In a method for renewing a track (2) and cleaning a ballast bed (3), the old track (2) is lifted off the ballast bed in sections as a track panel (15), transported forward in a working direction (4) and deposited on track panel wagons (8). The exposed ballast bed (3), forming a renewal gap (17), is cleaned by a cleaning machine (11), spoil (32) accruing in the process is transported forward underneath the track panels (15) deposited on the track panel wagons (8), and stored in hopper cars (10). New rails (29), pre-deposited underneath new sleepers (27) positioned on sleeper wagons (14), are pulled forward into the renewal gap (17) by the cleaning machine (11) and deposited on the cleaned ballast bed (3). The new sleepers (27) are laid down on the cleaned ballast bed and connected to the new rails (29) lifted off the ballast bed (3).

A system for surveying a track includes two outer measuring devices and a central measuring device disposed therebetween, relative to the longitudinal direction of the track. Each measuring device has a specific position relative to the track in order to detect geometric track parameters. One outer measuring device includes a camera with a recording area in which a measuring object of the other outer measuring device and a measuring object of the central measuring device are disposed. The camera is connected to an evaluation device for pattern recognition. All of the position parameters of the track required for precise lining and levelling of the track are thus recorded by a single camera. A method of operating the system is also provided.

The invention relates to a method of controlling a track maintenance machine, particularly a switch tamping- or universal tamping machine, which moves along a track and has working units, particularly a tamping unit and a lifting unit, which are adjustable relative to a machine frame, wherein position data of track objects, particularly sleepers, rails and optionally obstacles, are recorded by means of a sensor device in front of the working units in a working direction, and wherein operating positions of the working units are determined for a working operation at a track location. In this, prior to actuation of the working units, the determined operating positions of the working units are displayed by means of a display device, wherein, prior to carrying out the working operation, the operating positions of the working units can be changed by means of control elements. As a result of the display of the determined operating positions prior to the working operation, an operator is enabled to recognize possible misalignments before these become effective.

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 method and device for compacting the ballast bed of a track, especially in the region of a switch, comprising a switch tamping machine (1), which is fitted with a tamping unit (4), a lifting and lining device (2) comprising at least one pair of roller pincers (6) and at least one lifting hook (7) for lining the track position, and which is guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner on the machine frame (2) in the longitudinal direction of the machine. In order to provide advantageous lining conditions, it is proposed that a switch component measuring system (3), which is provided upstream of the lifting and lining device (2) in the working direction (C), is provided for the position-dependent measurement of the position of the switch components.

The invention concerns a track maintenance machine for tamping a track having sleepers supported in a ballast bed with rails fitted to the same, with a machine frame that is mobile on on-track undercarriages and with a tamping unit which comprises tamping tools to be lowered into the ballast bed and set to vibrate and to be squeezed towards one another, wherein a camera for transmitting real-time images to an output means is arranged upstream of the tamping unit in a working direction. A first camera system is arranged upstream of the tamping unit in working direction here for recording a first surface area of the track as a first image section. In addition, a second camera system is arranged downstream of the tamping unit in working direction for recording a second surface area of the track as a second image section, wherein the recorded image sections partly overlap and wherein the output means is equipped for issuing the image sections in a merged image.

The invention relates to a method for treatment of a ballast track by means of track maintenance machine which comprises a lifting unit, having gripping rollers for gripping a track grid formed of rails and sleepers and lifting drives for lifting the track grid, and a measuring system for comparing to a target position of the track, wherein the lifting unit is set in vibration by means of a vibration exciter and the vibration is transmitted to the track grid, wherein the lifting unit is controlled by means of a control device in such a way that, during a lifting operation, the lifting unit is set in vibration, and the track grid is first lifted to above the target position and subsequently lowered to the target position. By means of the method according to the invention it is possible to carry out in a simple manner a lifting of the track grid with simultaneous stabilization of the track position.

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 jacking tie and method of using a jacking tie to level and/or lift a railroad track. The jacking tie is configured with an elongate body that is configured to span beneath two parallel rails of a railroad track. Preferably the jacking tie is of the configuration to replace a standard railroad tie. The jacking tie has two jacks, preferably hydraulic cylinder jacks that are positioned so as to lift each of the parallel rails of the railroads. The jacking tie body has two sections. A track support shell is supported by the hydraulic cylinder jacks. The track support shell is configured for nesting or mating engagement with the lower body shell in a compressed or resting position. The hydraulic jack cylinders are configured to lift the track support shell away from the lower body shell, thus lifting the rail positioned above the hydraulic jack cylinder. The track support shell and lower body shell are pivotally connected such that the ends of the track support shell can be independently raised. Preferably, the pivotal connection is maintained in a slot allowing the pivotal connection to rise and lower when both hydraulic lift cylinders are raised or lowered. This functionality allows for the lifting and lowering of two parallel rails of a railroad track by allowing for the lifting of the track and replacement of ballast beneath the track. Preferably the jacking tie is constructed such that it can be left under the track or alternatively can be extended and left in place while the railroad is maintained in operation or alternatively while a ballast tamper travels along the track.

The invention relates to a track maintenance machine for tamping sleepers installed on a ballast bed of a track, comprising a machine frame movable on rail-based running gears, track lifting and lining units for correcting the track geometry as well as two 1-sleeper tamping units arranged one behind the other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the machine that work independently of one another, with each tamping unit comprising at least four tamping unit segments that work independently of one another, adjustable in height via vertical drives and horizontally shiftable in the transverse direction of the machine via transverse drives, with each tamping unit segment comprising at least one tamping tool carrier, with opposing tamping tools being mounted on the tamping tool carrier and coupled via a vibration drive. It is provided that one of the two tamping units is designed as a turnout tamping unit, that by means of a shifting unit consisting of three transverse guiding units that work independently of one another the associated tamping unit segments are transversely shiftably mounted and can be positioned outwards with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine in relation to the machine frame or in relation to a satellite frame movable along the longitudinal axis of the machine, and that the other tamping unit is designed as a plain-line tamping unit in such a way that the associated tamping unit segments are transversely shiftably mounted and can be positioned with only one shifting unit. This increases the machine's performance and thus its tamping output when maintaining plain lines and/or turnouts.