In a method of operating a tamping unit of a track maintenance machine, the track maintenance machine having the tamping unit is first provided on a track bed. The tamping unit is displaced relative to the track bed. A driving force, acting on the tamping unit and required for the displacement, and acceleration acting on the tamping unit are determined. A ballast force acting between the tamping unit and the track bed is determined by way of the driving force and the acceleration, and is evaluated.

The invention relates to a method for the automatic correction of the position of individual faults (H(n)) of a track formed by rails (16) and sleepers (9) with a track tamping machine (2). After the left and right rails have been surveyed independently by means of an inertial measuring unit (11), the length and position of the individual fault (TAMP, S, E) to be corrected is determined by taking into account a limit value of the individual faults (F.sub.LIM) and a maximum extension (s.sub.max) in the longitudinal direction of the track (s). The tamping units (7) of the tamping machine (s) are positioned exactly at the starting point (S) and end the tamping at the end point (E) of the determined track correction section (TAMP). Both track sections (F.sub.LI,F.sub.RE) are tamped and corrected simultaneously.

The invention relates to a method for the automatic correction of the position of individual faults (H(n)) of a track formed by rails (16) and sleepers (9) with a track tamping machine (2). After the left and right rails have been surveyed independently by means of an inertial measuring unit (11), the length and position of the individual fault (TAMP, S, E) to be corrected is determined by taking into account a limit value of the individual faults (F.sub.LIM) and a maximum extension (s.sub.max) in the longitudinal direction of the track (s). The tamping units (7) of the tamping machine (s) are positioned exactly at the starting point (S) and end the tamping at the end point (E) of the determined track correction section (TAMP). Both track sections (F.sub.LI,F.sub.RE) are tamped and corrected simultaneously.

A method for tamping a track in the region of a switch uses a tamping machine mobile on a track. In a first working pass a first branch is brought into desired position and tamped, thereafter the tamping machine travels backward to a point before a branching point, and in a second working pass a second branch is brought into desired position and tamped. During the backward travel, an actual position of the second branch is recorded by a sensor arrangement, particularly relative to the position of the first branch, and correction values for the position of the second branch are calculated based on the recorded actual position. Therefore, the backward travel, which is necessary anyway, is used to determine the position of the second branch, which position changes in the course of the first working pass. A tamping machine for carrying out the method is also provided.

A method for tamping a track in the region of a switch uses a tamping machine mobile on a track. In a first working pass a first branch is brought into desired position and tamped, thereafter the tamping machine travels backward to a point before a branching point, and in a second working pass a second branch is brought into desired position and tamped. During the backward travel, an actual position of the second branch is recorded by a sensor arrangement, particularly relative to the position of the first branch, and correction values for the position of the second branch are calculated based on the recorded actual position. Therefore, the backward travel, which is necessary anyway, is used to determine the position of the second branch, which position changes in the course of the first working pass. A tamping machine for carrying out the method is also provided.

The invention relates to a method for determining correction values for correcting a position of a track, with an actual geometry of a track section being recorded by means of an inertial measurement device arranged on a track inspection vehicle while the track is being travelled on, and with measuring data the recorded track section being output by the inertial measurement device to an evaluation device. In this case, a virtual inertial measurement of the same track section with a target geometry is calculated by means of a simulation device in order to obtain simulated measuring data for the target geometry, with correction values correcting the position of the track being determined by subtracting the simulated measuring data from the measuring data of the inertial measurement device by means of a computing unit. With the method according to the invention, correction values are determined directly on the basis of the measuring data of the inertial measurement device.

The invention relates to a machine (1) having a machine frame (2), mobile by means of on-track undercarriages (3) on rails (4) of a track grid (5), and a stabilizing unit (8) which comprises a vibration exciter (15) for generating horizontal vibrations extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine and flanged rollers (10) designed to roll on the rails (4). In this, a camera (11) is mounted on the machine frame (2) for recording a section of the track grid (5) set in vibrations, wherein the camera (11) is connected to an evaluation device (16) in order to derive from the recorded image data a resulting deflection (s.sub.r) of the track grid (5). In this manner, the amplitude (a.sub.r) of the sleeper deflection can be recorded, which is a measure of the actually effective vibration for stabilizing the track.

The invention relates to a machine (1) having a machine frame (2), mobile by means of on-track undercarriages (3) on rails (4) of a track grid (5), and a stabilizing unit (8) which comprises a vibration exciter (15) for generating horizontal vibrations extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine and flanged rollers (10) designed to roll on the rails (4). In this, a camera (11) is mounted on the machine frame (2) for recording a section of the track grid (5) set in vibrations, wherein the camera (11) is connected to an evaluation device (16) in order to derive from the recorded image data a resulting deflection (s.sub.r) of the track grid (5). In this manner, the amplitude (a.sub.r) of the sleeper deflection can be recorded, which is a measure of the actually effective vibration for stabilizing the track.

The rail fracture detection device detects a rail fracture in a section provided with the track circuit by determining presence or absence of a rail fracture and determining presence or absence of a train on a rail by using information on whether a relay of the track circuit is activated or deactivated and information on a current value of current flowing in the track circuit.

The rail fracture detection device detects a rail fracture in a section provided with the track circuit by determining presence or absence of a rail fracture and determining presence or absence of a train on a rail by using information on whether a relay of the track circuit is activated or deactivated and information on a current value of current flowing in the track circuit.