Eastern Railroad Discussion > MOW question

Saw a peice of MOW equipmemt today and was wondering the purpose. Had a big wheel on side then a conveyor dumping black stuff off to side. Have seen this before but never in use

Is it a ballast cleaner or undercutting something ?

Thanks
Gary

Posted from iPhone

mully Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Saw a peice of MOW equipmemt today and was
> wondering the purpose. Had a big wheel on side
> then a conveyor dumping black stuff off to side.
> Have seen this before but never in use
>
> Is it a ballast cleaner or undercutting something
> ?
>
> Thanks
> Gary
>
> Posted from iPhone

Yep that’s a ballast undercutter . It removes ballast from underneath the track

Big wheels on side = shoulder ballast cleaner (SBC)
The under cutter as name would hint to is a mschine that cuts mud from out underneath the track
Both machine are expensive to run but very valuable to the ballast as they clean and sift dirt and small stones from the larger ballast
As I was told early on drainage, drainage, and drainage
Hope this helps

Posted from iPhone

Explains a lot !!!   It was leaving a black trail along the roadway from the conveyor.   How often does this have to be done roughly?

Thanks
Gary


Mofw2007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Big wheels on side = shoulder ballast cleaner
> (SBC)
> The under cutter as name would hint to is a
> mschine that cuts mud from out underneath the
> track
> Both machine are expensive to run but very
> valuable to the ballast as they clean and sift
> dirt and small stones from the larger ballast
> As I was told early on drainage, drainage, and
> drainage
> Hope this helps
>
> Posted from iPhone

Ideally it’s done a few months before a major tie replacement is scheduled. This will allow the ties to be replaced easier and make them last longer without the mud fouled ballast.
When it’s good and dry a great machine to have working.

Posted from iPhone

Loram has several videos on the U know which tube site showing their various machines in action.  Cleaning ballast, surfacing rails, etc

Kids can watch these things for hours, over and over.

I had to be a pilot engineer on one one time....what a noisy beast!