Patent ID: 10760221

Abstract:
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.