Methods and apparatus are disclosed for tray heads and wear plates for tray heads for a railroad spike dispenser. An example wear plate set includes a first wear plate configured to couple to a first sloped surface of a first wall of a tray head. The first wear plate defines a first sloped wear edge along which a head of a railroad spike is to slide when the first wear plate is coupled to the first wall and a shank of the railroad spike travels through a channel. A second wear plate is configured to removably couple to a second sloped surface of a second wall of the tray head. The second wear plate defines a second sloped wear edge along which the head is to slide when the second wear plate is coupled to the second wall and the shank of the railroad spike travels through the channel.

A track measuring vehicle for recording a track geometry of a track includes a vehicle frame which has rail undercarriages and is mobile on two rails of a track. The vehicle also includes a first measuring base on which are arranged an inertial measuring unit and, for a position determination relative to each rail, at least one contact-less position measuring device. A lowerable second measuring base has measuring running wheels designed to be set upon the rails and is connected to the first measuring base via compensation measuring devices.

The invention relates to a measuring device (13) for recording a track geometry of a track (5) immediately after a treatment of the track (5) by means of track maintenance machine (1), wherein the measuring device comprises wheel axles (16) for travelling on the track (5), connecting elements (15) for mounting to the track maintenance machine (1) and a data interface (41) for exchanging data with the track maintenance machine (1). Further, the measuring device (13) comprises an assembly frame (22) on which an inertial measuring unit (14) is arranged, wherein a front wheel axle (16) and a rear wheel axle (16) are mounted on the assembly frame (22) for rotation relative to one another about an axis of rotation (21) extending orthogonally to the wheel axles (16). Thus, an efficient check measurement of the lateral, longitudinal and vertical position of the track (5) is possible.

Track alignment reference system projectors having a modulated light source, in addition to arrays of light sources, optionally utilizing a lens are provided. Track alignment systems that utilize or may make use of cascaded devices are also described. Related systems and methods are also provided.

The invention relates to a method for determining an actual position of rails of a track by means of an optical sensor device, positioned on a rail vehicle, for recording the position of the track and adjacent installations. In this, it is provided that, by means of the sensor device, a course of the track and a course of the adjacent installations, in particular a catenary installation, are recorded for a track section as preliminary actual data, and that the preliminary actual data are transformed into corrected actual data in an evaluation device in that a recorded course of at least one adjacent installation is transformed into a course with a specified geometric shape. In addition, the invention relates to a system for implementing the method.

The invention relates to a track maintenance machine having a tamping unit for tamping sleepers of a track lying in a ballast bed, including a tool carrier which is mounted for vertical adjustment on an assembly frame and on which tamping tools are arranged so as to be squeezable towards one another, wherein the tool carrier is coupled to a vertical adjustment drive actuated by means of a control device. In this, a control circuit is set up for controlling a lowering motion of the tool carrier, the control circuit including a controller, a setting device for the vertical adjustment drive and a measuring device for recording the lowering motion. With this, it is possible to provide an optimal course for the lowering motion.

The present disclosure generally relates to a road rail stoneblower vehicle for carrying out rail maintenance operations near fixed structures such as bridges and overpasses. The road rail stoneblower includes a hi-rail chassis having a first set of wheels configured to engage a road surface and a second set of wheels configured to engage surfaces of substantially parallel rails of a railroad track. The road rail stoneblower further includes a plurality of workheads that are capable of dispensing ballast stones into a bed of ballast underlying the railroad track to adjust the height of the rails. The road rail stoneblower further includes a leveling system detachedly coupled to the hi-rail chassis that is configured to transmit a detectable signal that defines a reference plane with which the rails are to be aligned. Related methods of operation of the road rail stoneblower vehicle and associated maintenance of ballast beds underlying railroad tracks are also described.

The invention relates to a method for correcting vertical position defects of a track after a lifting-tamping process, with a stabilizing process carried out by means of a dynamic track stabilizer in which a stabilizing unit acts on the track at a forward-moving working point in a working direction, with track position data of the untreated track being recorded before the lifting-tamping process, and with track position data of the tamped track being recorded after the lifting-tamping process at a measuring point located in front of the stabilizing unit in the working direction. In this case, additional track position data of the stabilized track are recorded at an post-measuring point located behind the stabilizing unit in the working direction, with the dynamic track stabilizer being actuated during the stabilizing process as a function of track position data of the untreated and the tamped track at the working point and of track position data of the stabilized track at the post-measuring point. The additional post-measurement of the track position after the stabilizing process enables precise control of the dynamic track stabilizer.

A method for measuring and displaying the track geometry of a track system uses a track-driveable permanent-way machine, comprising a control measurement system measuring the track position to be corrected before a lifting and lining device, an acceptance measurement system measuring the corrected track position after it, and output units displaying the measured values. The lifting and lining device is controlled depending on the measured values of the control measurement system and the acceptance measurement system to achieve a specified target track geometry. A three-dimensional position image is calculated from the curvature image (k.sub.(s)), longitudinal level image (h.sub.(s)) and superelevation image (u.sub.(s)) of the target track geometry, put into a perspective display, and displayed by the output unit, supplemented by measured error curves for track parameters of track direction, superelevation, twist, and longitudinal level.

A dumping system for accurate and precise dumping of ballast rock, sand, and gravel (aggregate) to all areas of a railroad track (a track) is described. The dumping system includes a dump box, a dump gate having at least two delivery gates, an operating system, and a control system. The at least two delivery gates of the dump gate each include a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion of each of the at least two delivery gates is adjusted in real time by the operating system via the control system to accurately and precisely deliver the aggregate to all areas of the track. The dump box may further be rotated horizontally and vertically to aid with the delivery of aggregate to the track in an accurate manner.