feature vector with feature vectors associated with rail switch moves previously obtained and associating each to a respective health class among several given health classes; and determining a health class for the said switch move to be analyzed by selecting one of the health classes associated with the previously obtained feature vectors based upon the comparison step.

Method for detecting rail switches degradation and failures, the method having the steps of applying a Discrete Wavelet Transform to stored measurement data relative to a switch move to be analysed and obtaining a feature vector associated with said switch move and including Discrete Wavelet Transform coefficients delivered by the applied Discrete Wavelet Transform; comparing the obtained feature vector with feature vectors associated with rail switch moves previously obtained and associating each to a respective health class among several given health classes; and determining a health class for the said switch move to be analyzed by selecting one of the health classes associated with the previously obtained feature vectors based upon the comparison step.

A method for the correction of vertical position error of a track by a track tamping machine and a dynamic track stabilizer. Starting from a registered actual position, an over-lift value is prescribed for a treated track location with which the track is lifted into a preliminary over-lift track position and tamped. The track is subsequently lowered by dynamic stabilization into a resulting final track position. In this, a smoothed actual position course is formed from a course of the actual track position, wherein an over-lift value is prescribed for the treated track location in dependence of the course of the actual track position with regard to the smoothed actual position course. In this way, only short-wave track faults are treated with an over-lift value.

A track displacement measurement device is a track displacement measurement device that measures displacement of the track on which a railroad car runs, and determines first displacement of the track by performing processing including an integration operation based on motion detection signal responsive to motion of the railroad car due to displacement of the track, determines second displacement of the track based on the rotational movement detection signal responsive to rotational movement of the railroad car, and determines combined displacement of the track based on the first displacement and the second displacement.